Is it racist?

[Chico Man]

To call people racist? When you couldn't possibly know if they are actually racist?

Is it racist to assume racism?

[Cooley Hurd]

1. Of course not. If you point out tendencies in people...

...it doesn't mean you sympathize with those tendencies.

[Chico Man]

3. "Pointing out"

If it is based on an assumption or opinion- is this not also racism? Or using racism as a divisive weapon?

[pipoman]

2. It is as bad..especially in the absence of anyone willing to state the person is a racist..

[Chico Man]

4. Is this racist?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023250611

[2ndAmForComputers]

6. Do you think it is? Why?

[Chico Man]

8. I do

I think it does nothing but enforce stereotypes.

Does the black Zimmerman look scarier to you?

Isn't this the point of the picture?

[2ndAmForComputers]

11. I think people who look for "reverse racism" instances to cry about are racist.

[Chico Man]

17. So

You think I'm being racist? By starting this thread ?

[2ndAmForComputers]

19. So

You think I was born yesterday?

[bobduca]

28. YES

cracker barrel called.

[Chico Man]

35. Ok

The last thing we want to do about racism is actually have a dialog and talk about it.

How many times did someone on this board call someone a racist today? Should we go for more?

[bobduca]

37. your concern is noted

keep trawlin

[morningfog]

12. The point of the picture is not that he looks scarier, but that he would be

found guilty by a jury. He would have been arrested the night of the killing. He never would have had a chance.

[Chico Man]

13. But..

That assumption sounds pretty racist to me..

[morningfog]

16. It illustrates the racism of our justice system. Get it?

[Chico Man]

20. I don't think it illustrates that at all

I think it appeals to the worst in people. But hey, maybe that's just me.

[morningfog]

22. You know, if you are honest with yourself, the system is racist and if the

races were reverse the outcome would be different.

ETA: If you think the black man looks scary, ask yourself why that is. THat is not what I thought when I saw the picture.

[Chico Man]

26. I didn't think that

But I wondered how many might think that. Or if that is the underlying theme of this "infographic".

It just seems to be shouting out to me- hey- lets focus on skin color. Lets reinforce the stereotype of the angry black man.

[morningfog]

29. We should focus on skin color. That is where the problem is. We are a racist

country. The jsutice system is racist. You are the only one bringing the angry black man into this.

[morningfog]

5. No. It is not racist to call a racist is a racist.

[Chico Man]

7. How do you know they are racist?

What line must be crossed?

Do we really know what racism is anymore?

[morningfog]

9. Racism is a belief that one race is different and inferior to another.

If one believes that, they are holding a racist belief. It isn't hard to understand.

[Chico Man]

15. I think it is very hard to understand

In the context of our society. This is why I ask the question.

[morningfog]

18. Do you think one race inferior to another, by their nature?

[Chico Man]

23. Of course not

But racism seems much more broad than the narrow definition you provide. I think it's much more complex than that.

[morningfog]

24. How so? You seem to be trying to thread a needle or not come out and say

what it is you think.

[Chico Man]

30. It's late

And it's been a long day. I have some ideas and I've made a few leaps today in my understanding of the problem of race in America. This is really just a survey to get some more input.. Thanks very much for being part of it.

No harm intended.. Race and racism is a very touchy and complicated subject.

[mstinamotorcity2]

10. Once you feel the

burning and stinging of Racism you know it without anyone pointing it out. And there are people who are Racist but don't know it. It was just how they are raised. With no or limited interaction with people of color. Things that they may not deem as racism can be interpreted as such. When you experience Racism on an everyday basis you don't have to know the person to feel their ignorance.

[2ndAmForComputers]

14. The President of the United States is STILL a black man.

Choke on that.

[treestar]

21. being called racist is nothing

compared to being on the wrong end of racism.

Some may throw the charge out too lightly, but not as often as you'd think. White people, I am one, need to consider that.

[HiPointDem]

25. take your fake concern & go away

[Chico Man]

32. Hi

Still here

[HiPointDem]

33. and still a t****

[Chico Man]

38. Feelings hurt

Seriously.

