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Originally Posted by ThurgreedMarshall
Fair enough. But are you saying there is no value in trying to understand the completely disconnected response that these people throw out as a way to absolve themselves of their racism? Why do they choose this response? Who is it aimed at convincing? Is the fact that they say, "I'm not a racist; it's just not who I am or how I act," something that resonates with other white people? If it does, is it because so many white people think and say racist shit but don't consider themselves to be racist? Because that's what I'm trying to understand. Maybe they think that black people will be convinced? Maybe they don't care and are only looking to the white people who may judge them?
In my mind, the responses in both scenarios are the same. I find it fascinating. If you think she's just reading from a script (and "The word, 'nigger' isn't even in my vocabulary even though I drop it in casual conversation,' is surely a new addition to that script, no?), have you thought about why the script is crafted that way?
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When a politician is shamed and makes a public statement like that, I don't think it's aimed at absolution or persuasion. It's more a form of circling the wagons and saving face. Other possible responses are real introspection and doubling down on racism. If you say what she said, it's a path well trodden, and the attention goes elsewhere because what else is there to say?
That's not say that it's disingenuous. As you're saying, it's very common for people to do racist shit and then to profess that that's not really what they think. As a PR strategy, it works because so many people have heard it and think it. I just don't think you come any closer to understanding why people think that in this context.
When a human being in a bar says the same sort of thing, it seems less rote and calculated, so possibly more interesting if one is really trying to understand the way people actually think, although possibly the same thing is going on -- someone caught in a shameful act has the urge to defend his basic goodness (because most people want to be seen as good, and think they are good) by saying what a good person would say in that situation -- racist is bad, and they are good, so therefore they are not racist.
Who are they trying to convince? Maybe foremost themselves?
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