# Hello. I am a racist. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 18, 2010, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hello-i-am-a-racist/550590 "2010-08-18T00:25:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hello-i-am-a-racist/550590/181 "2010-08-18T06:48:56Z")
> [@LeeshaJoy](#): > > > [@DiosaBellissima](#): > > > > You don’t consider bigots to be the scummiest of the scummy? I suppose we disagree, but to me, bigots of all stripes are the worst of the worst. You can go ahead and defend him though, if you want. 🙂 > > I make a distinction between his kind of bigot and, say, Pol Pot. But maybe I’m being too anal. Well, sure, there’s a distinction there. But that’s a distinction of degree, not of kind. One can say that the OP is the worst kind of person, while allowing that there are others of his kind who are even worse than he is. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hello-i-am-a-racist/550590/182 "2010-08-18T06:48:59Z")
1. Have you ever been a member of a white supremacist organization? If so, which ones? 2. Have you ever committed any pranks and/or crimes against black people? If so, details please. 3. Is Obama your President or not? 4. Do you like/love your hatred for black people? Does it give you purpose or other meaning? If so, please describe. 5. Are you rude to black people? Directly in conversation? Loudly so they can overhear you? 6. What kind of thoughts come into your mind when you see black children? 7. Do you like yourself? ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hello-i-am-a-racist/550590/183 "2010-08-18T06:49:02Z")
> [@The\_Hamster\_King](#): > > The fact is, though, that the only way to be a racist these days is to be willfully stupid. It’s the exact opposite of being honest or straight. Being a racist means sitting around with your eyes closed and your fingers in your ears because you’re too much of a coward to look life in the face. It lets you live in a fantasy world where you’re top dog. And not because you actually did anything worthwhile with yourself. You get to be on top just because your grand-pappy happened to be “Nordic”. > > It’s a sad miserable way to waste your life. You’d be better off dressing up as a superhero and hanging out at Star Trek conventions. At least the fanboys know they’re playing make-believe. Beautiful. ---
**Author:** ![multimediac17](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/839c29/32.png) [@multimediac17](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/multimediac17)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hello-i-am-a-racist/550590/184 "2010-08-18T06:57:28Z")
With a title like “Hello. I am a racist.” I expected there to be all sorts of shenanigans: crying, yelling, pointing of fingers, questioning of values, maybe a little vomit, but this has to be the most boring Pit-thread-that-could-have-been-a-legendary-trainwreck ever. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hello-i-am-a-racist/550590/185 "2010-08-18T06:58:17Z")
> [@LeeshaJoy](#): > > :rolleyes: This is what I get for trying to introduce subtlety and restraint into a hot-button topic. Please explain to me exactly how in the flaming fuck you intended to inject subtlety and restraint into a thread titled “Hello. I am a racist.” The entire OP is fairly summarized as “I’m trolling this board. Please abuse me as long as someone finds it amusing, then ban me. Hard and deep, big boy, because that’s the way I like it.” And eventually, one of the mods will pull the plug. Then maybe they leave the thread open a little while for anybody that didn’t get their licks in. Then one of the nonnies gets nonny points for burning yet another sock, which they find admirable for some reason. Then next week, or next month, another new guy shows up with some outrageous bullshit, and the circle of life is complete. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hello-i-am-a-racist/550590/186 "2010-08-18T07:34:26Z")
Thing is, it would be a pretty weak troll if we didn’t have people popping in and getting so angry about it. The people insisting we actually talk to this guy like a normal human being are doing a lot more to try to stop the problem than the people who get all outraged about it. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hello-i-am-a-racist/550590/187 "2010-08-18T07:44:53Z")