[bobduca]

27. No racism requires an opporessive patriarchical post-slave society to back it up.

any whites claiming "reverse racism" are fucking racist.

Tonight, in this context, you posting this bullshit OP, I feel it's safe to assume certain facts about racism and you.

[Chico Man]

31. As I will do for you

And it's not concern, just curious. Love when I bring out the "feisty" in you

[bobduca]

34. Oh that I'm white and think that reverse racism doesnt exist? assume away cracker barrel

[Chico Man]

39. What does Cracker Barrel mean?

[bobduca]

40. It's a restaurant that you should like on facebook!

Facebook graph search for "White-themed restaurants my friends like"

[Chico Man]

42. Oh

You are quite far off, anyhow.

[Nevernose]

43. LOL

Funny!

[blogslut]

41. What a ridiculous question

[Chico Man]

44. Care to elaborate?

[blogslut]

45. No. I think I made my point clear.

[Scootaloo]

46. My experience is that the people who worry most about being called racist, usually ARE.

They also tend to be more concerned with this than, y'know, the racism itself.

It's not a 100% guarantee. But it's reliable enough that I stick with it.

[Chico Man]

47. I saw a whole lot of racist finger pointing today

Using the racism wedge to incite- many instances were clearly not racist at all, it just seemed like if someone was not clearly against Zimmerman with all their might they were a gun hugging racist.

I think that is a bad trend indeed. Scary, in fact.

[Scootaloo]

48. I don't. I think it's entirely called-for - and in many cases perfectly accurate

Sorry, but if your response to seeing a dead black child lying on the grass is to come up with a cold-fish legalese wordswarm about why the guy holding the gun should get off... You're not doing a very good job of masking yourself.

Don't give me this "saying the word 'racism' is a wedge!" horseshit either. This is another argument I commonly find from racists who want to silence the entire topic - if you can't say "racism," then you certainly can't talk about it!

Do note, i am not pointing fingers at you in particular, chico man. As I said, it's not a 100%-accurate thing, and the best response is to go "that sounds racist, dude," rather than "you're a racist, dude."

[Chico Man]

49. Have you ever been in a court of law?

Unfortunately it most often boils down to the cold fish legalese. If you were interested in the outcome, the facts were there. It was pretty obvious. And pointing out the obvious doesn't make someone racist.

[Scootaloo]

50. Do you remember the subject at hand?

Here, let me break something for you.

Nobody gives a flying fuck about anyone's legalistic justifications for carrying Zimmerman's water. It's irrelevant to the issue we're discussion, which is the act of carrying that water and whether the intent in doing so can be characterized as racist - and whether such a characterization itself is racist.

"Court of law" doesn't apply to the subject at hand, and if that's where you're going to fall back to, might as well just call it a night and move on.

The point I'm making is with regards to someone's response to the event itself. A black child was shot by a white man who, by all the evidence, pursued and confronted that child while packing a weapon. That child is now dead and in fact died that very moment. it took forty-six days before the police decided to pick it up as a possible criminal act. There's your "court of law" right there, if you're really so interested.

If your reaction to this is to do much as the police did - to slap Zimmerman on the back and take his argument as absolute irrefutable truth? If your response is the give a Mr. Spock parody of indifferent, objective logic for why Zimmerman should be acquitted? I'm sorry but just think about that for a moment, a kid is dead and you respond with a front of cold objectivity... what's that say about a person, do you think? if you pepper this "objectivity" with denigation od the slain child, what's that say about a person

Now another question - the same people holding the stone tablets of the law like Charlton fucking Heston right now, will they be doing the same during Ariel Castro's trial? Will we hear sermonizing about reasonable doubt and presumption of innocence and all this stuff. spoken as if Solon himself were speaking to booger-picking orangutans? Will we be seeing people chiding others for thinking he's guilty as hell, "because you weren't there, you don't know!" If Castro comes up with some cockamamie story (I'll grant i can't imagine what it would be...) will we have DU'ers gulping it down with such gusto as they have gulped down the idea that Trayvon Martin is the fucking incredible hulk?