tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528074983146803930.post7096321330591404916..comments2024-03-06T08:29:13.333-08:00Comments on stuff white people do: describe racism as political incorrectnessmacon dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07795547197817128339noreply@blogger.comBlogger66125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528074983146803930.post-78718713046552339482012-09-02T10:32:28.124-07:002012-09-02T10:32:28.124-07:00I'm way late to the party, but just wanted to ...I'm way late to the party, but just wanted to say, you do good work sir. As a fellow white dude trying to figure out what it means, trying to unpack my privilege and Check Myself, it's nice to know you're out there.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528074983146803930.post-9844595685581216812011-07-20T19:06:27.072-07:002011-07-20T19:06:27.072-07:00The term "racist" is incorrect because t...The term "racist" is incorrect because there is only one human race, but there are many ethnic groups. If a person hated, let's say, martians, then feel free to call that person a racist.bleuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15151428910799697183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528074983146803930.post-42383901879846212402010-03-29T14:06:06.310-07:002010-03-29T14:06:06.310-07:00Eri, I'm not having a "my black friend to...Eri, I'm not having a "my black friend told me so" moment at all. I can see how my comment sounds like that, though, after re-reading it. I'm specifically referring to posts (which I don't mention until the end of the paragraph) in which the topic and/or comments are about POC having to defend their views about racism or experiences with it. I would wager that you could choose just about any topic and find that sentiment being shared. I don't "profess to <b>know</b>" anything. I was too lazy to actually cite examples.Victoriahttp://vintagelux.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528074983146803930.post-45323624450108212942010-03-29T13:35:40.480-07:002010-03-29T13:35:40.480-07:00@ Victoria
You wouldn't know that because y...@ Victoria<br /><br /><i> You wouldn't know that because you're not a POC though. </i><br /><br />If !POC --> !Know, then (how) do you profess to know? <br /><br />If the answer is "I know because a POC told me," to what extent is that different from "I have a black friend and HE said..."?erinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528074983146803930.post-58329347693843958262010-03-28T17:59:33.006-07:002010-03-28T17:59:33.006-07:00I recalled this post as I was trying to explain Th...I recalled this post as I was trying to explain Thoroughly Modern Millie to my boyfriend. I had last seen it as a kid, and one of the major subplots kinda slipped by me entirely then, although now it seems pretty blatant. (The subplot in question includes a Chinese landlady and two Chinese minions operating a "white slavery" operation via a laundry service. All three characters speak stereotypically.) <br /><br />Anyway, I started googling TMM and racism together....and I kept running into link after link where somebody would exclaim that you would just LOVE TMM if you could get over the un-PC plot. Over and over again, people used the phrase "politically incorrect" rather than racism. Some of the Amazon reviews have folks use the word racism, only to say that some people want to see racism everywhere, but mostly they referred to the racist elements as "politically incorrect".PixelFishhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14663536968452455022noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528074983146803930.post-8791286720412737922010-03-28T11:01:06.896-07:002010-03-28T11:01:06.896-07:00As a corollary: I loathe the implication (faced re...As a corollary: I loathe the implication (faced recently), when I call something out as racist that I'm doing so out of an urge to be "politically correct". It smacks of an idea that I'm trying to increase my position by pretending (politcally, of course) to care. That I'm only calling something racist so I can look/feel good.<br /><br />I'm certain this is an aspect of that oft-heard cry of "political correctness gone too far!" As if it was fine when we white folks were just paying lip service to look good, but now that people are actually expecting folks to CHANGE, that's too far.The Mighty Dollhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08165875580477571164noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528074983146803930.post-77471332619314131982010-03-28T05:50:25.753-07:002010-03-28T05:50:25.753-07:00@ Johnathan
