Settle an Argument. Racist or no?

Hmm...I don't really want to use the word "racist" - especially since what is described is exactly how the "rapper lifestyle" is portrayed in the media for all of us to see everyday. It's what people like Bill Cosby have been rallying against for years.

So, I would say that it's more a stereotype than "racism" but I can understand why someone would use that word and would not get into an arguement about someone else's use of it in the case.

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Personally, I bring up that my mother's family grew up with food stamps and that the implications that everybody in the welfare systems fits one description, and usually skewers toward African-Americans (my mother's family are white Irish-German Catholics from Long Island), is pretty racist and assuming.

I had no idea the 'big SUV' with rims and a big stereo became the new Cadillac for people who game the system. In terms of laws, I am sure state by state what is listed is actually prohibited, or at least has been heavily scrutinized, in some states.

Generally, I bring up JK Rowling who was once the much derided 'welfare mother' to really break the stereotype in people's minds.

I definitely think it's racist.

It's singling out a specific group (race doesn't need to be mentioned it's clearly and undeniably referring to African Americans) and accusing them of taking advantage of public assistance.

Then there are the implications which, while not spelled out, are based on several negative stereotypes.

I see this sort of thing all the time. Catchy phrases that make their points based on generalizations and assumptions which have been ingrained as institutionalized racism/homophobia/etc.

They're as stupid as the people who quote them.

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Generally, if you have to ask if something is racist, it's probably racist.

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It's not so much racist as ignorant, containing numerous misconceptions and stereotypes. For example- Florida recently began a rather expensive program to drug test all public assistance recipients- and the results showed that the percentage of drug users were far below the rate of the general public. One columnist speculated that if you tested Florida's assembly, he'd bet there would be more drug users there.

As for the rest- it's obviously trying to paint a picture of a "welfare recipient" that just doesn't exist. First, most food stamp users are kids. Children. Babies. And a huge number of those kids are getting food stamps because their daddy isn't supporting them.

I wok at a non-profit. We see moms at our food pantry all the time who are driving big SUVs that probably cost $50,000. Why? Because dad makes $100,000 a year. They bought a big expensive car a year ago and now dad is out of the picture. So Mom is stuck with two kids and no money coming in. She owes more than that SUV is worth so she can't sell it- and it's community property if she did. So she drives it until the finance company repossesses it. We've had moms living on Mac n cheese in million dollar homes while dad fights tooth and nail to keep from giving her a penny in child support.

If I wanted to put up a sign like that I'd make it about you driving your Porsche while your kids are on food stamps, dad. It'd be a LOT more accurate.

I've seen skin colors of all kinds who would fit the description in the OP.

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Diva is right. After living in L.A. for 23 years, I saw all racial types fit the full list. And actually, more often than not, they weren't black.

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I tend to question my own racism when I read that list and immediately thought African American. When I stop to think about it, I have seem many whites and Latinos who would also fit that discription.

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TheatreDiva90016, I agree. The text is not racist.

In response to p.s., I've seen lots of Asians loaded with gold chains and jewelry, with gold teeth, SUVs, etc.

JoeKv99, I think you hit the nail on the head, for the person is trying to use outward signs to determine what they see as wealth or sloth, when they don't have the full picture that you would get in your office.

What I think the person is trying to voice is their anger that there are people who are obviously dishonest and who game and abuse the system of "entitlements" or benefits and get away with it, and there are plenty of those.

Look at the Slovaks who have had ad campaigns that they are angry about the proposal to bail out Greece, with metaphorical portrayals contrasting one of their skinny farmers in the field versus a fat smiling Greek (probably with gold chains) lazing on the beach. Greece presented false financial claims and documentation in securing euro status and the loans they got so, they were not entitled to receive the money that they blew and now they are conning for more loans (which they will not repay), so you can add the country of Greece to a new list?

Good for little Slovakia in standing up to and rejecting the corruption of Greece. How shameful that the European Commission is reprimanding Slovakia for not kowtowing to their Greek bailout insanity instead of reprimanding Greece for creating the problem by their dishonesty and letting Greece get kicked out of the euro. It's just another bank bailout scheme for the banks that invested in Greek bonds, and it would be far better to capitalize new banks and let the ones who didn't do their due diligence take the hit or fail than shift the burden to the public. Will any of the Greeks who lied on the financial documentation be punished for these crimes? Don't hold your breath on that one. (And for similar reasons, Wall Street is being occupied right now.)


Slovakia Rejects Its Share of Greek Bailout

Oh, for crap's sake.

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Yes, Joe, the Reagan era was disastrous for so many who were truly entitled to benefits and I agree with you. They threw hospitalized people, who required that level of structure to cope, out on the street and all the work that had been done to get the assistance had to be done for each all over again.

"During Ronald Reagan's career he would trot out all kinds of stories (lies) about the Welfare Queen who picked up her welfare check in a Cadillac. She didn't exist."

Which is why I find the decked out, oversized SVU with fancy rims and a stereo system meme to be just as believable.

Governor Rick Scott signed a law to take away welfare from people who fail drug tests. It seems to be the next step in dehumanizing people in the system. They're all druggies, even though a lot of them who tested had no drugs in their system (and some drugs do not just go in and out of your system in a few days) and only 2% yielded a positive test. It is pretty ironic a guy who committed major fraud for a major company gets to play politics with his own citizens.

Updated On: 10/10/11 at 04:59 PM