Ok... I'm a little disconnected from this phenomenon -- and the term "guido", as it is being used here. Isn't guido an ethnic slur? I guess "guido" no longer specifically refers to Italians? I mean, where I'm from, "nigga" no longer specifically refers to black people, but I'm fairly certain if I posted a video titled "Observe The Wild Nigga Mating Dance" I'd get some shit.

Also, would it be appropriate to use the term "goombah"? Just wondering. I have no qualms with racial slurs -- I think they're funny and a piece of our dark history as a species.

>> ^Stormsinger:
Or it was the obvious...a "deniable" threat to the life of our (black) president. I'm utterly amazed that -anyone- thinks such behavior is acceptable, given the number of political and racial assassinations over the years. There are -zero- valid reasons to carry a gun to a presidential appearance, unless you are a Secret Service agent.


Yes, we should give up all of our Constitutional rights whenever there is a president around, black or otherwise. Hey, black people are offended by racial slurs, so maybe we should forfeit our first Amendment rights? Or maybe that guy should've been arrested and tried without a trial... or without jury?

"police taser sitting man" got me to a blog of someone who says they called police and asked about the story:

http://theflashscoop.tumblr.com/post/163105431/excessive-use-of-force-in-folsom

"The officers were called to the scene by a neighbor. The man who was tased apparently spent the entire morning on his front lawn screaming racially charged remarks at the top of his lungs. Among the things he yelled were: “White Power!” and “Heil Hitler!” The officer was not sure what ethnicity the man was, but he informed me that his name appeared to be of hispanic origin. He was not a black man, contrary to some reports.

The first officers arrived on the scene. These were a mixture of different races (black, white, and hispanic). The man on the porch screamed racial slurs at them. Furthermore, he screamed “Shoot me motherfuckers!”, “I bet if I had a gun you would shoot me, maybe I should go get my gun!”, and other variations on this theme.

The officers identified this as a mental health issue but also realized that he seemed imbalanced enough that he might be dangerous. They called a negotiator to the scene to try to subdue him. The negotiator tried to talk him into calming down for 15 minutes to no avail. The commanding officer on the scene then decided that it was in the interest of the public’s welfare and the man’s own welfare to take him into custody and get him medical attention.

The man on the porch was advised ahead of time that he would be tased. Finally, we got what we saw on the video. Immediately after the tasing, the man was transferred to the hospital where he was treated for minor injuries. The police then transferred him to a mental institution. The entire incident lasted 17 minutes.

Finally, according to Folsom Police, the taser was set at a non-lethal level. According to Folsom Police, officers are tased several times in training, and that, in their opinion, there was no excessive use of force in this incident."

>> ^Sarzy
Since this post has essentially become a complete free-for-all, I'm going to respond to this here even though it's pretty much off-topic at this point. I agree that drama is essentially human nature, but not necessarily in the way that it has manifested itself here -- in most online communities, if one member has a problem with another, they will hash it out between themselves. If it's something really serious, such as a truly offensive racial slur or the like, then the offended party might go to a moderator. Here, on the other hand, if someone is even moderately offended by another member, the immediate inclination seems to be to go to sift talk and to share a private dispute with the entire community. That's the difference.


I think in most online communities you know your comments are being monitored by moderators or subject to being reported to a moderator, usually via a handy button button to do just that. That does modulate a lot of what people say. Here, there are zero moderators. So people in general speak freely, like adults, which I think was the point. It was supposed to cultivate a mature community that would moderate itself and people who were offensive would find themselves banned or shunned into leaving or shutting the fuck up. For the most part it's worked really well. But there are going to be times when people disagree and what you may think is moderately offensive might have someone else totally pissed off. There are no moderators to report to, and since we have no siftquisitions, it comes to sift talk. There were frivolous siftquisitions but there's plenty of times people hit a "report to moderator" button on other sites that weren't right either. I guess I'm just saying that the reason people do this shit here is because we're supposed to be this community that moderates itself and so that means the community gets to see (and resolve) all the shit that moderators have to put up with. I don't think there's any more drama here than anywhere else, ours is just in the open.

