Subtle racist at work

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

Everytime I work with him, he keeps bringing up the Katrina victims and implying they all want handouts and want too much. He brings up articles about how the welfare system has made us enablers and he blames it for this situation. He claims he got an e-mail (probably a GOP talking points memo) from a volunteer in Houston who quit because he was called honky and cracker. It's never blatent, but the guy clearly has a problem with blacks. I think he's trying to needle me because he knows I'm a Democrat (of course he's an ex-military Repug). I don't engage him, aside from some snide comments like "Oh, well Bush is such a genius, I'm sure he'll figure it all out". I don't like to talk politics, although I'm sure I could shred him, but then I have to be stuck alone with him while he stews.

What would you do?

[philosophie_en_rose]

1. I'd tell him to shut up.

Not in those words, but he should know better than to discuss politics at work. I'd probably say that I disagree with his politics and that I'm not going to discuss it with him.

If he continues, I'd bring it up to management.

[AX10]

2. it's racism.

[friesianrider]

3. I'd tell him to STFU with his closeted racism...

Or that I'd be high-tailing it to the supervisor.

Come to think of it, I would speak to the supervisor anyway.

Fucking racist. My God...these people and their obsession with welfare don't bat an eyelash at the BILLIONS we're spending in Iraq for no reason or the tens of millions Halliburton has ripped us off for.

[raccoon]

19. Right on! (Your last paragraph)

And, OP, document all this and keep it safely at home. In case you need it later on.

[NYCGirl]

4. Sounds like you're handling it the right way. Just change the subject.

You'll have to continue to work with him, so just keep it as light as possible.

[Az]

5. Standard repug paranoia and fear

Repugs seem to be absolutely terrified that someone somewhere may be getting something for free that they are not getting.

[raccoon]

20. Amen to that.

But if THEY are getting something free...of course, that's horseshit of another color.

[Iris]

6. Does he even realize why FEMA exists?

The victims of Hurricane Katrina are getting no more than people in other parts of the country would have received had their state suffered a flood, hurricane, or othe natural disaster - that is BEFORE Bush put FEMA under Homeland Security.

You might mention to this guy that FEMA was in FL with 24 hours of the hurricanes that rocked that state - they year BEFORE the last presidential election.


Or, if you feel like his comments are racist, you could tell him you are uncomfortable discussing this at work and if he presses you could tell him how his comments sound to you and try to leave it at that.

[Iris]

7. dupe - self-deleted

[stopbush]

8. You owe it to yourself to point out his racism, subtle as he

or you may think it is. It's time for good people to quit saying nothing...

[radwriter0555]

43. "I'm not sure that work is the place to vent racist views... can you

save it for your friends down at the bar? Thanks, and pass me a paperclip, would ya there, Bob?"

That lets him know he's making racist statements, that work is NOT the place for it, and that work will continue on with everyone acting polite and grown-up.

[benito]

9. I wear my wristbands

www.standupspeakup.com

I have no time for racists.

[AspenRose]

33. Ah, in EUROPE

Good luck getting a program like that here in the States....with past comments like what Jimmy the Greek made or Rush Limbaugh's spouting off about Donovan McNabb and all. (Granted they were both fired, but still....)

PS-out of curiosity what's with the avatar....

[mcscajun]

10. He's only "subtle" as compared to a brick.

But he does have a roundabout way of getting his points across.

"everytime I work with him" -- is this a rotating assignment, shift work or something? Can you get your work assignment changed?

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

14. Sadly, I pretty much have to work with him on this shift

Although, I do have some control of the schedule and could probably work alone a couple nights a week. I'm strongly considering it. He's actually pretty annoying in general as far as EVERYTHING he talks about, but the politics has only crept in recently and compounded the issue.

[CottonBear]

11. Check Snopes. I believe that memo is a fake. n/t

[Lars39]

12. Social welfare is a drop in the bucket compared to corporate welfare.

Hit him over the head with the stats repeatedly. Rolled, folded or spoken, your choice. :evilgrin:

[spuddonna]

13. He wants an argument... he's agitating for a fight...

Just ignore him if you have to work with him. He sounds like the type that isn't interested in a 'discussion'; he's interested in a lecture, and wants to verbally beat on someone to feel superior, and probably to assure himself that he's right in his views. It's usually a bad idea to talk politics with co-workers/boss.

BTW - I think I read that email from the 'volunteer' - Snopes has it categorized as 'undetermined', but goes into great detail that it looks like a fraud...

