African American
Related: About this forumNYT, again...geez"How to talk to Racists"
Ahh no. The whole article is too long to post here.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/30/opinion/how-to-talk-to-a-racist.html?smid=tw-nytopinion&smtyp=cur
snip..."
There are still white Southerners who honestly believe that American culture worked better for everyone, white and black alike, under segregation. There are still white Southerners who question how bad slavery really was. When an enslaved black persons health and strength are needed to guarantee the slaveholders livelihood, this argument goes, it just wouldnt make sense to whip them or starve them or rape them or work them to the point of collapse.
Southerners arent alone in believing such mendacity, but the South is where slavery and segregation metastasized, so it may be more concentrated here. Wherever this insidious delusion takes hold, however, it requires a gargantuan ignorance of history to maintain, and theres a lot of ignorance afoot in the land right now. More people here in Tennessee today drive cars bearing license plates emblazoned with the Confederate battle flag than ever before. A strong majority of Southerners 61 percent are committed to keeping their Confederate monuments on public land."
snip..."OK., theyre definitely all racists. But heres the thing: They dont believe they are. And the problem with writing off people who dont recognize this countrys pervasive and enduring culture of white supremacy, much less the ways in which they themselves benefit from it, is simple: Being called a racist almost never causes a racist to wake up. Being called a racist almost never causes a racist to say, Oh, wow, youre right.
I get that its hard not to scream Racist! at a racist. If youre a white person who wants to be an advocate, its both infuriating and demoralizing to know that the people causing all this suffering are people who look just like you. That much is true about being a white liberal in a culture of white supremacy. But its not the only truth."
Today.I.Can't.With.This.Racist.Apologist.Article.
empedocles
(15,751 posts)Interesting, good, phrase.
The South had a 'feudal' culture that seems to resonate today still.
underpants
(187,254 posts)but some of the writing was very good
These folks are your sisters and brothers. You belong to one another in exactly the same way that you and the targets of their racism belong to one another. Welcome to the Hotel California: You are at the most uncomfortable family reunion ever, and you can never leave.
Afromania
(2,795 posts)There was another article with a break down of who voted and where using the historical context of how each area was colonized and by whom. What I took away from it was another "seeeee allll racists aren't in the souuuuuuutttttthhhhhh".
I know pretty damn well the racists are everywhere. I'm sure every brown person in this country knows perfectly well where they are. I'm sure the racists know where they are as well. So who the hell was the history lesson for NY Times? and why are you being so very, very extra about it.
Article in question
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/30/opinion/urban-rural-united-states-regions-midterms.html
Also:That how to talk to racists article, come on, COME ON. OMG, COME OOOONNNNNNNNN.
Before you say a single word, think of all the times you made an assumption about a stranger that proved to be untrue. Think of the times you found yourself feeling uneasy in the company of strangers of another race think about how you were forced to interrogate that uneasiness. Think of the plank in your own eye.
To begin a real conversation about racism, start there.
Really, honestly and truly? With all of the evidence right there in the open we are at the pat them on the hand and say it's alright, let's have a dialog? Yea, ok while I'm worried if a random stop at night by the police is going to end up with me dead?
While I'm concerned that the country, no the world, is going to end up deader than a door nail due to the policies they vote through with their bigotry and hate.
You're saying that sane white folks should pat their racist brothers and sisters on the hand and tell them that it's ok. Let's have a nice little fireside chat and eventually sort this through????
Today.I.Can't.With.This.Racist.Apologist.Article.
Irisblue
Me.
(35,454 posts)Kind of Blue
(8,709 posts)But I wished she'd taken her conclusion further by pointing out what words she uses or has used to change the minds of racists. Would white supremacy do? How about white privileged and fragility? Shoot, I remember one white leader during a town hall meeting right after Ferguson, hosted by the late Gwen Ifill, saying that using the words "the system" was unacceptable. The author has to accept, too, that there is no reasoning with Willful Ignorance by those deeply committed to racism though there's centuries of evidence to prove them wrong.
Today.I.Can't.With.This.Racist.Apologist.Article. ~ irisblue
On Edit: It just hit me that the author is tone policing first with PoC and now with white anti-racists. SSDD.
MrScorpio
(73,714 posts)DO that they think that understanding them is the key to stop them from being asshole?
radical noodle
(8,803 posts)category of believing they aren't racist when they actually are. They likely have some right there at the Times.
The Polack MSgt
(13,451 posts)1 "Go away"
2 "I doubt that he considers you a friend"
3 "Mother fucker - 'What about Chicago?' - Don't mean shit to me"
4 "No I don't know what you're saying"
5 "Seriously, get away from me"
Etcetera
heaven05
(18,124 posts)IF they wanted to NOT be racist they could stop. Any racist wants to be a racist and will not stop unless they have one of those evolutionary jumps called compassion and self-recognition of how stupid and ignorant they are. Period. Since trump, to hell with any goddamn racist!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!