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John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 132338
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| Posted: 08 October 2015 at 4:00pm | IP Logged | 1
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LINKY'know, it occurred to me quite a while ago -- I think I may even have mentioned it here -- that Barack Obama is a most atypical American Black man, with mixed parentage, a basically White upbringing, and without the horrors of slavery in his ancestry. But it would never have occurred to me that any part of that denies him the right to self-identify as Black. Are we now going to need some kind of movement to protect the right of Black people to be, you know, Black?
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Stephen Robinson
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 5835
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| Posted: 08 October 2015 at 4:27pm | IP Logged | 2
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The racism Obama has faced -- especially in parts of the South --
seems to disregard any aspect of his upbringing. It's arguable that the
birther movement was (is) about claiming that he is entirely his father --
Kenyan born, actually Muslim, and so on.
Obama was at a party thrown by Tina Brown years ago, possibly before
his famous 2004 DNC speech, and one of the guests asked him for a
drink. That was not a unique experience, either.
There is much about race that comes from one's upbringing (sort of like
how two Scots who meet for the first time would have common
experiences) but for good or for ill in America, a lot of race comes from
how you are perceived.
Obama's experience as a black man in America is not that atypical.
And black people with white parents (Halle Berry, Shemar Moore, Lisa
Bonet, Lenny Kravitz) is not unique either.
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John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 132338
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| Posted: 08 October 2015 at 5:03pm | IP Logged | 3
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To clarify, I did not say Obama was unique. I said atypical, which he is.
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James Reese
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 18 July 2015
Location: United States
Posts: 434
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| Posted: 08 October 2015 at 8:24pm | IP Logged | 4
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And black people with white parents (Halle Berry, Shemar Moore, Lisa
Bonet, Lenny Kravitz) is not unique either.
***
What about white people with black parents (Grady Sizemore for example)?
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David Allen Perrin
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 15 April 2009
Location: United States
Posts: 3549
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| Posted: 09 October 2015 at 8:34am | IP Logged | 5
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Rupert would have done us all a favor had he just said what he really meant.
"Ben Carson is the kind of black I actually like."
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Brandon Frye
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 17 November 2004
Posts: 1319
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| Posted: 09 October 2015 at 9:20am | IP Logged | 6
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One thing that would go a long way to combating racism in this country is to stop tolerating it from anybody rather than simply whites.
When public figures like Imus and Hulk Hogan make racist remarks, they are condemned, and rightfully so!
But where was that same outrage when George Takei referred to Clarence Thomas as a "clown in blackface"?
Does Takei get a pass simply because he is Asian?
How are we ever going to really fight racism when we allow for double standards and hypocrisy?
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David Allen Perrin
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 15 April 2009
Location: United States
Posts: 3549
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| Posted: 09 October 2015 at 10:16am | IP Logged | 7
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George Takei was right about Thomas in my opinion. I've said as much about ol' Clarence myself. Worse.
For the record there was backlash against Takei. I believe he even apologized. There IS a double standard in our society. But its as old as America's racism itself. And it usually it works in favor of the majority, doesn't it? The double standard is the by product of the systematic racism this country was built on. There just happens to be a number of white people who recognize white privilege. Kinda like how the white people that 'get it' (IMO) choose to not say 'nigga' in the casual context that their black friends do. Some white people feel they have a pass on this and use the word frequently in a friendly context with their black friends. I'm not in favor of that.....but I'm not in those particular circles.
There are far worse acts of double standards and hypocrisy when it comes to racism in America. A black customer holding a BB gun in a Walmart (where the BB gun was for sale) being gunned down on sight by police for example. And white men openly walking the streets of a given community while brandishing automatic weapons.
Y'know.....stuff like that.
Anyone who thinks the worst part of America's racism is George Takei not getting a hard enough smackdown for calling out Clarence Thomas is forgetting how fucked up things still are for many minorities.
Just sayin' |
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Brian Floyd
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 07 July 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 8365
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| Posted: 09 October 2015 at 11:35am | IP Logged | 8
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I believe Anita Hill, so I have no problem with anyone
going off on Clarence Thomas, anyway. Can't wait until
him and Scalia are both off the SCOTUS.
Rupert Murdoch owns Fox News, so he also defines lying
douchebag.
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David Allen Perrin
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 15 April 2009
Location: United States
Posts: 3549
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| Posted: 09 October 2015 at 11:53am | IP Logged | 9
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Word Up, Brian!
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Michael Roberts
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 20 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 14816
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| Posted: 09 October 2015 at 11:55am | IP Logged | 10
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One thing that would go a long way to combating racism in this country
is to stop tolerating it from anybody rather than simply whites.
------
Yeah, that's not the problem. Which is not to say that it is right or
shouldn't be called out, but believing it's the problem is missing the
point.
If I worked in a male-dominated workplace and a female co-worker
made some sexist comment about men, I could roll my eyes, shrug it
off, and move on with the rest of my day. If I were a female in a male-
dominated workplace and a male co-worker made some sexist
comment, I'd have to wonder if he felt comfortable making sexist
comments because that was how the other men in the office felt and
how that would impact my career advancement and safety around my
co-workers.
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Eric Smearman
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 02 September 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 5802
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| Posted: 09 October 2015 at 12:20pm | IP Logged | 11
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A big kid in the schoolyard bullies and intimidates smaller weaker kids.
Those kids decide to stand together and fight back. The big kid runs to
the principal crying about being picked on by those kids.
The big kid = the crowd that Murdoch and his ilk pander to.
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Brandon Frye
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 17 November 2004
Posts: 1319
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| Posted: 09 October 2015 at 12:26pm | IP Logged | 12
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QUOTE:
| George Takei was right about Thomas in my opinion. I've said as much about ol' Clarence myself. Worse. |
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I'm certainly no fan of Thomas and would agree the man is a clown. But we are not talking about his track record as a Supreme Court Justice here. We are talking about racism. Takei could just as easily called him a "clown in a black robe" but he chose to make it racial. So in your eye that's an acceptable form of racism since it's against a person you don't like politically?
QUOTE:
| There are far worse acts of double standards and hypocrisy when it comes to racism in America. A black customer holding a BB gun in a Walmart (where the BB gun was for sale) being gunned down on sight by police for example. And white men openly walking the streets of a given community while brandishing automatic weapons.
Y'know.....stuff like that. |
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Did I say otherwise? I know full well there are double standards on both sides of the equasion. But whereas I see it being wrong in all cases, you and many others apparently don't. That IMO is part of the problem.
How is the war on true racism ever going to be won if there is a list of exceptions where it's acceptable?
QUOTE:
| Anyone who thinks the worst part of America's racism is George Takei not getting a hard enough smackdown for calling out Clarence Thomas is forgetting how fucked up things still are for many minorities. |
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I merely used Takei as one example. I never said it was the "worst part of America's racism"
The worst part of America's racism is America's racism.
Racism is a vile, ugly thing period. Regardless of who it's coming from or who it's against. If your concerned about how fucked up things still are for many minorities, stop making certain allowances for the very mindset that fucked them up in the first place. That would be a good start.
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