# I do not share your racism. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 14, 2011, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-share-your-racism/599588 "2011-10-14T00:57:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Otara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a88e4f/32.png) [@Otara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otara)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2011, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-share-your-racism/599588/21 "2011-10-14T02:47:23Z")
Id have probably shared your reaction and not thought quickly enough to make a response. Perfectly reasonable rant in my view, and ditto on the apologist stuff. Otara ---
**Author:** ![Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/do_not_taunt/32/2968_2.png) [@Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Do_Not_Taunt)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2011, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-share-your-racism/599588/22 "2011-10-14T03:05:37Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > Care to answer the question (i.e., explain why you believe I’m an apologist for racists)? Well, I can’t speak for **MsWhatsit** , but I think you’re an apologist for racists because the antagonist of the OP’s story was clearly racist, and you showed up here defending it. [Apologist](http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/apologist). Quod erat demonstrandum. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2011, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-share-your-racism/599588/23 "2011-10-14T03:06:54Z")
> [@Do\_Not\_Taunt](#): > > Well, I can’t speak for **MsWhatsit** , but I think you’re an apologist for racists because the antagonist of the OP’s story was clearly racist, and you showed up here defending it. Quod erat demonstrandum. Hey, man, if you’re going to get all fancy with Latin and stuff, you can speak for me anytime. (_) (_) No you can’t. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2011, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-share-your-racism/599588/24 "2011-10-14T03:12:45Z")
I’m a racist apologist apologist apologist. But there’s nobody apologizing for the racist apologists for me to apologize on behalf of yet. I shall keep a close watch on this thread until that time comes. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2011, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-share-your-racism/599588/25 "2011-10-14T03:33:12Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > So I’m a racist apologist?.. Naah, I’m betting you’ve never apologized in your life. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2011, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-share-your-racism/599588/26 "2011-10-14T05:45:13Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > It’s just that there was no reason to bring race up at all. None, whatsoever. For every twenty people I see on the street, 19 are black people (of all income spectrums) and one is a white person with one of those $800 baby strollers. The racial dynamics of _anything_ don’t really need to be stated. There are tensions, but it’s not some kind of great mystery. > > The only reason to bring race into it all would be to make some cute little aside, to try to bond with me over how _we_ have to deal with _them_ and the trials of being an urban homesteader in such a _colorful_ neighborhood. Sorry, I’m not on that boat with you. I’m here because I wanted to find a place with a sense of community and really cheap rent. I’m grateful for the safety tip, but no, I’m not going to commiserate with you that I as a conspicuously well off person who moved into a poor neighborhood and _gasp_ I’m a target for crime. > > She was in her late 30s, early 40s. Southern accent, pearls and heels. The whole interaction ended before I realized what was setting me off about it, but I wish I had been thinking a bit quicker. Ok, so only 1 out of every 20 people you see on the street in your neighborhood is white. The remaining 19 of those 20 are black people. Now among those 19 black people, you see a diversity of income levels; from poor to well off. That lone white person seen on your street is _always_ (according to these stats) a well off person with a high income. That high income means they are more likely to have “fancy gadgets” or whatever it is that is worthy of stealing. So _they_ may in fact _ **be** _ targeting white people, and it would **not** be motivated by racism but rather by recognizing a high likelihood of cashing in by recognizing the racial patterns in the neighborhood. ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2011, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-share-your-racism/599588/27 "2011-10-14T05:47:45Z")
I’ve been told by students that I’m an easier target because I’m white. I look weak. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2011, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-share-your-racism/599588/28 "2011-10-14T06:26:21Z")
What quadrant do you live in, **even sven**? ---
**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:** [October 14, 2011, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-share-your-racism/599588/29 "2011-10-14T06:27:01Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > So _they_ may in fact _ **be** _ targeting white people, and it would **not** be motivated by racism but rather by recognizing a high likelihood of cashing in by recognizing the racial patterns in the neighborhood. Then telling her to hide her iPhone was pretty pointless, wasn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2011, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-share-your-racism/599588/30 "2011-10-14T07:44:15Z")
I like threads that bring out the racists (not apologists, if you’re an “apologist” for someone like the lady in the OP you’re as much of a racist as she is unless your defence of her includes the fact that she has a mental disorder) - this one hasn’t netted anyone new, but it helps to keep tabs on the little pieces of shit. ---
**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:** [October 14, 2011, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-share-your-racism/599588/31 "2011-10-14T09:00:57Z")
The second you use racist language, it doesn’t matter if the statement is factual. Newsflash: All racists think their statements are factual. It’s entirely irrelevant. The point is that she used an US vs. THEM style of conversation, and the THEM was obviously people of another race. That’s racism, no matter what. The idea that it is your race against another is racism, even if you can figure out a way to say the same thing that isn’t true. “THEY are robbing all the white people,” is racist, even if “There is a greater than 50% chance that someone in this neighborhood is a criminal, and 90% of this neighborhood is black. These criminals go after the wealthy, and white people in this area have more wealth. And the wealthy are less likely to be criminal. So it is quite likely, but not certain, that a black person will probably attack a white person,” is true. It doesn’t make it okay to denigrate all Black people due to true conditions in the area you happen to live in. It especially doesn’t make it okay to bring up race when it is irrelevant to the conversation at hand. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2011, 9:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-share-your-racism/599588/32 "2011-10-14T09:42:00Z")
