Heartbreaking article, "Trayvon Martin, my son, and the Black Male Code"

[Black]

PeterB wrote:
[quote=olnacl]
Don't forget to add "Democrat" to the list. Sad to say, my Obama sticker does not grace my bumper or rear window for fear of getting the car keyed here in the south.

And it's not just Democrat, either. I've avoided adding my FSM sticker to my car for the same reason.

I don't think any of us can really know what it is to be DWB (or WWB, in this case), without actually being black.
Would people know what the FSM sticker signified? Or is there an overt text line to it such as "religion is stupid?"

[PeterB]

Black wrote:
[quote=PeterB]
[quote=olnacl]
Don't forget to add "Democrat" to the list. Sad to say, my Obama sticker does not grace my bumper or rear window for fear of getting the car keyed here in the south.

And it's not just Democrat, either. I've avoided adding my FSM sticker to my car for the same reason.

I don't think any of us can really know what it is to be DWB (or WWB, in this case), without actually being black.
Would people know what the FSM sticker signified? Or is there an overt text line to it such as "religion is stupid?"
Black, there's enough similarity there to the fish, that people find it offensive... including the more overt "evolve" fish...

[Chakravartin]

Black wrote:
[quote=Chakravartin]
[quote=JoeH]
FSM - Flying Spaghetti Monster
DWB - Driving While Black Bearded
WWB - Walking... you get the idea

I was pulled over in North Carolina because the sheriff didn't like my beard.

I've often wondered whether he'd have preferred a goatee or soul-patch. 'Never got the chance to ask him.
I hope you're not suggesting that being pulled over or treated with suspicion or falsely accused due to (x)WB is not a real phenomenon(?)
I hope you're not suggesting that being pulled over or treated with suspicion or falsely accused due to beard is not a real phenomenon(?)

Get a grip.

The correct inference is that people all over are fucked up.

[Spock]

PeterB wrote:

Black, there's enough similarity there to the fish, that people find it offensive... including the more overt "evolve" fish...

I have this one on my truck.

[Black]

PeterB wrote:
[quote=Black]
[quote=PeterB]
[quote=olnacl]
Don't forget to add "Democrat" to the list. Sad to say, my Obama sticker does not grace my bumper or rear window for fear of getting the car keyed here in the south.

And it's not just Democrat, either. I've avoided adding my FSM sticker to my car for the same reason.

I don't think any of us can really know what it is to be DWB (or WWB, in this case), without actually being black.
Would people know what the FSM sticker signified? Or is there an overt text line to it such as "religion is stupid?"
Black, there's enough similarity there to the fish, that people find it offensive... including the more overt "evolve" fish...
Thanks-- I guess if I've seen that particular sticker before, it's been a long while, but if it's an obvious parody of the fish it makes sense.

[OWC Jamie]

Ted King wrote:
[quote=billb]
[quote=rjmacs]
[quote=Chakravartin]
Take out "black male" and substitute the words "hippie, hipster, teenage boy, K-Mart Shopper, person with backpack, ginger, anyone who walks in this neighborhood..."

People are xenophobic.

"Not from around here" and "not like me" are convenient excuse for murder in many places... and sometimes legal excuses.

Both of these are true, but it's a mistake to overlook that violence based on race has a particular and peculiar place in our history and society. It's simply not true that over the course of American history, 'hippies, hipsters, teenage boys, K-Mart Shoppers, people with backpacks, or gingers' have been targeted in ways that begin to compare with racially-motivated violence.

and some people need to hate so badly that they can find racism in an empty glass of water.
Do you think people finding racism "in an empty glass of water" is as big a problem as violence against someone based on their race?
You don't ? constantly throwing the race card against the ignorance wall impedes the progress of exposing and educating ignorance . Unfortunatley that same ignorance makes for a wonderful fuel for more hatred based ignorance.
Or do you think there isn't any racially-motivated violence?
Unfortunately that still exists around the globe. You don;t have to travel to witness it, you just have to open your eyes.
I don't understand why you made that comment. Is it just that you feel that you need to add an obligatory "some people find racism in an empty glass of water" comment to any thread that talks about racism?
I use the racism label only when it applies. Very stingily and only when it is proven appropriate. Any other time is just wishful thinking and
based on the same ignorance and bigotry that actual racism is.