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

17. Thanks to you guys for the heads up on the e-mail

I'll check it out. He'll probably just say "Well, I bet it IS going on", or better yet, he'll do his "Aw shucks" routine and STFU.

[TNOE]

15. I've been thinking about

asking our HR Department for "diversity" training - based on the racist e-mails I got after KAtrina - perhaps you could suggest same. I'm just afraid HR will ask "who" sent it to me, and I don't want to go there.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

21. Eh, does anyone really think that "training" stuff works?

Seems to me it just gives racists another reason to be racist and complain and whine.

Really, I don't think you can train a racist to not be racist.

[TNOE]

23. Yea, you are probably right

which is why I've neglected to take any action in that direction.

[Sparkle]

16. That email your co-worker is talking about is

a racist urban legend. It is listed on snopes as a lie. People that believe that tripe are closet racists.

[Redstone]

24. Is that the one somebody posted here last week or the week before?

The one where this "kind-hearted, open-minded" guy (my words, not the "memo's") went to work as a volunteer and was shocked..SHOCKED! at the rudeness and ingratitude of the evacuees?

If it is, we spotted it as bullshit the second it got posted here. Anyone with half a brain would know it's nonsense, but we're not dealing with people who have ANY brains (such as the OP's co-worker), aren't we?

Redstone

[tamtam]

44. I posted it

And if I remember right you called me a racist freeper which is interesting because I've been a black, liberal, woman all of my life and the first time I voted was for John Kerry, oh well.


To the OP, I sent that particular e-mail to snopes.com and they sent me an e-mail with the link to the article they wrote on the story. I also checked out urban legend.com and they have an excellent article on this e-mail. Urbanlegend.com is the best site to check out on this lie because the author calls the guy out as a racist while snopes.com doesn't mention the fact the guy used the N word in his little blog.

I also did a little research on the guy who claims he was there and was called a cracker. On his blog he talks about the evacuees being stupid and lazy for not leaving NO before the Hurricane hit. I find it funny that this person volunteered to help people he has absolutely no respect for. The guy with the blog also refuses go give people his name so they can check the roster and prove he was there. It is all a lie, if you type "So I volunteered" into google you will find all the information you need to put this lie to rest. Also, this guy is calling people lazy when it seems he cannot pay his rent. His profile in myspace talks about how he is setting up the next "rent" party to pay the rent. He said his family came here from Syria and is making it but poor black people cannot. I wonder why he doesn't hit up his parents for the rent money he so obviously cannot afford. Anyways, here are the links to all the information you need to shut this guy up about this crap. It is all a lie

Urban legend
http://urbanlegends.about.com/b/a/203083.htm

Snopes.com
http://www.snopes.com/katrina/personal/volunteer.asp


Also, I'm tired of people saying "only racist people would believe this" as if only white racist would believe this. I frequent three African American Women hair sites daily which is where I first saw this lie. I can tell you out of about 20 replies over half of the woman believe this man. Some of them even went so far as to defend this man saying the people can dish it out (they called him a cracker) but they cannot take it ( him calling them niggers). I'm so sorry that some of you just don't want to believe this but it is true. If you go to this guys blog you will see at least two black people agreeing with him and supporting him as well as Asians, and Hispanics. There are people out there that believe and support this guy some of them are African American, some of them Asian, Hispanic etc. It doesn't surprise me that quite a few minorities are filled with hate for their own race. I'm just surprised at those of you that don't know that yet.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

45. Thanks for the link

Amazing that the guy at work said nothing about all the racist spew the e-mail writer was tossing around himself.

If the subject comes up again, this is what I'll hit him with.

[Redstone]

46. You're talking to the wrong guy. I've never called anyone

"a racist freeper," so it couldn't have been me who called you that.

Redstone

[democracyindanger]

18. Somebody came up with a counterargument

It's from a blog, I forgot which one--mebbe Pandagon?

Anyway, the next time he complains about "handouts," make him this offer: You'll give him $2000, cash, on one condition. He has to move out of his house for a month with just the clothes on his back, and during that time period you can do anything you want to it. Set the kitchen on fire. Chop up all his furniture with a hatchet. Tear the front door off its hinges. Use a bulldozer to knock the whole thing over.

[elehhhhna]

28. can I add to your post? "Then hand him a red cross debit card worth

336 dollars & tell him Fema lied about the 2K."

[democracyindanger]

30. Brilliant.

And then say, "Oh, and the check's in the mail. It should arrive at your flattened house in two weeks."

