9 clueless things white people say when confronted with racism

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http://www.dailydot.com/opinion/clueless-things-white-people-say-racism/

Worth reading, but here's a little summary:

1) “You’re racist for making this an issue of race.”
2) “I don’t see race. I only see the human race.”
3) “Talking about issues in terms of ‘white people’ and ‘white privilege’ is reverse racism.”
4) “You [person of color] clearly don’t know what racism is. According to Webster’s Dictionary...”
5) “You [person of color] said something about white people doing racist things, so I demand you explain this to me right now.”
6) “But my [person of color] friend said it was OK if I did it [racially problematic thing].”
7) “Stop attacking me for having privileges just because I’m white. It’s racist and hurtful.”
8) “I’m sick of pretending that [people of color] need special rights and programs just because they aren’t white. We have problems too, you know.”
9) [Insert tear-filled expression of white privilege guilt or denial here.]

Ever been guilty of some of these? Hit the link to find out WHY each of these are problematic.
 
Never been guilty because I'm not white but this white girl I know went off at me and a friend after we were talking about white tourists in our respective countries. "We're ALL THE SAME RACE", "why are you so racist?", etc.

I really dislike her.
 
Doing the webster's dictionary thing in any conversation is stupid anyway, you're basically saying "I don't have anything interesting to say but by the time I define this commonly used word everyone will be so bored and tuned out I can say whatever I want." As soon as someone says "Webster's dictionary defines.." I know they have nothing to say.
 
i have commented on racial privilege in the US in a somewhat shameful way once, what with living in a largely homogeneous country where racial privilege is hardly as prominent as class privilege
 
White Bro-in-law said Zimmerman case isn't about racism because Zimmerman is Hispanic, I wanted to punch him so much in the face, but I'm too much of a pacifist.
 
Oh man I've encountered so many of these idiots.

Recently a friend of my good friend made one of the most idiotic comments ever. Apparently she thinks if we just stop talking about racism it will go away. So what she's going to do is rap about how people should stop talking about racism.

That's right, white girl is saying all of that.

SMH.
 
Regarding #7, it does get pretty annoying when anything I say can automatically be invalidated because I'm a white male. I don't find it to be racist of course, just stupid.
 
The comments section of that article are just insane.

I understand the intent of the article, but maybe they should have written the piece in a more delicate way with blanket statements, as opposed to White v Black. I mean, it sure riled up the wrong crowd on both ends...

And plus, I have heard 6 of those 10 before. They really are common as they are nonsensical.
 
The comments on the article's webpage are pretty predictable. Kind of knew, going in, what they would say.

What really surprises me is the amount of teens/college age kids that immediately shout "racism" or "reverse racism" to articles such as this. What are they being taught in school?
 
Featheredkitten said:
Doing the webster's dictionary thing in any conversation is stupid anyway, you're basically saying "I don't have anything interesting to say but by the time I define this commonly used word everyone will be so bored and tuned out I can say whatever I want." As soon as someone says "Webster's dictionary defines.." I know they have nothing to say.
Click to expand...

It's also dumb because you're using a old ass 2 sentence dictionary definition to define a concept.
 
Servbot24 said:
Regarding #7, it does get pretty annoying when anything I say can automatically be invalidated because I'm a white male. I don't find it to be racist of course, just stupid.
Click to expand...
This only applies if your opinion on something is ignorant tho
 
Well...

1) What is Iggy Azalea doing wrong, again?

2) Eh. I use the dictionary definition of racism but split it into casual and institutionalized. I don't think that I somehow can't be racist.

3) I feel the "educate yourself" thing, and you really shouldn't expect some random person to have all the answers, but it reminds me of religious people telling me that there's proof of God if I look for it. How about I *don't* waste insane amounts of my time on the claim you brought?

There are totally people out there willing to do that, though. But many people that aren't as well.
 
Infinite said:
It's also dumb because you're using a old ass 2 sentence dictionary definition to define a concept.
Click to expand...

Dictionaries aren't there to tell us how to use language, they're there to tell us how language is used.


It's amazing how many people don't get this., and use the dictionary as some sort of definite pinnacle of words and meanings and yes, as you said, concepts.


That's why literally now has two definitions and that's why using the dictionary to define racism is stupid.
 