"How often does telling someone ...@ Johnathan<br /><br /><i>"How often does telling someone to shut-up and listen result in them actually being quite and honestly listening?"</i><br /><br />About as often as being "polite" and simply sharing experiences. You wouldn't know that because you're not a POC though. You're white and male and most of the time, I'd wager that people listen to what you have to say. You're also usually not required to show proof that any negative experience you've had wasn't because of something other than what you say it is. There are several posts on here about the various ways POC are asked to prove their experiences were actually racism. <br /><br />Right now, you've completely crossed the line and derailed this discussion so you could get your very own special lessons and explanations on how you can better understand this topic. YOU DO NOT GET IT. Time to move along if you're done being interested. Time to read in stealth if you're still interested. But show a little respect for those readers who want to discuss the topic - and stop commenting!<br /><br />@ platypusrex256<br />You're expressing the exact sentiment this post is about and trivializing.Victoriahttp://vintagelux.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528074983146803930.post-15289429287575435042010-03-28T02:44:20.769-07:002010-03-28T02:44:20.769-07:00you are splitting hairs!you are splitting hairs!Joshua Guercihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00836736268690102005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528074983146803930.post-34019034755037214892010-03-26T21:51:38.728-07:002010-03-26T21:51:38.728-07:00JS thanks for augmenting the history. I came in la...JS thanks for augmenting the history. I came in late to leftist circles. So that's it. "Politically correct" used by Stalinists to refer to sticking to the party line. I heard Leninists using it to refer to having the correct line, and democratic leftists using it as a critique of policing thought/language. The right may have picked it up both ways, aware of its Stalinist history as they turned the term on anyone advocating broadening white male elite hierarchies. (My father once ranted that tenuring faculty who believed in Afrocentrism was "political correctness". I'm sure he heard about it from right-wing radio.) And too many of today's young white people think they are edgy and challenging hierarchies when they demean and insult people of color or other non-dominant groups. Sad, sad, sad.olderwomanhttp://sociologicalconfessions.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528074983146803930.post-67350890332708779432010-03-26T20:52:49.436-07:002010-03-26T20:52:49.436-07:00@Jonathan, I think that I know what you're try...@Jonathan, I think that I know what you're trying to get at with your comments, but as Macon pointed out, poor word choice and assumptions make it difficult.<br /><br />Tell me if I have this right: I think you're posing the question of "What if when someone says politically incorrect they don't mean it as a euphemism for "racism" but as a related, but somehow distinct, concept?" Personally, I think this is a useful question to ask: NOT as a means of defending WP for saying "politically correct" instead of "racism" but because knowing why someone chooses the words they use and what those words mean to them makes it easier to explain* how what they're saying is harmful. I think Jonathan touched on just this point by suggesting that maybe the racism = prejudice + power definition isn't widespread (or is it?**). In the eternal words of Inigo Montoya, "You keep using that word/phrase. I do not think it means what you think it means." <br /><br />And while I have a theory born of conversations I've had with others about possible distinctions WP make between politically incorrect and racism (absence or presence of intent) and how those distinctions are themselves harmful, insulting, and offensive, (focusing on intent ignores effect) I'm not entirely sure diving down that road wouldn't be a huge derailment considering the original question Macon posed was regarding euphemistic use. Indeed, reading through the comments on the page I definitely see "politically correct" being used euphemistically. It's quite simply a case of "we don't want to stink up our fun by injecting such a dirty word as racism into the conversation." The more I turn it over in my mind, the more convinced I am that it's the euphemism that stinks.<br /><br />@olderwoman, thank you for crystallising some of the paradoxes in the use of politically correct. The facility that people have in using "politically (in)correct" ironically or derisively makes it hard to pin down not just definitions but intentions and perceptions as well. Like the word "thing" itself, politically (in-)correct can mean so many things that it's almost meaningless. And conflating a nigh-meaningless word to racism is SO harmful and dangerous. <br /><br />@Colin Bowden, I can only imagine the immense frustration felt in pointing out specific and relevant examples of racism only to have them shot down and dismissed out of hand. It's horribly myopic that people can't see the forest for having tree after tree after tree after tree pointed out to them. <br /><br /><br />*Should the POC or ally choose to and/or be comfortable in broaching the subject. <br />**While I'm tempted to say that I think this too, my first exposure to this definition was about a month or so ago when I really began following blogs that talk about racism, so that feeling means very little coming from me.