I just got racismed*

[underpants]

Riding up in the elevator just now a black woman, was looking at me with great disdain. She was mumbling something and then I hear "White people make me SICK!" and then she got off the elevator.

*That term comes from a guy in a pick up basketball game a few years ago who yelled out "You a racism!" to white guy who was playing. He was quickly corrected by some of his friends that people are RACIST not racism.....it is still a catch phrase amongst me and my buddies.

[AspenRose]

1. Her problem, Underpants

Just keep reminding yourself that any ethnic group of people are NOT a monolith.

She's an individual first, and an ignorant one at that.

[wysimdnwyg]

2. Were you...

wearing your underpants on your head again?

[underpants]

4. No

Learned my lessons the first time.

[Qanisqineq]

47. oops, replied in wrong place

[Bertha Venation]

3. Racism: it's not just for breakfast anymore.

Damn.

[commander bunnypants]

5. bawhahahahahah

I know who you are talking about.. I have gotten it to

DDQM

[LiberalVoice]

6. You forgot to take the hood off again didn't you?

tsk-tsk

:P

[Magrittes Pipe]

7. ALL people make me sick!

:bounce:

[WillParkinson]

8. Well, dude, let me tell you....

If you farted on the elevator when I was on it I'd say the same damn thing!

[underpants]

12. No no no

I only do that as I am leaving and if no one is around, it's a nice surprise.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

9. are you sure she isnt just insane?

and you just heard the mumbling of an insane person?

as a qualifier: i dislike everybody

[pagerbear]

11. Even me?

[La Lioness Priyanka]

14. i like you pagerbear

but seriously its a tiny tiny percentage of people i like vs people i abhor

[underpants]

13. I don't know her diagnosis but.........

that's a pretty safe bet.

[commander bunnypants]

15. ?????????????????

:crazy:

[fujiyama]

20. Kinda like

I'm not racist. I hate everybody equally.

[cmf]

10. Maybe she's watching too much TV lately

All of those white people idolizing Reagan on TV. Makes me sick, too. ;)

Sounds like she probably has a few screws loose.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

16. According to many folks on DU, there are no black racists.

So either you were hallucinating, or she wasn't really black.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

17. who said that?

its the dumbest thing i have ever heard.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

18. Without Advanced Search I can't answer your question.

I'll post a URL when Advanced Search is back if this thread is still around.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

19. i did not mean that literally (i dont really need to know who said it)

its just a stupid thing to say...everyone can be racist...some people's racism just has more power than others

[notadmblnd]

38. I think everyone is racist... I think it can't be helped.

But we can recognize it when it comes out in us and try to eliminate it from our lives.

[LynzM]

34. I know one of the ones you're talking about...

I'll help you find it, later :)

Seriously, that amazes me. Isn't claiming that 'no black people can be racist' in and of itself, racist? And if that statement is made by a black person, isn't it self-negating?

[tom_paine]

28. Many have said that, lioness. I have personally had it said to me

And I agree with your assessment.

Total bullshit and a dodge.

ANYONE can be racist.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

35. Here's what I think that attitude stems from.

A white person can't really understand what it is like to be black in America, and how deep, pervasive and institutionalized the racism is. (which is something I believe)

becomes

A white person can't understand what it is like to be a victim of racism

becomes

A white person can't be a victim of racism

becomes

A black person can't be racist towards a white person


It's false reasoning, but I could see how someone could go down this garden path.

[NorthernSpy]

50. I don't think you're portraying the claim accurately...

The way I've heard it argued, racism is strictly defined as a complex of rules, laws, taboos, attitudes, etc imposed by the hegemonic groups on others.

So, following that reasoning, blacks in America -- lacking hegemony -- can't "practice racism", but I suppose that they'd still be as capable of group prejudice, or xenophobia, or similar bigotry as any group of people are.

At least, that's the argument I've heard.


Mary

[Feanorcurufinwe]

53. Well if you want to redefine racism, then fine.

You can make any point you want by giving your own special meaning to the words you are using.


What you have described is what is known in common parlance as 'institutionalized racism'.


It is quite true that a white in America is the beneficiary, not the victim, of institutionalized racism.

But you have not described the standard dictionary of the word 'racism':

Main Entry: rac·ism
Pronunciation: 'rA-"si-z&m also -"shi-
Function: noun
1 : a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race
2 : racial prejudice or discrimination
http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=racism

That is what I mean when I use the term racism.

[alarcojon]

44. Use of the word "racist"

In my humble opinion, there needs to be a distinction drawn between a white person using a racial epithet against a person of color and a person of color using a racial epithet against a white person. Both are, of course, equally deplorable as individual acts. However, a white-on-black insult carries the additional weight of history which a black-on-white insult does not.

