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The point Michelle is making is too intellectual for many people to understand. Some aspects of racism are very apparent. If I stand up and call someone the "N" word, no one will doubt I am a bigot. That's the sort of thing that's easy to identify and condemn.
However, many people quite unintentionally engage in behavior that I would say has racial implications--even though it does not make them racists. As people, we constantly make assumptions about the world around us based on our past experiences. Those assumptions become deeply locked in our subconscious mind. If we have dealt with many black valets in the past, when we stand outside a hotel and see a well dressed black man, the first thing that may come into our minds is "that man is a valet". I wouldn't call such behavior "racist". However, the behavior does have racial implications.
It can cut more than one way. I once worked a part time job as a reference librarian in a college library when I around 20 years of age. I am white Caucasian and I am about 6'3" tall. People would repeatedly walk up to me and ask questions that clearly assumed I was the head librarian, despite the fact there were older women and minorities who had MLS degrees and were, in fact, the full time reference librarians who would literally be standing next to me. After a while, we all realized it had something to do with my height, sex, and probably ethnicity. The people I waited on were not racist, but they were clearly making assumptions based on those kinds of factors when they approached the reference desk.
What I am describing is the subtle part of discrimination that many groups experience in this country. Its very hard to pin down and its very hard to impute bad intentions to many people involved in the process. Yet, it is real and it does exist. It also--on some level--impedes the ability of some individuals to advance much in terms of their career.
That's the sort of thing I believe Michelle Obama is trying to say. Some won't be able to see it, but its a real thing.
Yea, because the Obama's are soooooo brilliant.
If this lie is the only instance of racism that she could come up with, then she apparently has not suffered from racism in her life.
Last edited by ringwise; 12-18-2014 at 01:55 PM..
Reason: typo
I just gave myself a headache trying to wrap my head around this nonsense. In what freaking universe does asking for help mean you're racist? I'm 5'7" and have had short people ask me to help them get something. I've struggled to get something off a shelf and people voluntarily reached up and got it for me. Call me crazy, but I thought doing little things like that was just being nice to people.
This "racism" story has been blown apart. Michelle told the exact same story on Letterman 2 years ago, only she was laughing about it then. Suddenly now the lady who asked her for help is supposed to be a racist. There is video, and it's been posted all over the 'net today, so you can see for yourself.
It makes me think Michelle has no real "racism" story to tell, so she twisted this one into a racism story. I wonder why she felt compelled to make up a story?
The point Michelle is making is too intellectual for many people to understand.
...
It can cut more than one way. I once worked a part time job as a reference librarian in a college library when I around 20 years of age. I am white Caucasian and I am about 6'3" tall. People would repeatedly walk up to me and ask questions that clearly assumed I was the head librarian, despite the fact there were older women and minorities who had MLS degrees and were, in fact, the full time reference librarians who would literally be standing next to me. After a while, we all realized it had something to do with my height, sex, and probably ethnicity. The people I waited on were not racist, but they were clearly making assumptions based on those kinds of factors when they approached the reference desk.
I confess I am a white male. When I was younger I'd sometimes go to the supermarket after work, wearing a shirt and tie. People would routinely ask me where to find stuff, as if I worked there. Those racists.
This "racism" story has been blown apart. Michelle told the exact same story on Letterman 2 years ago, only she was laughing about it then. Suddenly now the lady who asked her for help is supposed to be a racist. There is video, and it's been posted all over the 'net today, so you can see for yourself.
It makes me think Michelle has no real "racism" story to tell, so she twisted this one into a racism story. I wonder why she felt compelled to make up a story?
Race was never mentioned in the Letterman clip. In fact, the video is pretty funny so I'm not sure where that "journalist" got their information from. A lot of those political websites are satirical and that particular website targets conservatives so now this article makes more sense to me. It's bogus.
Race was never mentioned in the Letterman clip. In fact, the video is pretty funny so I'm not sure where that "journalist" got their information from. A lot of those political websites are satirical and that particular website targets conservatives so now this article makes more sense to me. It's bogus.
What? Are you saying the Letterman clip is fake? Seriously?
One of us isn't getting it.
I am saying Michelle told a story on Letterman, with the indication that she thought the story was cute/funny. Then she told the exact same story to the People magazine reporter, and she now indicates the lady in the story was racist (or that the lady "acted in a racist way", yada yada).
Race was never mentioned in the Letterman clip. In fact, the video is pretty funny so I'm not sure where that "journalist" got their information from. A lot of those political websites are satirical and that particular website targets conservatives so now this article makes more sense to me. It's bogus.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jtab4994
What? Are you saying the Letterman clip is fake? Seriously?
One of us isn't getting it.
I am saying Michelle told a story on Letterman, with the indication that she thought the story was cute/funny. Then she told the exact same story to the People magazine reporter, and she now indicates the lady in the story was racist (or that the lady "acted in a racist way", yada yada).
So, are you saying the Letterman clip is a fake?
Wow, what exactly did you read? Where did I say the Letterman clip was fake? Re-read what I wrote.
I read the article. I'll bet good money that it's bogus because there isn't a stitch of detail to that "story". It's a conservative website and the Obamas aren't on everyone's good side these days. If I'm not mistaken, that website also does satirical news. This b.s. article pretty much fits the bill as satirical.
Have a look at it and then reread jtab's post, bellakin123.
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