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Yes, these incidents happen with great regularity and with great frequency. However, charges of "crying wolf" and the "race card" are the deflections that (White) people such as yourself often use when you decide that you simply do not want to hear about "incidents" that Black people experience on a fairly regular basis.
In the big picture, it does not really matter what you (or people like you) think of Black people, but what we think of ourselves. I was raised by a strong, progressive, self reliant, self aware and proud family. And I was properly educated in how to deal with (White) people such as yourself.
While we're relaying experiences, I thought i'd share this funny story:
My second job as a teen was working at a grocery store as a bag boy. One of my closest co-workers was a black guy by the name of McKeon. We used to gaze at attractive females, as well as weirdos, and everything in between as they came in the door.
McKeon had a penchant for making fun of black women (out of earshot of course). Many times it was hilarious the things he would say.
One Sunday morning before church, a really overweight black girl came in wearing a dress. McKeon was quick to make fun of her to me...saying her bare legs were "ashy" that she needed to put some pantyhose on. He let out a huge laugh everytime he said it.
A few minutes later, the girl came from one of the aisles, walked right past the check-outs empty-handed.....WEARING A WHITE PAIR OF PANTYHOSE!! She had came in shoplifted a pair, went to the bathroom and put them on and left!
It was an odd coincidence that he commented on her "ashy" legs needing pantyhose, only to witness her walk out the door with a shoplifted pair right there on her legs!!
We laughed about that all day long!
I don't find this very funny. If someone felt that bad to the point where they actually steal, then I find it serious.
What evidence could the posters who presented their personal experiences have provided that would meet your standard of analysis, judgement and/or verification? Seriously, this is a message board, not a scientific study. Everyone who has responded has presented their personal opinion or experience. Even in your comments quoted below, you relate your personal perception that we (whoever we is) are saturate with the race card being played day in and day out. But I guess that doesn't count...
~ButterBrownBiscuit~
What evidence?
Well, since this is such an epidemic, there must be scores of recorded incidents, police reports, state and federal Department of Justic actions, boycotts, lawsuits, penalties for civil rights violations, etc. Instead I am presented with online heresay and told to accept it despite visiting thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands of stores in my lifetime and seeing little if any of this.
That the race card is saturating our society is pretty much beyond dispute. We have reached a level of hysteria where opossing a (black) President's reckless fiscal policies makes one akin to Bull Connor rather than simply desirous of a more prudent path in government spending.
When the mob tells me I am bigot because I desire prudent government spending, what exactly am I supposed to think of some people who come online and claim they were "stared at" in a store?
Well, since this is such an epidemic, there must be scores of recorded incidents, police reports, state and federal Department of Justic actions, boycotts, lawsuits, penalties for civil rights violations, etc. Instead I am presented with online heresay and told to accept it despite visiting thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands of stores in my lifetime and seeing little if any of this.
That the race card is saturating our society is pretty much beyond dispute. We have reached a level of hysteria where opossing a (black) President's reckless fiscal policies makes one akin to Bull Connor rather than simply desirous of a more prudent path in government spending.
When the mob tells me I am bigot because I desire prudent government spending, what exactly am I supposed to think of some people who come online and claim they were "stared at" in a store?
Go back and read the thread. Being "stared at" is not all people are claiming.
Part of the reason there aren't lawsuits is because 1) It's impractical. What are you going to do--file a lawsuit every single time some store clerk mistreats you? Not to mention, filing lawsuits takes time, money, and energy. People are often busy with work and kids and other things that take up all three of these resources. 2) Flies under the radar. It's obvious enough to notice but not obvious enough to prove in a law of court. Court demands an extremely high standard of proof. Even every day things that are easily provable and not controversial (e.g., person gets raped) often don't meet the standards of proof for court. Does that mean people don't get raped? Of course not--it just means that they can't always meet the standard of proof for court (DNA testing/semen in vagina, etc.) Same goes for racism. Often it's not black and white enough to prove in a law of court. 3) Plenty of people criticize Obama's policies without being branded racist, regardless of their own race.
Last edited by nimchimpsky; 08-25-2011 at 11:37 AM..
And I chalk it up to racism and snobbery. My reason for believing race was an element is based on the fact I have entered the same store with white people and been treated in a much more positive manner. Have you been in the same situation with black people and with white people and specifically noticed whether you were treated the same or differently? It's easy to arbitrarily cry racism or snobbery when you have no frame of reference--but if you have two scenarios side-by-side with race being the only variable, it's much harder to chalk it up to arbitrary reasoning.
I know black people who thought there was no more racism...until they start hanging out with white people. It's incredibly hard to know whether the treatment you get is based on discrimination when you have no frame of reference. It's only in being able to compare yourself to how other races get treated that you begin to see whether or not treatment is race-related. Without that frame of comparison, you get no perspective. In order to truly understand discrimination of any kind, you need perspective.
Spending most of my life in very African-American Washington, DC, I have an excellent frame of reference. You are not talking to some farmboy from South Dakota here. The implication, so favored by Calipoppy, of "you are white so you would not know" is not going to work on me.
Spending most of my life in very African-American Washington, DC, I have an excellent frame of reference. You are not talking to some farmboy from South Dakota here. The implication, so favored by Calipoppy, of "you are white so you would not know" is not going to work on me.
I grew up in D.C. too. What part did you grow up in? I grew up in a very white part of D.C. and it wasn't until I married a black woman that I started to really see this stuff. We studied it in school but I hadn't really experienced it day-to-day till I moved in with my in-laws. I used to be just as blind to racism as you are. It's entirely possible to grow up in D.C. and be totally blind to racism if you never venture east of Metro Center.
I grew up in D.C. too. What part did you grow up in? I grew up in a very white part of D.C. and it wasn't until I married a black woman that I started to really see this stuff. We studied it in school but I hadn't really experienced it day-to-day till I moved in with my in-laws. I used to be just as blind to racism as you are. It's entirely possible to grow up in D.C. and be totally blind to racism if you never venture east of Metro Center.
Well, so much for the graceful exit.
I probably grew up in the same part as you did. None the less, unlike most whites in the city (you by any chance?), I stayed in the DC public school systems and was thus a minority.
As a result, I periodically had to fight off black kids who wanted to steal my money or do worse. Do not misunderstand! It was not all the black kids. But it was only black kids. I was called whitey more times than I can count by the very people who were simultaneously presenting themselves as victims of racism. Kinda contradictory, it was.
So I not only studied racism in school, but also experienced it first hand. Just not the kind all the bedwetting lefties want to moan about while safely ensconsed in their private schools and exclusive neighborhoods.
Consequently, the "blind to racism" comment is fairly presumptious as well as just plane stupid. Might want to retract that one.
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