There is, of course, a widespread social agreement for the use of a concept of race. It is frequently used as a means to racial prejudice (as in prejudgement, not necessarily hostile) — often used in a “weaponized” way to convey bias or animosity, but also used relatively (or so perceived as such) innocuously to observe differences. But ultimately: any foray into racism of any kind has no scientific leg to stand on.
Ostensibly, the people who believe they are against “racism” are venturing to make the scientific fact of this the social understanding as well. You know, when people will be judged on the content of their character and not (prejudged) on the color of their skin.
But then there is this WORD. An extremely unique word. It’s not like “fuck,” or “cunt,” or even “fag,” (although that last one comes closest) because there are myriad situations where they can be used without significant outcry, for example, explaining why a moron got his ass kicked at a gay bar one might recount to the listener that it was because, “he was running around acting all agro and calling everybody a ‘fag.’” But this WORD that we’re talking about would not be said, even if an allegoric scenario were to be described at a “black” bar.
Well I mean, not used by “white” people who have any sense of the decorum they are told to have. I guess if they’re “black” they can say it.
So who is “black?” Is this a “one drop” rule? How many drops? Does the “white” girl with proven ancestry to slaves get to say it? Will she need to carry her papers? Can an African-American whose ancestors came here not as slaves but much later — can he say it? What if his ancestors were “beneficiaries” of the West African slave trade? Yes, no… maybe? As long as he doesn’t tell anybody about his family history?
It appears we’re going to have to get very fucking racist if we’re going to know how this WORD is to be properly allocated.
No "white" people, you do not get to.... (whatever)
I don’t see a lot of “content of character” in that assertion. Or this:
I don’t trust white people until I get to know them...what have white people done as a sociological entity to and for black people that would ever inculcate a feeling of “trust?’
That is some seriously racist shit. I mean, that’s not even just the innocuous racist, that’s full-on racial bias.
I, personally, don’t say the WORD (not 100% true as I’ve had to have conversations with my “mixed” “race” family about the word, but I’ve never had any compulsion to use it as Bill Maher did, nor in any way similar).
I am also very “white” according to the standards of this “racism.”
And these things might seem so easy to comprehend when Ice Cube is sitting next to Bill Maher in the most quintessential of diptychs, but — spoiler alert — my family is not all “white.” On top of that, I live in a part of the world where racism and racial-bias-ism is even more socially acceptable than in the US.
As far as I can ascertain the only people who ought to be able to use the WORD with an exclusive right clause ought to be Filipinos. And take that a degree further and just say Filipinas, because at least the men are “only” chattel while the woman, also chattel, are the only type of “house chattel” and in this world — right now — that is not in any way a benefit. It is the stuff of all the horror stories you have ever heard. Physical abuse. Rape. It’s happening right NOW. Filipinos and Filipinas live the bulk of their lives away from their families. They are subject to incredible racial-bias-ism.
I’m curious: can my son say the WORD? Should I submit his photo? And my daughter, much, much darker — like her aunt and grandfather — can she say the WORD that she has heard directed towards her?
I’m trying to get the rules clear here. I can’t get my mind around it because until recently I was under the impression that the non-racists in the world were trying to move toward a world that is aware of the scientific reality that there is no such thing as race.
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Now I’m fairly certain this kind of talk is flirting with BOJO, but I’ve been reading so much tripe here in the past weeks and back through the primary that I truly don’t care. It’s so much outrage obsession; righteous indignation addiction that it hasn’t been useful in any capacity to be able to come here.
I have been annoyed perpetually by user “inclusiveheart” and I can’t figure out if her ban may be justified by her calling out of DOV’s remarks about her grandmother — but despite all that, I’m pretty confident that it’s obviously absurd that her poorly articulated objection to “chitown kev” in his blatantly racist diary is a sign of some fucked up shit going on.
I think y’all live in too routine a bubble of “black” and “white” as it regards America only.
Racism has many faces. It’s not “black” and “white.” We are all racist. The tipping point is when it becomes your logic for bias.
I have to raise a family that is not “white,” though I am “white.” In our world, when the “black” girl (as you would describe her) in my family describes “Diego” as “the blue one” we… don’t exactly know what to say… but we accept that she’s talking about clothes, not skin, and try to absorb it in its context.
Of course, that gets into some sexist shit since “Dora” is pink… but what the fuck! One battle at a time, eh?
Racism is delusion. It’s the delusion that makes “racists” or, more accurately, “racial-biasists.”
To argue that we need more racism in defense of ending racism is fundamentally fallacious.
I love my family and all their “blackness.” I try to raise my kids in that idyllic (scientific) fantasy world, and as every day goes by that fantasy gets closer to crumbling. But every day that they absorb a raceless world as true… it becomes one more arrow in their quivers.
Resorting to racism is foolish and short-sighted.
What is everyone afraid of? Some racially biased moran says something stupid? then says, “well Bill Maher said it, so I can say it too!”
Fuck that. Bill Maher is an idiot who thinks you shouldn’t turn your lights on when it’s raining because, somewhere up there, above all that cloud cover, there is still a sun, even though it’s dark as night. Now that’s stupid.
If some moran says the WORD in a “weaponized” way then deal with that. Going on racist rants about “white” people is not the answer.