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Hard to keep one's sense of humor with such treatment, I know. Many years ago I was in the dentist's chair in full view of the front desk. My wife came in, announcing that she was going to "wait for her husband". A rather grumpy nurse told her, "well, he's not here". I waved, my wife waved, and the nurse scurried away...
Once my wife was in a store. My middle daughter (then about 4, quite light-complected) was 'acting up' and Mom proceeded to 'scold her'. A nearby white lady told her, "you can get in trouble scolding other people's kids', but immediately asked if she'd like ANOTHER babysitting job, for HER. My wife said "Sorry--this is MY daughter, and no, I have a job, and I'm not a babysitter"....
On the other hand, I was once at a huge wedding--about 250 guests, 90% Hispanic. Hired bartenders, caterers, the 'works". I went up to the bar to get in line for a beer...the little white barkeep was passing out drinks, but when I got there, he gave me the "hard stare"--"are you a GUEST here?...are you SURE ?"....finally, my wife's cousin "vouched' for me, I got my beer, and the 'barkeep' learned his lesson..but, yes it WAS humiliating...(he got a 'talking to' by the caterer)....
My friend I talk about: he said he actually did find it funny for maybe the first three times. Yeah, it gets old.
Aren't Hispanic weddings fun?! I AM generalizing, but certain ethnicities know how to have a wedding! I've never been to a boring Polish, Greek, Jewish, or Hispanic wedding.
Mac, perfect example of what is being discussed in my opinion. Why did Pro feel the need to single out one practicular group?
Cleary after viewing the mix of stories from blacks, whites, and hispanics we all have felt the
"Why? Is it because i'm Black/White/Asian/Hispanic"
Hell you could even throw this one in the mix
"Why? Is it because i'm Women/Fat/Ugly/Stupid"
No one has a monopoly on the use Pro, so do not attempt to bring it down that path.
The point of the topic as it has now been discussed is that everyone on this board as some sort of a race card held handy and no particular group has a monopoly on the use of this particular card.
Case and point i think the following would be a bit of tasteless racial fun poking
I figured at some point someone would interject a bit of what i would considerd tasteless race humor great going Pro.
*Note not taking offense to the comment. It is just amazing that after reading all the discussion in the forum and seeing it go both ways from various peoples stories. You still feel the need to point the proverbal finger at one group as if they somehow have a monopoly over the topic. However, if i said you were "racist." You would respond, "i am playing the race card" tooooo funny! This is the problem with race and the use of race cards.
Very subjective (although i happen believe your intent was to be funny as i've seen that line played up in comedy acts before etc)
I thought it was funny I thought it would of been funny if he even said latino, or white or fatoops I mean thin challenged
I thought it was funny I thought it would of been funny if he even said latino, or white or fatoops I mean thin challenged
And some people think retarded blind kids running into walls is funny or flatulence in public is funny I for one do not think either is funny, but that's just my personal opinion.
This is a non-issue you have the right to think whatever you want is funny. Isn't free-choice great!
Since we're arriving at a definition of the term ... a few questions:
1) Who plays the "race card"?
2) Who determines that the "race card" has been played?
3) Who determines whether the issue of race is present or not?
Great questions. Not sure would love to hear what you think
If i had to answer modestly
1. Everyone (plays some sort of "card" whether race or other)
2. Good question not sure sort of (accuser vs the accused)
3. Very subjective (slights, rude gestures, or ill gotten service are hard to tell, but singling out using words such as "all," "they all," "everyone of them" leave no doubt on a person opinion)
Since we're arriving at a definition of the term ... a few questions:
1) Who plays the "race card"?
2) Who determines that the "race card" has been played?
3) Who determines whether the issue of race is present or not?
Very fair question--- and worth a thought...but, in the end, impossible to answer neatly or conclusively, because we aren't talking "hard science" here. We're talking feelings and perceptions.
The same TYPE of controversy that comes up in matters of the "race card" comes up in ALL sorts of situations in human interactions...for example..
** "Is America a mean, racist society?"...Certainly it has much mean, racist baggage in its past. Some insist that it still DOES. Compared to many countries (many of which have FEW minorities), America does have many problems. On the other hand, we're light-years ahead of much of the world. We may insult each other, but inter-ethnic slaughter and mayhem is pretty rare here...All minorities are well-established in the upper classes here, despite some of the ongoing problems among SOME parts of the minority population. That's much different from SOME societies...
** "Is America unkind to immigrants?"...Sometimes it is, particularly if you count people here illegally as "immigrants". But that's a big subject. Most of the world doesn't HAVE many immigrants, and most of the world doesn't allow people to enter illegally, let ALONE permit them to complain and 'vent'. Pretty hard to answer that one...and America is, apparently, still "kinder" to these immigrants than the places they CAME from....
** "America is reluctant to foster diversity. It's hard here for people who don't want to assimilate, and who want to keep their culture" ---This is really a 'good one'. No country on EARTH, to my knowledge, encourages newcomers not to assimilate, at least to SOME extent. MOST of the world's countries have no desire whatsoever to become multicultural. They see THEIR culture as being the one they want, and outsiders are expected to conform. So, to whom are we comparing America?
