Is Ted Cruz Satan? Discuss.

[ThurgreedMarshall]

Originally Posted by Greedy,Greedy,Greedy

You'd think it should be easier for white folks to realize what they're being taught than black folks. Shows how blind we are to the built-in biases.

Some of my favorites are the "bad neighborhood" that you're told not to to go near, which often redlines half a city as places whites shouldn't go, the "where is he from" question that really means, is he black, one you highlighted, the "don't dress like a thug" meaning, dress like a white boy, etc.

Any time people are segregated fear is taught of the other group in a million little ways. Segregation and stereotypes are two of the biggest weapons.

Agreed.

TM

[ThurgreedMarshall]

Originally Posted by Greedy,Greedy,Greedy

May I just say, I know I have all kinds of race related prejudices and biases along the way that I struggle with and try to get rid of, but the longer this discussion goes on the less I like white people. Fuckin' white people.

I get that you're trying to lighten the mood, but the more I talk about this stuff with white people the better I feel. It's a real change just over the course of my own insignificant life from when I used to want to hear what people thought and to have a legitimate discussion.

The only way people change their minds on stuff like this is to actually think about it and discuss it with people who have different experiences and perspectives.

TM

[Adder]

Originally Posted by ThurgreedMarshall

If from birth, every cop show has a terrifying black thug as the worst of criminals and the news focuses on inner city drug crime but ignores meth-related crime outside of cities, and people internalize the fear created by that bullshit, maybe when people see a black kid in a hoodie walking in the middle of the day in their super nice neighborhood, they think he's about to commit a crime based on many things, including if they've seen a young black kid commit one in the past. In fact, what I would like you to see is how that fear--cultivated, maybe, by personal experience of a particular variety extends to black people doing every day shit completely unrelated to your very specific example.

Pointergate seems kind of relevant to this discussion.

[taxwonk]

Originally Posted by Tyrone Slothrop

[eta: As GGG said,] The following is something important about the way the human brain works: Behavior by minorities will be attributed to the minority status, but the same behavior by majorities will not be attributed to the majority status. See Gordon Allport, The Nature Of Prejudice.

Hmmm. Somebody should find a way to make that point a part of the conversation. If only there was some way to turn that into the foundation of an incredibly transparent metaphor.

[taxwonk]

Originally Posted by Not Bob

Anyhoo, I try to at least act like I've never used the n-word, or the s-word, or the k-word. And I try to pretend that I'm not a little bit racist. But by reminding myself that I am that way, and that while I may not be able to control the initial reaction, I can control what I do or say after that initial reaction --- that keeps me from hating myself too much.

Not Well Put

[sebastian_dangerfield]

Originally Posted by taxwonk

Not Well Put

You're wrong. The topic deserves candor. I've been more afraid of a group of Black kids on the street at night and it bothered me. I don't feel that way anymore, but it was there when I was younger.

And racism and ethnic hatred were culturally all around me as a kid. Luckily, my folks forbade slurs, and racist comments were taboo. But I'll never know how they really, really feel -- whether it wasn't what NB might refer to as lace curtain Irish social conditioning.

Don't flag a dude for being open in this discussion.

[Not Bob]

Originally Posted by taxwonk

Not Well Put

What can I say? I am an imperfect vessel.

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally Posted by Not Bob

What can I say? I am an imperfect vessel.

what is the s-word?

[taxwonk]

Originally Posted by Not Bob

What can I say? I am an imperfect vessel.

Not Bob, I said it was Not Well Put. Was I in some way Not Clear?

My apologies. Byegones, and all that. Selah.

[taxwonk]

Originally Posted by sebastian_dangerfield

You're wrong. The topic deserves candor. I've been more afraid of a group of Black kids on the street at night and it bothered me. I don't feel that way anymore, but it was there when I was younger.

And racism and ethnic hatred were culturally all around me as a kid. Luckily, my folks forbade slurs, and racist comments were taboo. But I'll never know how they really, really feel -- whether it wasn't what NB might refer to as lace curtain Irish social conditioning.

Don't flag a dude for being open in this discussion.

See, above.

[taxwonk]

Thanks for giving me the benefit of the doubt, y'all.

[Not Bob]

Originally Posted by taxwonk

Not Bob, I said it was Not Well Put. Was I in some way Not Clear?

My apologies. Byegones, and all that. Selah.

No apologies necessary, dude - I'm the one who misread your post. Should have known better.

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally Posted by Not Bob

No apologies necessary, dude - I'm the one who misread your post. Should have known better.

I also do not understand the misread. Can we explain what they all meant?

[Tyrone Slothrop]

More on the prosecution of Aaron Swartz.

[Not Bob]

Originally Posted by Hank Chinaski

I also do not understand the misread. Can we explain what they all meant?

"We're" not sure what "they all" meant, but at the risk of a whifferoni. I'll be earnest and give it a shot.

1. I posted something to effect of (as the delightful Avenue Q song that I took the re line from) Everyone's A Little Bit Racist, providing examples from my own background and life. (P.S. - the "s-word" is one that bigoted people often use to refer to those whose family's national origin is from a country located in Central and South America.)

2. Wonk replied "Not Well Put."

2(a). I read Wonk's reply as a somewhat negative commentary on my post, perhaps thinking that he viewed my take as being facile and/or disingenuous. I also thought that it was possible that he was just saying that my post was inarticulate or confusing. I have been known to be unclear. In any event, I decided that calling myself an imperfect vessel would cover both reads I made of his reply.

2(b) Sebby, in an outburst of lace-curtain noblesse oblige, defended me by pointing out my prole-ish background, implying that all y'all should be thankful for the fact that I (mostly) chew with my mouth closed. (I kid.) I think that Sebby misread Wonk's reply in a similar way to the way I did, but decided to go on to discuss the broader issue of why people are often unwilling to discuss their own racist (or sexist or homophobic, etc.) views in an effort to get some understanding.

3. Wonk told Sebby and I that he didn't mean what we thought he meant.

4. I apologized to Wonk for misreading him.

Oh, and Matt Saracen just dumped his post-Julie brunette cheerleader girlfriend because he's attracted to his grandmother's home health aide.