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528074983146803930.post-30908474976459554462010-03-26T17:07:58.895-07:002010-03-26T17:07:58.895-07:00The origin of the term "politically correct&q...The origin of the term "politically correct" is in 1930s Communism (outside the USSR), and it means "appropriately supportive of Stalin's current worldview."<br /><br />It later evolved to a general "appropriately supportive of /radical group's/ current worldview," but I don't think the Stalin association was ever fully lost.<br /><br />So every time it is used as a synonym for <b>treating others with basic decency and respect</b> it equates simple respect for others with adherence to a totalitarian state.<br /><br />Because Stalin was so scrupulous about enforcing respect for racial and ethnic diversity OH WAIT HE WASN'T AT ALL.<br /><br />Calling respect and politeness "political correctness" is an incredibly bullshit thing to do for that reason. Calling disrespect and rudeness and racism "political incorrectness" with a tee-hee of OH I'M A REBEL is an even more bullshit thing to do.<br /><br />The world, it has many bullshit people in it. Apparently, pointing out that "Little Black Sambo" is racist nonsense makes you exactly like Stalin. Who knew?JShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13974691019739092440noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528074983146803930.post-45566644325472050052010-03-26T16:23:00.798-07:002010-03-26T16:23:00.798-07:00snobographer,
Are you sure the racist imagery is ...snobographer,<br /><br />Are you sure the racist imagery is retired? Take a look at the one remaining Sambo's <a href="http://www.sambosrestaurant.com/" rel="nofollow">site</a>.<br /><br />Johnathan L., <br /><br />Dialogue isn't difficult for most of the people who comment here. It seems to be difficult for you, in part because you don't read carefully, and as part of that, because you mischaracterize what others have written. For instance, <br /><br /><i>The post claims, more or less, that WP define racism as political correctness because they are racist and don't want to take responsibility for it.</i><br /><br />No it doesn't, and your inept summary obviates everything you wrote afterward. It says that white people often label (not "define") racism "political <i>in</i>correctness." As for the second half of that sentence -- how the hell did you get that out of this? (That's a rhetorical question.)<br /><br /><i>They often [describe racism as "political incorrectness], of course, because they just don't agree that this or that action or thing is racist. However, I think they sometimes do it instead because they don't like having their buzz harshed. Or their squee. Or they don't like having their parade rained on, or however you want to put it.<br /><br />In my experience, saying that something is politically incorrect instead of racist is often a way of avoiding racism, instead of denying it. It can be a way of saying in effect, "Yes, some would say that's bad, or 'racist,' but pausing to really consider that, and all of its implications, isn't something I want to be bothered with right now, because it's really just too much trouble, thank you very much."</i><br /><br />Btw, you also wrote, <br /><br /><i>It's been my experience that "white people" are not calm and logical, so I'm not sure where that association comes from (this is one of the unusual statements I see here).</i><br /><br />It's not that they "are," it's that they tend to feel and sometimes think they are compared to non-white people. They also tend to feel and sometimes think that they're smarter, except in such limited cases as the supposed, and supposedly superior, inclinations of people of Asian descent toward math and science.<br /><br /><i>How often does telling someone to shut-up and listen result in them actually being quite and honestly listening? </i><br /><br />Many white readers here have reported doing that. Who cares how often it happens? What does the frequency of it happening or not happening have to do with whether you're going to finally do it?macon dhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07795547197817128339noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528074983146803930.post-21085572139818097552010-03-26T14:13:18.153-07:002010-03-26T14:13:18.153-07:00Oh, Olderwoman, thank you. I also remember the way...Oh, Olderwoman, thank you. I also remember the way "politically incorrect" was used in the '70s, but never thought about the implications of that history for the way the phrase is used today to dismiss and trivialize protest. You just showed me the connection -- that helps a lot.nmnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528074983146803930.post-63282095171327436692010-03-26T14:05:05.695-07:002010-03-26T14:05:05.695-07:00WP do this shit all the time. In fact, I know it&#...WP do this shit all the time. In fact, I know it's coming if I bring up individual incidents of oppression, so I just shut my mouth often. I'm CLEARLY paranoid or looking to be offended, even though I may only bring up racist shit once in a few months when it happens on a damn near daily basis. <br /><br />I think it's part subtle mockery, too. If we think about it, which is more politically incorrect, being racist in America, or calling it out? I would say the latter, BUT that's not what's called politically incorrect. I suspect it's a bit of a joke, too.