>> ^burdturgler:
Drama is inevitable not because of this site or siftquisitions but because of human nature. You're not going to have a large community where everyone agrees and no rules are broken. Or where everyone even agrees on the rules. Any of the other larger community sites have moderator teams. Dag's genius was to create a site where the community had control. There were no moderators here. There was just us. But VS rejected it and decided on 'one moderator to rule them all and in the darkness ban them'. The only thing that changed was dag got all the shit dumped in his lap and now everyone can bitch or agree with him on however anything is decided. Sucks don't it?

Since this post has essentially become a complete free-for-all, I'm going to respond to this here even though it's pretty much off-topic at this point. I agree that drama is essentially human nature, but not necessarily in the way that it has manifested itself here -- in most online communities, if one member has a problem with another, they will hash it out between themselves. If it's something really serious, such as a truly offensive racial slur or the like, then the offended party might go to a moderator. Here, on the other hand, if someone is even moderately offended by another member, the immediate inclination seems to be to go to sift talk and to share a private dispute with the entire community. That's the difference.

Who you callin a coward, <insert racial slur>?

@ForgedReality:

No, EndAll's brother got banned for using "spook", because the user who dropped the N bomb is different than the one who used "spook." See:

13444 wrote this, and got instabanned by dag

14424 wrote this, and got instabanned by KOMMIE

Just because some of you might not know "spook" is a racist term doesn't mean that it's not a slur or that it's not as bad as better known slurs. Also, I've lived in Nebraska, Florida, New York, Maryland, Colorado and Wyoming, and in every one of those places people knew that "spook" was a slur. I'm guessing it's the same all over the U.S., and in Canada too. But I suppose that's besides the point, because even if it's a slur only familiar to a few members, then it shouldn't be allowed.

For example, most of us now know (thanks to George Allen) that "macaca" is a racist term, even though it's quite uncommon in most places. So should we allow members to call black people "macacas" because of its relatively low usage?

And to those who want to cry "CENSORSHIP!", because someone always wants to throw freedom of speech into these things, please reorder your priorities. Like it's been said a million times before, this is NOT a country. It's a web site. It's like a big house where there's always a party going on, and you're invited as long as you abide by a few rules. I know if someone referred to black people as "spooks" in my house I'd show them the door.

I don't want this place to turn into a shit hole where people can hurl racial or ethnic slurs with impunity. That'll attract the wrong kind of people, and then watch the advertisers fly out the door when they see their wares being advertised next to shit like "spook." And then say goodbye to VideoSift.

Based on the precedent established by the Westy affair I'm going to hobble QM. I fail to see how QM's usage of "spook" could have been meant in any other way except as a racial slur. I leave it to the admins to decide how long he should be hobbled.

Comment hidden because you are ignoring dag. (show it anyway)

^I think your assumption that all people should know what that means is a bit US-centric. I'm a US ex-pat living in Australia, and I had to search my deep memory for that term used as a racial slur. I don't think I've ever heard it used that way here.

Oh. Ok. Well in normal conversation dag, how exactly would you refer to me as a spook?
What kind of spook exactly am I to you?
How many ways can that be interpreted?
Ghost? Spy? Nigger?
You think he had no idea what it meant?
"Beat it, spook, this don't concern you."
What did that mean:
Beat it spy?
Beat it ghost?
Beat it nigger?
You don't want to look at that and say to yourself, wtf? What else could that possibly have meant.
He, like yourself probably had no idea what my race was so these are just randomly chosen words? I guess that means I can call anyone here a spook, or a porch monkey, or a nigger .. because hey, I don't know what race they are. I can say you are a greasy fucking wop. Or a selfish jew. Or a filthy spic. I don't know what race you are right? Or is filthy selfish greasy the problem and just spic nigger wop porch monkey spook is ok?

In reply to this comment by dag:
No, because I have no knowledge that he meant it as a racial slur. "Spook" has many different meanings - and he, like myself probably has no idea what race you are- so probably did not mean it in the definition you are assuming.

