Very true. Often people play into the stereotypes. I saw that a lot down home in SC.

 

It has always kind of bothered me when my black friends would get SO upset when someone would make a comment to them that could be percieved as racist, but then when they made nasty comments back or just in general, they laughed it off and acted like it was no big deal. Racism goes BOTH ways.

 

Good point. It's that middle school mentality of "well, they did it first!" that we see so many adults do.

Good point. It's that middle school mentality of "well, they did it first!" that we see so many adults do.

 

 

Yupp. I was friends with everyone in HS. And I always made a point to get on my friends [all of them] to recognize this because it was amazing the people would call foul and them committ a foul a day later.

 

One thing that always made me REALLY happy though is that, the south has this reputation for being so racist, and we have our Confederate flag waving proudly type deal. But outside of a couple of people, at my school of 3500 or whatever ridiculous number it was, everyone got along. It didn't matter what color. The people in Ralph Lauren Polo's and Sperrys, would go boating with the people who lived in the "bad" part of my town. It was great.

But you never hear someone say that of a white athlete at least that I can think of.

 

Which is funny, because some of the white athlete's I hear interviewed just make me want to press the mute button because I'm afraid I'm getting dumber by listening to them speak.

 

On the other hand I'll admit that I do pay close attention to how an athletes speaks and his vocabulary during an interview, because to me that directly portrays how they want to be perceived by the public, and the image that they want to broadcast of themselves.

You are not saying that only being called that word is how racism exists against blacks, are you?

 

By the way...I am not black. I am hispanic...and I HAVE been called that ugly word.

 

As to the bolded, where did I say that?

 

TB&G - You contend that the R-Word is a stereotype and have not addressed the question as to the N-Word being a race or stereotype. Therfore, my perception is that your belief is that one is worse than the other.

 

No I am not saying that calling people a word is the only form of racism against blacks. There have been some posts here that deal in the now that I find horrible. I cannot believe that any business owner in 2008 / 2009 would still behave in the same manor that they did in even 1970. But racism is not exclusivley a black issue.

 

How many Mexican Jokes exist?

How many Jewish jokes exist?

How many Asian jokes exist?

 

I just show frustration when all anyone wants to talk about is racism as a white on black issue. It is much more than that and runs through every race and gender.

TB&G - You contend that the R-Word is a stereotype and have not addressed the question as to the N-Word being a race or stereotype. Therfore, my perception is that your belief is that one is worse than the other.

 

No I am not saying that calling people a word is the only form of racism against blacks. There have been some posts here that deal in the now that I find horrible. I cannot believe that any business owner in 2008 / 2009 would still behave in the same manor that they did in even 1970. But racism is not exclusivley a black issue.

 

How many Mexican Jokes exist?

How many Jewish jokes exist?

How many Asian jokes exist?

 

I just show frustration when all anyone wants to talk about is racism as a white on black issue. It is much more than that and runs through every race and gender.

 

The n-word is a racial word. The r-word is not. The n-word is certainly not, in and of itself, a race. It is used to refer to someone's race. It is not the only racial word and blacks are not the only group to experience racial language. There are certainly words in other languages that are derogative to caucasians.

 

It's really not the word itself that is important, but the intent of its usage. I am sure that some have used either the n or r word in ignorance and not necessarily meant a negative intent. I would wager that, historically, there has been more ill intent portrayed with the n-word over the r-word. Is it the same today? I don't know. I don't use either word. Nor do I use (or listen to) racist jokes.

Great posts. Thanks for contributing to this discussion in a positive manner. I hope that all people, at some time can have open and frank discussions, face to face. The beauty of posting on BGP's is that only one person can speak at a time and others must listen to their statements before posting themselves

I must add that I and also my kids have been on the receiving end of racist actions from black people. So it is a two way street.

^ Great avatar, nWo!

TB&G

 

Here is the dictioanry definition of the n-word.

 

1. Slang: Extremely Disparaging and Offensive. a. a black person.

b. a member of any dark-skinned people.

 

2. Slang: Extremely Disparaging and Offensive. a person of any race or origin regarded as contemptible, inferior, ignorant, etc.

3. a victim of prejudice similar to that suffered by blacks; a person who is economically, politically, or socially disenfranchised.

 

If you look back the r-word definition relates to whites, this to blacks. The r-word does not have the same negative conotation because white people never got all up and bothered by being called this term. If they were to begin to show that this bothered them, then it would become and issue.

 

Racism is discrimination against a HUMAN, based on the perceptions of other HUMANS. It has nothing to do with words. "Sticks and stones". When a HUMAN is not given a job because the color of his skin, no matter what the color, then that is racisim. When a HUMAN cannot get a loan because of the color of his skin, then that is racisim.

