Are the racists coming out from under their rocks?

[sandnsea]

A year or so ago, I posted along the lines of "Why Do White Males Need Their Own Party?". It did not go over well, much denial and anger. Specifically, denial that there was still alot of racism from whites. Lately, I've noticed several posts from people who are shocked at the racist comments coming from white people.

So, my question to white people, are you hearing more racism than you did a year ago? Were you unaware of how much underlying racism SOME white people still have? Did you truly not believe that flat out racism was the underlying feeling behind the anti-affirmative action nonsense? That racism isn't behind the movement to gut social services because everybody knows *insert minority* are lazy.

I'm just wondering about the difference between the denial last year and the shock over racist comments this year. Do you think white racists are feeling more comfortable expressing their racism? Is there more racism than you realized?

[Sanity Claws]

1. I'm waking up to it

I don't want to get into details of my life but I will say I've indirectly heard a lot of racist remarks in the last two years or so. I'm shocked by how much and I live in the Northwest, not the deep South.

[tnlefty]

2. In my neck of the woods the racists and bigots of all stripes were

emboldened in Dec. 2000.

[MsConduct]

24. I agree. Seems the 'brown shirt' mentality of bushco has given

bigots and racists carte blanche.

[LiberalVoice]

3. I havent noticed anything. nt

[Fone Book]

4. I'm white and I agree with you

I go to a private Catholic high school in the suburbs, and theres racists all over the place. Just flat-out racists. And this isn't the south, I live just north of Philadelphia.

[Shoeempress]

5. Yes I am hearing more racist comments. People feel comfortable

to say crap to me one time. Then we have "the talk" in which I am compelled to point out they are stupid and don't speak that way around me or usually even to me, ever again. But I also get comments about stupid liberals, stupid women (and I'm one) etc. And yes, I am still shocked that such ignorance can still exist. I think chimpy's "re-election" gave idiots permission to revel in their own idiocy.

[HEIL PRESIDENT GOD]

6. Check this out

I googled today to see if Floyd Burnington, mentioned on the same page of America: The Book as Jimmy Carter's SCOTUS nomination of a pro basketball player, was real. The first site to come up was a white-supremacist site that looked a bit like DU--very professional, "nice" design, and lots of activity. They even have a chatroom where they invite people to come argue with them.

Yeah, I would call that comfortable, even by internet standards.

[RC]

7. I am hearing more racism, more violence the last few years.

Less tolerance, more religion, more paranoia.
But that is the way of the far right. People don't count. People are only worth their p$ychical wealth.
Sociopaths should not be allowed to hold public office.

[Just Me]

21. What bothers me is,...they get so much more attention.

Whether that is on purpose or not,...I find myself tending to believe that those who advance the right-wing or neoCONfascists or corporacratic interests (having absolutely NOTHING to do with advancing the best interests of those groups) are PUSHED into public view.

Whereas, it is OBVIOUS that more moderate folks who are participating in ENORMOUS protests of political dissidence are pretty much ignored. I mean, I have been to numerous, HUGE protests over the last few years that were comprised of decent, run-of-the-mill, hard-working, multi-faceted (culturally, religiously, economically), SANE American citizens,...and the coverage of that was like a blip,...except for the arrests, of course.

I find the complete misrepresentation of reality, repulsive,...and am compelled to believe that it is intentionally manipulative. Whatever the motivation behind that intentional manipulation is,...it is NOT based upon anything honorable or noble or good.

[The Doctor.]

8. Where I live it is not generally an issue...

But I have noticed that many racists are a bit more vociferous.

I also believe that black/hispanic racism is a problem too.

[izzie]

9. I sure feel better with black people around. Does that make me a

racist? I feel better to see different people running things than the same old white men I have watched my whole life. It is like we have a gene pool of the same type from the same schools. playing the same games and breeding with the same women. It is scary as hell.I want the gene pool mixed up so we get some smart people running things. Plus people are more interesting to look at.

[potatoe]

14. No, but concerning yourself with this or that

"gene pool" and "types" and "breeding" and "smart people" sure makes you sounds like one.

[Karenina]

16. Oh Izzie!

You are SUCH a pip! :hug: :loveya:

[Gman]

10. I hear racism all the time from white people

and they say these things to me knowing I'm white and that my being white somehow makes it ok. Racist whites just assume that because you're white that it's ok to talk racist.

Kinda reminds me of that old Saturday Night Live skit when Eddie Murphy did that skit called "White Like Me". It was a takeoff on an old book called "Black Like Me" where a white man disguised his self as Black to see how he would be treated.

Although it was satirical, Murphy, as a white man, found other white people giving him free stuff because he was white and even a champagne party for all the whites on a public bus after the last Black person got off. His narrative went along the lines of "I was amazed when I saw..."

It was a satire, but there was a big note of truth to it in that (by no means whatsoever all) whites often think its ok to talk racist and be a racist to another white. Again, by no means all whites, but I feel it happens way to often, especially here in the South. I find it extremely offensive.

I usually don't get ugly about it, but I find a quick way to point out how bad they look when they talk like that.

On the other hand, I pity the white person that uses the N word in front of my wife. She has gone off big time on lots of whites that used that word in front of her.