Some have tried to make this distinction by using the term "bigotry" for individual acts and "racism" for acts which carry institutional weight. Under such a definition, it would be difficult for a person of color to be a "racist", although such a person could be a big-time "bigot". This particular distinction is pretty much useless, since few people have heard of it. The term "institutional racism" is another attempt to make clear the distinction I have mentioned.

Theoretical discussion aside, Underpants, I'm sorry this happened to you and it is too bad there are ignorant people of all races.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

54. The sins of the fathers? n/t

[Terran]

21. Just an observation here

My partner of 17 years is African-American. He is not in the slightest bit racist. He is a very astute observor of behavior, and highly conscious of when racism is being directed at him or others within his perceptions. Over the years, I have many times heard him say, out of sheer frustration, "White people are evil". And I understand, at this point, why. He said it just the other night, after we watched a PBS documentary about the history of US housing discrimiantion toward Blacks. I think he was okay until it was revealed that the FHA, our own federal government, actually denied mortage assistance based purely on race, for decades. It put him over that edge where he had to say something or bottle it up inside.

Really, this woman you encountered, it sounds the same to me. I think there's a good chance that she had had it up the *here* with white people being assholes to her, in one form or another, and she just decided to let it out. I don't think her saying that makes her a racist. I suspect it was a reaction to something else.

I know this is hard for most whites to understand or accept. But I have been watching this unfold right in front of my eyes for a long long time. Like I said, I understand why she might say such a thing. If you were subjected to that kind of behavior from people of color 24/7, you might feel as she evidently did.

Dirk

[underpants]

22. Well actually she IS nuts

clinically I mean.

I understand what you mean, I guess.

My own direct experience with racism (towards me as a white person) was in the US Army. As you may know there is a very high percentage of higher ranking NCO's in the Army, it really is a place where many of the parameters of a racist society are removed. As a white guy in the Army (my unit anyway) I actually felt like what many blacks in America feel daily. It was not only strange but extremely aggrivating and frustrating.

[Terran]

23. How do you know?

That she's clinically nuts, that is. I figured she was a stranger, the way you described the scene.

You military story is interesting, if disheartening. I guess I thought people got along better in the army than in real life. But if you felt aggravated and frustrated, then you know what daily life is like for many African-Americans.

[underpants]

26. Without being to specific

It's the industry that I work in. I shouldn't say "nuts" but I don't know what her actually diagnosis is....I'm just a paperpusher.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

27. Situational

Your partner making a comment in private is one thing. This is entirely another and COMPLETELY unacceptable behavior. Unless something really awful had literally just happened to her, there are no acceptable excuses for this sort of thing. The person she yelled at did nothing. You want to hate the specific people that perpetrate the crime? Sure, be my guest. But I sincerely doubt Underpants did anything to warrant such treatment.

[Terran]

43. Well, the point is

that most Black people, indeed all people of color, keep their frustrations under wraps and in private most of the time. But it's bound to slip out in public sometime. Large numbers of white people have no problem with making their prejudices known in public, although that's obviously less true than it used to be. I didn't say it was acceptable; I just said it was understandable.

Dirk

[notadmblnd]

39. My husband was just the opposite.

It was black people he was racists against. It was mostly in the business world. He would not hire a black contractor to work on our home or socialize with black people outside of his family. His aunt Clara was the same way. She was an old woman and I remember one day she gave my husband this piece of advice "Don't hire no spooks to do no work for you." I was surprised at her attitude and his. I suspect there are many more black people out there who feel the same way.

[ScreamingMeemie]

24. There's a mom in my son's kindergarten class who is very much

like this. Luckily we live in a fairly diverse area, and I don't run into this problem often, but it does sting.

[HEyHEY]

25. Maybe she was just explaining why she was getting off the elevator

Maybe she was getting an upset tummy because of your whiteness

[DrWeird]

29. just to be a devil's advocate...

Why, when overhearing a rude comment from an African-American woman, do you bring up an illiterate black basketball player?

[underpants]

30. Well that only took 29 posts

Becasue it was funny and still is AND because his buddies (black too) corrected him immediately and laughed at him.

[LiberalVoice]

49. This is gonna sting...

But, he never actually said the guy was black. Just that he called a white guy a "racism".

:P

[notadmblnd]

31. Me and my husband who was black never in our 18yrs together

experienced the racism from white people that we did from his family. I remember we once drove with his cousin (Katymae) and aunt from SF to LA, When Katymae's husband suggested that I drive. Katymae spoke up and said, "if she's gonna drive, I'll take a plane"!

When we arived at the hotel, I decided to show here what racism really was, I allowed her to walk to the front desk first and as soon as she got the attendants attention, I walked up behind her, whipped out my credit card and handed it to the man.