 

If someone calls me a redneck....they are just an idiot and has nothing to do with racism.

WE make it racisim for the sensational media value. Erradicate to the REAL problems. "Sticks and Stones".

When I was 16 or 17 -- I can't recall which, for sure -- the fellow who was rooming with my uncle at the time came up to me and dressed me down because he saw me riding around town with two of my best friends. He took objection to my black friend being in the front seat and the white friend in back. I haven't had much use for the guy ever since.

 

I've had way more than one person tell me they quit supporting Kentucky basketball because they hired Tubby Smith to coach.

Edited January 23, 200917 yr by Jim Schue

I went to a HS football playoff game a few years ago in this town pretty well known for its sordid racist past. The opposing team had several black players.

 

Anyway, come halftime, I went across the field to use the restroom, which was located on the home side. There were several guys standing outside, and one of them said, in the most country accent I could imagine, "Yew ain't gonna like what you find in there."

 

I figured someone dropped a particularly stinky bomb or something, but when I went in, all I found was one black man at a urinal. Very sad.

 

Another time, at a basketball game involving the same school in a road game, two kids showed up in the student cheering section with white wife-beater T-shirts on. There was a crude drawing resembling the famous USA track athlete medal stand protest at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics (John Carlos and Tommie Smith) with the words "White Power" scrawled above the drawing. They were kicked out of the game.

TB&G

 

Here is the dictioanry definition of the n-word.

 

1. Slang: Extremely Disparaging and Offensive. a. a black person.

b. a member of any dark-skinned people.

 

2. Slang: Extremely Disparaging and Offensive. a person of any race or origin regarded as contemptible, inferior, ignorant, etc.

3. a victim of prejudice similar to that suffered by blacks; a person who is economically, politically, or socially disenfranchised.

 

If you look back the r-word definition relates to whites, this to blacks. The r-word does not have the same negative conotation because white people never got all up and bothered by being called this term. If they were to begin to show that this bothered them, then it would become and issue.

 

Racism is discrimination against a HUMAN, based on the perceptions of other HUMANS. It has nothing to do with words. "Sticks and stones". When a HUMAN is not given a job because the color of his skin, no matter what the color, then that is racisim. When a HUMAN cannot get a loan because of the color of his skin, then that is racisim.

 

If someone calls me a redneck....they are just an idiot and has nothing to do with racism.

WE make it racisim for the sensational media value. Erradicate to the REAL problems. "Sticks and Stones".

 

You seem to have been offended by one single sentence that I used. "Redneck is not a race."

 

You are using a great deal of dictionary citations. Here's one for you:

 

racism: (n) 1. The notion that one's own ethnic stock is superior. 2. Discrimination or prejudice based on racism.

 

Again, use of any term can be derogatory and mean to portray prejudice and for the purpose of discriminating. Here's a word I can't stand - another r-word meant to portray that some one is very, very stupid. As much as I hate the word, it isn't racism. However, it is still offensive and wrong to say, IMO.

What I heard a couple of times during the runup to the election was something along the lines of, "I don't think I can bring myself to vote a Black man into the White House." This from long-time, never were anything else Democrats.

I am not offended by your line. Your line is why I got involved in this thread to begin with. People only see real racism as one sided. Racism is everywhere in everyone. You brush off the r-word as just a word. Yet the n-word is racial. I still think that they are just words. If you combine the two definitions, they could be interchangable.

 

Your other example is also offensive.

 

Racism is an act, against someone based on their skin. It is not a joke that uses the n-word. If a joke using the n-word is racist, the a joke using the r-word is also racist. But we have been so brain-washed into beleiving that racism is only one sided that we are missing the bigger picture and problem.

 

Acceptable racism involves poking fun at people that are caucasion.

 

Unacceptable racism is poking fun at people that are not caucasion.

 

This is what the media continues to push.

 

This is why jokes about a white president are acceptable and jokes about a black president are not acceptable.

 

Remember - Sticks and Stones may break my bones. WORDS will never hurt me.

I went to Frankfort High School in the 70's and we were considered the black school. One of my best friends was on the football team and wrestling team with me he's black I'm white. We hung out alot and I remember us going to my house for something and my grandmother who lived next door called my mom at work to tell her I had a black person in the house. I also remember playing Dayton in football and we had to walk about four blocks through the neighborhood to the field. The things people yelled from their front porches at our black players was disturbing. I also remember leading our team thru Richmond Madisons tunnel before a game and I was called some pretty good racial names. My buddy that I spoke of earlier was running beside me laughing, and said I don't think they're talking to me this time.