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The R-Word
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Posted By:
Matua at 08/21/2008 4:26:17 PM
Comment:
Coopted? You mean stolen? Robbed? Hoodwinked? Bamboozled? Ran-A-Muck?Jacked? Coopted is just a term, used, to mean all of the other adjectives I just listed. You trippin! I didn't land on Plymouth Rock last nite. -
Posted By:
mrsfctrojan at 08/01/2008 2:10:39 PM
Comment:
Racism will always be a complicated issue in this country. We still have barriers and band-aids that take the place of confronting the issue head on. Many (not all) Whites have a one-sided view on who Black people really are at the same token Blacks are just as guilty. I will say though, we know more about White people then they know about us. What is my validation? Remember, my ancestors cleaned their houses, raised, their kids, cooked meals, and over heard conversations that we were presumably not competent enough to understand. At the same token, its a hard sell to convince Black people that Whites struggle just as much as we do! As a 39 year old Black man raise in urban and sub-urban areas throughout my life I can speak the pros and cons of being black and existing in both worlds. For the record I'm a retired from the army and I have an MBA from USC in Business with a minor degree in American History. With all this said, its too easy blame the the past, government, or media. I feel the biggest problem is our lack of patriotism and our overrated need to stay connected to our historial origins. So your Irish, so your Mexican, so your a Texan! What happen to everyone being proud to be an American? It doesn't make you any less loyal or connected to your heritage. If our law makers can draft of amendments for everything else, why not something that makes it so we "have to" call ourselves American? I know, American don't like to be told we have to do anything, despite the fact that we are told to do most everything only in the most indirect ways. -
Posted By:
wantok at 07/28/2008 2:10:35 PM
Comment:
Not sure what the author meant by saying, most white people have minority ???friends.??? Depends what definition is being used for friend. If you, white person, have not been invited over to a black family or friend???s home to break bread, i.e., dinner or barbeque. Your friendship may be more of an acquaintance.
Being a 48 year old male who attended predominantly white universities and now with a career in a conservative white industry ??? agribusiness. There are more times than I can count where whites claim me as the ???buddy.??? I am asked out to white bars, attend white social events, asked to dine at their residences. Yet, for most, I never felt compelled to ask them over to my side of town. They claim to be my friend, perhaps. But from my perspective, they are/were acquaintances. Why? They are so much into their culture as though it were the center of the universe. The pervasive mindset, we the greatest culture gets old fast. Don???t you love being around us, don???t you feel favored to have the opportunity to be in our presence. Even the best of whites who try being cross-ethnically social, always on their own turf, have this prevailing character.
I have many other friends of various ethnicities, Latino, Asian, Caribbean . . . With them I never feel like their culture is being pushed in my face, and they not feeling uncomfortable about mine.
Colbert may be to satire to some, but reality to many.
You may want to double check on who you think are you friends and not acquaintances. -
Posted By:
theoriginal MissZ at 07/26/2008 5:17:52 PM
Comment:
You gotta love South Park in its take on racism. Token the black kid is called just for what it is -- completely funny in stereotype world. The character Cartman the fat kid is constantly calling Kyle a Jew and continually insults him because of his parents religion. Racism knows no color boundry. I've actually witnessed more HATE spewing from blacks lips against white than the other way around. Not only is rasicm perpetuated by the media with their so called polls and desire to maintain political correctness sacrificed at the rightness of doing these unscientific interviews which are really structured to the writers desires he wants to express and then he runs to hide behind the screen when people pelt him with rotton fruit and vegetables. -
Posted By:
Maelstrum at 07/26/2008 2:01:16 PM
Comment:
After living my entire adult life subject to state sponsored anti-white racism, I have consciously chosen to embrace racism myself. The constant drumbeat of anti-white propaganda; the covering up of a 45 year long assault by blacks on innocent white people (look at the real hate crime figures: black rapes of whites, black murder rates...not victimization rates you morons!, the reduction of many of our great cities to turd world status, etc); the kangaroo court system that persecutes whites for their racial attitudes but always excuses non-whites for theirs (see the mob attacks in Mount Clemens, the assault on a white father and his daughters in Minnesota, Newsom and Christian, and so on and on and on...); and the lowering of every standard of human achievement and conduct necessary for multiculturalism to exist. I work with and for my white brothers and sisters. We will re-create our country. Embrace the light. -
Posted By:
brianb at 07/24/2008 2:54:41 PM
Comment:
Was anyone confused by the last sentence of this article? Shouldn't it read " the subject of race CANNOT be considered an irrelevant one."..? -
Posted By:
chezcrisden at 07/24/2008 2:38:32 PM
Comment:
people should enjoy music regardless of what color the music came from.
