JBroadway said: "theatreguy12 said: "No, not racist at all.
But labeling everything as racist just because a POC is involved, when the situation at hand has nothing to do with race"
I'm confused - what does this have to do with liking The Kind and I? TKAI isn't called racist just because "a POC is involved," and are you implying that the story of The King and I has nothing to do with race?
With regard to your broader point:
I agree with you that there are some situations in which the "race card" is played, even though it has nothing to do with race. Disliking Obama because of specific policies is a good example. But this kind of situation is rare compared to how often people actually are being racist. Usually, your line of logic is used to dismiss legitimate instances of subconscious and systemic racism, as well as micro-aggressions and "othering."The most important thing is that we constantly listen and self-analyze, and if we do that, and still come to the conclusion that race was definitely not a factor, then fine.
But if you're called out, and yourinstinct is to respond by sayingback to the person "you need to hear the truth," that might be a sign that that you aren't actually taking responsibility and self-analyzing. It sounds like you're deflecting. People feel the "need" to call people racists because they observe behavior that appears to be racist. 99 times out of 100, the person observing racist behavior is probably right. If it happens to be that you're the 1 time out of 100, then fine, it was just a misunderstanding and you can move on. But it's not fair to blame other people for assuming that this situation was one of the 99."
What are you talking about? You're all over the place with assumptions based on what I said, as well as misinterpreting what I said.
The OP is the one who brought up race and racism. Not me. I'm just answering the question. No, she is not a racist just because a show she enjoys has caricatures and/or certain depictions of race.
And for the record, my third paragraph wasn't even talking about TKAI. It was about society in general. A society that looks at everything through a racial lens. Even when race has nothing to do with it. I didn't say TKAI had nothing to do with race. I was talking about society. In fact, most of my response was really not about TKAI but rather a message to her to try not to let it concern her. Because there will always be people out there who find something racist in anything you do, or like or see.
Of course TKAI deals with race, but there are a lot of instances in this world where people irresponsibly throw the word racist and racism around where it is not valid and has no place in the discussion. To which I gave the example of Obama.
For whatever reason she fears people might think she's racist because she likes TKAI. I tell her not to worry about what people think. This young woman is a case in point. She fears racism will enter discussion and that she might be considered a racist because she likes TKAI. And they're wrong about her. It has no place in the discussion as to who this young lady is.
My little narrative is a simple explanation that there will people who will find racism in everything. She can't be concerned about the fact that some might consider her to be one thing or another because she enjoys TKAI.
When you move on to the "broader point" and start spouting a bunch of psychological mumbo jumbo it is clear you obviously believe there is systemic racism so you are going to create your own assumptions based on that. And there's nothing I can do to change that.
But I knew someone on these boards would deflect to that. Speaking of deflection.
I hate to tell you there will be times when you can't see the forest for the trees with those assumptions. Because you will be wrong. And not just 1 time out of 100. And this is something you need to self-reflect on.
Calling people, or inferring that their racist is a very irresponsible thing to do.
And I also hate to tell you people are called racist, even when they never gave the instigator/name caller any legitimate reason to believe they are. My friends are perfect examples. Did not support Obama, and have been questioned as to why. Because he's black? That's a mighty strong assumption. About someone you don't know. And they would get this question from people they hardly even knew.
The media, and the POTUS himself, did it all the time too. The media was always tying in objections to his policies as being race-driven. He himself even accused the elections as being some referendum based on the color of his skin. Again, a blanket statement and assumption about a lot of people he didn't know well enough to make such a comment. It made for good press though. And the media ate it up.
The fact is, neither the media, nor the prez were giving people 100 opportunities to prove they were one of the 99 racists you allude to.
Assumptions. All assumptions.
And that's their stuff. Not those who opposed his political philosophies. Which to many conservatives and even centrists were extreme. You can't have extreme political beliefs without being challenged on them.
I do indeed agree that when you see patterns of racist sentiment in a person, the person is probably a racist. And yes, there were people who didn't like Obama because he was black. They're racist too.
But that's not what I'm talking about. My issue is with people who toss the word racism and racist around freely without even knowing what they're talking about. Or knowing the people to whom they're directing their accusations. Something the OP obviously is concerned about.
If it's inferred that a person must be racist and not support Obama because he's black, it's the person who's doing the name calling who needs to be called out for making such ignorant assumptions. And don't make their response as they call you out about some deflection, or defensiveness, or anything like that. It's about people being tired of the word racist being thrown around so haphazardly that it lessens the impact on those who truly are victims of it.
The fact is, calling people out on their recklessness is not a sign of deflection, or defensiveness, or whatever that psychological mumbo jumbo wants to see it as, it is an attempt to get them to self-reflect and self-analyze as to why they make such assumptions. Don't make your biases and worldview about other people. Sometimes you have to look at yourself too. Because you very well might be wrong.
In conclusion, when you say that people who didn't support Obama only because of his policies are rare, you're really out of touch. I would dare say we can conclude then that you believe most people who didn't support Obama didn't because he was black. Or even that people were just hiding their racism behind their aversion to his political philosophies. Using his politics to cover their own racist thoughts.
To people like that you can't even have an educated debate because they are already too biased to see the forest for the trees. They'll make up an angle for everything and have it at the ready to use. It's pointless.
It seems you're making a lot of assumptions. Probably because you're only seeing it from your skewed political perception.
Coming from my own centrist belief system, I had a more objective view and I saw it happen a lot. I saw these accusations made all the time toward people who the accusers knew nothing about and certainly were not in a position to make such irresponsible claims based on no evidence of patterns or anything else. I saw it happen to personal friends who I knew were not racist. And it was at the root of those blanket statements made by the media and the prez who accused those who didn't agree with him as being somehow race-driven.
It was effective too. And it worked.
Updated On: 6/16/20 at 10:41 PM
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