Some punk making racist remarks isn't necessarily a racist. Certainly an ignorant punk that could use his mouth being washed out and deserving of an education.
Someone who starts beating their wife two years into a marriage only because he finds out her great grandfather is Cape Verdean is a racist. Someone who actually believes in their own race / color/ nationality / political affiliation superiority could be a racist or at minimum a bigot. And bigots love their cards, especially the race card.

[$tevie]

Who makes racist remarks if they are not racist? Are you attempting to say that a person can make bigoted remarks and not be a racist?

[OWC Jamie]

$tevie wrote:
Who makes racist remarks if they are not racist? Are you attempting to say that a person can make bigoted remarks and not be a racist?

If I am black as the ace of spades ( or lilly white for that matter)and make racist remarks here on this forum just to piss you off specifically, am I a racist or just an asshole ?

Be nice now.

There's currently a campaign to stop teens from using the "That's so gay" expression. It's unfortunately aimed directly at teen girls. It's not used by them to denigrate gays, but it's a poor expression to be using when there are so many better ones that could be used and not hurtful. Are you ready to label every one of those teen girls a gay hater because of a poorly used popular expression ? I certainly hope not.

[$tevie]

A teen girl who uses the term gay obviously thinks that there is something inherently wrong about being gay which makes it a fine perjorative, so yeah, she's a gay hater. A baby gay hater but a hater all the same.

[Ted King]

billb wrote:
[quote=Ted King]
[quote=billb]
[quote=rjmacs]
[quote=Chakravartin]
Take out "black male" and substitute the words "hippie, hipster, teenage boy, K-Mart Shopper, person with backpack, ginger, anyone who walks in this neighborhood..."

People are xenophobic.

"Not from around here" and "not like me" are convenient excuse for murder in many places... and sometimes legal excuses.

Both of these are true, but it's a mistake to overlook that violence based on race has a particular and peculiar place in our history and society. It's simply not true that over the course of American history, 'hippies, hipsters, teenage boys, K-Mart Shoppers, people with backpacks, or gingers' have been targeted in ways that begin to compare with racially-motivated violence.

and some people need to hate so badly that they can find racism in an empty glass of water.
Do you think people finding racism "in an empty glass of water" is as big a problem as violence against someone based on their race?
You don't ? constantly throwing the race card against the ignorance wall impedes the progress of exposing and educating ignorance . Unfortunatley that same ignorance makes for a wonderful fuel for more hatred based ignorance.
Or do you think there isn't any racially-motivated violence?
Unfortunately that still exists around the globe. You don;t have to travel to witness it, you just have to open your eyes.
I don't understand why you made that comment. Is it just that you feel that you need to add an obligatory "some people find racism in an empty glass of water" comment to any thread that talks about racism?
I use the racism label only when it applies. Very stingily and only when it is proven appropriate. Any other time is just wishful thinking and
based on the same ignorance and bigotry that actual racism is.


Some punk making racist remarks isn't necessarily a racist. Certainly an ignorant punk that could use his mouth being washed out and deserving of an education.
Someone who starts beating their wife two years into a marriage only because he finds out her great grandfather is Cape Verdean is a racist. Someone who actually believes in their own race / color/ nationality / political affiliation superiority could be a racist or at minimum a bigot. And bigots love their cards, especially the race card.
No I don't think finding racism in a glass of water is anywhere near as much of a problem as racial violence.

As for the rest of what you are saying... what does that have to do with Chakravartin's point about violence based on race? I didn't see it and that's why I made the comments I did, and I still don't see it.