In reply to this comment by burdturgler:
Redact his comment. Send him a warning about his racist comment and return the video. That's what I'm asking for.

In reply to this comment by dag:
Hmmm, maybe I've been out of the US for too long, but I'm only vaguely aware of the term "spook" used as a racial insult. I think I might have heard it on an old M*A*S*H episode. Does QM know your race? I don't/didn't - though I'm guessing now that you are african american. What would you like me to do BT? Ban QM for using the word "spook"? If that's what your asking, please don't beat around the bush.

In reply to this comment by burdturgler:
Are you serious?
Did you try "spook" in google? Are you saying you don't know what it means or he doesn't know what it means?
Do you think he actually meant to call me a spy or a ghost?
Do you think there's even a remote possibility he meant one of those things?
You have to be kidding dag, what do you have to do at VS now .. say "FUCK YOU NIGGER" .. ?
Spook doesn't cut it huh? I guess porch monkey is ok? Maybe he meant I like to swing around and eat bananas on my porch?
Spear chucker? Well I guess I should probably clarify that too.
Honestly man, I can understand not wanting to deal with this bullshit, but it's not like I asked for it either.
Are black people not welcome here?


In reply to this comment by dag:
You should probably clarify what QM meant by that comment. At first glance, I doubt it was meant as a racial epithet. No one knows your race on the internet.

In reply to this comment by burdturgler:
No.
I'm not a ghost either.

In reply to this comment by dag:
Depends. Are you a CIA agent?

In reply to this comment by burdturgler:
Congrats on VS4 and thanks again for the T-Shirt.
Sorry to spoil the party but, are people allowed to just flat out call me a "spook" here now?
Just checking.

Comment hidden because you are ignoring dag. (show it anyway)

No, because I have no knowledge that he meant it as a racial slur. "Spook" has many different meanings - and he, like myself probably has no idea what race you are- so probably did not mean it in the definition you are assuming.

In reply to this comment by burdturgler:
Redact his comment. Send him a warning about his racist comment and return the video. That's what I'm asking for.

In reply to this comment by dag:
Hmmm, maybe I've been out of the US for too long, but I'm only vaguely aware of the term "spook" used as a racial insult. I think I might have heard it on an old M*A*S*H episode. Does QM know your race? I don't/didn't - though I'm guessing now that you are african american. What would you like me to do BT? Ban QM for using the word "spook"? If that's what your asking, please don't beat around the bush.

In reply to this comment by burdturgler:
Are you serious?
Did you try "spook" in google? Are you saying you don't know what it means or he doesn't know what it means?
Do you think he actually meant to call me a spy or a ghost?
Do you think there's even a remote possibility he meant one of those things?
You have to be kidding dag, what do you have to do at VS now .. say "FUCK YOU NIGGER" .. ?
Spook doesn't cut it huh? I guess porch monkey is ok? Maybe he meant I like to swing around and eat bananas on my porch?
Spear chucker? Well I guess I should probably clarify that too.
Honestly man, I can understand not wanting to deal with this bullshit, but it's not like I asked for it either.
Are black people not welcome here?


In reply to this comment by dag:
You should probably clarify what QM meant by that comment. At first glance, I doubt it was meant as a racial epithet. No one knows your race on the internet.

In reply to this comment by burdturgler:
No.
I'm not a ghost either.

In reply to this comment by dag:
Depends. Are you a CIA agent?

In reply to this comment by burdturgler:
Congrats on VS4 and thanks again for the T-Shirt.
Sorry to spoil the party but, are people allowed to just flat out call me a "spook" here now?
Just checking.

^I think it's a take on "spook", which used to be a racial slur from the 50s or 60s, I believe.

>> ^Throbbin:
I guess it's easy to say that when you have never been on the receiving end of a racial slur. How's that ivory tower working out for you assholes?