if you like rap, like it, heavy metal, country, pop etc... like it because you just do.
a person's race should not be a reson why you like their music, how
they act or any other comments that have been written on this topic
of the r word. -
Posted By:
Jonesy9872 at 07/23/2008 6:27:52 PM
Comment:
An excellent analysis Christmas Ape. Now if you, Drew and the rest of your crew could stop writing every black NFL player with the exact same minstrel ebonic lexicon on KSK, I would consider you completely sincere in your views. -
Posted By:
Jonesy9872 at 07/23/2008 6:24:07 PM
Comment:
I would be more impressed with Christmas Ape's (Michael's name on KSK) if he and his blog didn't insinuate that every black NFL player speaks the same minstrel-like ebonics. Aside from his site's racially-ugle overtones, his analysis of whites being afraid of being labeled as "racist" is pretty spot on. -
Posted By:
Darknlovely1 at 07/23/2008 4:31:17 PM
Comment:
Like the 'N'word can we also stop using the word 'minority' for people of color. The word minor in and of itself connotes things that are alternative to the norm, marginal or underground. In this world of new found equality why should we still identify ourselves as minor? Understabably it was used in the context of fewer relative to the masses of but it is irrelevant and demeaning. The fact that there are divisions within the black race has little bearing for me as within every race there are divisions. Use of english and the subliminal words/messages that are so loosely accepted help to keep us under thumbs and "in our place"- yes, sah massa! Down with the word minority! -
Posted By:
Darknlovely1 at 07/23/2008 4:21:55 PM
Comment:
Like the 'N' word can we outlaw the word minority as well? What makes a person of color less important than a person without? I completely understand the context it has always been used in, however, this also fosters the subliminal message/the R-word that we are less than the "majority". What do you think? It also -
Posted By:
Typhoon McGoon at 07/23/2008 12:18:11 PM
Comment:
Excellent article, Michael.
I would like to add that people, due to social and legal factors, are not ALLOWED to be color blind in today's society. Factors which prevent any real attempts at colorblindness include:
-- mandatory multiculturalism
-- affirmative action and racial quotas in schools and business
-- insistence of the black race that "you will never understand what it means to be black"
-- a required measure of "blackness" amongst blacks, and a corresponding rejection of "whiteness"
All these factors are considered positive and righteous amongst the black and politically correct populations, yet their presence will continue to drive wedges between the races as long as they persist. -
Posted By:
zpegan at 07/22/2008 10:24:44 PM
Comment:
"need to be embraced by the black people"
I don't know if it's so much a need to be embraced by the black people, so much as it is a need not to be perceived as "racist," and further seeing an embrace by black folks as being affirmative evidence of the white person's lack of racial animus. The difference is meaningful, I think, because under this kind of thinking even an actual connection between the white person and a person of a different race has little merit in itself, but is merely a mechanism of demonstrating political correctness rather than a worthy end in itself.
You touch on this point when you suggest that some white people try to demonstrate their purported open-mindedness by "making a big deal of their minority friends or by embracing cultural symbols and behaviors associated with other races." My point is simply that if you take such an approach with someone, you were never actually that person's friend in a good and meaningful way -- true friendships do not countenance turning each other into cultural chattle. -
Posted By:
MerBear at 07/22/2008 6:32:58 PM
Comment:
I liked this article and thought that he was right on the money about how whites of the Y generation are so afraid of being labeled racist. Being multicultural is the new black, it's the hip thing to do. But I have to say I'm getting weary of all these race discussions and considering that Obama is the democratic nominee, the disucssions on race have only just begun. Oh, I'm totally voting for Obama, but because I luv him, not because he's black. Can we stop talking about race!!! Ah!!-
Posted By:
Craig at 07/23/2008 5:15:43 PM
Comment:
MerBer: With all due respect, if you're tired of discussing race, why did you post to, or even read, this blog?
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Posted By:
tigger500 at 07/22/2008 6:05:33 PM
Comment:
It's dangerous and irresponsible to suggest that being called a racist is worse than actually being one. Part of the reason that white folks think this is because there is such a profound misunderstanding of what racism is. One can hold racist views even if they don't "hate" black people. It's not about hate. That has always been a reductive characterization of a complex system that posits that black folks are inferior. Racism is so imbedded in our nation that everyone holds racists views. This doesn't make everyone a bad person. And there is a distinction to be made by unconscious racism like calling a black person "articulate' and burning a cross in a black person's yard. But they are both racist. The simple fact that you notice that a black person speaks "well" has everything to do with the assumption that most do not. That's a racist idea. You don't get to argue that point just because you have black friends or because you vote for Obama. Ending racism is much more difficult and involved than that. -
Posted By:
Craig at 07/22/2008 5:45:22 PM
Comment:
You know what's not racist? Calling a black guy an a$$hole if he acts like one. Its funny, keeping insults personal are taken personal and have no racist tint.
