The term "race card" is offensive to many minorities.

[IndianaJones]

It is an easy way to deflect legitimate concerns of racism raised by the people that are being affected by it.

[NOVA_Dem]

1. FINALLY! Somebody else says it. It's just as offensive when the term "gender card" is used.

ETA:
I was pissed off this morning watching Morning Joe when Scarborough dismissed Donna Brazille's argument about Bill Clinton calling BO a "kid" and a "fairytale." What if a grown man called HRC a "girl" would that be playing the "gender card" to get pissed about that?

[TomClash]

5. But that's exactly what Hillary and her cohorts did

Read Gloria Steinem's piece in the NYT - it's the perfect example of using gender to your advantage. By faking the cry, Hillary was using her gender in an odious way to garner sympathy votes from women.

[sandnsea]

6. Not when you say "I'm your girl" n/t

[PurityOfEssence]

13. Then what would be the acceptable alternative? It's a tactic that IS used, after all.

This is almost like newspeak: if you can eliminate the word, you can eliminate the thought.

Once again: not all bigots are white, and not all sexists are male. Close-mindedness, presumed privilege and cynical maneuvering are species-wide afflictions. Sadly, many of traditionally marginalized groups consider themelves exempt from civility because it's "their turn", yet see no hypocrisy to demanding better behavior from those of their oppressor groups, who are still tainted even if they toe the line.

Bear in mind that those on the board of the various oppressor groups are here voluntarily and mostly are adamantly pro-civil rights and acceptance of the various groups. They do so with the full knowledge that this will affect them personally, and do it out of a sense of right and wrong.

The 40 days of faith revue was a playing of the race and religion cards to strip supporters away from Clinton. McClurkin was just an unintended consequence, but badly handled to appease bigots among the fold.

Are you SERIOUSLY going to say that the "boy's club" line isn't a bit divisive? It implies that all males of the system are in league to shut out women and do so willingly. This is designed to channel all residual frustration from dealings with wholly unrelated males toward any opponents.

These things exist and are being used. One poster had no problem characterizing men as unable to be faithful, and when confronted, saw no inherent bias to her assertions; they were, after all, unquestionably true. I side with the downtrodden, too, but bullshit is bullshit and we owe it to ourselves to point out reality.

So, does this not exist, is it forbidden subject matter, or do you propose more gentle terms?

[ellacott]

17. That bothered me also n/t

[Essene]

2. Doesn't matter, although i respect the point

If Obama even slightly implies that his race is a reason to vote for him... or even slightly implies that somehow his opponents are using race against him... he's going to get destroyed.

American ideology is blatantly two-faced.

Sure, this undermines real dialog on many legitimate issues, but that's the unfortunate political reality of a society that deludes itself into believing it's a real meritocracy. Even if you have legitimate gripes, if you step out of line with this meritocracy stance... you're invariably going to be accused of "playing the ___ card."

We can whine about this reality, but there are obviously ways to negotiate this sad fact about our culture.

[redqueen]

3. Very well said.

Amazing that many do see it as a meritocracy, still.

[Essene]

11. Enforce the meritocracy delusion (or be written off)

It's that simple.

USA isn't ready yet to have the veil removed on this point, although that doesn't mean you cannot discuss class injustice, race injustice or gender injustice. You just have to avoid the mine fields of our hypocrisy.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

4. That vernacular should be taken out of any dialog. It says a lot about the person who uses it.

It seems to crop up when legitimate concerns are voiced and it's a specious argument, at best, and racist, at worst. It stops any reasonable discussion of the language and behaviors of ingrained racism in its tracks.

I intensely dislike that phrase and thank you for saying what needed to be said.

Now, sadly, those who employ that phrase will be coming on this thread to explain it's supposed value as an objective argument. :eyes: MKJ

[TokenWasp]

7. Race Card

The "race card" doesn't come into play when legitimate racial concerns are raised*. Someone plays the "race card" when they try to defend against attacks/criticisms that have nothing to do with race, by claiming that the attacks are racially motivated. Saying that someone is inexperienced or is being treated with kid gloves by the press isn't "racial" (unless of course you are making the argument that the press is holding back out of fear of being accused of racism, which is probably quite true in this case).

*However, I would argue that if OB is to succeed, he is going to have to be the most un-racial black politician to ever enter American politics. Americans have no problem voting for a black man - until he keeps pointing it out.

[sandnsea]

8. Who decides when the concerns are legitimate?

Oh yeah. White people. That's the problem with the term.

[TokenWasp]

9. Wrong point

I'm saying that when a concern that has anything to do with RACE is raised (legitimacy is usually determined later), people don't say he is p"playing the race card". They do say that when someone start hiding behind their race when faced with criticisms that are equally directable at all races.

[sandnsea]

12. And who decides that

White people. Why not take each case as it comes, listen to the arguments, and dispute them without slinging around "race card".

[TokenWasp]

14. White people

Man I truly feel sorry for you if you think that white people are incapable of making judgments as to the legitimacy of a claim of racism.

Just because someone is white doesn't make them a moron - which is what you would have to be to not recognize the blatant hypocrisy of many black politicians. That hypocrisy is what has decimated the Democratic party in the south - most white people have long since wanted to leave racial consideratons behind and treat everyone the same, but all they get from black politicians is accusations and guilt.

