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Big Rant: Racist Attack

#41
Bear in mind that there are all sorts of reasons why people do things. I'm not making excuses for anyone but as ignorant and hurtful as some people can be, it's merely a reflection of how their life is twisting them around.

In most cases I'd just move on. Your time with them is temporary... if they don't get some help they're probably looking at the best part of their life right now.

/Ghandi off
 
#42
That's crap. There are times when racist attitudes are very much understandable (albeit always distasteful) and come from all kinds of experiences. Here, I'll throw one out for you right now: I don't like aboriginals (native Australians). They're dickheads. I've been assaulted IN THE STREET by these people many times, and as such have developed a disliking for them. It may be a little irrational to despise an entire race for the errors of a few, but the point is that it's kinda like getting burnt - you just inherently learn to be cautious of all fire, not just the match that singed your eyebrows. Who knows? With the freshman chick in the threadstarter's original post, maybe an Asian took her dad's job or something abstract like that? I just feel that it's even more idiotic to write off someone as being 'stupid' because of a racist view that they hold. Dig a little.

[/QUOTE]

First, I didn't write-off everyone who has a racist view as being "stupid".

The example about the girl's father still proves that people can't see further than their noses; it's not the Asian's fault that he recieved the job, it's the fault of the greedy CEO who laid her father off and then outsourced his job to a third world country. If the girl really cared, she would read a book about economics, get involved in politics, and fight globalization, but instead, it's just as easy to make an ignorant jab. Believe me, I'm pretty angry about NAFTA, but I'm not going to hate Mexican's just because they are getting hired for jobs. Now "That's crap". Of course, we're all talking hypothetically here, since we really don't know if the girl's father lost her job. :D

I also think it's pretty lame to use Pavlov's Dog theory to justify hate. I remember some blonde haired guy cut me off the other day, I should make associations that all blonde haired guys are inherently evil and are going to cut me off on the road.

I believe in free-speech and people are free to hate whom ever they want. It still doesn't change the fact that I find it illogical.

Canopener: Hey I didn't know you lived on Skytop. I live in Houtzdale. (about 45 minutes away) Wow, I didn't realize so many on the site live in State College. :D
 
#44
Im sorry, but those who say to tell someone have the right idea, but it usually doesnt work. From experience, telling anyone only makes you a "nark", thus creating an even larger group of people to make fun of you.

I used to get messed with by this one kid(his best friend too, but this part will be later.) in 6th grade. My mom always told me: never mess with anyone smaller than you, but dont take anything off anyone bigger than you. The whole 6th grade year i put up with daily harrassment from this guy.(/ When i say daily, i mean every day he was at school.) he would push me, trip me in the halls, call me every name in the book. I would just push it down. I told the principal and some teachers " look, this kid is messing wiht me, i dont want to fight". That is when they talk to the kid, tell them that you told on them and you get to put up with being a narc. about midway through my 7th grade year i had enough. one day on the bus(i was lucky enough to sit with him at school and ride with him home!) he threw some lucas(that lemon falvored salt crap everyone eats) into my eyes. the bus driver and the bus moderator saw this. No action was taken. I washed my eyes out in the restroom at school, and boarded back on the bus to everyone laughing at me.

The next day, we get off the bus, ive put up with one and a hlaf school years of his crap so the next time he slips up i am going to mop the floors with his ass. well, were walking to the cafeteria from the school bus, and he yells his morning insult. i turn around, drop my bag, and he didnt get a single hit on me. it was the only way to solve that situation.

His best friend, later that year(who by the way was one of the smei popular "tough" kids that people were scared of) started in on me.
one day on the bus(the moderator was standing a few seats away and knew he was doing it and got on to me for saying anything back to him), i had one too many pokes to the belly, "fata**'s" and other various names. she wasnt going to do anything aboutit, so i did. beat him down, on the bus, in front of his friends... he stopped right after.

Try not to fight, but if it comes down to it: Give them everything you have, even if you lose they will know that your not going to put up with it.
 