What follows is a racist comment because it focuses on the race of an individual. With that said, its been my experience that it unnerves black guys when they are absolutely convinced that you can't stand them and its obvious that it absolutely has nothing to do with their race. ("Who me!!?!!) What's encouraging is that when its apparent that my disdain is personal, other black people won't come to the a$$hole's defense.-
Posted By:
Typhoon McGoon at 07/23/2008 12:24:29 PM
Comment:
Good point.
This also illustrates why those of us who oppose Obama purely for his wrongheaded political ideas, inexperience, and lack of substance are so often labeled as "racists."
For some reason though, those who support Obama purely because of the color of his skin are usually the ones making this accusation.-
Posted By:
Craig at 07/23/2008 5:13:16 PM
Comment:
Similarly, if Obama is elected (don't delude yourself, its a big "if") and fails, will comments about his ineptitude be accused of having a racist tint?
I don't like Spike Lee's movies because there not good. ("Do the Right Thing" and "Malcolm X" notwithstanding). My aversion is based on bad art, entirely.
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Posted By:
mdot at 07/22/2008 4:55:52 PM
Comment:
I wish I could be more politically correct about the following statement, as would fit my generational profile, but I'm going to take a chance instead and just let the words fall out...
I'm not concerned with white paranoia about being called racists. BE PARANOID! Would you like a list of the potential psychological damage that racist thought, behavior, attitudes, politicies, institutions and organizations have has done to people?
The perception that a well-intentioned white person is walking through a verbal landmine, terrified of setting off a trigger, is fair because our passive-aggressive political correctness is an offspring of our societal fear and insecurities. Chances are, there's some racism somewhere because being colorblind to racism everywhere does not make racism go away. Instead, it fuels it.
There are racist PEOPLE, and they come in all colors, shapes, sizes, pigmentation, complexions and with various hair textures. So white people shouldn't feel alone because everyone is afraid of being called out for who and what they are. That is part of how racism continues to thrive in our culture. The longer we're afraid of it, the harder it's going to be to get rid of it. -
Posted By:
User1233 at 07/22/2008 4:11:56 PM
Comment:
The question really isn't racism anymore. The question is prejudice and ignorance. Listening to hip hop and watching random black films and television is not a viable source to understanding or empathizing with the black experience. These forms of expression are limited, filtered and objective and only reach mainstream when it is proven to make money. These images and concepts generated by the lil' waynes and Akons of US Hip Hop only perpetuate the stereotype of the black (or any other) culture. One cannot claim to be a part of a movement or group of peoples when a person is only exposed to a tenth of the wider culture. Black is African, Canadian, American, Brazilian, Jamican and many other places on the globe. Blackness is not owned nor distributed by American Hip Hop or pop culture. When you follow under that gross assumption and then have the audacity to annouce or allow a "friend" to claim empathy for a race based on this criteria then my friend you are a narrow minded, ignorant fool not inclusive or included. There is no shame in being white. Be white. You do not have to claim identification in order to be friends with another culture. You are only required to respect and be open to your friend, to his/ her culture and to that person as an individual. And by the way never, my dear young black man, ever let anyone use any word that is born of hatred. Because make no mistake N*** is a word of hate, fear and confusion no matter how cute it sounds with an "a" at the end and no matter the colour of the dude saying it. -
Posted By:
Pete at 07/22/2008 4:02:51 PM
Comment:
I would like to ask all of my friends over for some watermelon and to shake hands, but no one would show up. -
Posted By:
Yinzer at 07/22/2008 3:59:08 PM
Comment:
Some of my best friends... always was and still is a BS statement. On the other hand the phrase I like or he/she likes black or laitin or asian people is just as racist as saying that I/he/she hates those groups. I don't like or hate any body except on a personal level. Deal with the person in front of you. They aren't your personal ambasssador to the whole race, they are 1 person. -
Posted By:
b.s. at 07/22/2008 3:27:43 PM
Comment:
Hockey isn't only played by white people. It's played by Canadians (they can be black too). -
Posted By:
slinkymello at 07/22/2008 2:18:08 PM
Comment:
First of all, I am not sure if this article applies to me since I do not know if I am Generation Y or X - or some other letter I am not aware of. I am a twenty-seven year old caucasian man from Cincinnati, Ohio and, after preparing to write a response asking what on earth the author was talking about, I understood that the fear of being labelled a racist is very apparent in white men and women, period. I think most people living in this country are used to hearing white males either preface or finish statements that infer a subtle view of white superiority with the phrase, "but I have a lot of African-American friends..." which you know is a lie. There is the whole, "I don't care what color of skin you have, if you work hard, you can make it!" farce. This could easily turn into an essay, so I'll speed it up. There is nothing that makes a white male angrier than being perceived as a racist... talk radio seems to be a perverse kind of therapy for a lot of these men and women, spewing vitriol about how unfair it is to be labelled a racist while maintaining the view that black people are looking for handouts, collectively freak out when african americans organize themselves without the help of white males, and deify local law enforcement for locking up those "awful black criminals." As a musician taught exclusively by African Americans and as a man that has worked for and with many incredibly intelligent, talented black men and women, I feel like I had an opportunity not many white males are able to experience. Racism exists in white culture, subtle or not, and it takes a lot for us to realize it... white people tend to get very defensive on matters of race. I admit that it took me some time to be completely comfortable around my instructors and coworkers. Yet, once I put down my front, started being the awkward, strange white dude that I am without worrying about convincing people I wasn't a racist guy (...it was a real fear I had) I was able to form some strong friendships and understand that, given the current state of affairs in our country and the inability of many white males to recognize the subtle forms of racism in their belief-system - a world view that can pose very big problems, no matter how subtle it may be. I tend to be a bit pessimistic, so I think that solving this thing is going to be very difficult. Unfortunately, the current state of our economy exacerbates this animosity... white people are angry, frustrated, and - at least in Cincy, where nothing really makes any sense - more than willing to blame African Americans for a lot of their problems. Anyway, I hope I was somewhat coherent. I tend to ramble-
Posted By:
Typhoon McGoon at 07/23/2008 12:32:07 PM
Comment:
You said:
>> Racism exists in white culture, subtle or not,
Racism exists in black culture, and it's not subtle at all. It's pervasive, blatant, and those who spew it are often held aloft as ideals (Sharpton, Jackson, Farrakhan, Wright.)
What's my point? The pot shouldn't call the kettle black (no pun intended.) The black community needs to move out of it's glass house before any stone-throwing commences.
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Posted By:
deryl1000 at 07/22/2008 1:14:48 PM
Comment:
If you want a candid insight from a white guy, all you needed to do is ask. Its getting old guys. The 'R-word' is a dead horse youre beating. Now more than ever the most guilty of us of racism are proably too old and senile in their nursing homes to recieve your many forms of revenge. This just leaves the current generation (like me; 27m) to take the heat. If you want equality so much, try turning down your own emphasis on race.-
Posted By:
Patra at 07/25/2008 1:25:37 PM
Comment:
If you want equality so much, try turning down your own emphasis on race.
Why should we tone down our emphasis on race, in order to be considered "equal"??? We (African Americans) should be considered equal by virtue of the fact that we are HUMAN, just like anyone else...whether or not we choose to "tone down" our own emphasis of race. I emphasize my race everyday, by being the tone/color of my skin, by wearing my hair natural, which goes against "mainstream america" by not celebrating "traditional" holidays that mainstream america celebrates, and by not subscribing to the religions that mainstream America does. It is not African Americans who are responsible for the sentiment that somehow, we are not considered "equal" to everyone else.
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Posted By:
Kinsmankid at 07/22/2008 1:00:51 PM
Comment:
Great article. Unfortunately, we base too many of our opinions of people from other races on what we get in the media. If I weren't black and gained all my information about African-Americans from Flava Flav and "I Love New York," I would have a terrible impression of my own people. Some shows like "The Bachelor" and political pundits like Bill O'Reilly and Glen Beck don't make white folks look that great either. -
Posted By:
GENQ10 at 07/22/2008 12:55:17 PM
Comment:
Yes, open bigotry is uncouth, but it's a fallacy to believe this "guilty white liberal" stereotype applies to most (or even many) Caucasians in the United States. This article pandering to a imagine of "the new white person" that has been over-hyped by the media to try to indicate the beginnings of a post-racial--or at least, post-racist society. Unspoken, covert racism is still very much alive and kicking--and not just in the "I need to have a black friend so I can appear not to be racist" sense; people are less racist, yes, but this unwillingness of many white people to acknowledge that the "I'm not comfortable with black people" kind is still out there, and instead to cover it with "white guilt" is indicative of their own unwillingness to grapple with race. -
Posted By:
thrasher at 07/22/2008 12:45:01 PM
Comment:
This was very informative and instructional for me as a Black Activist. I hope we can get more candid insigjhts from whites on this site..-
Posted By:
Typhoon McGoon at 07/23/2008 12:38:16 PM
Comment:
You call yourself a "Black Activist." What would you call me if I described myself as a "White Activist?"-
Posted By:
Patra at 07/25/2008 1:18:19 PM
Comment:
I'd call you an idiot for asking such an idiotic question.
