I disagree.
All three slurs for us white folks are totally useful.
See below:
"I'm in the mood to dance, let's go hit that Honkey Tonk joint"
"I'm hungry. I think I'll have some cheese and crackers"
"Gee I'm not sure exactly what colour my walls are. I guess they're sort of a whitey beige or something"
Yes this post was just to be a smart ass, and I'm gonna guess that this doesn't exactly work for slurs of most other races.
I like those... I have to tell my "Negro" about this post..
I agree.
I on occasion refer to my friends by all three of those terms.
Of course black folks refer to each other with what is otherwise the worst racial slur so maybe those three should be offensive.
If I'm supposed to be offended by these could someone please let me know?
It would depend on the situation...but in any case you're right it's really stupid.
What I'm getting from this thread thus far:
"Damn f'n' chinks like to plow over old people causing them to die. When they get called on it, they throw out the race card. Everyone knows that white people are the most oppressed people who nobody listens to and can have no opinion and are silenced even though there are no really bad offensive slurs for Caucasians. I wish minorities would stop playing the race card and just do what they are supposed to - jump off the bridge into the ravine below whenever some white person is coming the other direction."
Seriously, I *DO* think the race card is played too often - and it is detrimental to the real cases of racism. I have a friend who works at the federal "Human Rights Commission" and he has to sort the valid claims from the invalid claims. He says the ratio is about 1:40. And he wishes that he had more time to work on the one valid case, but he's too damn busy on the other 40.
HOWEVER, the easiest way to upset my friend is to suggest that since most of his cases end up being bogus complaints, maybe his department shouldn't exist at all. You can't dismiss the rights of one victim because there are others that are making false complaints. That's like saying some rape cases are simply "the day after regret" and therefore people should stop reporting rape. Yes, false allegation are made... but you can't dismiss all victims because of that.
It's not really racism, or maybe it is, but one thing I notice with the oldsters is that they "categorize" everyone by nationality.
"I went out for lunch with the Dutchman Van Esler today". "I hired a plumber, a Polish guy, to fix the shower". "Son of a bitch, that Lithuanian jerk won the hockey pool again".
All of those guys, of course, were born in Canada. Why do old people do that?
It's not really racism, or maybe it is, but one thing I notice with the oldsters is that they "categorize" everyone by nationality.
"I went out for lunch with the Dutchman Van Esler today". "I hired a plumber, a Polish guy, to fix the shower". "Son of a bitch, that Lithuanian jerk won the hockey pool again".
All of those guys, of course, were born in Canada. Why do old people do that?
Come on Rouge, can't you tell a Lithuanian from an Estonian or Latvian? Everybody should know this! Old people had it figured out along time ago....
What I'm getting from this thread thus far:
"Damn f'n' chinks like to plow over old people causing them to die. When they get called on it, they throw out the race card. Everyone knows that white people are the most oppressed people who nobody listens to and can have no opinion and are silenced even though there are no really bad offensive slurs for Caucasians. I wish minorities would stop playing the race card and just do what they are supposed to - jump off the bridge into the ravine below whenever some white person is coming the other direction."
Seriously, I *DO* think the race card is played too often - and it is detrimental to the real cases of racism. I have a friend who works at the federal "Human Rights Commission" and he has to sort the valid claims from the invalid claims. He says the ratio is about 1:40. And he wishes that he had more time to work on the one valid case, but he's too damn busy on the other 40.
HOWEVER, the easiest way to upset my friend is to suggest that since most of his cases end up being bogus complaints, maybe his department shouldn't exist at all. You can't dismiss the rights of one victim because there are others that are making false complaints. That's like saying some rape cases are simply "the day after regret" and therefore people should stop reporting rape. Yes, false allegation are made... but you can't dismiss all victims because of that.
According to the Word Detective evidence to connect "cracker" to whipcracking on slaves is pretty flimsy. The site says it's usually used to refer to poor southern US whites. However it also "carries the implication that the person is a racist,and is sometimes applied to any white person" thought to "harbor racist sentiments". It could also be slang for corncracker,country peole who subsisted on corn (Korn?) "Cracker" appears in documents from 1509 denoting "braggart". From Straight Dope "honky" comes from bohunk or hunky "derogatory comments for Bohemian, Hungarian and Polish immigrants. According to......'Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins' black workers in Chicago meat-packing plants picked the term up from the white workers" and started applying it to all whites. I guess "whitey" is because we all look alike Why do I hate the band Hinder???