[troubleinwinter]

22. "I'm sure I could shred him"

Then why not do so, rather than posting his racist ideas here?

You are grown up, yes? You can tell him to keep his repellent ideas to himself, since you "don't like to talk politics".

"What would you do?" I would tell him he is a racist fool and that I don't want to hear any more of his crap. That he may speak to me about subjects related to WORK, period.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

27. I guess I just wanted to see what other people think

And, yes, I am a grown up, but part of the problem is he's quite a bit older than me, and I don't want him pulling the "respect for your elders" card. Although that would be ironic.

[troubleinwinter]

34. I don't follow.

I don't want him pulling the "respect for your elders" card

You have to be joking. You will let racist comments pass, fearing THIS?

Disrespect of others: He is 'superior' because of AGE and others are 'inferior' because of RACE?

I don't follow the thinking in your post at all.

Either tell him to STFU and keep his mind on his work or shred his arguments for the bullshit racist crap they are.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

36. I think my point is I don't want to be subjected to his bullshit

...no matter what it is. I don't FEAR him pulling it, it's just the sort of bullshit I try to avoid totally at work.

I'm just worried because if he keeps it up, there will be a point when I go off on him, probably pretty bad. And then I will be the one who gets the shit.

[troubleinwinter]

35. Perhaps this can guide you:

"All that is needed for the forces of evil to succeed
is for enough good men to remain silent."

[La Lioness Priyanka]

25. i would say

like a good christian you believe that poverty is a very sad thing and Jesus would not like us to ignore the poor

now i would said this though i am not christian ...

[mattclearing]

26. Last night a friend noted in debate that the majority of welfare recipient

s are rural whites. That usually gets a few seconds of pause.

[pitohui]

29. ask his supervisor to speak to him

there should be no political or racial comments at work, for reasons of a creating a hostile workplace & setting themselves up for a lawsuit, if for no other reason

[oasis]

31. Keep saying "Bush is such a genius, I'm sure he'll figure it all out".

Don't engage the committed Kool Aid drinkers in any debates. Stay the course. Just talk down to them as if they were idiots.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

32. Say you don't agree with him

and ask him not to talk about it any more-or else.

[lady raven]

37. That email

Send him to snopes. That email is a hoax, written by someone who is obviously very hateful, DID NOT volunteer, and who wants to cause problems for the evacuees. I'm sure I can figure out why too.

For the record, I was in Houston at the same time this "volunteer" supposedly was. What he wrote is absolutely BULL****.

[lady raven]

38. Sorry, CottonBear

I didn't see your post until after I posted mine. Sorry about that.

[baby_mouse]

39. Okay

You might want to help this situation out thusly:

"Basically you either believe that people should help each other or you don't. Cleary you don't. That being the case, I don't think there's any reason to discuss this with you, because I do. It's a fundamental difference that won't change."

"You don't expect to change my views, you just want to spout yours at me. I'm not interested in your views. They're just meaningless gibberish as far as I'm concerned. I don't mean to be rude, really, it's just that nothing you say makes any logical sense to me. There's no point discussing things with someone who doesn't get the basic framework."

"All you're interested in is repeating your views, you don't really even care very much what they are so long as you get to repeat them. It's a bit like showing off a stamp collection. I'm sorry, but it's not really why I'm here, I'm here to work and you're distracting me."

"Also, you don't really know anything about Katrina or anything about it's survivors, you weren't there."

"Yes, that's fine, you can count yourself as having won the argument if you want, it doesn't matter to me, I don't count you as someone who's opinion I have to change. You've already decided what to believe, facts won't change it, winning an argument with you is impossible because people like you don't listen. So it's no big embarassment to me if you don't end up believing what I believe. You don't care at all what I believe so why should I care what you think about me? Do you see?"

All a bit chunky, but perhaps compressible.

[Guaranteed]

40. This is classic Republican racism.

It's the "poor me" victimization and subsequent vilification of blacks- the hallmark of your classic racist.

[Terran]

41. Make him show his racism overtly

Don't enable his "subtlety". Say to him, "Look, I know you're a racist and I'm sick of it." Then let him try to deny it.

[CBGLuthier]

42. Lean in real close to him

and whisper in his ear that if he ever says one more fucking thing like that to you again you will end him.

Be sure to smile as you say it.

See the problem is, these RW assholes think liberals are all wimps. That they are the only tough guys.

That image must be shattered. We want peace. We want order. But WE will not take their bullshit anymore.