Your obsession with black people and what we choose to call ourselves is absolutely nauseating. Remember dude...you all don't get to make that call anymore.
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Posted By:
ch555x at 07/22/2008 11:50:01 AM
Comment:
This seems to lean toward prejudice more so than racism. Culture and life experiences can also be factors. -
Posted By:
thinker2008 at 07/22/2008 11:29:39 AM
Comment:
I think this article is very interesting. I am a 30 year old African-American female, and I can honestly say that in my lifetime I've only had 4 white friends. I've had several white acquaintances, but only a handful of white friends. Do I think that makes me racist? No, but I do think that if I had no white friends I would be prone to believe the stereotypes about white people.
Thus, I think the main problem with whites having no friends of color is that it allows them to cling to the image of black people projected from the media. Whether that me, hip-hop, TV shows, or even the current Presidential election--the fact is no one image is entirely accurate. Thus, I think that it is important for all races to try to interact with each other. This does not have to be forced, we are all in the same society. If there aren't people of color in your neighborhood, maybe they're at your place of business, or places that you go to have some fun. There's no need to have a "token" friend, but to have a friend of a different race is to welcome knowledge of a world you don't know about, and for the most part, knowledge is a good thing. -
Posted By:
martin2533 at 07/22/2008 10:59:42 AM
Comment:
Profoundly idiotic. Wow - you're such a pandering ass. -
Posted By:
bylinediva at 07/22/2008 9:19:18 AM
Comment:
Funny, I don't think any of my black friends feel in any way pressured to produce a white friend, or claim intimate relationships with white people in order to gain anyone's approval. I think we just pick people we connect with. Your article would be a lot stronger if it didn't pander to the stereotypes that you ostensibly are trying to overcome.-
Posted By:
b.s. at 07/22/2008 3:31:40 PM
Comment:
Why wouldn't african-americans want to claim white friends for acceptance? Racist jokes are OK sometimes and there's no cred to pander too.
White people only claim black friends if they may be considered racist. If it is a group where it's OK to tell racist jokes no one will claim a black friend.
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Posted By:
seamus at 07/22/2008 8:51:33 AM
Comment:
"Take, for example, hockey or country music. Many white people of my generation avoid these activities in part because they are marked by an absence of minorities."
This is such a profoundly stupid statement that it is hard to construct a response. So does this invalidate the art that is present in mono-cultural expressions? Shall we avoid Bulgarian Folk music for the lack of Maldivian participants? How about Rodeo? Curling? Ice Fishing?
Perhaps the author should spend less time looking over his shoulder for approval, and more time participating in, and appreciating things that speak to him without regard to social ratification.
Hockey is played by the greatest athletes in the world and country music speaks to the anxieties and needs of some of our most marginalized citizens. Maybe the author needs to expand his horizons a bit.
And by the way, there are black players in the NHL, including one of the game's premier goalies. -
Posted By:
Serhum0 at 07/22/2008 8:44:14 AM
Comment:
Racism is built into our,human, psyche according to some, such as Joseph Campbell. Perhaps its impossible to expect an absence of racism. Perhaps more realistically it might be "what kind of racist are you?". Perhaps we need a new word for benign, perhaps even productive, racial awareness. Got any suggestions?-
Posted By:
StairsAndFlowers at 07/22/2008 6:45:57 PM
Comment:
Serhumo,
You nailed it on the head. I don't know if it's nurture or nature but racism isn't going anywhere; and we're all guilty of it on some level. I truly feel that racism is like a disease, in that, you can be 'infected' with it and not even know. It seems counterproductive to dissect racism into levels or degrees. But there are some things that only when they are confronted and given a name can they truly be examined properly. The dictionary defines benign as "not malignant; self-limiting". Maybe that's a good start. -
Posted By:
b.s. at 07/22/2008 3:32:44 PM
Comment:
I appreciate the question, but I wouldn't know where to begin.
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