Needless to say, I was checked in and had my bags in our room before the word "discrimination" could come out of her mouth. The witch didn't say a word to me the rest of the week.

[underpants]

33. Hmm the first week I was home from the Army

I was at a Department store buying shirts and ties-I was in shorts and an old t-shirt. In the line in front of me were several middle aged white women, directly in front of me in the line was a very well dressed black male (slightly younger than me at the time). The salesperson asked everyone in the line "Cash, check,or charge?" until the black male got to the register......she said "That will be cash?" I didn't mean to but I let out a small "Damn" and he turned around and smiled a sort of "It was that obvious huh?" look on his face. After he paid with a credit card (you should have seen the look on the salespersons face) I stepped up..."Cash, Check, or Charge?" she said.

[notadmblnd]

37. We had a couple of those instances too...

I remember being in ToysRUs one day and the white woman in front of him paid for her purchase with her credit card. I noticed the cashier did not ask her for ID. When he got to the register and pulled out his credit card, she asked for his drivers license. Me being the bigmouth in the family, I went ballistic fussing at the cashier and demanding to see the manager.

But he was from the south and had grown up before the civil rights movement and he just apologized for the woman saying he was glad she asked him for his ID. I was ready to argue, I was ready to win that fight but he just took my arm and led me out of the store as I complained about their policy loudly.

[gpandas]

45. he's still slightly younger than you n/t

[Lestat]

32. I had the same thing happen to me last year...

while I was eating in our campus cafe. It creeped me out, that's for sure! And I didn't do a damn thing!

[AspenRose]

36. It's ok sweetie

You're pretty fly....for a white guy. :P

(I heard it on the radio today and I COULDN'T resist!)

Seriously; ignorance comes in all colors. Hope it didn't ruin your day.

;-)

[GoddessOfGuinness]

40. While I don't condone racism,

there's a part of me that's grateful to see it openly displayed by non-whites.

Because it's an ugly human characteristic which now notably crosses racial boundaries; racism can serve to bring us closer together as we attempt to eradicate it.

Can you imagine if this woman had said "White people make me sick" 50 years ago?

That said, I'm sorry you were victimized by this cretin, Underpants.
:hug::beer::hug:

[NightTrain]

41. "White people make me sick?"

My late father, who was prejudiced as hell, used to say, "They hate us as much as we hate them." Sad to say, he may have had a point. :(

[rucky]

42. Maybe if you took off the white hood & cloak... n/t

[Servo300]

46. Ignorant, bigoted people

come in all colors, unfortunately.


- Jim in Texas

[Qanisqineq]

48. I had a strange experience like that once

I was riding on the subway, reading a magazine, on my way home from work. At one stop, a little girl of about 10 walked by with her mom. The little girl turned around, flipped me off, and said "white bitch". I was flabbergasted.

[ikojo]

51. A few years ago I worked for a now closed insurance company....

98% of the claims processors were black as were most of the customer service reps. Well, because they were going to close the company they allowed us to dress casually. Naturally some people took it too far and started wearing "club clothes" to work. Now this workplace was located in a building that also included many lawyers offices (our insurance company used only two of the 15 floors). Since some people were bending the casual dress a bit the HR director (a white woman) sent out an e mail TO EVERYONE INCLUDING MANAGEMENT detailing the type of dress that was not allowed.

Well, this one woman (S) who was not shy about letting us know how religious and righteous she was went into a tizzy (even though SHE always dressed very modestly) and wrote an e mail to a friend of hers. Obviously the recipient, like the sender, was black, because the person writing the e mail could be overheard uttering "white woman!" as she was typing. Another woman (a white woman) said to S, "does this white woman! have a name?" S responded, "oh you can hear me?" She was then asked again, "Does this white woman! have a name?" to which S responded, "yes." The other woman then asked why was she not using the person's name and said that had she (the white woman) uttered "black woman!" under her breath then S would have had a fit. S got all huffy and never spoke to this woman again.

I ride public transit and have heard many, many anti white sentiments expressed on the bus. Sentiments that if expressed by a white person would get them hurt.

[Logansquare]

52. It just surprises us more because we don't experience it very much

I didn't get the "hate" look until I moved to Chicago. Black people have either experienced several times or have heard enough stories within their circle of friends and family that they are not shocked by open racism.
I think the cross-racial hatred is worse in segregated cities where people don't interact on a normal, neighborly basis. A friend of mine (white) was in San Francisco riding BART and overheard a black woman complaining loudly that she hated the Bay Area because she had to "see so many white people," and that she was from Chicago and could go an entire week without seeing one of those "crackers!"