I think a lot racism stems from our natural tendency to divide ourselves into groups(tribes, teams, clubs, Wolf packs, herds, ect.). We all desire a sense of community. We also tend to defend our pact and see it as superior to all others. Look at our conversations regarding hockey. They do get silly at times. Older folks see themselves as part of some segment of society and because of their age are not able to contribute much any more. Instead they become more like hockey fans seeing only good in their team and only evil in the opponents.
Last year my team lost my biggest fan. In my grandmother's eyes I could do no wrong. I would tell her of my great adventures in the big bad world and she was always on my side. Her present and future were tied into my own and her past was shared between her experiences and the memories and tales of those in the family who have gone on before her. When your approaching that age in your life the team is everything. Also any perceived threat to your team(such as immigrant taking jobs away) are met with irrational hatred.
Of course skin colour is an obvious and natural indicator that a stranger probably belongs to a different team. That will make them immediately a suspected threat.
I don't think you can change the mentality of older people. They just need to be taken with a grain of salt.
I agree that the race card does get thrown out there too much. And often in the wrong context. Your examples are good examples of that.
But in my case, I'm certain that the only reason that comment was made was because of the colours of our skin. I wasn't looking for sympathy nor was I trying to get out of anything. I was just pissed off(and I figure rightly so) that it was directed towards me. It was just a plain situation of me walking up the street and being told I don't belong, when CLEARLY I do, every much as that man.
No matter where the thread has gone, I agree with you 100%. The man's comment was racist, but I think it hurts you more because of how proud you are to be Canadian. You haven't said that, but that's kind of what it seems like. Am I right?
Either way, I agree with your interpretation of the man's words and am impressed with your ability to restrain yourself. I would've said something I would have regretted later.
__________________ I am in love with Montana. For other states I have admiration, respect, recognition, even some affection, but with Montana it is love." - John Steinbeck
I think many of us are saying exactly the opposite. Posting your own experiences is exactly what should be done, but that's not what happens.
What actually happens most of the time, is comments like "it happens to white people too, but we're not allowed to say anything", or people complain about the race card in a situation like this where it's clearly appropriate.
The people complaining don't actually back it up with their own examples, and aren't actaully being silenced.
OK, I can see that. The second part of the statement is ridiculous.
Thanks for clearing up your feelings about it as you were one of the most vocal. It really had me concerned last night. I didn't like where I thought you guys were going.
__________________ I am in love with Montana. For other states I have admiration, respect, recognition, even some affection, but with Montana it is love." - John Steinbeck
I agree.
I on occasion refer to my friends by all three of those terms.
Of course black folks refer to each other with what is otherwise the worst racial slur so maybe those three should be offensive.
If I'm supposed to be offended by these could someone please let me know?
__________________ I am in love with Montana. For other states I have admiration, respect, recognition, even some affection, but with Montana it is love." - John Steinbeck
It's not really racism, or maybe it is, but one thing I notice with the oldsters is that they "categorize" everyone by nationality.
"I went out for lunch with the Dutchman Van Esler today". "I hired a plumber, a Polish guy, to fix the shower". "Son of a bitch, that Lithuanian jerk won the hockey pool again".
All of those guys, of course, were born in Canada. Why do old people do that?
Really big Archie Bunker fans?
__________________ I am in love with Montana. For other states I have admiration, respect, recognition, even some affection, but with Montana it is love." - John Steinbeck
OK, I can see that. The second part of the statement is ridiculous.
Thanks for clearing up your feelings about it as you were one of the most vocal. It really had me concerned last night. I didn't like where I thought you guys were going.
Maybe it was someone else you were thinking of. My first words in this thread were "racism absolutely goes in all directions", and I encouraged anyone make threads about racism they've experienced, to see if they would be listened to.
I certainly wasn't even close to any camp suggesting "white" people shouldn't bring up racism that occurs against them. I would never suggest that.
Maybe it was someone else you were thinking of. My first words in this thread were "racism absolutely goes in all directions", and I encouraged anyone make threads about racism they've experienced, to see if they would be listened to.
I certainly wasn't even close to any camp suggesting "white" people shouldn't bring up racism that occurs against them. I would never suggest that.
Just read your post again and it seems like you were saying those people should start their own threads and not post in this one. That's where I was coming from.
In any case...good talk!
__________________ I am in love with Montana. For other states I have admiration, respect, recognition, even some affection, but with Montana it is love." - John Steinbeck
No matter where the thread has gone, I agree with you 100%. The man's comment was racist, but I think it hurts you more because of how proud you are to be Canadian. You haven't said that, but that's kind of what it seems like. Am I right?
Either way, I agree with your interpretation of the man's words and am impressed with your ability to restrain yourself. I would've said something I would have regretted later.
