I am so Naive to racism - I don't get it, I don't understand it and I rarely can bare witness to it.

I'm sure if I was a minority, I may see it more often as I'm sure if I lived in the US, even as a white male, I definitely would.

Every time I hear it in such a blatant example, I feel completely hit across the face by it. This is just as offensive to me, a white guy, as it should be to any ethnic group - black or otherwise.

My jaw remains dropped....

He was a columnist for National Review, but the rant was done in some blog, not mainstream.

Thx. Fixed.>> ^longde:

He was a columnist for National Review, but the rant was done in some blog, not mainstream.

Sagemind... there is nothing to "get" about racism, or xenophobia. It's just ignorance.

read what he wrote though it's super funny

Near all of what was shown is obviously racist.

However, a statement or two have... merit?

http://fear.videosift.com/video/Another-Hate-Crime-Committed-in-America

I really feel sorry for his kids. I just hope they'll be able to think for themselves when they get older and not listen to his stupid bullshit

>> ^Sagemind:

I am so Naive to racism - I don't get it, I don't understand it and I rarely can bare witness to it.
I'm sure if I was a minority, I may see it more often as I'm sure if I lived in the US, even as a white male, I definitely would.
Every time I hear it in such a blatant example, I feel completely hit across the face by it. This is just as offensive to me, a white guy, as it should be to any ethnic group - black or otherwise.
My jaw remains dropped....


One of my black friends once told me a story about how he was constantly followed in stores while he was a kid. Being white I can't even imagine living in that world, because I never have had to.

I mean it sounds horrible saying it like is in this video......

But I have been in some situations doing work in predominately black neighborhoods where some of the people went out of their way to cause us problems, and a black guy working for us got up in a couple of their faces about it.

I have also had similar situations with some white guys who create problems for people when they think they should have been the ones who got the job or should be working.

Now, Im a white guy. And when you have a black guy act like this and see another black guy whose more attuned to your circumstances because he works with you being on your side...it makes it seem more racially fueled than if you have ignorant white people doing it....they are just white trash and you can write them off as white trash.......because you're white and you can do that.

But in the case of black people acting that way, you can't be sure if they just hate you because you're white or hate you because they think they deserve what you have like white trash does.

So........I can see the point of some of the comments the guy made because as a white guy you can't be sure how your actions will be seen...as long as the question of skin color or ethnicity is ever questioned. And it's questioned all the time in the US, so you have to be aware of that because some people will make issue of it if you just say you are sick and tired of ignorant bastards treating you this way because it makes you sound like a huge racist if you say it in reference to black people.....because it's always measured like that. Where as if a black guy said it in your defense, it'd be OK or at least less scrutinized.

And here's a fun thing to keep in mind. I have an US born Indian friend, I met him in college. The people who hated him most in college for seemingly no reason? Indians not born in the US, they hated his ass with a passion. I noticed it, thought maybe it was due to language they never spoke with him as some of them sucked at English and needed the others to help them figure stuff out. I asked and he said they hate him because he wasn't born in India. And you know who he came to hate the most? Non-US born Indians, because they treated him like shit for something he had no control over.

I mean if people just hate you because you are <whatever>, there ain't a whole lot you can do but ignore them. And if they keep it up and start to affect your life, you can only hate them back. Anything else is pretty much hoping the law will allow you some protection, because everything else is involves some horrible violence or death to solve it. You can't reason with irrational hatred.

I don't know the answer, but I can say that having to constantly wonder about this shit is stressing as hell but mentioning it to people draws this kind of "awww poor white male" crybaby attitude toward it. It slowly kills off your empathy/sympathy for others who think your life is awesome simply because you're male and white. I surely don't agree with this guy's view, but I have to wonder if in 40 years I'll be so tired of having to constantly weigh every comment or action I make against some invisible scale of political correctness will just wear me out and make me bitter.

wow, just wow...

to publish something like that... either he has some extra large balls, or...

Then don't do it. Simple.

Why needlessly suffer? If your heart is in the right place that is all that matters. People will always read what they want too into your actions and words. Happens to everyone. And you may not want to hear this, but it is true that the negative stigmas are put less on you in America because you are a white male.

