# 4chan trolls - It's OK to be White **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 2, 2017, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4chan-trolls-its-ok-to-be-white/800496 "2017-11-02T14:14:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![PatriotX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c4cdca/32.png) [@PatriotX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotX)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4chan-trolls-its-ok-to-be-white/800496/21 "2017-11-02T15:10:46Z")
> [@Slash1972](#): > > So, it’s NOT ok to be white? Or it is? or something else? The whole point is that the statement itself is bland. That’s the gimmick. The shit-stirrers took something innocuous and tried to frame it in such a way to interest their fellow shit-stirrers. I’d be just fine if they all got together and outraged each other. They all may be happier if they cut out the middle-man and just tweaked each others noses directly. ---
**Author:** ![gytalf2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4chan-trolls-its-ok-to-be-white/800496/22 "2017-11-02T15:42:15Z")
> [@PatriotX](#): > > Why does anyone need to react to this? Yeah, that’s my reaction, as well. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4chan-trolls-its-ok-to-be-white/800496/23 "2017-11-02T15:51:22Z")
Once, long time ago, a black guy I know got mad at me and called me a “cracker”. What can you do about such cultural ignorance, doesn’t know a cracker from a peckerwood! ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4chan-trolls-its-ok-to-be-white/800496/24 "2017-11-02T16:10:33Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > SHS, is that you?.. I don’t know who / what SHS is, but can you understand the difference between “you are a crybaby” and “grow up and get over it”? One is utterly-unhelpful name-calling. The other is a suggestion to help someone grow and act more maturely. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4chan-trolls-its-ok-to-be-white/800496/25 "2017-11-02T16:24:03Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > I don’t know who / what SHS is, but can you understand the difference between “you are a crybaby” and “grow up and get over it”? One is utterly-unhelpful name-calling. The other is a suggestion to help someone grow and act more maturely. I understand that the above is a distinction without a difference. (SHS=Sarah Huckabee Sanders: infamous for explaining to everyone that what was said isn’t what was said but actually meant something else entirely.) ---
**Author:** ![PatriotX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c4cdca/32.png) [@PatriotX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotX)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4chan-trolls-its-ok-to-be-white/800496/26 "2017-11-02T16:24:30Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > I don’t know who / what SHS is, but can you understand the difference between “you are a crybaby” and “grow up and get over it”? One is utterly-unhelpful name-calling. The other is a suggestion to help someone grow and act more maturely. You implied that they were immature people who cried over something they shouldn’t be crying about. The distinction between that and “cry-baby” seems to be made without any difference. But I believe you that these two things are distinct and different to you. But, as an outside observer, they seem at least roughly synonymous. I’m willing to concede that you just meant an immature person who gets upset over something they shouldn’t get upset about. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4chan-trolls-its-ok-to-be-white/800496/27 "2017-11-02T16:32:05Z")
> [@PatriotX](#): > > You implied that they were immature people who cried over something they shouldn’t be crying about. > > The distinction between that and “cry-baby” seems to be made without any difference. > > But I believe you that these two things are distinct and different to you. > > But, as an outside observer, they seem at least roughly synonymous. > > I’m willing to concede that you just meant an immature person who gets upset over something they shouldn’t get upset about. I think they are immature people who cry over something that they shouldn’t be crying about. The distinction I was attempting to make was between just telling them that (“telling them they’re cry-babies”), which seems doomed to accomplish very little vs encouraging them to move past the trauma they’re feeling at seeing the “It’s OK to be white” signs and focus on more important things, which I view as a fairly constructive suggestion. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4chan-trolls-its-ok-to-be-white/800496/28 "2017-11-02T16:36:31Z")
It’s 4chan – they try this shit all the time. They’re the ones who came up with the whole “OK gesture = White Power”. They want to see if people will actually fall for it. It’s best to ignore them. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4chan-trolls-its-ok-to-be-white/800496/29 "2017-11-02T16:52:14Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > I think they are immature people who cry over something that they shouldn’t be crying about. The distinction I was attempting to make was between just telling them that (“telling them they’re cry-babies”), which seems doomed to accomplish very little vs encouraging them to move past the trauma they’re feeling at seeing the “It’s OK to be white” signs and focus on more important things, which I view as a fairly constructive suggestion. FWIW, I agree that, “It’s OK to be white” on 4chan isn’t anything worth responding to or getting worked up about. ---
