posted
All the black people I've ever met have been nice. It seems reasonable to judge that the rest will be a pretty good sort.
The white people I've come into contact with, on the other hand, have proven a very variable bunch. If I'm standing in a pub full of white people, I can't help but feel that things might turn nasty at any moment. You try and tell me you don't feel like that too.
A lot of people feel this way - it's just no-one admits to it.
eta: MAYBE because of this 'political correctness' you keep mentioning.
quote:Originally posted by ben: All the black people I've ever met have been nice. It seems reasonable to judge that the rest will be a pretty good sort.
Is this a joke? I mean, I've only met three white South Africans and they were all arrogant, racist and humourless twits, but I wouldn't assume all are like that.
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quote:Originally posted by H1ppychick: That's a fairly crappy and ill-timed joke to make when we're talking about respect, stereotype and cultural sensitivity.
Really? - I thought we were having a quick round of the 'I can get away with saying the word Nigger as long as I say it in a post-modern touchy-feely, I really care about the state of our impoverished, ghetoized, Afro-Carribean brothers' game... as we tend to every six months or so.
I would have made the same comment if someone had asked 'What is a respectful name for a Dutchman... What I was implying (or is it infering?) is that there is no real point that there should be different respectful words for persons whom by some strange quirk of fate ended up being born in a different country... Or with a different skin colour... Or with a different moral code... Or to a family in some perceived different social 'Class'...
I understand the knee-jerk reaction... And I admit that I thought twice about hitting 'Add Reply' - But I thought my case, though probably requiring more explanation, was strong enough.
Sorry if me not giving a rats ass about some contrived, shallow 'them and us.. Side by side on my piano keyboard... Aren't we all so cocking liberal' diatribe upsets...
Makes my blood boil to be honest...
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quote:Originally posted by ben: All the black people I've ever met have been nice. It seems reasonable to judge that the rest will be a pretty good sort.
The white people I've come into contact with, on the other hand, have proven a very variable bunch. If I'm standing in a pub full of white people, I can't help but feel that things might turn nasty at any moment. You try and tell me you don't feel like that too.
A lot of people feel this way - it's just no-one admits to it.
eta: MAYBE because of this 'political correctness' you keep mentioning.
I won't just try, I will:
I've been in pubs that are full of an only-white crowd on many occasions and not felt there is a fight brewing. I think whether a fight occurs in a bar has far more to do with the social group who tend to frequent it, and that racial origin transcends social class.
And, tell, me, in what way have I been more politically correct than anybody else here?
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quote:Originally posted by ben: All the black people I've ever met have been nice. It seems reasonable to judge that the rest will be a pretty good sort.
Is this a joke? I mean, I've only met three white South Africans and they were all arrogant, racist and humourless twits, but I wouldn't assume all are like that.
I know. Ben was being so The Guardian then.
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quote:Originally posted by LowLevel: I would have made the same comment if someone had asked 'What is a respectful name for a Dutchman... What I was implying (or is it infering?) is that there is no real point that there should be different respectful words for persons whom by some strange quirk of fate ended up being born in a different country... Or with a different skin colour... Or with a different moral code... Or to a family in some perceived different social 'Class'...
LowLevel makes a fair point -- better to ask ask "what's a respectable way of addressing a man. Talking to black people doesn't require different modes of address, as if they're some alien culture; so in a way, his joke is based on truth. "Sir" is the way of showing respect to a black man, as it is to a white man.
quote:Originally posted by My Name Is Joe: Is this a joke? I mean, I've only met three white South Africans and they were all arrogant, racist and humourless twits, but I wouldn't assume all are like that.
You only needed to watch the Brits last night to see who's nicest out of the races. On the one hand you had obnoxious characters like Chris Evans, James Blunt and Joss Stone - on the other, warm-hearted entertainers like Kanye West (ie. Boy George's tribute to Kanye - and the moment when Kanye seized hold of George to hug him and demonstrate he's totally down with gay people) and Jemelia.
Call it prejudice if you like, but each of these are role models for their respective communities, I know which I'd rather hang out with.
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posted
I suspect you are trying to goad people into providing examples of black role models who are thoroughly unpleasant, such as the dictator Robert Mugabe or homophobic rapper 50 Cent.
I think you'll then use cunning wordplay to turn anyone who does so into an evil racist.
The point is that making value judgements about a whole race based on personal experience is a bit silly.
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quote:Originally posted by Roy: If he was serving in the Balkans, the odds are that he did fuck all except sit in his tank and watch people die.
Well, if his whiney-arse songs are anything to go by, this is what he'd do, but I suspect his poor-meness is more to do with a severe case of self pity than a desire to watch anybody suffer.
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posted
I was being political about the non-involvement of UN forces in the Balkans, but I actually prefer the idea of James Blunt being a sadistic bastard and sitting in his tank shouting "Shoot the fuckers! Dig a pit and chuck the bastards in!"
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quote:Originally posted by Roy: I was being political about the non-involvement of UN forces in the Balkans, but I actually prefer the idea of James Blunt being a sadistic bastard and sitting in his tank shouting "Shoot the fuckers! Dig a pit and chuck the bastards in!"
Beautiful corpse, Rot in a pit again. There is nothing else in the world, I'd rather look down and see (than you).
Beautiful corpse, You're just squirming 'round some more. Think you should die a lonely man, in the endless night.
But now I'm high! Running wild among all the bodies now. Sometimes it's hard to believe you are still alive.
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quote:Originally posted by Purple Monkey Dishwasher: Beautiful corpse, Rot in a pit again. There is nothing else in the world, I'd rather look down and see (than you).
Beautiful corpse, You're just squirming 'round some more. Think you should die a lonely man, in the endless night.
But now I'm high! Running wild among all the bodies now. Sometimes it's hard to believe you are still alive.
posted
I finally have a second to type a quick reply to this thread (as I know you are all of course interested in my American point of view, sigh).
There are many reasons we need terms to describe people by their race in today's society. Blacks in America self-identify as a group and would say they share a certain cultural experience, and are themselves certainly not above referring to people by racial classifications.
It is just another way to get information about the makeup of a persons culture, appearance and perhaps other things.
Not to mention the value of telling the police "I was mugged by a black man"* rather than "I was mugged by a man with dark skin," which could mean any number of different races and wouldn't convey as much information (i.e. most black men have a certain hair type and share certain feature characteristics).
*Not to say that only black men do the mugging.
All this said, there are of course exceptions to generalizations about every group: you might encounter a white person who grew up in a certain area and had more the cultural experiences of a black person (Eminem?) and you may encounter a black person who doesn't have kinky hair, but there are reasons generalizations come about, aren't there?
Ok, that's a bit off-topic and has been covered in other threads, but thought it was somewhat relevant (or the initial thought was, oh well).
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posted
Did you really delete that because you thought I might be offended? It doesn't offend me, should it? I only come across it here and amongst my mother's brit friends.
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But I deleted it also because I realised I'd recently asked exactly the same question about black people and thought that looking like I was going through a roster of various ethnic minorities going, `is it offensive to call this person such-and-such? looked a bit lame.
But as you saw it... are you offended to be called a Yank?
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