> [@DiosaBellissima](#): > > > [@LeeshaJoy](#): > > > > The worst kind of person? _The_ worst? Seriously? :dubious: > > You don’t consider bigots to be the scummiest of the scummy? I suppose we disagree, but to me, bigots of all stripes are the worst of the worst. This is utter nonsense. Wife and child beaters are worse, not to mention people who abuse little children sexually. People who sell addictive drugs are worse. Drug addicts themselves often are worse. People who are aggressively violent are worse. People who drive drunk are worse. People who break into homes and steal cars and rob banks are worse. People who live a booze, drugs and whatever dishonest shit they can get away with lifestyle are worse. Rapists and murderers, needless to say, are worse. The list goes on… Yes, racism is a bad thing, but you need to get a grip and keep things in perspective. As to the OP, I think **Princester** hit the nail on the head when he said that the OP was confusing behavior born of socio-economic circumstance with inherited genetic traits. I’d wager that the OP would be just as scornful of, and just as desirous of keeping his distance from, ‘white trash’ lowlife types as he is blacks who exhibit the same kind of behavior, but he just hasn’t thought of it in those terms yet. He also needs to realize that just as white trash types are a small subset of the white population, the types of blacks he’s seen and developed resentment toward are a small subset of the black population as well. For every black person he sees who exhibits the kind of behavior he’s complaining of, there are many, many more who are living lives that he would consider every bit as respectable as those lived by mainstream whites, they just aren’t as visible as the emotional, criminal or violent ones. ---
**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:** [August 18, 2010, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hello-i-am-a-racist/550590/188 "2010-08-18T07:48:23Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Thing is, it would be a pretty weak troll if we didn’t have people popping in and getting so angry about it. The people insisting we actually talk to this guy like a normal human being are doing a lot more to try to stop the problem than the people who get all outraged about it. You can choose to do neither, of course; post to this thread without (or just barely) addressing the OP at all. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hello-i-am-a-racist/550590/189 "2010-08-18T08:15:31Z")
> [@The\_Hamster\_King](#): > > \*\*Ariovistus \*\*just wants to get kicked around a little so he can scamper home to his racist buddies, show off his bruises, and complain about how closed-minded the liberals are. And aren’t we doing a good job of giving him something to complain about? Which is not to say that there is any real chance of him changing our minds but let’s face it, this thread is 99% just kicking the guy and about 1% actually discussing anything with him. Mostly it’s just people publically exercising their anxiety to show how racist they aren’t. ---
**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:** [August 18, 2010, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hello-i-am-a-racist/550590/190 "2010-08-18T08:35:18Z")
He just plain don’t like black people. So what? It’s hardly a unique or unusual attitude. ---
**Author:** ![One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/838e76/32.png) [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/One_And_Only_Wanderers)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hello-i-am-a-racist/550590/191 "2010-08-18T09:15:32Z")
Why not just say that you don’t like people who are over emotional, instant gratification etc, whatever their colour may be? The problem here is your broad brushing of an entire population as having the exact same characteristics. You can apply a lot of these things you say you don’t like to working class white English Northerners. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 9:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hello-i-am-a-racist/550590/192 "2010-08-18T09:19:50Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > He just plain don’t like black people. So what? It’s hardly a unique or unusual attitude. No it isn’t unique or unusual, but it is monumentally taboo to openly admit to being racist (outside of Stormfront etc) and it is consequently very rare to be able to ask simple questions of such a person. There are a lot of people who are racist but few who will admit it, and it’s hard to discuss someone’s attitudes with them if they won’t admit to having those attitudes. We don’t learn anything by shouting someone down. We may well not learn much by \*not \*shouting them down, but I find the behaviour of angry mobs pretty depressing, whether their target is somewhat deserving or not. ---
**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:** [August 18, 2010, 9:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hello-i-am-a-racist/550590/193 "2010-08-18T09:37:47Z")
Actually, it’s comically refreshing to see the admission. P.J. O’Rourke had a similar comment about Apartheid-era South Africa: “It’s in their constitution. Article IV: fuck you, we’re bigots.” ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 9:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hello-i-am-a-racist/550590/194 "2010-08-18T09:45:00Z")
