# Calling someone racist is a personal insult **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [April 12, 2010, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-someone-racist-is-a-personal-insult/535802 "2010-04-12T02:25:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2010, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-someone-racist-is-a-personal-insult/535802/21 "2010-04-13T05:50:22Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > As far as I know, I’ve only used that in the Pit. Though I will refer to what a person says as bigotry. The problem, as I see it, is that saying “The things you are saying are racist/bigoted” is effectively the same as saying “_You_ are a racist/bigot, otherwise you would not say those things/hold those views”. ---
**Author:** ![Electric\_Warrior](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@Electric\_Warrior](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electric_Warrior)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2010, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-someone-racist-is-a-personal-insult/535802/22 "2010-04-13T13:24:00Z")
> [@Martini\_Enfield](#): > > The problem, as I see it, is that saying “The things you are saying are racist/bigoted” is effectively the same as saying “_You_ are a racist/bigot, otherwise you would not say those things/hold those views”. I think keeping the focus on the things a person says allows the person to believe that they didn’t realize that a statement could be construed a certain way. And then you tell them exactly why it could be construed that way. Even if the reason someone is saying racist things is because he is actually racist, it’s easier for someone to change one opinion at a time than to change his entire personality. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2010, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-someone-racist-is-a-personal-insult/535802/23 "2010-04-13T14:48:56Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > The post that caused me to write this OP was actually against MeadOldLady (in IMHO, I think). The fact that she hasn’t mentioned it almost seems like she didn’t even notice. (Or care, since she seems to be like that.) I noticed, and took it as tongue-in-cheek, which the person who made the statement later said it was. Even if he were serious, I wouldn’t have cared. ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2010, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-someone-racist-is-a-personal-insult/535802/24 "2010-04-13T15:10:42Z")
> [@MeanOldLady](#): > > I noticed, and took it as tongue-in-cheek, which the person who made the statement later said it was. Even if he were serious, I wouldn’t have cared. But was it annoying? I mean, to have people hitting report buttons in your honor. Sigh. I don’t know, it just annoys me so. It’s like almost stirring shit up when the so called ‘target’ is completely relaxed and not stirred up about anything at all. ETA: Nevermind that. I feel like the one stirring shit now. If you were annoyed you would have said so. I’m the one that gets irritated at shit like that. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2010, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-someone-racist-is-a-personal-insult/535802/25 "2010-04-13T15:27:02Z")
I think it’s a little weird that everyone got offended by (what I thought was obviously) intended to be humorous, but whatever. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2010, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-someone-racist-is-a-personal-insult/535802/26 "2010-04-20T04:06:11Z")
I blame the Jews. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2010, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-someone-racist-is-a-personal-insult/535802/27 "2010-04-20T17:28:39Z")
One of the problems with this concept is that we can’t even agree on a definition of “racist.” As an example, I saw one heated debate where one side said that all people of all races should be treated exactly the same. The other side said that races that have been repressed in the past should receive special treatment today. Each side said that the other was racist. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-someone-racist-is-a-personal-insult/535802.md?page=1)