Actually, I like the original version better, too. When I was registering, for some reason I thought my username should sound like an individual rather than a partnership. I’ve since noticed other posters with institutional-sounding names. If I had it to do over again, I’d of done it the original way – I’d have even tacked on “LLP” at the end.
That, or I’d have gone with “Lionel Hutz.” Or “Law Talking Guy,” but some doofus over at Fark already has that one.
“Punk” as a slang term for “homosexual male” dates back at least to the turn of the (20th) century. I looked that up in my “American gay slang” dictionary.
And golly, has EasyPhil not yet figured out that he isn’t going to win this? Perhaps he isn’t such a clever boy (in the sense of young male person regardless of race) after all.
Clever boy,
Answer my question: why can’t you be (a) racist?
Regardless of what you people think, I’ve made my point. You don’t agree with it? Fine. It doesn’t really matter.
Win this??? I didn’t know it was a competition, I guess I’m not a clever man after all.
For those suffering from reading comprehension failure syndrome, I posed a question to Cheatem, he answered, that’s good enough for me.
For those that think I’m overly sensitive, cool, think what you want, but you can bet I will question anyone whether or not they’re make veiled bigoted comments. Uncomfortable with that? Too bad, get used to it.
Because I’m not? What a stupid question.
Oh, yes, your “question” was oh-so-genuine, with no veiled accusations whatsoever… :rolleyes: **
Translation: I will continue my assholish behavior of blithely tossing out accusations of racism on the flimsiest of evidence, and I will continue to try to falsely characterize my accusations as “just a question” when said assholishness is pointed out to me.
Are you a baby-raper?
Six of one, half dozen of the other? If I was convinced you were a racist, I would have started a thread that read:
Dewey Cheatem Undhow, you punk ass racist!
[quote**
**Translation: I will continue my assholish behavior of blithely tossing out accusations of racism on the flimsiest of evidence, and I will continue to try to falsely characterize my accusations as “just a question” when said assholishness is pointed out to me. **[/QUOTE]
You are free to interpret what I’m writing, any way you want, but I don’t have to veil an accusation with a question, I’ll just call you a racist if I think or feel that you are one.
Is your father one?
The question was why can’t you be a racist, not why aren’t you a racist*. Please see the preceding post about “Reading comprehension failure syndrome”.
[sub]*I have a feeling I already know the answer to this- he’s going to claim that “he doesn’t have the ability to deprive anyone of their rights so therefore he can’t be a racist” or some similar malarkey.[/sub]
The problem is, EasyPhil, that people will indeed get used to it. You’re now “the boy who cried racist.”
When you do things like this, your credibility takes a serious hit. If, say, tomndebb, pits someone for being a racist, people will really take notice. If you do it, you’re inviting a pile-on, even if you may have a point.
If you’re happy with that, I guess it’s your business. But spurious charges of “racism” ala Al Sharpton cheapen the entire concept and do serious damage because they provide cover for the real bad guys.
Because I’m not, what about that are you unclear about?
Are you so dense that you missed Mr. Miskatonic’s point?
Here, let me spell it out for you: a question can also be an accusation. By asking me “are you a punk ass racist,” you are implying that, indeed, I am a punk ass racist. By asking you if you were a baby raper, Mr. Miskatonic was implying that you were in fact a baby raper.
In asking the question as you did, you were doing more than just asking a question – you were making a statement.
If you seriously had questions about my use of the phrase “clever boy,” the proper, non-accusatory way to inquire about it would have been to ask, in the original thread, “excuse me, but how do you mean that phrase?” It is not to start pit thread entitled “are you a punk ass racist?” The latter method carries with it an accusation, and a serious accusation at that.
Some things shouldn’t be bandied about lightly. Charges of racism are one of those things. You should be ashamed of yourself.
The sad thing is, this whole pileon could have been avoided if you had simply said “I’m sorry, I was a bit overly sensitive and flew off the handle; I should not have started this Pit thread and I apologize for calling Dewey a racist.” I think everyone would’ve been OK with that. But your continued insistence on defending the indefensible is not exactly winning friends and influencing people.
I make a distinction between asking for clarification and making a direct accusation. If you want to read more into what I’m saying fine, but again I have no problem being direct.
I hear your point Truth Seeker, but looking at the trend on this board, with respect to Black people discussing something that they thought was racist or that they were offended by, the troops quickly amass to tell the person that it isn’t the case. Words like some are interpreted as all, may is interpreted as does, and questions are viewed as assertions. The consensus here is going to think the way they want to think and dispute anything to the contrary. I don’t really care about the pile-ons, I’ve seen it happen here so many times, it’s par for the course. The consensus cannot dictate to me what to think, feel, or be offended by nor can they dictate what I can or cannot question.
Many people here, which is a microcosm of the country at large, are uncomfortable with dealing with issues of race i.e. the experience of Black people at the hands of White people and how they feel about it. Only the most egregious statements or beliefs that are racist posted, will possibly motivate the participants in this thread to show up and pipe in.
So rather than just ask DCU in the original thread what he meant by “clever boy”, you opened a brand new thread in the pit asking for “clarification” :rolleyes: and stating that you’re inclined to think he’s a racist. But you’re not accusing him of such, nosiree.
A question that is viewed as an accusation can also just be a question, ultimately is all about how you feel about the question being asked. Uneasy about being asked if you are racist? Maybe that’s something you should explore.
This is the appropriate place for this discussion. I also don’t have to follow your rules of engagment nor you mine.
I don’t care about the pile-on, winning friends, influencing people or consensus thinking here. If I feel you or anyone else might be a racist comment, I’m going to ask, if I know, I’m going to call you on it.
Why hijack a thread, when I can ask the question here?
Bullshit. It is an insult to both the English language and common fucking sense to suggest that your “question” was anything but an accusation of racism. **
No, I am uneasy (too mild a term, really) with being falsely accused of racism, for pretty much the same reason I’d be uneasy with being falsely accused of child molestation, lying, stealing, or any other serious sin.
A short request for clarification woud hardly be a hijack. And if you really felt it would be a hijack, you could have easily asked me to clarify my remark in an email.
Instead you thought it’d be a good idea to run to the Pit. Hardly the place for genuine questions of a non-accusatory nature.
You wanted a public spectacle. You got one, though I’m betting it’s not quite the one you expected.
Maybe he’s also upset about the “punk ass” part. I mean, “racist,” OK, but “punk ass,” them’s fight’n words!
Anyway, Easyphil, there’s nothing wrong with being sensitive to racial issues. The question is whether you use the opportunity to educate or alienate. Point out racism wherever you believe you see it, by all means. But don’t come in, guns blazing, assuming that a theoretically racist comment is an unquestionably racist comment. It’s counterproductive.
You did not, for example, take any exception to my comment about “The boy who cried racist” because you know what I alluded to and know that it has no racist connotations whatsoever. There is often a perfectly innocent explanation to perceived racial slights, as in the “niggardly” fiasco in D.C. a few years ago. The correct approach is to, politely, ask for clarification. The alleged racist will either clear up the misunderstanding or give you plenty of rope with which to hang them. In either case, you’ll save everyone, including yourself, a lot of useless aggravation.