[Fire Walk With Me]

11. Empower the hindbrain. Divide and conquer.

We're looking at deliberate enabling of the lowest-possible behaviours.. "Bring 'em on". Nugent to NRAs: "Get hardcore".

http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory?id=677836

They're trying to bring out the deepest polarizations in people, to put us at each other's throats.

While they sit back and enjoy it, raking in the dollars from the treasury as we forget that they're sitting back and enjoying it, raking in dollars from the treasury.

Smoke and mirrors, baby.

[sandnsea]

19. delightful

I missed that bit of peace and harmony. I'll have to bookmark that so I can have it handy for republican trolls on my blog who say they're just looking for "bipartisan comity".

[Fire Walk With Me]

22. "I missed that bit of peace and harmony." Not surpising since

it's in the ENTERTAINMENT section.

At least the news let us know about it in one for or another. Sheesh.

[Joey Liberal]

12. I'm hearing more anti-Liberal crap

And the right wingers still rant about affirmative action. The right wingers are also coming out with a lot more of the
Liberals hate Christians" crap.

[ultraist]

13. Yes, I think they are coming out of under their rocks

Racists were empowered with the election of Bush and his Klan. People are feeling more righteous about spreading hate.

I am disturbed by this trend to be so outward about it again. We are backsliding and I think we will see more and more racist policies and social violence thanks to Bush's culture of hate.

This is not to say, there was not already an existing problem of racism, a SERIOUS problem, but again, I think we are regressing.

[Divameow77]

15. I have a co-worker that likes to use the "N" word,

trust me I have gone off on him, it was not nice. He tried the old "I don't mind black people, I just hate n****" That's even worse to me, a racist in denial. He just got transfered to our Orlando office :hi: bye, bye loser.

[Karenina]

17. Amerikkkan racism

is FUELING the GENOCIDE in Iraq. The blowback is yo gub'mint don't give a shit about y'all either. As far as they concerned, ANYONE not in their circle is nuttin' but a nigger! :evilgrin:

Y'all'l prolly figger that out sooner or later. For my part I hope it's sooner than later...

[ultraist]

18. LMAO!

:rofl:
Many people are in for a BIG WAKE UP CALL.

[misanthrope]

26. Now that's...

...about as blunt as you get.

[shadowknows69]

30. I probably see about as much of it as ever

directed towards african americans (I'm in a small, wannabe redneck city in upstate ny with a military base) quite a bit more against muslims of course. I'd ask this of any minorities (fuk I hate that term) or beautiful people of pigment? Is that offensive? If you knew me you'd know I'm not a racist but I hate all labels and I personally hate being a boring, pale skinned, burn to a crisp in the sun, couldn't find a beat if Tito Puente hit me up side the head with one european cave troll(caucasian). Anyhoo. I'd ask this of any "minorities" do you see an increase of racism in your own people towards muslims as well? Are they suceeding in making muslims some new universal symbol of righteous hatred or do you all hopefully see through the folly of these dumb ass white men ruining....I mean running the world and are working for a better way. I hope. And please don't hold us all accountable for the sins of our fathers.

[Just Me]

20. I think, with an extremist leadership, extremists are emboldened.

That's what I think.

Obviously, these extremists, who are self-serving rather than interested in contributing to a greater good,...are fringe.

However, they have certainly been emboldened by this extremist neoCONfascist administration.

Am I surprised? No.

[seabeyond]

23. i saw it a couple months ago

in a very short period i had two three four people tell me, that they had the right, the god given right to be a racist. no, they are not hiding it anymore. they dont feel they have to. the christian right and the homophobe and the repugs and the limbaughs have opened the door

[fleabert]

25. yes, I am white, but my husband isn't.

I was shocked when we started dating at the abundance of racism I encountered about our relationship, and about his race in general. White people have sometimes not met him yet, or heard my last name, and make the most awful racist comments in my presence. I go off on them, to their surprise usually. As if they 'felt safe' since I was white like them, and presumably would agree with their sentiments.

We once had a realtor try to, and I quote, 'Place us'. He asked my husband, 'What are you? I can't guess, and I know this city like the back of my hand, I can place you in the area of town where your people live.'

[Hello_Kitty]

27. I don't know if I'm hearing more, but I am confronting it now

I used to remain silent when people made racist comments in my presense. Didn't want to cause trouble, you know. Well screw that. I tell them it's inappropriate now. How incredibly arrogant of someone to assume that because we are both Caucasian, that I share the same prejudice.

[iconoclastic cat]

28. It's louder in the media and on the Web,

but the level of bigotry that I encounter personally has not changed much.

[Clark2008]

29. I'm intrigued by how many people, thus far, have said, "Blah, blah, blah..

and this is not the South."

A note about racism: it's everywhere. The South has no special claim to it, despite what you hear in the media or believe because there are just enough theo-cons to tip our purple states red.

The difference is, of course, that, in the South, racism isn't tucked under every rock. It's out in the open and dealt with in rapid-fire fashion - whether it changes minds or not. In the North, people pretend it doesn't exist and it hides and festers like Rush Limbaugh's butt boil.

Racism has been with us since this country began. I don't except, in some circles, it will disappear entirely.