#45
Originally posted by Brendan
Hey, evolution works in reverse. These yokels prove it.

Know what's funny? I got Taliban/Osama/Terrorist crap right after 9/11, because of my beard. Funny thing?

I'm white.

People are just that dumb.
Click to expand...

I got the EXACT same thing a few weeks ago.. from whom? The border patrol, crossing back into the states from Canada. I don't generally wear a beard but I grew a nice one of the summer that sort of phased out higher up on my cheeks than most people. My driver's license still has a picture on it that was taken 7-8 years ago(and it doesn't expire until 2006! Needless to say, I've changed A LOT! I was also wearing an offwhite hemp skullcap that could be mistaken for some sort of turban, I guess.

So anyways, I've crossed the border literally hundreds of times, have always been waved right through.. this time I was interrogated by THREE agents before they finally asked me to get out of my car... one of them took me aside while the other 2 looked through my car. The one that took me aside said "Look, I know this (DL pic) isn't you, and I question whether or not that's even your car. We're investigating right now, but I'm going to give you a chance to level with me- you tell me what's up and where you got this license" [a U.S. driver's license, btw, though I'm not a US citizen]," and I'll consider letting you walk back into Canada.. but if we have to find out on our own, AND WE WILL, I don't think you realize how much trouble you're really in."


...I don't take kindly to intimidation tactics as such, but fact of the matter is I'm not american, and not-being-american is enough to cast "reasonable-doubt" that you've commited a crime nowadays.. so I kept my cool, politely explained that they were wasting their time with me(I had loads of other documentation other than the aged DL photo), and patiently bit my tongue until I was sent on my way 45 minutes later. I did ask for an apology, to which I was told "Sir, we're just doing our jobs." I said "Great, keep up the good work!" as enthusiastically as possible, and went on my way.

in all fairness, here's my driver's license picture:

driversliscencepic.gif


and here's a photo from mid-summer:

hi!.gif



terror threat? only to the ladies. :D

cheers!
 
#46
Originally posted by Sheep Man
I'm not too sure which I hate more:
The stupid ignorant people who discriminate against other people based on the color of their skin.

or

The stupid ignorant people who are too "proud" in their heritage to be able to laugh at themselves about it.
Click to expand...
My family are Italian. I am about as Italian as a kangaroo, but that didn't stop the taunts. Do you wanna know what did stop the racist dribble - my sense of humour. Seriously! No-one cracks a better Italian joke than I do. They only make racist cracks if they know it bugs you. But if you're the one cracking the jokes, there's no reason for them to do it.

We've got one very smart Greek fellow who turned my theory into series of plays and movies under the "Wogboy" banner, and he made millions. Several years later "My big fat Greek Wedding" came out - same thing. Does anyone here watch "The Kumars" - same thing.
 
#49
Seriously, Vince. I know this is an understatement but to deal with such idiocy has to be painful. I think your response was appropriate. You could have fought and kicked and screamed but unfortunately you aren't going to change the world. There are just TOO MANY idiots to carry any sort of hope.

Keep your head up.
 
#50
Originally posted by LiquidMidnight

First, I didn't write-off everyone who has a racist view as being "stupid".

The example about the girl's father still proves that people can't see further than their noses; it's not the Asian's fault that he recieved the job, it's the fault of the greedy CEO who laid her father off and then outsourced his job to a third world country. If the girl really cared, she would read a book about economics, get involved in politics, and fight globalization, but instead, it's just as easy to make an ignorant jab. Believe me, I'm pretty angry about NAFTA, but I'm not going to hate Mexican's just because they are getting hired for jobs. Now "That's crap". Of course, we're all talking hypothetically here, since we really don't know if the girl's father lost her job. :D

I also think it's pretty lame to use Pavlov's Dog theory to justify hate. I remember some blonde haired guy cut me off the other day, I should make associations that all blonde haired guys are inherently evil and are going to cut me off on the road.

