Sorry, But David Dao Is Not The Asian Version Of Rosa Parks

Image via YouTube/The Sydney Morning Herald

UPDATE: Rosa Parks' niece has spoken out against the comparison that David Dao is the modern-day equivalent to her iconic aunt. Speaking to TMZ Urana McCauley said that although it is unfortunate what happened to Dao, "There is no comparison" between him and Parks.

"As someone who is her niece, and grew up with Rosa Parks, and knowing her on a personal level, knowing all she endured and knowing what black people in this country endured at that time, I feel that you cannot compare the two," McCauley said.

"I think that what Dr. Dao is going to do is probably change the policy of United Airlines, but actually what my aunt did was change history," she added.

Read the original story below.

What happened to David Dao, the man that was violently removed from a United Airlines flight for refusing to give up his seat was uncalled for. However, to call Dao the Asian version of Rosa Parks is a tone-deaf comparison.

During a press conference Thomas Demetrio, Dao's lawyer spoke about the incident and how a supporter had emailed him saying that Dao was the "Asian version of Rosa Parks."

"Dr. Dao, I believe to his great credit, has come to understand that he is the guy, the guy to stand up for all passengers going forward," Demetrio said.

From there the statement began to circulate courtesy of a now-deleted tweet from USA Today, where the account had written "Is United Airlines passenger Dr. Dao an 'Asian version of Rosa Parks?'"

Inevitably, a number of people spoke out against the statement, and it is understandable why.

Parks had to sit at the back of the bus because of her race during a time in which segregation and the civil rights movement was at its height. She was protesting against the inequality and mistreatment black people were enduring in America.

Although Dao's civil rights were violated by the officers, to try and compare him to Parks is just inaccurate.

In new reports about the incident, it has been revealed that Dao suffered a broken nose, lost two front teeth and received a concussion.

"Here's the law, real simple: If you're going to eject a passenger, under no circumstances can it be done with unreasonable force or violence," Demetrio said during the same press conference. "That's the law."