Why its hard to Talk about Racism

[IndianTiger 95]

Interesting ..

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/good-men-project/why-its-so-hard-to-talk-to-white-people-about-racism_b_7183710.html

[AUDub 11,184]

Excellent. Won't fly well here, but excellent.

[Mims44 1,890]

These type posts just make me realize, I don't know jacksh*t about white people.

[aubfaninga 16]

These type posts just make me realize, I don't know jacksh*t about white people.

Funny, I had the same thought

[alexava 6,973]

It is hard to talk about it because if you are honest you are the problem. If you use words like " thug " you are racist. You have to excuse crime or you are racist. You can't call a spade a spade, so yes it is hard.

[AUDub 11,184]

It is hard to talk about it because if you are honest you are the problem. If you use words like " thug " you are racist. You have to excuse crime or you are racist. You can't call a spade a spade, so yes it is hard.

You're better than that, alexava.

[TheBlueVue 177]

It is hard to talk about it because if you are honest you are the problem. If you use words like " thug " you are racist. You have to excuse crime or you are racist. You can't call a spade a spade, so yes it is hard.

You're better than that, alexava.

Whats wrong with what he said?

[AUDub 11,184]

These type posts just make me realize, I don't know jacksh*t about white people.

Funny, I had the same thought

People often don't like to be confronted with things that make them feel guilty or uncomfortable. Racial dynamics is one of those subjects.

[icanthearyou 4,463]

These type posts just make me realize, I don't know jacksh*t about white people.

I'm not sure this is a good place to learn about them.

[AUDub 11,184]

It is hard to talk about it because if you are honest you are the problem. If you use words like " thug " you are racist. You have to excuse crime or you are racist. You can't call a spade a spade, so yes it is hard.

You're better than that, alexava.

Whats wrong with what he said?

The parts I bolded are strawmen.

[TheBlueVue 177]

These type posts just make me realize, I don't know jacksh*t about white people.

Funny, I had the same thought

People often don't like to be confronted with things that make them feel guilty or uncomfortable. Racial dynamics is one of those subjects.

Let me guess.....its that insidious white guilt that makes it so difficult. Am i right?

[alexava 6,973]

It is hard to talk about it because if you are honest you are the problem. If you use words like " thug " you are racist. You have to excuse crime or you are racist. You can't call a spade a spade, so yes it is hard.

You're better than that, alexava.

i appreciate the compliment ben but how am i wrong? I am not being argumentative. Serious question.

[Mims44 1,890]

These type posts just make me realize, I don't know jacksh*t about white people.

Funny, I had the same thought

People often don't like to be confronted with things that make them feel guilty or uncomfortable. Racial dynamics is one of those subjects.

Guilt? nah, I never feel guilt over being ignorant... unless it's about my job or a class.

Uncomfortable, maybe... It's strange to think the white people I know feel this way yet I never realized it.

[TheBlueVue 177]

It is hard to talk about it because if you are honest you are the problem. If you use words like " thug " you are racist. You have to excuse crime or you are racist. You can't call a spade a spade, so yes it is hard.

You're better than that, alexava.

Whats wrong with what he said?

The parts I bolded are strawmen.

Really? I disagree after seeing many question the use of that word and saying that its the same a using the "N" word. One brilliant pundit on MSNBC even went so far to say that the reason Obama doubled down on using the word "thug" was, evidently, because he was half white.

[icanthearyou 4,463]

I think you can call a single person a thug. However, if you label all of the members of a race as, thugs, whether you know it or not, you are a racist. You can call a single person a criminal but, if you propose that a race is predisposed to crime, then whether you know it or not, you are a racist.

A history of oppression, poverty, and inferior educational opportunity leads to criminal behavior, not the color of one's skin. If you believe otherwise, whether you accept it or not, you are an ignorant racist.

[AUDub 11,184]

It is hard to talk about it because if you are honest you are the problem. If you use words like " thug " you are racist. You have to excuse crime or you are racist. You can't call a spade a spade, so yes it is hard.

You're better than that, alexava.

Whats wrong with what he said?

The parts I bolded are strawmen.

Really? I disagree after seeing many question the use of that word and saying that its the same a using the "N" word. One brilliant pundit on MSNBC even went so far to say that the reason Obama doubled down on using the word "thug" was, evidently, because he was half white.

That's because you don't grasp nuance.