Actually, I have, in primary school. And at the odd few various points throughout my life. As i grew older it was much more in a jokey way, obviously, and i was treated no less differently in terms of equality or opportunity. i found it hilarious, and played along.

so yeah, i have been on the receiving end. clearly, i grew some balls. you want the admin to grow some balls? Why don't you grow some of these balls you talk about, and quit your sensitive whining.

he's clearly not going to get banned, considering i and a few others here have rationalised what he said, and explained it how we see it - to which we've had no decent response except some immature insult.

i love how your counter argument, to the 'oh you're being too sensitive crowd', like me, was 'oh you've never been on the receiving end of a racial slur, stay in your ivory tower:
thereby assuming I and everyone else who is saying 'you're being oversensitive' is white.
That shows a clear lack of understanding....of our explanation of why you're being over sensitive, because you assumed we said that, because we'd never been on the end of receiving racial slurs. Us saying 'you're being oversensitive' is not a product of the fact that we don't know what its like to be on the receiving end, and therefore can rationalise it - thats not the trigger. I'm telling you, I have been on the receiving end, yet I can still rationalise westy's comments as being quite obviously totally innocent, and tried to explain it in my previous post with the specific language used. You just ignored it. i mean clearly you still fail to see why westy's various comments aren't racist. i've tried to help and it hasn't worked. all i can do is point you in the direction of some comedy writers who work at tv companies. and maybe they can explain to you with more examples - people who deal with this fine line on a daily basis.

your 'siftquisition' or whatever - has failed. 0WNED!

You know what? Fuck all y'all.

Fuck the ones who rationalize it by claiming it's satire - there is no hint of satire in his comment.

Fuck the ones who claim he is untouchable because he is a "long time member" - I hadn't realized seniority played a roll in how the rules apply to you. I thought they was rules.

Fuck the ones who go one way or the other based on what 1 or 2 sifters think (even if they do run the place) - grow some balls.

Fuck the ones who say we should tolerate this kind of talk - when someone talks racist shit about Obama, you're all up in arms. But talk shit about generic 'blacks' as monkeys, and it's all good.

Fuck the ones calling us (those who want to ban his punk ass) too sensitive - I guess it's easy to say that when you have never been on the receiving end of a racial slur. How's that ivory tower working out for you assholes?

>> ^Pprt:
>> ^vairetube:
Well, your assertion is... that a third-worlder, or member of a peripheral, exploited nation, is Non-White... The only way you could feign ignorance is if this was a printed story with no picture or names.

Racial slur? What are you on about? -Pprt


I fail to comprehend how saying someone is from the "Third World" is a racial slur. What's the nomenclature these days? Underdeveloped nation? No, sorry, that was 20 years ago. Today it's "developing nation".


Okay, I'll bite and give you the benefit of the doubt and explain to you, like a four year old, what is offensive about your comment:

From the narrator and the specifics of the video, this clip is from the USA, your assumption that this person is not originally from the USA makes a clear statement that there is somehow a difference between white people that came on the mayflower and a Mexican who can in the 1800s and has relatives still living in the united states, but bare a racial resemblance to someone who lives in say Mexico.

The major issue with your statement is that you assumed that this guy, just from his looks, is fresh off the boat or perhaps an illegal immigrant to the USA.

So let me break it down real simple for ya: you assumed that this guy is somehow related to the third-world just because of his looks. For all you know, his family may have been in the USA far longer than what I assume yours has. Therefore, there is a strong racial comment when you call someone a "third-worlder."

It's like saying "Darkie" or "Abbo" or "wetback."

You made an assumption on his background by the simple fact of what he looks like. It is racial. And if you still don't get it, well, you might want to take some touchy-feely sensitivity course designed for such situations.

>> ^vairetube:
Well, your assertion is... that a third-worlder, or member of a peripheral, exploited nation, is Non-White... The only way you could feign ignorance is if this was a printed story with no picture or names.

Racial slur? What are you on about? -Pprt



I fail to comprehend how saying someone is from the "Third World" is a racial slur. What's the nomenclature these days? Underdeveloped nation? No, sorry, that was 20 years ago. Today it's "developing nation".