Serious Thread: Race Discussion

Iggy's said dumb stuff so many times that some of it doesn't catch heat due to info overload. Azaelia Banks also called Perez Hilton a faggot in response to alleged misogynism, and then acted shocked when people weren't cool with that. Oh, and she called TI a "shoe shining coon."

At least this gave us the nickname Igloo Australia though.

 

Although I'm not on your social media feeds I still think she's a wanker. I pay attention to both anti black and anti hispanic rhetoric. This was in response to a Mexican woman asking for more pay.

 

Well there you go.

 

If Iggy Azalea was actually good nobody would give a shit.

 

I just finished reading through Parker's links way back on the first page, and I think they are excellent. It is really difficult to articulately pinpoint specifics that lead to systemic problems that perpetuate (and even propagate) mostly through the passivity of privileged enablers. That is, the non-racists indirectly contributing to racism. People are really terrible about recognizing that type of thing, and I think the author, Nicholas Kristof, did as good a job as I've seen of shining a light, albeit to an audience that is gonna be mostly steadfast in their existing opinions. Unfortunately, showing people with strong preconceived notions contrary evidence often actually firms up their same preconceived notions. It basically amounts to inflicting a narcissistic injury that people will do all kinds of crazy mental gymnastics to avoid seeing.

Anyway, one line that stood out to me in the Washington Post interview was "...we should use the word "inequality" less and the word "opportunity" more." I think I like that because, personally, I can admit that the successes that I've "achieved" are mostly attributed to circumstances completely beyond my immediate control (i.e. opportunities). We really control very little, but we delude ourselves into thinking we control a lot. I've lived basically on auto-pilot and the system around me ensures I'll be perfectly fine and have plenty of second chances if (when) I do fuck up. But even I (as enlightened as I smugly like to think I am) have been blind to most of my privileges for most of my life.

But convincing anyone of anything is always impossible. That hyperbole is on purpose. And god forbid you ever look at the comment section of any article that has to do with race. The deluge of bigotry and ignorance isn't even the bad part. Those people are just lost. What I find worse is the knee-jerk defensive insistence that there's nothing inherently wrong, that racism is over, that the playing field is actually level, that it's just individuals and families and communities choosing not to be responsible, choosing not to follow rules, that it's pure economics in a vacuum with no connection to race or history or other unseen biases etc., etc. It all breeds a frustration that I think we are seeing manifested in the riots and whatnot of Ferguson by people unable to articulate arguments as well as Nicholas Kristof, or have any way being heard even if they could. Rather than adjectives like "shocking" or "disgusting" as even some on this board have used, I find the riots and behavior "unsurprising" and, sadly, probably necessary before anything has even a chance for change.

Two final thoughts to wrap up my wall of text:

1. Racism needs an equivalent of Lewis' Law, which goes something like: "The comment section on any article about feminism justifies feminism."
2. If I'm really honest, I probably do contribute to the "racism without racists" through my own bystander apathy.

 

Just popping in to say a couple of things. I am racist. I'm not okay with it. When I say that, it doesn't mean I'm a member of the Klan. It doesn't mean that I endorse or support discrimination in any form. And I can tell you for sure that it doesn't mean that I inherently have a problem with black people. All it means is that should I see Nom walking down the street I would get more nervous than if I saw MC. That's because it's how society raised me. You'd have to be Ghandi or crazy not to succumb to the subconscious imagery we get bombarded with. Just because that gut feeling makes me uncomfortable doesn't make it okay to pretend it's not there. That won't make it go away and I want it to. It's just something I need to recognize and argue away. There's a reason people say ignorance is bliss. It's much easier to ignore a flaw than to recognize and work on it.

 

I think Parker said something to this effect earlier. But the fucked up thing is black people scare me more too. That is the real bitch of being black in this country our society has set us up in a situation where our own people seem different and dangerous. Also to achieve success as a black person in this country, in any non entertainment endeavor:

Step one: distance oneself from any stereotypical black behavior.

 

I feel like I should start doing weekly posts. I was so excited 2015 started off with no stories of racism, turns out just to be the news scheduling.

Son of a bitch.

One Tweet Perfectly Sums Up the Big Problem With How We Talk About Terrorism This one is digging up buried horses and beating them more, but as I've always said... it is a running situation we need to pay attention to. There is domestic, U.S. terrorism that happens. Not a goddamn thing is said until 16 hours later by major news outlets. Brown people do something abroad? GET ALL OVER IT IMMEDIATELY.

White kids shoot up school? Let's talk about gun control, mental health, violence in media and how Call of Duty is the culprit. Replace those with brown dudes. "THAT COMMUNITY NEEDS TO GET ITS SHIT TOGETHER."

 

No, of course not. It was actually to bemoan the point that I could, because these stories are that constant. I've kept it honest and on subject for 17 pages. Why would I derail that now?

But your word choice sparked something, I find the use of "cherry pick" fascinating.

I see cherry picking as finding stories that reinforce an argument. Arguments have two sides to them. If I was to "cherry pick" stories, what stories would I be leaving behind? As the stories I'd be "cherry picking" are stories where people are doing racist things or showing a trend of racism (as the story above).

Would the stories I'd be leaving behind would be of people not doing racist things? Which would equate to treating people equally, and as we should be, therefor not making them stories at all. Or would it be stories that somehow explain that racism doesn't exist?

 

That tweet, and others like it, intentionally conflate what I would call 'little t terrorism' and 'big T Terrorism.'

The difference between the two is that while both are violent acts designed to use fear for political ends, Terrorism has an underlying organization and structure that terrorism does not. So yes, a white dude flying a prop plane into an IRS building is an act of terrorism, but does anyone really think the IRS is gearing up to be hit by an ongoing campaign of these types of attacks?

Islamic violence is Terrorism. The IRA was Terrorism. The Tamil Tigers were Terrorism. These are all instances where multiple attacks were made, by tightly or loosely organized groups, based on similar political motives, against related targets. It is not only justifiable to treat Terrorism differently than terrorism, it is in fact the only sane response.

The whole "when brown people do it it's terrorism, but when white people do it its isolated incidents" quip is cheap theater with little if any merit.

 

Yes and no. I agree all about the big and little t, especially when it comes to organizations with HQs, systems of communication and finances flowing from group to group.

But it was more paying attention to the words used in news reports when anything happens. It's at the point where if I hear a story read to me or hear it on TV without looking at it, I can tell what color the suspect is.