[alexava 6,973]

I think you can call a single person a thug. However, if you label all of the members of a race as, thugs, whether you know it or not, you are a racist. You can call a single person a criminal but, if you propose that a race is predisposed to crime, then whether you know it or not, you are a racist.

A history of oppression, poverty, and inferior educational opportunity leads to criminal behavior, not the color of one's skin. If you believe otherwise, whether you accept it or not, you are an ignorant racist.

can you call a couple of dozen idiots pouncing and throwing rocks and bricks at a police car thugs?

[AUDub 11,184]

These type posts just make me realize, I don't know jacksh*t about white people.

Funny, I had the same thought

People often don't like to be confronted with things that make them feel guilty or uncomfortable. Racial dynamics is one of those subjects.

Guilt? nah, I never feel guilt over being ignorant... unless it's about my job or a class.

Uncomfortable, maybe... It's strange to think the white people I know feel this way yet I never realized it.

People in a privileged class don't like to think too hard about the advantages they've enjoyed. They tend to rationalize them.

[AUDub 11,184]

It is hard to talk about it because if you are honest you are the problem. If you use words like " thug " you are racist. You have to excuse crime or you are racist. You can't call a spade a spade, so yes it is hard.

You're better than that, alexava.

i appreciate the compliment ben but how am i wrong? I am not being argumentative. Serious question.

The parts I bolded are strawmen.

[Mims44 1,890]

(NSFW-Language)

(NSFW-Language)

(SFW-Minor Language)

(Radio edit, so likely SFW)

Just providing evidence for my next statement.

I like the 90's - 2000's pop culture definition of "thug"

So it's the only one I recognize, unless I'm on political forums & drinking.

[aubfaninga 16]

These type posts just make me realize, I don't know jacksh*t about white people.

Funny, I had the same thought

People often don't like to be confronted with things that make them feel guilty or uncomfortable. Racial dynamics is one of those subjects.

Like being called a thug?

Is it so hard to think that in 2015 there might be white people that look thru different glasses. The article talked about white authority. I grew up in an environment where most every principle that I had was black. Every football coach I had growing up was black until my head coach in high school. My uncle is black. My best friend since 1st grade is black. My nephew has a mixed daughter.

My eyes just see things a tad bit different than most white males. It does not make me any more of an expert on being black, but it is what it is.

[icanthearyou 4,463]

I think you can call a single person a thug. However, if you label all of the members of a race as, thugs, whether you know it or not, you are a racist. You can call a single person a criminal but, if you propose that a race is predisposed to crime, then whether you know it or not, you are a racist.

A history of oppression, poverty, and inferior educational opportunity leads to criminal behavior, not the color of one's skin. If you believe otherwise, whether you accept it or not, you are an ignorant racist.

can you call a couple of dozen idiots pouncing and throwing rocks and bricks at a police car thugs?

It is only my opinion but, in this case, I don't think so. I think it would be not only wrong but, also foolish. Is there an element of "thugishness"? I think so but, there is also an element of legitimate protest. I think it wise not to allow one to minimize the other.

[autigeremt 6,717]

This excerpt below has some value. We (us white folk) can never understand what it is like to be Black, Asian, Hispanic, Russian, French....for the exact same reasons. Neither will a black, Asian, Hispanic, etc. be able to understand what it is like to be white. Until we get past labels the beat will move forward.

Any white person living in the United States will develop opinions about race simply by swimming in the water of our culture. But mainstream sources -- schools, textbooks, media -- don't provide us with the multiple perspectives we need. Yes, we will develop strong emotionally laden opinions, but they will not be informed opinions. Our socialization renders us racially illiterate. When you add a lack of humility to that illiteracy (because we don't know what we don't know), you get the break-down we so often see when trying to engage white people in meaningful conversations about race.

[cooltigger21 0]

The reason is because there are a lot of people that benefit, politically and financially, in keeping racism alive and well. If the problem ever went away where would they go and what would they do.

[AUDub 11,184]

(NSFW-Language)

(NSFW-Language)

(SFW-Minor Language)

(Radio edit, so likely SFW)

Just providing evidence for my next statement.

I like the 90's - 2000's pop culture definition of "thug"

So it's the only one I recognize, unless I'm on political forums & drinking.

Hah. I got Straight Outta Compton on my MP3 player. Who can guess what the acronym "NWA" is short for?