<br /><br />WHY, some may ask? Why do I think this is done by white people who otherwise are not really connected to incidents of racial oppression?<br />One reason to me seems to be White Back-Scratching. If I call this un-PC, then when I 'f' up, you can call my behavior un-PC. It's damn incestuous.Colin Bowdenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07249564437232915733noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528074983146803930.post-3635960532180780512010-03-26T14:02:54.685-07:002010-03-26T14:02:54.685-07:00In the Andy Kaufman movie, "My Breakfast With...In the Andy Kaufman movie, "My Breakfast With Blassie," which was released in 1983, Kaufman and Blassie eat at a Sambos, but the mascot is a white guy in a chef's hat. They retired the little Indian/black boy some time in the 1970s, but I remember eating there as a kid and seeing that story mural along the wall.<br />I actually liked the story and how the little kid outsmarted the tigers. Years later, I found out there were no tigers in Africa, where the story was supposed to have taken place.<br /><br />Anyway, I hate the term "politically correct." Ironically, the term itself is politically correct in that it preserves the delicate sensibilities of people who don't want to acknowledge racism (or any other ism).snobographerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11874569135368534339noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528074983146803930.post-33338961057961006572010-03-26T13:53:30.439-07:002010-03-26T13:53:30.439-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.anonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11084775237414373558noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528074983146803930.post-49681916887335929812010-03-26T12:43:14.278-07:002010-03-26T12:43:14.278-07:00When I see this kind of bullshit posturing (as in ...When I see this kind of bullshit posturing (as in the boingboing post, not the righteous anger here), I immediately know that someone is terrified of calling racism for what it is because they want to keep their deathgrip on their absolute finite say on not having to think about it. <br /><br />There's nothing in their little white bubble that can disturb them, and they don't want to make an opening, because that means they have to acknowledge that this shit is wrong.<br /><br />But I really, <i>really</i> don't understand what makes other WP so afraid to talk about racism - we're all of us, all WP, tainted by the legacy of our racist past - wouldn't it be better to pull it out into the open and say "right, what can be done to change this injustice"?<br /><br />But, of course, that would mean listening to PoC, and that's too hard for a lot of WP, who are so used to centering themselves that it doesn't even occur to them that they don't have the final say on objective truth. <br /><br />...and proves my point that we are living with a racist legacy that poisons the life we live, even if so many WP refuse to acknowledge it. But, like an abcessed tooth, it doesn't simply go away of you ignore it, and it is stupidity itself to act surprised when you poke at it, and it makes you hurt. <i>It needs to hurt to get better.</i> WP who avoid all talk of racism aren't making it disappear, they're abetting it.<br /><br />As for our concern trolls, WP are afraid of "fighting" when racism is brought up because it is extremely annoying for PoC to try and "engage" with a bunch of WP with their hands over their ears shouting "lalalalalala, I can't heeEEAAARRR yooooooou" when they try to speak. There's nothing more exhausting than trying to talk to someone who will not step out of their privilege bubble, and PoC can hardly be blamed for not wanting to deal with the same old shit every time they try to point out endemic racism.<br /><br />Because guess what happens? WP immediately go all "oh, it's too hard! What about meeeee? No-one ever listens to what I'm saying! My feelings are huuurrrrrt!" **whine**<br /><br />The first time I read about WWTears, I totally got it.<br /> <br />Decentering whites in conversation seems pretty simple in the abstract - shut up, and listen, and give the PoC talking the absolute respect that you would give any expert on their own experiences. But IRL, it's hard as hell, and requires the help of all allies, because putting that work on POC shoulders is abetting. <br /><br />Yes, this pisses me off. I can't believe WP (and I is one!) have so little fucking empathy that they refuse to understand how fucking <i>hurtful</i> it is to PoC to continually deny reality just because they can. Most "discussions" in non-safe spaces become an exercise in gaslighting by WP, and then they say PoC "get angry"? WTF.<br /><br />Long comment is long. Sorry.attack_laurelhttp://attack_laurel.livejournal.