My brushes with Racism --looong--

[Jeff Higgins]

One of the underlying tenets of racism is the feeling your race is superior in some way to others. That "superiority" is usually classified as intellegence, influence, or power. Are these truly "superior" traits in humans? Some of the most intelligent, influential, and powerfull people I have met personally, or have noticed in the news, are anything but superior humans. More like scumbags. What about harder to quantify traits, the ones we look for in our friends and loved ones? Like compassion, empathy, generosity, love for their fellow man, and all that. Racists certianly do not display these traits yet somehow still hold themselves to be "superior". Amazing.

[RANDY P]

all part of the game.. Can't influence personal behaviour.

Only time I really care is if the guy is bigger than I am. Otherwise, no static at all.

Funny how some won't express it face to face?

rjp

(Asian guy)

[speeder]

Sounds like you handled yourself very well, in control and not backing down. Racism is an ugly thing that should be comfronted head-on whenever encountered, IMO, but it is a societal disease that affects almost everyone in some form or another. Most of us have some in us, hopefully not much.

It always gives me the creeps when some people are so uncomfortable w/ the subject that they deny that it exists or minimize it; at the same time I know that others use it as a false excuse for their own shortcomings, ie. blame something on racism when it is not the case.

[alf]

Originally posted by Capt. Carrera
All People love thinking they're oppressed....

You have not experienced racism. You've been in America for twenty years, and you've run into some twits, that's all.

No one kept you from voting.
No one kept you from going to school.
No one kept you from sitting at a lunch counter.
No one lynched someone you know.


My advice?
Get over yourself....

Capt
I do not think that i am opressed, and i certianly will not love thinking that i am opressed. I think that our country, the US, is one of the most tolorant societies in the world. 2 FTF incidents in 20 years is a pretty darn low frequency.

What i was trying to floor as a topic of dicussion is how to handle such situations when it does happen. As pointed out by many, it happens to people from all races; racism is not just a white vs everyone else problem.

I hope i did not come across as full of myself, i apologise if i did.

Curious, what does "Cracker" mean/imply?


alf

[dtw]

Originally posted by alf
"Cracker" mean/imply?

Most people don't know this one and associate it with a Ritz cracker or something, which makes it funny. It actually is short for "Whip Cracker" which is significantly more offensive.

[fintstone]

Originally posted by dhoward
Two times I can think of. Wouldn't have remembered if the subject had not come up. Right around '82, Boston Chinatown. Walking down the street (can't remember where exactly) window shopping and looking for a likely place to eat. 3 Asian teenagers, one with numchucks block my path. "where you going, round-eye? Come here to fuch somebody's sister?" "Nope, just getting something to eat." "yeah, leave your money down here and then get your white ass home."

1993, Atlanta. Just parked the rental, going to dinner. Walking past a group of young-adult type black guys and girls. "You lost, cracker?" "No." Kept walking. "We don't need no more whitey's like you down around here" Kept walking.

Guess it can happen anywhere, anytime, to anybody.

Same here. I have never made a racist comment to anyone, but if you are white, apparently you are fair game to anyone. I have had similar experiences many times.