What does this picture show from the Nebraska Boy's State High School BB Championships?

[zoogs]

I have to ask, since my experiences seem like they may be so different than many of yours: do you guys all know plenty of white people who casually, jokingly, etc use the n-word to describe people of other races?

 

I mean, we shouldn't leap to too many conclusions about the people pictured, but that phrase. It's SO jarring to me to see it used like that by people I assume are not avowed racists at all. But a lot of people genuinely seem to shrug it off as not a big deal, or kinda normal. Is that the case?

[Scratchtown]

Never used the word. I've, in my young years, called people "f**s" or "gay" meaning idiot, or dumb. I don't use them now cuz it's degrading and offensive. But I admit I've used it. Cuz that's my point. Just cuz you maybe dont now, isn't the point.

[Red Dead Redemption]

I have to ask, since my experiences seem like they may be so different than many of yours: do you guys all know plenty of white people who casually, jokingly, etc use the n-word to describe people of other races?

 

Not so much nowadays, in fact I can't remember the last time I heard someone in person saying it, but from a young age up through my college years, yeah there were plenty of people. A few used it casually, but most meant no offense/racism but just trying to be tastelessly funny.

 

I guess I didn't grow up in as privileged/cultured of an environment/town/college as others did.

[knapplc]

I don't use racial epithets, and haven't since I was a very, very young kid, and understood what those words meant. It's sad that some people think that makes a person "holier than thou."

 

Stop and think a second how sad that is. Really.

[Red Dead Redemption]

I don't use racial epithets, and haven't since I was a very, very young kid, and understood what those words meant. It's sad that some people think that makes a person "holier than thou."

 

Stop and think a second how sad that is. Really.

 

That is sad. Good thing nobody said that. Really.

[knapplc]

Here we go.

[Red Dead Redemption]

[zoogs]

Never used the word. I've, in my young years, called people "f**s" or "gay" meaning idiot, or dumb. I don't use them now cuz it's degrading and offensive. But I admit I've used it. Cuz that's my point. Just cuz you maybe dont now, isn't the point.

Me too, that was rampantly common. "F*g/retard" are only very recently being worked out of our parlance, but the n-word was always different territory for me.

 

 

 

A few used it casually, but most meant no offense/racism but just trying to be tastelessly funny.[/size]

I mean I've heard people use the word fraternally (i.e, evoking the context in which we hear it in hip-hop songs) and always with their black friends. And that's probably no different today.

 

The chasm is between that and say, the Oklahoma frat kids a few years ago or here, where it's being used as a straight-up substitute for "Native American"; just a word used to name a group of people, however seriously or not. That's different too, from a linguistic history (however unfortunate) of using specific terms like 'gay' or 'tard' to denote general negatives.

 

I'm not trying to make this a holier-than-thou thing, it's just that it appears the text itself hasn't registered as uniformly shocking as I personally would've expected.

 

For my context, I grew up in a small East Coast town that was probably mostly white, but not overwhelmingly, and most of the time beyond that has been spent in California. It's not that I've never seen racial language used, but it was rare, and always followed by "Oh my god, *what*?!?!?!" I kind of assume that'd be the same anywhere (again, fairness of ascribing those attitudes to this woman we don't know at all aside).

[Moiraine]

 

 

 

 

This thread has become good.

Also, i find it funny how some of you dont think you have biases. You know who you are, you holier than thou members.

No, maybe you should point them out. People saying they haven't used racist epitaphs aren't claiming they have no biases.

You must be one of them. I am referring to the posts talking of biases and people using possible slurs in private talk between friends/family and some people act as though they never have. Ever referred to anyone as redneck, wetback, fence climber, hick, cracker, told a racial joke, laughed at a racial joke, etc. We all have our biases and have let things slide or just went along with it so as not to be singled out in our circle of family and friends. If any one says they havent then i too will call BS.

Again this is being widened, as it was with Coach. Now it's not using racial slurs. It's letting them slide, going along with them, having biases. I've never used a racial slur. But I didn't call my grandparents out for using the N word. I just stopped talking.

There are people out there who exist who've never used racial slurs. This isn't that radical of a claim.

Hey, you're the one who took my post as meaning racial slurs. I clearly said bias. Just saying, dont twist the post to use as a basis for something i didnt say.

And you're the one who still hasn't pointed out who was acting "holier than thou" before my reply. No one claimed they don't have biases. The claim I saw was people saying they didn't use racist words or jokes.

[Moiraine]

I have to ask, since my experiences seem like they may be so different than many of yours: do you guys all know plenty of white people who casually, jokingly, etc use the n-word to describe people of other races?

 

I mean, we shouldn't leap to too many conclusions about the people pictured, but that phrase. It's SO jarring to me to see it used like that by people I assume are not avowed racists at all. But a lot of people genuinely seem to shrug it off as not a big deal, or kinda normal. Is that the case?

Ya, I don't get it. And I'm honestly shocked that there are 2+ people in this topic accusing people of lying about not saying things like it.

[Red Dead Redemption]

 

I have to ask, since my experiences seem like they may be so different than many of yours: do you guys all know plenty of white people who casually, jokingly, etc use the n-word to describe people of other races?

 

I mean, we shouldn't leap to too many conclusions about the people pictured, but that phrase. It's SO jarring to me to see it used like that by people I assume are not avowed racists at all. But a lot of people genuinely seem to shrug it off as not a big deal, or kinda normal. Is that the case?

Ya, I don't get it. And I'm honestly shocked that there are 2+ people in this topic accusing people of lying about not saying things like it.

 

 

Probably because it's common/understandable on anonymous message boards for people to sometimes be not fully honest/forthcoming, and they are just being skeptical.

 

For example, I'm not really red.

[C N Red]

I don't use racial epithets, and haven't since I was a very, very young kid, and understood what those words meant. It's sad that some people think that makes a person "holier than thou."

 

Stop and think a second how sad that is. Really.

So you NEVER have "since you were young". Point proven. But at least you are perfect "NOW."

[C N Red]

 

 

I have to ask, since my experiences seem like they may be so different than many of yours: do you guys all know plenty of white people who casually, jokingly, etc use the n-word to describe people of other races?

 

I mean, we shouldn't leap to too many conclusions about the people pictured, but that phrase. It's SO jarring to me to see it used like that by people I assume are not avowed racists at all. But a lot of people genuinely seem to shrug it off as not a big deal, or kinda normal. Is that the case?

 

Ya, I don't get it. And I'm honestly shocked that there are 2+ people in this topic accusing people of lying about not saying things like it.

Probably because it's common/understandable on anonymous message boards for people to sometimes be not fully honest/forthcoming, and they are just being skeptical.

 

For example, I'm not really red.

Hey, someone who gets it

[Red Dead Redemption]

 

I don't use racial epithets, and haven't since I was a very, very young kid, and understood what those words meant. It's sad that some people think that makes a person "holier than thou."

 

Stop and think a second how sad that is. Really.

So you NEVER have "since you were young". Point proven. But at least you are perfect "NOW."

 

Actually, he said, "VERY, VERY young kid".

I take that to mean 3 or 4 years old?

[The Dude]

The vast majority of the people I know don't casually say racist things like this Benjamin character. 17 or so years of texting, I've never gotten one remotely like that.

 

When people say not everyone does this, they're not necessarily bragging about being "perfect" human beings, but perhaps they're just genuinely bewildered you find this type of behavior to be so normal.

 

There's a whole wide world out there.

 

So maybe stop trying to make everything personal and take people's viewpoints for what they're worth.