Would calling Obama illiterate have been better?

Pfft. That guy's black. How does he know what offends black people?

I bet he's a liberal, too. That's two strikes.

Damn, Oz, the righties have all ready defined what should and shouldn't offend black people. And they would know. They've got lots of black friends.

 

Yeah, has the GOP gotten that approval rating among black citizens into double digits again yet?

 

Reading this thread really pisses me off.

I don't know if I should be pissed off at myself or at the board. Probably the board.

Seriously. Calling someone articulate is a subtle insult? Really? I mean, really?

The more and more we seek things to be offended or insulted by, the further and further race relations slip. Honestly. Reading things like this just piss me off and make me not want to interact with anyone of a different race for the fear of saying anything wrong and summarily lambasted for my comments. Which would happen regardless of my intentions, because wackos like JR, et al, are always looking for something to offend.

If we harmony. If we want unity. If we want positive race relations. We are going to have to stop this silliness. We are going to have to look at ourselves and stop being so pissy about things.

I'm not going to get into the politics of this issue. I'm just going to say. Stop stretching. Stop looking. Quit being so negative. Find something positive to work with and go from there. Be constructive. Damn it all, stop it. STOP IT. STOP IT!

 

And how do we then destroy the subtle parts of our sorry racial heritage? The linguistic trickery? Black people don't "look" for these things. They experience them every day in a thousand ways -- and, no, the fact that you didn't get that job in Stillwater doesn't make you equal -- and become attuned to them. They distrust compliments as well as insults because history has made the American language that way.

 

Let me get this straight.

I'm a wacko because I post an article that I thought was worth discussing because it had some merit? And then you come on here all pissed off--probably as a result of your tiff at the basketball game last night.

If you read the article you'll note it was African Americans who were taking umbrage at the way the so-called compliment is used. It's condescending and as someone said in the article, the unspoken phrase after "articulate"is "for a black man". Or maybe they're just wacko.

Or maybe Chris Rock is wacko.

Like I said, this "articulate" is the new code word for "he's a credit to his race".

It's condescending and yes, it smacks of racism. What part of it don't you get?

 

JR --
To be fair, he's a reasonable person. Seems to be anyway. He's just seeing the world the way he wants to, rather than the way it is.

 

I don't get the idea that everything has to have a negative meaning. Some sort of hidden message. I'm trying to understand, but I truly don't. It's seems backwards to me to look and nitpick every little thing under the sun. It's like 1984 and before too long we'll have to talk in newspeak as to not offend anyone.

And F_B, I think we all see the world we want, not as it is. That's part of the problem. I'm not the only one on here that's guilty of that issue. I think it could be argued successfully that you are guilty of that sometimes. And I guess that's my beef with people like you, that think the way they view the world is the only correct way and everyone else is wrong. I'm trying to understand other points of view, but I get so pissed off when things like this become an issue.

I believe that the commercial wasn't gay bashing at all. Some people do. We differ in opinion, but why is mine wrong and the others' right? Because you say that's the way it is? Is that really fair? Is that the equality that we're seeking?

Thanks for seeing me as a reasonable person. I try hard. I teach in a school that's 95% black, if for anything, to try to understand race relations better. But when I have parents telling their children that Whitey isn't to be respected or trusted (and this isn't conjecture, i've had students tell me their parents have indeed told them this) then how are things to get better. I have to tell myself that I have to trust a black man, but the black man doesn't have to have trust me? Is that the right thing for our country?

 

You don't "have to trust" anybody. But, please, recognize that there are sound historical and cultural bases for what these children's parents are telling them. And that these bases are no less sound today, just less overt. And that the experience of white Americans and black Americans are in no way either equal or equitable. And that the primary dynamic in American politics and culture since 1964 has been in rolling back the gains made between 1954-1965. Now, I don't think that pushback has been completely successful, thank god, but the fact that it succeeded at all is a good reason for the people who felt its most direct adverse effects to stay vigilant against it.

 

Gotta disagree with JR and others on here. When I say that someone's articulate, I'm saying it because, well, they're articulate. Not articulate for a black man or articulate for an athlete or whatever. Articulate. I mean it as a compliment.

If, for whatever your reason may be, you take offense to the term, then we can make it real simple and not compliment you at all.

This is too much sensitivity and way too much to expect of someone else.

How can a black person tell a white person this is what they meant when they called them articulate, then tell someone else they don't understand how the term ghetto can be bad because they're not black.

Don't think for me and I won't think for you.

And JR, just because you declared an answer to be to your liking doesn't mean it's the winner.

 

OK, so if a black man is well-spoken compared to the entire population, regardless of ethnicity, what compliment do I give him? Because Barack Obama definitely qualifies.

 

I do understand the historical problems. I'm not only intelligent, but educated as well. Are we still that backwards of a country? Honestly, are we. I try not to consider race on my decisions, but it keeps being brought to the forefront.

Isn't every race responsible for rectifying the problems? Is it OK for the parents to tell their children that? Doesn't that undermind the civil rights movement? Of course, they're not racists, are they? But if I told my children, "If a black man tells you to sit down and be quiet in class, you don't have to listen. Down with blackie!" I would be racist (which isn't true, I would be a bigot) and would be chastised for it.

That's my issue. It's supposed to be equal rights, and it's not. It isn't from either side.

 

Right. So the people--black people--who were quoted in the NYT article are full of shit? Is that what you're saying?

They're just making it all up and are being hypersensitive?

And Chris Rock, who I'd consider a fairly reasonable spokesperson for black people, is making this up as well?

No one cares what you mean or what your intentions might have been. We're talking about the perception on the other side of the fence.