> [@Oldeb](#): > > > [@DiosaBellissima](#): > > > > But. . . how will we keep the gene pool clean and white if _not_ through heavy inbreeding? > > That would go a long way towards answering how **Ariovistus** is able to name all 2,048 of his known ancestors. The hardest part was figuring out who his father was. Once he did that, the rest was dead easy. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hello-i-am-a-racist/550590/195 "2010-08-18T10:05:31Z")
This thread is a trainwreck, so maybe this has already been mentioned, but **Ariovistus** complains about being stereotyped by people because he is from the south, but doesn’t seem to make the connection that he makes the same kinds of stereotypes about black people. In fact, there is quite alot of overlap in the stereotypes of black people and white southerners (lazy, violent, unclean, loose morals, etc.). Why do you feel it is wrong in one case, but justified in another? ---
**Author:** ![bucketybuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@bucketybuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bucketybuck)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 10:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hello-i-am-a-racist/550590/196 "2010-08-18T10:09:02Z")
> [@The\_Hamster\_King](#): > > \*\*Ariovistus \*\*just wants to get kicked around a little so he can scamper home to his racist buddies, show off his bruises, and complain about how closed-minded the liberals are. > > “I tried to have an honest conversation about race and all they did was call me names!” Thing is, he would be right. All you so-called smart people want to do is call him names. I agree with **Princhester** ; > [@Princhester](#): > > Mostly it’s just people publically exercising their anxiety to show how racist they aren’t. All very pointless, boring, and a waste. So, I see **Miller** is aware of this thread. Whiners use the fact it started in the pit as an excuse not to engage the OP, but instead throw shit at him, all the while ignoring that the thread could easily be moved. So, **Miller** , why not move this to GD, and take it from there? ---
**Author:** ![tiltawhirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e99b99/32.png) [@tiltawhirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tiltawhirl)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 10:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hello-i-am-a-racist/550590/197 "2010-08-18T10:15:28Z")
> [@Ariovistus](#): > > Our family is Norse and Teuton Mongrel. ---
**Author:** ![DianaG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hello-i-am-a-racist/550590/198 "2010-08-18T10:20:32Z")
> [@DiosaBellissima](#): > > I’m all about a good debate, but certain things are not worth arguing- in particular the ideologies of bigots. No, we don’t need a dialog. No, we don’t need to explore what makes him tick. No, we shouldn’t give a flying fuck what he has to say. QFT. Why on earth would I engage this person? I have nothing to gain or learn from such a conversation. I \*understand \*him perfectly, thank you. He’s hardly the first bigot I’ve ever encountered. I offer him what he deserves, which is my mild contempt for his perpetual tantrum, as he rages against a world that’s left him behind. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hello-i-am-a-racist/550590/199 "2010-08-18T10:30:41Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > > [@DiosaBellissima](#): > > > > You don’t consider bigots to be the scummiest of the scummy? I suppose we disagree, but to me, bigots of all stripes are the worst of the worst. > > This is utter nonsense. Wife and child beaters are worse, not to mention people who abuse little children sexually. OK, how about if we limit it to black baby rapers? Sure, raping white babies is worse, but there must be an equivalency if it is just a black baby, right? ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hello-i-am-a-racist/550590/200 "2010-08-18T10:32:10Z")
> [@bucketybuck](#): > > > [@The\_Hamster\_King](#): > > > > “I tried to have an honest conversation about race and all they did was call me names!” > > Thing is, he would be right. All you so-called smart people want to do is call him names. No, to the extent that he _has_ attempted honest conversation (a little), he has been fairly engaged. In fact, somewhat more than that, I’d say. The OP, as several people pointed out, had little relevant content beyond the title hook and the mention of his home at “chimpout.” The rest… the jokes, spelling critique, accusations of trolling, declarations of disinterest, drive-by insults… that stuff all goes on at SDMB routinely. If he thinks he’s getting it special, he’s wrong. (Granted, the title hook is bringing it all in at a faster _rate_ than is typical, but an active thread is usually seen as a good thing.) Indeed, he has already had several defenders calling for him to be given a better hearing and decrying “shouting down,” as if he was being _prevented_ from making his case. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hello-i-am-a-racist/550590.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hello-i-am-a-racist/550590.md?page=11)