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528074983146803930.post-23481843436666855612010-03-26T12:21:52.211-07:002010-03-26T12:21:52.211-07:00What is the motivation for white people to deflect...What is the motivation for white people to deflect claims that racism is a systematic issue? I can't really fathom what is so threatening about that concept. Just so we don't have to acknowledge white privilege? That's not so hard once you have a reasonable grasp of what it is. I feel like once you realize that racism is systematic, it's kind of liberating because you can begin to see your enemy.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528074983146803930.post-52702519800345310022010-03-26T11:58:01.303-07:002010-03-26T11:58:01.303-07:00PS I viewed my comment as a direct response to get...PS I viewed my comment as a direct response to get back to a more structural view, rather than focusing on WP's personal feelings. I'm trying to say what I think the phrase "politically incorrect" actually means when it is used.olderwomanhttp://sociologicalconfessions.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528074983146803930.post-51708192435897042152010-03-26T11:55:36.889-07:002010-03-26T11:55:36.889-07:00In my memory, the term politically correct has its...In my memory, the term politically correct has its origins in the left (where groups debated what was politically correct) and in the 1970s took on its critical meaning as an internal left self-critique. As a critique, it meant "you are focusing too much on picking nits about using the right words or getting the theory right and losing track of substance." So in the 1970s, I might complain that worrying about calling someone a "chair" rather than a "chairman" was too much focus on political correctness and not enough on substance. This phrase then got picked up by the right and began to be used to criticize any attempt to remove hurtful language from public discourse or even any attempt to challenge dominants. (FYI I have also heard students occasionally use it to refer to being careful how you speak in front of powerful people, including sometimes the idea that you should not say left-wing things in front of right-wing people.)<br /><br />So back to the main point, I think ALL usage of the terms "politically correct" and "politically incorrect" these days inherently include a criticism of the very act of policing the language/images in question. For this reason, I believe that calling your own speech "politically incorrect" is never just a way to avoid feeling bad about racism, but is rather an aggressive move designed to assert that people who are criticizing the language are at fault for focusing on something trivial rather than something important.<br /><br />If I am attempting to soften a blow about something I thought was due to ignorance rather than meanness, I'd use the term "insensitive," not "politically incorrect." Similarly, I have heard POC object to things using "insensitive" or "silencing" or other language that avoided the word "racism." I have never heard anyone seriously criticize anything as "politically incorrect" but I have heard people brag about their "politically incorrect" speech or attitudes.olderwomanhttp://sociologicalconfessions.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528074983146803930.post-12334231943939628032010-03-26T11:41:35.538-07:002010-03-26T11:41:35.538-07:00@ saraspeaking
thank you for your thoughtful resp...@ saraspeaking<br /><br />thank you for your thoughtful response. i writing under deadline (more accurately, past deadline) and thus am unable to give the points you brought up the consideration they deserve. i would like to acknowledge your comments and thank you for giving me more food for thought.<br /><br />do yall have suggestions about how to reframe the discussion about racism-described-as-political-correctness in a way that centers systemic inequality and decenters the emotional responses of some white people?island girl in a land w/o seanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528074983146803930.post-87024269512574918922010-03-26T10:42:44.689-07:002010-03-26T10:42:44.689-07:00@macon d, thanks for clarifying. I'll refrain ...@macon d, thanks for clarifying. I'll refrain from adding to further derailment.<br /><br />In which case, I wanted to go back to something @island girl in a land w/o sea said upthread: <i>it seems to me that saying that some white people "describe racism as political incorrectness" in order to save face, hide fear or avoid uncomfortable emotions keeps the discussion of such actions on the interpersonal level and frames racism in terms of individual actions and affect rather than systematic inequality.