But don't blame all black people for your self-imposed penance and the bitterness it may bring you. No black commission orders white people to tiptoe on eggshells.>> ^Porksandwich:

I mean it sounds horrible saying it like is in this video......
But I have been in some situations doing work in predominately black neighborhoods where some of the people went out of their way to cause us problems, and a black guy working for us got up in a couple of their faces about it.
I have also had similar situations with some white guys who create problems for people when they think they should have been the ones who got the job or should be working.
Now, Im a white guy. And when you have a black guy act like this and see another black guy whose more attuned to your circumstances because he works with you being on your side...it makes it seem more racially fueled than if you have ignorant white people doing it....they are just white trash and you can write them off as white trash.......because you're white and you can do that.
But in the case of black people acting that way, you can't be sure if they just hate you because you're white or hate you because they think they deserve what you have like white trash does.
So........I can see the point of some of the comments the guy made because as a white guy you can't be sure how your actions will be seen...as long as the question of skin color or ethnicity is ever questioned. And it's questioned all the time in the US, so you have to be aware of that because some people will make issue of it if you just say you are sick and tired of ignorant bastards treating you this way because it makes you sound like a huge racist if you say it in reference to black people.....because it's always measured like that. Where as if a black guy said it in your defense, it'd be OK or at least less scrutinized.
And here's a fun thing to keep in mind. I have an US born Indian friend, I met him in college. The people who hated him most in college for seemingly no reason? Indians not born in the US, they hated his ass with a passion. I noticed it, thought maybe it was due to language they never spoke with him as some of them sucked at English and needed the others to help them figure stuff out. I asked and he said they hate him because he wasn't born in India. And you know who he came to hate the most? Non-US born Indians, because they treated him like shit for something he had no control over.
I mean if people just hate you because you are <whatever>, there ain't a whole lot you can do but ignore them. And if they keep it up and start to affect your life, you can only hate them back. Anything else is pretty much hoping the law will allow you some protection, because everything else is involves some horrible violence or death to solve it. You can't reason with irrational hatred.
I don't know the answer, but I can say that having to constantly wonder about this shit is stressing as hell but mentioning it to people draws this kind of "awww poor white male" crybaby attitude toward it. It slowly kills off your empathy/sympathy for others who think your life is awesome simply because you're male and white. I surely don't agree with this guy's view, but I have to wonder if in 40 years I'll be so tired of having to constantly weigh every comment or action I make against some invisible scale of political correctness will just wear me out and make me bitter.

Some opinions should be left unspoken.

Another miscellaneous fact from John Derbyshire's article:

If you happen to be in the conservative media and George Zimmerman (you know that guy we are all sworn to protect) shoots any minority, immediately defend him!

>> ^bobknight33:

Some opinions should be left unspoken.


Wow.

The other video wasn't a hate crime IMO, nor in the majority view of commenters, FWIW. The best quote from that link:

>> ^longde:

Anyone who looks soft will be a victim in the rough hoods of Baltimore [...] Black people get robbed, beaten and shot in Baltimore regularly.

The only way some of those statements have merit is that they apply equally to whites or poor neighbourhoods, like, "Stay out of heavily impoverished neighbourhoods." "If accosted by a strange person on the street, smile and say something polite, but keep moving." etc. Any racism that you read into that video is your own preconceptions at work. Being black doesn't give you a free pass through those neighbourhoods.>> ^Payback:

Near all of what was shown is obviously racist.
However, a statement or two have... merit?
http://fear.videosift.com/video/Another-Hate-Crime-Committed-in-America

I, for one, am glad he aired them publicly, and not just to his kids.>> ^bobknight33:

Some opinions should be left unspoken.

I believe "Derpyshire" to be racist. I believe that racism is bad.

A couple of his statements, the ones you mention, are the ones I believe are predjudiced, not racist per se. Prejudice --pre-judging-- has been keeping people safe for thousands of years. Racially-based predjudice has questionable merit, but even the "uncanny valley" effect is a genetic pre-disposition towards predjudice. "You don't act perfectly normal, therefore I am uneasy".

I am predjudiced towards people with open, bleeding sores on visible parts of their bodies.

Being, at best, wary of a group of black people, or a black neighbourhood is not racist, nor is it overly bigotted. It's predjudiced, and everyone... EVERYONE... is predjudiced.

>> ^messenger:

The only way some of those statements have merit is that they apply equally to whites or poor neighbourhoods, like, "Stay out of heavily impoverished neighbourhoods." "If accosted by a strange person on the street, smile and say something polite, but keep moving." etc. Any racism that you read into that video is your own preconceptions at work. Being black doesn't give you a free pass through those neighbourhoods.>> ^Payback:
Near all of what was shown is obviously racist.
However, a statement or two have... merit?
http://fear.videosift.com/video/Another-Hate-Crime-Committed-in-America

I'm only prejudiced against white guys in suits.

what can i say? they terrify me

>> ^criticalthud:

I'm only prejudiced against white guys in suits.
what can i say? they terrify me


They can take away everything you've worked hard for...your fears are justified.

@Payback

The difference between discriminating against people with open bleeding wounds and people of color:

Bleeding alerts you to a potentially dangerous condition which might adversely affect your health, therefore justifying your prejudice.

Color alerts you to.. nothing, therefore your prejudice is irrational and uncalled for.

Demeanor [i.e. abnormal gestures, aggressive posture, pacing back and forth] is a much more solid reason to discriminate against a person.. who may just happen to be of color.

