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Location: Huntersville/Charlotte, NC and Washington, DC
26,700 posts, read 41,763,058 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chessgeek
I believe for the vast majority of people "thug" is simply a word that describes violent and inexcusable behavior regardless of race. Sure....for a relatively small number of people, it is a substitute word for the "n" word. I guess I would rather focus on what the overwhelming majority of people believe it to be. To each their own.
Sorry, this theory you stated got blown out the water when the Richard Sherman episode happened. People were so quick to grade Sherman as a thug. Not knowing he conducted the interview just seconds after making a play that put them in line for a world title, you have no idea what emotion that will put you in. Also, they had no idea about his academic accomplishments or the fact he had no criminal record.
Sorry, this theory you stated got blown out the water when the Richard Sherman episode happened. People were so quick to grade Sherman as a thug. Not knowing he conducted the interview just seconds after making a play that put them in line for a world title, you have no idea what emotion that will put you in. Also, they had no idea about his academic accomplishments or the fact he had no criminal record.
First of all, this thread by the OP is not about Richard Sherman. It is about Ray Rice. Having said that, let me share my views on the latter.
I had no idea of his academic accomplishments at that point either. I agree the media has influence. I personally did not consider Sherman a thug. I just thought he got carried away and full of himself too much instead of team based when he made the comment. There were other plays made by other Seahawk players like that remarkable TD run by Marshawn Lynch. Then he should have talked about the guy that intercepted the ball he tipped, too.
I remember saying he was being too"Me, me" rather than team based at that point. I understand how people will do that at the "heat of the moment". Heck, that happens on c-d data. I gave him credit when he backed off some of that and gave credit to others about a week later.
Nothing is blown out of the water for me. Most people at the end of the day think of behavior when they think of the "thug" word, not race.
More specifically, can I ask you if Ray Rice is being judged for his race or his behavior? I believe it is his inexcusable violent behavior.
If I were a black person in urban America today, I would fight for better funding of inner city schools and not worry so much about the semantics behind the "thug" description. Talk about education and equal opportunity and simply agree that violent people are thugs. I will not be the one to tell our youth to not call violent behavior the act of a "thug".
Telling people to give a free pass to violent people accomplishes absolutely nothing. I could care less if their feelings are hurt by being called thugs. They actually deserve worse.
This was a thread here that I first noticed espoused this thug being the new n-word ideology and I have noticed a number of other liberals on other forums trying to stifle debate by trying to link thug to being racist. As I said it amuses me the lengths at which some people will twist the English language so that they can get on their high horses whenever THEY perceive an opportunity to excuse bad behavior by trying to turn an offender into a victim that's just misunderstood. BTW I am not American and am so over the white guilt that Caucasian Americans have endured there that occasionally I make the effort to speak out to defend them.
Thug as you would undoubtedly know originated as thugee which described a group of Indian gangs that rode rough shot over other citizens using violence to scare people.
To me thug is an exhibited behavior that can describe anyone, any race whatever. If you act in a thuggish way then you are a thug, plain and simple.[/quote]
I was not addressing you, but rather the other poster who claims the word "thug" is racist. I agree with everything you are saying. Thug is a behavior and has nothing to do with race. So what do we call white thugs? I have seen many more white thugs than I have seen black thugs, which might surprise many considering I live in a majority black city with a high crime rate, and a very high murder rate among blacks.
Sorry, this theory you stated got blown out the water when the Richard Sherman episode happened. People were so quick to grade Sherman as a thug. Not knowing he conducted the interview just seconds after making a play that put them in line for a world title, you have no idea what emotion that will put you in. Also, they had no idea about his academic accomplishments or the fact he had no criminal record.
- I watched 3 weeks of the Winter Olympics. Winning Gold > x1,000,000 > Winning NFC Title Game
and yet no one responded in the same manner
- People academically qualified or intelligent don't act violent?
- Individuals with money and celebrity status get away with crime all the time. Because he has no criminal record doesn't mean he doesn't commit crime
- I watched 3 weeks of the Winter Olympics. Winning Gold > x1,000,000 > Winning NFC Title Game
and yet no one responded in the same manner
- People academically qualified or intelligent don't act violent?
- Individuals with money and celebrity status get away with crime all the time. Because he has no criminal record doesn't mean he doesn't commit crime
Let's be honest, figure skating isn't exactly the NFL. Much different environment that those players play in. It is the ultimate in American machoism. I don't think think any sport in the Olympics gives an apple to apple comparison.
Let's be honest, figure skating isn't exactly the NFL. Much different environment that those players play in. It is the ultimate in American machoism. I don't think think any sport in the Olympics gives an apple to apple comparison.
It's still different. Hockey has physicality but it's not to the same degree as football. There is constant physicality in football on every single play. In hockey you have a variation of styles. You have those who are more finesse and those who are more physical. Also consider that every play in football is magnified because of the shortness of the season. Hockey, even in Olympic hockey, can be slowed by line changes and goal keeping which makes shot attempts insignificant when they are being blocked often. It's just impossible to find an equivalent.
I think you also have to consider the personality. Sherman is an emotional player and he just made one of the biggest plays in the history of his franchise, a team that has never won the Super Bowl. Or even consider the circumstances of Sherman's background, growing up in a dangerous area, succeeding at a high level despite having many doubters, being picked in late rounds, and stopping a guy who had constantly been talking trash and who plays for your arch rivals.
The word thug just doesn't make sense to use and again I will reiterate, the word is used way too loosely these days, whether it has racial undertones or not. Sherman's actions were not appropriate, but they were understandable. He did not break any laws, he did not hurt anyone, so by definition, regardless nothing he did exhibited the actions of a thug. Perhaps classless, maybe even a jerk, but not a thug.
Same thing with Ray Rice. His actions were disappointing and unnecessary but without knowing the full story of what actually happened, it MAY be too soon to call him a thug. I will give anyone the benefit of the doubt. Let the story come out and see what really happen. I do not trust the media. The media is only going to report what sales. A narrative of a mutual altercation doesn't sound as juicy as a famous football player beating on his fiancee which is why he is getting the attention despite there clearly being two people who were assaulting one another. I would like to know what, if anything, provoked him to hit her, before I pass any judgment on this situation. It doesn't appear others on here will be that patient.
Same thing with Ray Rice. His actions were disappointing and unnecessary but without knowing the full story of what actually happened, it MAY be too soon to call him a thug. I will give anyone the benefit of the doubt. Let the story come out and see what really happen. I do not trust the media. The media is only going to report what sales. A narrative of a mutual altercation doesn't sound as juicy as a famous football player beating on his fiancee which is why he is getting the attention despite there clearly being two people who were assaulting one another. I would like to know what, if anything, provoked him to hit her, before I pass any judgment on this situation. It doesn't appear others on here will be that patient.
So it's OK in some circumstances for a big athletic guy to beat up a woman and knock her unconscious? I can't wait to hear this answer!
So it's OK in some circumstances for a big athletic guy to beat up a woman and knock her unconscious? I can't wait to hear this answer!
No. This is why there are so many arguments on this website. I am not debating if it is okay or not, it is obviously wrong. I am debating if that makes him a thug. Come on, does anybody actually read the responses before responding?
Well of course it won't work. We all know white people can't be referred to as thugs by definition.
Like heck. I use that term for anybody behaving that way.
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