Servbot24 said:
Regarding #7, it does get pretty annoying when anything I say can automatically be invalidated because I'm a white male. I don't find it to be racist of course, just stupid.
Click to expand...

But your opinion only gets invalidated if you're speaking on issues of race and women from an ignorant viewpoint.
 
oneils said:
The comments on the article's webpage are pretty predictable. Kind of knew, going in, what they would say.

What really surprises me is the amount of teens/college age kids that immediately shout "racism" or "reverse racism" to articles such as this. What are they being taught in school?
Click to expand...
That's the issue.

Racism as a concept is rarely taught in high school settings, even in IB and AP classes. The only thing that the education system touches on are the civil rights movements of the 1960s, they never fully delve into the origins of institutional racism and how it applies in contemporary society.
 
Wazzy said:
But your opinion only gets invalidated if you're speaking on issues of race and women from an ignorant viewpoint.
Click to expand...

That would be nice, but sometimes people don't reserve telling me to check my privilege only for those situations.

Regardless, I'd rather have my ignorant statement picked up apart with logic rather than hear "You're cis, go away."
 
I definitely hear number 1 a lot at work and in news commentaries and such, 2 and 6 as well. The others not so much. The main problem is that people don't realize they are being problematic in the first place and don't want to listen to any arguments that could prove them otherwise, because all sorts of psychological defense mechanisms related to cognitive dissonance and such kick in. It's just how the human brain is wired and I can't really muster up the effort anymore to try and engage with/combat that biology.
 
Lists like this are why it's not even worth discussing racism. Everything boils down to, "If you're white, just shut up and feel bad about it."
 
Servbot24 said:
Regarding #7, it does get pretty annoying when anything I say can automatically be invalidated because I'm a white male. I don't find it to be racist of course, just stupid.
Click to expand...

That isn't what someone means when they ask you to check your privilege, it means you are literally speaking from a point of privilege so it might serve you to step outside yourself a little and to think about what you're doing or saying.
 
Every one of you in here not discussing anything and just going "HERP DERP WHITE GUILT" are the biggest part of the problem.
 
Grinchy said:
Lists like this are why it's not even worth discussing racism. Everything boils down to, "If you're white, just shut up and feel bad about it."
Click to expand...

Flow of discussions on racism:

Whites reminded to check privilege -> whites get offended, mistaking "you're privileged" with "you're racist" -> other side responds to hostility with more hostility, begins to actually conflate privilege with being racist -> both sides abandon any pretense of adult conversation for "Yeah huh! Nuh uh!"
 
Grinchy said:
Lists like this are why it's not even worth discussing racism. Everything boils down to, "If you're white, just shut up and feel bad about it."
Click to expand...

No. It boils down to acknowledging that this shit is real and affecting minorities to the extent it must be tackled. A lot of white people stand up against racism and the social structure that's against minorities. Those who make excuses are the ones that need to shut up and feel bad about it.
 
Perspicacity said:
That isn't what someone means when they ask you to check your privilege, it means you are literally speaking from a point of privilege so it might serve you to step outside yourself a little and to think about what you're doing or saying.
Click to expand...

Check your privilege is something you should never say to anyone else. All it does is create a point of conflict. If you cant phrase it in another way, you shouldn't be saying it.
 
Vince McMahon said:
http://www.dailydot.com/opinion/clueless-things-white-people-say-racism/

Worth reading, but here's a little summary:

1) “You’re racist for making this an issue of race.”
2) “I don’t see race. I only see the human race.”
3) “Talking about issues in terms of ‘white people’ and ‘white privilege’ is reverse racism.”
4) “You [person of color] clearly don’t know what racism is. According to Webster’s Dictionary...”
5) “You [person of color] said something about white people doing racist things, so I demand you explain this to me right now.”
6) “But my [person of color] friend said it was OK if I did it [racially problematic thing].”
7) “Stop attacking me for having privileges just because I’m white. It’s racist and hurtful.”
8) “I’m sick of pretending that [people of color] need special rights and programs just because they aren’t white. We have problems too, you know.”
9) [Insert tear-filled expression of white privilege guilt or denial here.]

Ever been guilty of some of these? Hit the link to find out WHY each of these are problematic.
Click to expand...

This is like AM talk radio in a nutshell.
 
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