Racism is racism. No two ways about it.

They're racist. If they suggest that a group of people may be dangerous ONLY because they're black, that's racism. If they appear strange or aggressive or they're posturing or dressed like gangsters, then it's wise to avoid them, no matter their colour of skin. I avoid groups of ganster-looking white people as much as black. Every single one of those statements is racist because they indicate that ANY black person is a danger.

There are times when it's good advice, but that's only when you know for sure the blacks are up to no good. One example is in Toronto, we have a midway every year called the Canadian National Exhibition for the three weeks before school starts. When I was in high school, the last Monday of the midway was referred to as "Black Monday" because young blacks would come out that day en masse and stir shit. Mostly they did nothing, many were just full of attitude, but many started fights or stole stuff and vandalized the palce. As I recall, it got worse and worse each year until the police showed up in huge numbers one year and it never happened again. In such a case, yes it would be wise to stay away from them. But it's not because they're black, but because we know they have arrived with the intent of causing trouble (Maybe the whole scenario was urban legend; none of my friends ever went on that day for that reason, so I never saw it).

That's not what this guy is talking about in any of his statements. He just says blacks are dangerous because they're black. Period. That's racist.

If I see a black person and I feel fear only because they're black, that's prejudice. If I treat him as a threat, that's racism.>> ^Payback:

A couple of his statements, the ones you mention, are the ones I believe are predjudiced, not racist per se.

>> ^kceaton1:

Another miscellaneous fact from John Derbyshire's article:
If you happen to be in the conservative media and George Zimmerman (you know that guy we are all sworn to protect) shoots any minority, immediately defend him!


Isn't Zimmerman Hispanic? That makes him a minority, so if he shoots himself, is it suicide or is it still self defense?

Cenk said, "I have has never seen anyone layout how conservatives work more honestly than this guy."

Wrong. This isn't about conservative vs. liberal. It is about racism.


Derbyshire is a racist punk.

Prejudice --pre-judging-- has been keeping people safe for thousands of years

Just to clarify - what you're really talking about are STEREOTYPES. Now - stereotypes are very useful. They allow you to quickly categorize things so as to rapidly develop a frame of syntax and context. However, PREJUDICE is where you judge people by the stereotype rather than from personal interaction with them to the point where your stereotype determines your decisions rather than the facts. Stereotypes are great. Prejudices are not.

And Cunk is an idiot. He proves that every time he opens his ignorant piehole. He's also prejudiced, and rather racist (a specific form of prejudice) to boot. Conservatives aren't prejudiced. Liberals are prejudiced - and guys like Cunk, Olbermann, Maher, and even folks here on the Sift prove it daily. Sad really.

Although I generally agree with Uygur's points, there's a certain douchey insincerity to his rants. He 'protests too much' and I wonder how genuine he is sometimes...

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>> ^Winstonfield_Pennypacker:

Prejudice --pre-judging-- has been keeping people safe for thousands of years
Just to clarify - what you're really talking about are STEREOTYPES. Now - stereotypes are very useful. They allow you to quickly categorize things so as to rapidly develop a frame of syntax and context. However, PREJUDICE is where you judge people by the stereotype rather than from personal interaction with them to the point where your stereotype determines your decisions rather than the facts. Stereotypes are great. Prejudices are not.
And Cunk is an idiot. He proves that every time he opens his ignorant piehole. He's also prejudiced, and rather racist (a specific form of prejudice) to boot. Conservatives aren't prejudiced. Liberals are prejudiced - and guys like Cunk, Olbermann, Maher, and even folks here on the Sift prove it daily. Sad really.


"Conservatives aren't bigots, they hate EVERYone."

Wouldn't normally want to agree with anything that was said in this video, but a similar thought occurred to me: He might not be completely wrong in what he said. Right for the wrong reasons, but still approximating the truth. Specifically, the point about 5% of black people actively working to undermine or harm white people and 50% of blacks going along with such actions in some sort of racial allegiance.

Well, besides the fact that the numbers are based on no research at all, the point is too narrowly defined and, in this context, necessarily racist. Having said that, I am willing to bet that there is a certain percentage of every ethnic group which actively hates and seeks to harm members of another ethnicity. Additionally, the 'bystander effect' is pretty well documented and most studies find that no one intervenes in violent situations about 50% of the time.

So perhaps, the point would be correctly expressed as: "Some percentage of people are ignorant and seek to undermine and harm others who they do not perceive as part of their particular cohort. In addition, about half of the human population has a social psychological tick which disables direct, empathetic action when witnessing a violent act" But, of course, that's not inflammatory enough to belong on some conservative blog.

>> ^Payback:

Near all of what was shown is obviously racist.
However, a statement or two have... merit?
http://fear.videosift.com/video/Another-Hate-Crime-Committed-in-America