That's exactly right, dude. Not only that, I'm damn proud to be Calgarian born-and-raised, something here that is becoming more and more of a rarity and that I flaunt on occasion . To have some punk-ass stranger tell me I don't belong here really boiled my blood.
And if by "restrain" you mean I didn't kick his face in, then yes, I'm a saint. I definitely let him know that I didn't appreciate his comments. My Indian friend though, was ready to kill the guy.
Quote:
Originally Posted by fotze
All I did to gain citizenship here was to be farted out of my mothers birth canal.
This is the only thing I caught from your post, and I will cherish it forever
__________________
Last edited by Teh_Bandwagoner; 07-21-2008 at 08:57 PM.
I would agree that the comment was racist. It's clear that he assumed your friend was from another country. And that assumption could have only been based on one thing, race.
I often wonder how rampant racism in Alberta is. Since I am of the white majority I've experienced little racism toward me (if it was indeed racism) so I have to gauge it by peoples stories and what I watch on the news. And something I watched a couple weeks ago got me thinking. They were interviewing a mid 20's black man. He said he experienced racism every day! I couldn't believe it, it was much worse than I thought and this guy lived in Calgary. He said most of the racism he experienced was people giving him looks. That people where looking down on him because of the colour of his skin.
But my question is, how do you know that is racist? People are looking at other people all the time. I get bad looks from people, but I don't think they are doing it because of me. Heck, I am sure I shoot people bad looks too without even thinking about.
Anyways I wonder how much of the claimed racism is actually racism or if it's people who have been the victim of if before and are now looking for it when it isn't there?
I tend to think that if you think something is happening / happened to you, and you're vehement on your cause, the brain will create a false perception of being victimized or the target of whatever the action is and you'll actually believe this to be the truth. I believe there is an actual syndrome / condition for this.
Burninator, I think your example was probably thinking this. He seems to be so sure that someone giving him bad looks is associated with the color of his skin, he actually believes it is racism causing that. Now, while I'm sure some of it might be legit, I doubt everyone who has ever given him a bad look was being racist, although he might tend to believe its the only explanation.
This condition is also common in obsessive compulsive types, and compulsive liars. Not saying your guy is one, but it's common.
He said most of the racism he experienced was people giving him looks. That people where looking down on him because of the colour of his skin.
After high school, I stopped seeing black people on a daily baisis. At best, i have a couple mulatto acquaintences. When I do see black poeple, the first that in my head is 'haven't seen one of them in a while' then they make eye-contact with me and I realize I'm an ass for singling them out...
Quote:
Originally Posted by fotze All I did to gain citizenship here was to be farted out of my mothers birth canal.
I'm 6 generations Canadian, my ancestors helped settle this country, died for it in the world wars, played some CFL, and I take pride that they were a part of the schools of thought and movements that made this country a near paradise compared to the rest of the world. I don't want to disgrace their accomplishments by saying I was just born here when they worked so hard.
But at the same time, its by definition a 'free-to-own' country open to the entire world. What makes Canada so great is the mulititude of cultures that freely exist here and get along, I can't think of a country that does a better job of this. Its a country the entire world can look to and say 'hey, maybe we all really can just get along'. The older generations are inherently stubborn and stuck in the past, unfortunatley, these growing pains for the newbies are unavoidable with human nature being what it is. I don't mean to say 'if you hate it so much go home', just think about how fast things are improving here (how well were foreigners treated just 50 years ago?) and don't forget how bright the future looks.
Location: In my office, at the Ministry of Awesome!
Exp:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Matata
After high school, I stopped seeing black people on a daily baisis. At best, i have a couple mulatto acquaintences. When I do see black poeple, the first that in my head is 'haven't seen one of them in a while' then they make eye-contact with me and I realize I'm an ass for singling them out...
Quote:
Originally Posted by fotze All I did to gain citizenship here was to be farted out of my mothers birth canal.
I'm 6 generations Canadian, my ancestors helped settle this country, died for it in the world wars, played some CFL, and I take pride that they were a part of the schools of thought and movements that made this country a near paradise compared to the rest of the world. I don't want to disgrace their accomplishments by saying I was just born here when they worked so hard.
How is it disgracing your relatives to acknowedge that all you've done to become a citizen is to be born?
They worked so hard so that just being born here was enough, and thinking that you deserve some recognition for their work is what I think is disgraceful.
__________________
THE SHANTZ WILL RISE AGAIN. <-----Check the Badge bitches. You want some Awesome, you come to me!
Why do I hate the band Hinder???
<-----Check the Badge bitches. You want some Awesome, you come to me!