I believe in free-speech and people are free to hate whom ever they want. It still doesn't change the fact that I find it illogical.
Click to expand...
Who JUSTIFIED hate, buddy? Certainly not me. It was an example of how, on a completely subconscious level, people inherently learn to define certain things (case in point being people, right) as unpleasant to them. Pavlov's ideas seem relevant contextually in that racism is an essentially learned/mimic response. Your counter-example sucks massive balls because... a) 'blonde hair' is a non-specific stimulus, which is far too broad in nature to trigger any mental connections that would give rise to a specific 'hate' factor, and b) someone 'cutting you off' is simply not enough. You say you 'should' dislike the driver on account of a particular feature and then pass that association onto others whom share it, but nothing snapped inside you, and grew larger and more malignant from day to day, right? I don't believe racism is ever an intentional developement; and I don't believe that fighting it without understanding that it is often mentally involuntary or emotionally deep-seated is the right way to go, either. The posters here that are going on about retaliating with violence are no better than the racists themselves - if not worse for serving to not only return fire with idiocy, but also to encourage it.

Nothing personal, mate. The above was what had initially upset me, and I might have taken your post a bit harshly.
 
#51
Even though i am really non-violent by nature, of someone starts bashing gays or racist stuff, they will most likely have the imprint of 5 kingsize knucles in their cheek even before they finished their words.

I don't care if people use words like " fag " or the famous " N "-word, but the way they use it makes a lot of difference to me. I mean, my friends are used to it that i often greet them with " wuzzap mah n****z ?! ", even though most of them are white. It's not offending, and it's even a good laugh at times. If you use it in that way, i don't see any harm in it. But using the word to insult someone is another thing.

My advise to Solidus : use the Allodox-approach and just ignore them. Remember.. inferior primate-species like those bullies are below you and unworthy of your attention. Instead try to focus on the good things life has to offer. :)
 
#55
Originally posted by *ToNeS*

Nothing personal, mate. The above was what had initially upset me, and I might have taken your post a bit harshly.
Click to expand...

No, it's cool. I didn't mean for my post to sound as harsh as it did. I know you work in counseling so you have some authority on this. I mistook your orginal post saying "It's alright to hate as long as you have science on your side" when in fact it meant "there's usually a pyschological association/conditioning that causes racism and we should exaime this to better understand it". :D
 
#57
First of all, I have never been the victim of racism, but I have been the victim of anti-semitism a few times. I've also been called a "heathen" a few times because I'm an atheist.

I get made fun of more though because I am a bassist, which really, really, really pisses me off. People just don't understand that it's a totally different instrument.

Also, a lot of people think it's okay to be racist against white people, racism against any race is wrong. For example, take some of the things Chris Rock used to say, and substitute black for white, and you're the most racist person on the planet!

I myself am definatly not a racist. My best friend is black. I have other good friends who are Latino/Hispanic (which ever one is more PC), white, asian, green, and hamburgery.

How can you be racist when Victor Wooten's black, John Pattituci's white, Jaco Pastorius was hispanic, and John Myung is Asian?
 
#58
'blonde hair' is a non-specific stimulus, which is far too broad in nature to trigger any mental connections that would give rise to a specific 'hate' factor
Click to expand...

Yet you're able to take some (admittedly unfortunate) bad experiences that you have had with a TINY percentage of the arorigine population and use this to label all aborigines "dickheads"??!!? Unless of course literally every aborigine in Australia has started on you.
 
#59
Originally posted by LiquidMidnight


Canopener: Hey I didn't know you lived on Skytop. I live in Houtzdale. (about 45 minutes away) Wow, I didn't realize so many on the site live in State College. :D [/B]
Click to expand...

Yeah, I'm livin' in State College, going to PSU, though I've lived here for 11 years.

I've been going to Altoona a lot lately though...since the new Krispy Kreme opened up...
 
#60
Well hey...next time you are in town, stop by my cousins and say Hi for me. They live on Park Avenue, just past 7th, almost directly across from the ballpark. They got a garden, and a huge deck in the yard. :D

Man, I miss it back there.

-Mike
 

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