It was probably racist. But man, reading this thread has made me realize how callous I am on this subject. Living in Texas, this level of racism wouldn’t even ping my radar. And I hate racism! ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2011, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-share-your-racism/599588/33 "2011-10-14T12:30:01Z")
Even sven, still waiting on your definition of racist. It just seems odd to me that someone can say something that you believe to be factually accurate but because it is about race that person is a racist. Also, I’m not a racist or defending racism, but of course I knew I would be accused of both of those things simply for not making the right noises in this thread. I’m not defending the lady in the op at all–how anyone could draw that conclusion is beyond me (well, not really, I’m used to the high level of idiocy here). ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2011, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-share-your-racism/599588/34 "2011-10-14T12:35:29Z")
I don’t see any racist apologists in this thread. That’s because I’m DNFTT’ing. At any rate, yeah, racist. I’m probably on the “not-racist-seeing” end of the spectrum, but that statement was pretty racist. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2011, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-share-your-racism/599588/35 "2011-10-14T12:37:34Z")
Maybe the lady is wearing special glasses that let her see “They.” ---
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2011, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-share-your-racism/599588/36 "2011-10-14T12:40:00Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > I like threads that bring out the racists (not apologists, if you’re an “apologist” for someone like the lady in the OP you’re as much of a racist as she is unless your defence of her includes the fact that she has a mental disorder) - this one hasn’t netted anyone new, but it helps to keep tabs on the little pieces of shit. Official SDMB Racist reporting for duty. Fuck You **Mr Dribble** …I’ll bet you have more hate for the stereotypical Tea Bagger than I have for the stereotypical person of color. One is called a good liberal and the other an evil racist. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2011, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-share-your-racism/599588/37 "2011-10-14T12:42:35Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > For every twenty people I see on the street, 19 are black people (of all income spectrums) and one is a white person with one of those $800 baby strollers…Picture that you buy a house in the deep in a very very black part of South Central LA (my block is 91% black, the neighborhood around 70%). You walk around flashing your Rolex, a first full of diamond rings, and wads of hundreds in your back pocket. > > Someone says “Be careful, they rob _white_ people, you know.” > > Well, yeah. I’m sure “they” do. But there is no additional information being conveyed to you by the fact that some proportion of victims are white. If what you say isn’t conveying information, then what is it doing? Why say it? I’m getting the impression from **even sven** that all whites who might live in these areas are filthy rich and have expensive toys, unnecessarily tempting disadvantaged black people, not to mention “gentrifying” the local population out of its homes. Sounds like there could be a two-way street on racism here. ---
**Author:** ![Hyperelastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Hyperelastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hyperelastic)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2011, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-share-your-racism/599588/38 "2011-10-14T12:57:19Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > She was in her late 30s, early 40s. Southern accent, pearls and heels. The whole interaction ended before I realized what was setting me off about it, but I wish I had been thinking a bit quicker. You only realized later that it was a racist comment, yet you felt moved to post a rant on an anonymous message board. Sounds like liberal posturing to me. Look at me, I am a Good Person. Sorry, you’re not a Good Person unless you’re willing to do something about it. If this was truly a racist incident, you should be pitting yourself, not Mrs. Southern Pearls. ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2011, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-share-your-racism/599588/39 "2011-10-14T13:12:33Z")
Let’s try something just one time. Let’s have a thread about racism where someone besides me says what they believe qualifies a person as a racist. Just one time. ---
**Author:** ![shiftless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@shiftless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shiftless)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2011, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-share-your-racism/599588/40 "2011-10-14T13:13:30Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > I am not your sister in racism. I am not your ally in it. We do not have a special white person bond. I despise your casual, utterly unnecessary, really badly placed racism. Do not share it with me. This I agree with. I wouldn’t necessarily call it racism that she is calling to you, one white person to another. That is just being a busybody and trying to sell something - the idea that you should do as she wants because you have a connection. It becomes mild racism when she implies that other people are after you both for your whiteness. > [@even\_sven](#): > > She was in her late 30s, early 40s. Southern accent, pearls and heels. The whole interaction ended before I realized what was setting me off about it, but I wish I had been thinking a bit quicker. This baffles me. Downtown DC, on neighborhood watch patrol, in heels and pearls? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-share-your-racism/599588.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-share-your-racism/599588.md?page=3)