</i><br /><br />I've been chewing on this since you brought it up, and I'm left wondering how best to address it. I do agree that the framework in which we're currently operating in this thread - in which we're talking about the motives of individual white people who substitute "politically incorrect" when a more accurate term would be "racist" - does put a lot of emphasis on racism existing as an interpersonal phenomenon, which as you've said detracts from the larger nature of racism as a systemic power. What I'm left with, then, is how to frame this particular white tendency as a systemic issue, as opposed to a "merely" interpersonal one. (I use scare quotes to indicate that I do not personally believe that the interpersonal interactions are somehow less valid or experienced than the overarching structural issues.) Would it be more useful to a structural analysis to then talk about, say, the white privilege that enables this conversation to become <i>about</i> the emotional reactions of white people to racism? The privilege that permits white people to privilege their comfort and politesse over the distress their actions may cause? Where would you like to see this discussion go?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528074983146803930.post-19501381244929275782010-03-26T10:32:43.156-07:002010-03-26T10:32:43.156-07:00Thanks for those two revealing comments, TAB, and ...Thanks for those two revealing comments, TAB, and it's good to hear that you have plans to move away (from Lake Blackbegone?). <br /><br />I think you've answer the "why" better than I could.macon dhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07795547197817128339noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528074983146803930.post-58382818412015857582010-03-26T10:21:04.385-07:002010-03-26T10:21:04.385-07:00Have you seen or heard "politically incorrect...<i>Have you seen or heard "politically incorrect" used as a way of avoiding more direct or blunt terms like "racist"? </i><br /><br />Yes. Non-PC disclaimers typically accompany breath-takingly backward statements, worn as a badge of honor (maverick!). Besides, it's a far more fashionable self-applied label than the rather unvarnished "bigot."<br /><br /><i>And have you been in situations where even bringing up racism is considered inappropriate or impolite?</i><br /><br />Yes. Co-signing Commie Bastard's comment. Also, in my experience, a charge of racism is not considered inappropriate or impolite if applied to POC, esp. if it's about "black racists" - that's always appropriate where I live (prairie state with a pervasive pre-Civil Rights Era mentality). <br /><br />Actually, I'd broaden it past charges of racism to <i>any</i> criticism of WP by a POC. In a place where Swedes and Norwegians used to have separate hospitals, churches and cemetaries, and some people in their 60s+ *still* refer to Swedish/Norwegian marriages as "mixed," the racial hierarchy (with blacks and Native Americans on the bottom, natch) and concepts of genetic and cultural supremacy is fairly entrenched. Any criticism by a POC of a WP -even using the less-loaded PI- is seen as talking out of turn. I wouldn't have believed this stuff myself...then I moved here. (We intend to move - we have two tender, innocent, young humans to protect from irreversible infection.)<br /><br /><i>If so, do you go along with that, or do you get blunt and impolite?</i><br /><br />Depends. Since moving here, I've become much better acquainted with racism than I ever wanted to...and sometimes biting my tongue is more than I can bear. I understand that because I am a WOC criticizing a WP, regardless of my "tone," I will be perceived as impolite. Plus, since I am slight, there's always the possible threat of violence to consider.TABnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528074983146803930.post-24224709004459466272010-03-26T10:21:04.384-07:002010-03-26T10:21:04.384-07:00So why, as in the case of Frauenfelder's Boing...<i>So why, as in the case of Frauenfelder's BoingBoing post, and in so many others, do white people use "politically incorrect" to describe that which is actually racist (or sexist, or classist, or heterosexist), and so on?</i><br /><br />I am sleep-deprived so maybe I missed your mention of it, but this is a euphemism only applied to instances where the the person(s) in question = white, right? Otherwise, in my experience, WP don't hesitate to call POC racist.<br /><br />As to <i>why?</i> -you could answer this better than I could, Macon- perhaps it is because WP are not used to the sting of harsh judgment based on race, however (in)accurate that judgment may be? Most will go to any lengths to avoid it. While some of it may also be attributed to the privilege of not having to think about the many different manifestations of racism, other than overtly-avowed white supremacist groups like Nazis and the klan, I also believe many WP have bought their own hype about racial supremacy. They're too educated, evolved to exhibit such pedestrian tendencies as racist behavior.<br /><br />So a WW second-grade teacher where I live can tell her 7-yr-old Somali student that he looks like a terrorist...and have WP insist that it wasn't racist. It was merely a PI way of saying he looks like (is?) one of 'those people' in the news. Don't know if she told her white male students that they looked like terrorists...seeing as they had the same skin color/hair texture as Timothy McVeigh and the Columbine shooters and all.... (I know I've digressed.)TABnoreply@blogger.com