As Booker T. Washington once said:

"There is a class of colored people who make a business of keeping the troubles, the wrongs and the hardships of the Negro race before the public. Having learned that they are able to make a living out of their troubles, they have grown into the settled habit of advertising their wrongs -- partly because they want sympathy and partly because it pays. Some of these people do not want the Negro to lose his grievances, because they do not want to lose their jobs."

[sandnsea]

19. I just said they could, without throwing around "race card"

Talk about moron.

[TokenWasp]

20. Ohh....ok...

So after the discussion has been had and the debate completed, and the politician's actions have been deemed to have been more along the lines of "hiding behind race" or "using race as an excuse" than anything legitimate, we shouldn't use a commonly-understood term to describe such behavior?

It's just a term that originated the same way as saying someone "played their cards right" or "played the hand they were dealt". It is not sinister, or even offensive (to anyone not wrapped-up in socio-political hand-wringing).

[sandnsea]

21. No, you should make your case on evidence

You can't go into court and dismiss an entire litany of evidence by saying "race card". You need to debunk the arguments and make your case, point by point. Not just denigrate someone with a discriminatory slap in the face.

[TokenWasp]

22. Ok,

and what I am saying is that after the argument is made and conclusions formed, saying that someone "played the race card", while it may be a slap in the face, is not discriminatory - as the offender brought that judgment upon himself by engaging in the action.

[sandnsea]

25. But you're wrong

It's like someone saying you can make a behavioral argument against an individual African American - and then once the "argument is made and conclusions formed, saying that someone <is a n*****>, while it may be a slap in the face, is not discriminatory - as the offender brought that judgment upon himself by engaging in the action."

That's what you're doing.

[TokenWasp]

28. No

saying that someone "played the race card" is based on their actons, not their skin color (in fact white people can play the race card on behalf of black people)

Saying that someone is a N-word is not based on behavior, it is based on nothing but skin color.

I'm sorry, but equating "Race Card" and "N*****" is about the stupidest thing I've ever heard.

[sandnsea]

29. But it is very similar

that's the point. There are people who will say the word n***** describes a black person exhibiting a certain set of undesirable behaviors. You are saying the word "race card" describes a black person exhibiting a certain set of behaviors. Using the racial slurs denigrates and dehumanizes the person, their value, their argument.

[TokenWasp]

32. Ugh

I'm saying "race card" describes a PERSON exhibiting a certain set of behaviors. Guess what? We use labels in this world to describe people according to specific behavior every day - some of those labels describe good behavior (benevolent, kind, honest) some describe bad behavior (thief, racemonger, murderer).

How does saying something that is an accurate portrayal of one's actions "denigrate and dehumanize" them? If they did it, they did it - that's not denigration, that's REALITY (as for dehumanizing, I've never seen a non-human play a race card.)

Just because you call something a "racial slur" doesn't make it one - that's the kind of thinking that makes the "race card" a problem in the first place.

[Sparkly]

10. Agree -- and the same goes for "gender card."

I hate both terms.

[BenDavid]

15. “minority candidates have ‘a higher threshold in establishing

themselves with voters." Obama playing the race card.That is a laughable CLAIM but a shrewd use of the race card to position Obama for future manipulation of the electoral process.For OBAMA to claim that the barriers are higher, that the bar is higher for him to succeed, is nonsense. It is crass racialism. Obama is a product of the very “24-hour…small-minded politics” that he decries.

I told you all in here about 3 weeks ago that race was going to be come an issue and it would be the obama campaign that would play it and I have been proven right....but it is such a shame.....

[1corona4u]

26. So much for 'unity' huh?

I see this getting much, much worse.

[fightindonkey]

16. No, There IS A Real "Race Card" Played, Everytime? No. But It IS Played Big Time

And blatantly so.

[fightindonkey]

18. You Can Thank People Like Jesse Jackson For Using the Race Card A Million Times

[IndianaJones]

23. pointing out inequality and calling attention to bigotry are using the race card? nt.

[yungCaucasoid]

24. that term "The Race Card" is a great term to use for...

summarizing who created it, and the deck it came from, bka...us Caucasoids right?

So, of course, it only makes sense that we figure a way to trivialize and discount Inequality-realities that the word addresses.

I keep telling all Blackfolk, that they should accept how Terrorism has changed the playing-field, and the game.

Their concern now needs to switch from *the right to live EQUALLY* on over to, the Right, to just...LIVE!

[philosophie_en_rose]

27. We get race cards?

I must have missed that day at the meeting. . . :eyes:

[kwassa]

30. The term "race card" is similar to the term "politically correct"

It is used as a perjorative label that avoids dealing with a specific issue at hand. By claiming someone is using the race card, they are de-legitimizing the point of view of that person with what is no more than a generalized insult.

It is offensive.

[superduperfarleft]

31. I agree, it's incredibly offensive.

IMO, that the minute the word "race card" leaves someone's mouth, I can safely assume that they are a blithering idiot.

And if they continue to defend the use of the term "race card"... well, you can see where I'm going with this.

[Catherine Vincent]

33. Interesting that this thread brought out two new posters that go by

...yungcaucasoid and tokenwasp.