Like all the ABOVE examples, the "race card" is a matter of perception. Basically, though, the term has connotatons of insincerity. Complaining of outright racism and race-based mistreatment isn't 'playing the race card", it's legitimately objecting to unfair treatment. Trying to assign racism to situations where race is not a factor, or is only a peripheral factor, is "playing the race card".
Perhaps here's the problem in definition, as simple as it can be made: The problem with defining the "playing of the race card"...(or even in acknowledging its EXISTENCE), is between those who say, "modern life is full of unfairness, misunderstandings, unkindness, shifting of blame, and all sorts of stuff, MUCH of which has nothing to do with race".....and those who insist, on the other hand, that --"Nonsense---America was FOUNDED on racist principles, and everything that has gone on in America, since day one, has had a racist component. Racism is woven into the very fabric of American society, and it will ALWAYS determine who wins, and who loses".
These two viewpoints are pretty well irreconcilable, in my view. So are the two definitions of the 'race card'...
Okay, you had me until your "they" (emphasis on that word).."completely trash rooms at a 10-1 ratio"
but of course me pointing out this ridiculous statement based on ???. I guess I'm playing the "race card" in your eyes, and you kind of proved my point of the first thing I posted in this thread.
I love it when people from lillywhite states try to counter practical, first hand experience about black people with their "theories" about equality. Really, I do. I love it. It makes me chuckle, and I don't chuckle very often.
What is my statement based on?
Well, four years experience working through college in the hotel industry in a city that was about 25% black, as opposed to what? Your profound experience in Sioux Falls, with it's whopping 1.8% black population.
The consistency of which blacks trashed rooms was amazing. Like, if I could've gotten a bookmaker to live at a hotel and lay odds on which rooms would be trashed upon checkout, I could've retired wealthy betting the straight black line.
Of course, black people weren't the only ones who trashed rooms, nor did every single black person who rented wind up trashing the room. They were simply far more likely to do so on a per-stay basis than any other identifiable group, save for maybe white-trash looking types under the age of 30- and blacks even had them beat by a fairly wide margin.
Once we implemented the credit card policy, we didn't have many black folks staying and the ones that did were clearly above a cut above the ones that used to stay, paying cash.
My response “Why would you get angry if I were to pull the race card out, clearly you’re using that to thwart your responsibility in making such a stupid clearly racially motivated comment.”
You really used "thwart" in a sentence? Lighten up, sounds like the guy was messing with you to see if you would dumb down your grammar, respond with out of character speech, and compromise your natural personality to impress someone. You sure showed him.
You're story has nothing to do with using the "race card." Was he asking for special treatment? The "race card" is when someone gets pulled over for speeding and says, it's because I'm ______. (insert race, sex, etc. here) Or if you get passed over for a job and say it's because you're _______. (whatever you are)
The "race card" is often used by both minorities and majorities. A black guy might say he got passed up for a job because he's black, and the employer was racist. He has then used "the race card," whether he's right, we don't know. A white guy might say that he got passed up for a "less qualified black man" (how he knows how qualified the other guy was, we don't know) because of Affirmative Action, because the system's rigged against his whiteness. He also has then used "the race card." Whether he's right, once again we probably don't know.
The "race card" is often used by both minorities and majorities. A black guy might say he got passed up for a job because he's black, and the employer was racist. He has then used "the race card," whether he's right, we don't know. A white guy might say that he got passed up for a "less qualified black man" (how he knows how qualified the other guy was, we don't know) because of Affirmative Action, because the system's rigged against his whiteness. He also has then used "the race card." Whether he's right, once again we probably don't know.
That's true--the very essence is that we don't know for SURE...that sometimes, bad things happen to good people, and vice-versa. Sometimes we run afoul of racists, and other times, "Stuff" just plain happens--and NOBODY can say for sure, and if you DO figure it out, it will be denied......
To make it even MORE complex, for every POSSIBLE combination of racist, non-racist, white racist, black racist, and on and on...for every possible 'position' there's its polar opposite, and they're ALL hidden and denied.
i.e. "If I was WHITE, I could find a job, because I wouldn't be discriminated against""
"If I was BLACK, I could find a job. I'd get hired through AA"
"If illegals were WHITE, they'd be accepted by 'white America' "
"If illegals were WHITE, they'd be tossed out immediately. No one would tolerate such behavior from whites"
"People are afraid of gang-bangers (and 'gansta-rappers') because of their race"
"Gang-bangers are GLAMORIZED because of their race. White gang-bangers would get no 'sympathy', and their (rap) music wouldn't have any audience"
All these can be sincerely believed, and for every one, its EXACT OPPOSITE could ALSO be stated. Which is true? No one can say for sure. We "feel what we feel", and that's all we can state for certain...
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I thought it would of been funny if he even said latino, or white or fatoops I mean thin challenged
