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[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally Posted by ThurgreedMarshall

I am offering the story to both of you as an example of what people will say in defense of themselves when it is clear that they are blatantly racist. Whether the story is interesting or different on the facts (as Hank points out) is beside my point.

White people who say the most blatantly racist shit will insist that they are not racist. And the reason why they do is because, for them (and all the white people who try to explain away racist shit by insisting that that isn't what they could have meant or they're a nice person or whatever), "racist" has a very specific meaning that doesn't actually exist in reality.

I hear you and agree with what you say here. Before, you were talking about the efforts you make to understand those people. I guess I was just saying that there is no point in making that investment when it's a news story about a public figure, like the one you posted, because people will just say whatever in that context -- it's a variety of public shaming ritual where people play their assigned parts. When I say your bar story is interesting, I mean that you're more likely to get some insight into what makes people tick out of it.