**Author:** ![Crazy\_Canuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crazy_canuck/32/5282_2.png) [@Crazy\_Canuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crazy_Canuck)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4chan-trolls-its-ok-to-be-white/800496/30 "2017-11-02T16:54:34Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > What’s the best way to deal with these douchebags? Salute them, because this is one of the most awesome instances of trolling I have seen in a long time. This thread here and the reaction elsewhere is exactly what they want, and it amuses me to no end how people are swallowing it hook, line and sinker. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4chan-trolls-its-ok-to-be-white/800496/31 "2017-11-02T18:37:23Z")
4chan has also convinced people that microwaving their iphones is a good way to charge the battery. It’s safe to say that people who take them seriously aren’t exactly the brightest bulbs in the chandelier. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4chan-trolls-its-ok-to-be-white/800496/32 "2017-11-02T18:46:23Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > FWIW, I agree that, “It’s OK to be white” on 4chan isn’t anything worth responding to or getting worked up about. It’s actually much broader than this. NOTHING on 4chan is worth responding to or getting worked up about. If the most effective response to a troll is not feeding him, merely visiting that hive of scum and villainy is volunteering to slop the pigs at a huge stinky pig farm. In other words: “Forget it, Jake. It’s 4chan.” ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4chan-trolls-its-ok-to-be-white/800496/33 "2017-11-02T19:13:20Z")
Here’s a response from the Dean of Students at Harvard: [![](https://i.imgur.com/fwlss4V.png) ](https://i.imgur.com/fwlss4V.png) and now [someone is writing it on money now](https://i.imgur.com/MtqqULO.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4chan-trolls-its-ok-to-be-white/800496/34 "2017-11-02T19:56:39Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > Here’s a response from the Dean of Students at Harvard Seems measured and reasonable to me, granting for the sake of argument that a response was necessary at all. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4chan-trolls-its-ok-to-be-white/800496/35 "2017-11-02T20:10:10Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Seems measured and reasonable to me, granting for the sake of argument that a response was necessary at all. I agree. Her response was about as bland and unobjectionable as the stickers that inspired it. She’s trying to be reassuring to upset students. That’s her job. ---
**Author:** ![eulalia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eulalia/32/457_2.png) [@eulalia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eulalia)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2017, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4chan-trolls-its-ok-to-be-white/800496/36 "2017-11-10T17:41:24Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > Nobody needs to react, and in a perfect world nobody would give the trolls the attention they so desperately crave. But we don’t live in that world. We all know people are going to react, and they’re going to react in a way that gives the trolls exactly what they want – a sense of victimization. > > Given that we all know a reaction is inevitable, I’m asking what the best way to deal with it is. A roll-eyes smiley? ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2017, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4chan-trolls-its-ok-to-be-white/800496/37 "2017-11-10T17:44:02Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > Same way you deal with anyone expressing anything positive related to their identity. Or is it that it’s saying “white” grounds for different treatment? It is, yes. Nobody expresses white pride except to imply the inferiority of non-whites. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2017, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4chan-trolls-its-ok-to-be-white/800496/38 "2017-11-10T18:04:49Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > It is, yes. Nobody expresses white pride except to imply the inferiority of non-whites. Do you take the message “It’s okay to be white” as either an expression of white pride or an implication of the inferiority of non-whites? Or was this post referring to other, more explicit messages not discussed in the OP? ---
**Author:** ![Airbeck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/airbeck/32/6574_2.png) [@Airbeck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airbeck)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2017, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4chan-trolls-its-ok-to-be-white/800496/39 "2017-11-10T18:42:31Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > Do you take the message “It’s okay to be white” as either an expression of white pride or an implication of the inferiority of non-whites? Or was this post referring to other, more explicit messages not discussed in the OP? I see it as a completely useless thing to say since I’m not aware of anyone saying that it isn’t ok to be white. So I’m not sure who this statement is supposed to be contradicting. It is akin to saying “it’s ok to breathe air” or “it’s ok to live on Earth”, or “water is wet”. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2017, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4chan-trolls-its-ok-to-be-white/800496/40 "2017-11-10T18:44:19Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > Do you take the message “It’s okay to be white” as either an expression of white pride or an implication of the inferiority of non-whites? . . . In context, the latter is obviously what is intended. It’s the same as “All lives matter.” Without context, yes, obviously true; in context, obviously a rebuttal, discounting the claim that Black Lives Matter. We’re also talking about a forum where the N-Word is used very widely. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4chan-trolls-its-ok-to-be-white/800496.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4chan-trolls-its-ok-to-be-white/800496.md?page=3)