# I want racism front and center **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 25, 2007, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-racism-front-and-center/409361 "2007-06-25T17:59:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-racism-front-and-center/409361/21 "2007-06-25T19:17:59Z")
[QUOTE=Giraffe] That speaks of someone whose purpose is not to engage in discussion, but to draw attention. We don’t need that. [/QUOTE] Yeah, I got a certain Phred vibe there. ---
**Author:** ![Omegaman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e480ec/32.png) [@Omegaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omegaman)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-racism-front-and-center/409361/22 "2007-06-25T19:19:28Z")
[QUOTE=Giraffe] **GuyNblueJeans** was not suspended for racism. He was suspended for repeatedly posting bizarre screeds that appeared to have no purpose other than to shock or inflame. He didn’t want to debate his ideas, he wanted to scream them with increasing volume and vitriol. That speaks of someone whose purpose is not to engage in discussion, but to draw attention. We don’t need that. [/QUOTE] Yeah, right. It was his punctuation. Plain and simple. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-racism-front-and-center/409361/23 "2007-06-25T19:20:03Z")
[QUOTE=John Mace] I disagree. We had a flood of Stormfronters in here after \*\*BG \*_invited them to debate us. That was a disaster. They shat all over GD and left a mess for us to clean up. [/QUOTE] To be fair, there’s a difference between **GuyNblueJeans** , who seems to mostly have kept his crazy confined to his own threads.. well, mostly, anyway) and seemed close to reasonable when not Koppelating, and a series of posters who posted only on one subject, repeatedly, and over many threads._ One can be dealt with - he didn’t cause any big problems for the mods, other than the question of whether to ban/suspend him. The other is a much greater disruption. I disagree with\*\* Liberal\*\* too, though, but for a different reason. If you can debate racists - please do! That’s much better than just banning them. The problem here is that **Guy** seemed to ignore any attempt at debate, or replied with vitriol. You can’t shred someone’s argument, poor as it may be, if they don’t play the game. \*I’m assuming this is what happened, not having seen it myself. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-racism-front-and-center/409361/24 "2007-06-25T19:34:39Z")
[QUOTE=Colibri] How do you know he isn’t? 😉 [/QUOTE] Seen his feet. No jackboots. ---
**Author:** ![Mosier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ea924/32.png) [@Mosier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mosier)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-racism-front-and-center/409361/25 "2007-06-25T19:52:31Z")
Just for the record, I don’t think “nigger” means “a derogatory word for black people” anymore. I seriously doubt **GuyNBluejeans** would have called a black person waiting at the bus stop, or his black physician, or the black newscaster telling him the temperature a nigger. It refers to a particular cultural subset, not a racial one. ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-racism-front-and-center/409361/26 "2007-06-25T20:12:42Z")
**Mosier** , I disagree with you. I know that there are a number of respected people who want to ‘reclaim’ the word, just as some other negative words have been reclaimed by other groups. In my experience it seems that while it can be used, by one person of color to refer to another person of color, the moment a white person uses the word, it’s completely verbotten. Until the racial component of who may use the word becomes less important, I’m left with the impression that it is still a racial slur of great power. As for the OP, I’ve got mixed feelings. I think that **Liberal** is right that racism continues to exist in hiding, and it’s quite damaging, still. Perhaps more so, because of its ‘stealth’ nature. Having said that, I saw no debate going on with our departed friend. Just screeds, as our long-tongued Mod has called them, that involved none of the give and take of what I consider true debate. So, while I see **Liberal** ’s point, I’m not going to miss **GuyNblueJeans** ’s posts. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-racism-front-and-center/409361/27 "2007-06-25T20:44:36Z")
[QUOTE=Mosier] I seriously doubt **GuyNBluejeans** would have called a black person waiting at the bus stop, or his black physician, or the black newscaster telling him the temperature a nigger. It refers to a particular cultural subset, not a racial one. [/QUOTE] No, it refers to a version of black people that exists in the minds of racists. **Guy** liked to proclaim his love for all of God’s people and such, but eventually he’d say something like ‘black people are out to get us’ or ‘poor people should be sterilized.’ There’s an obvious prejudice there regardless of how he might have treated a black doctor: ‘they’re niggers unless proven otherwise.’ I’m sure it’s easy to find racists who make exceptions, which is why “some of my best friends are black” doesn’t carry any weightaround here. Whether the guy doesn’t like black people or just doesn’t like most black people is of no concern to me. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-racism-front-and-center/409361/28 "2007-06-25T20:57:19Z")
[QUOTE=Giraffe] **GuyNblueJeans** was not suspended for racism. He was suspended for repeatedly posting bizarre screeds that appeared to have no purpose other than to shock or inflame. He didn’t want to debate his ideas, he wanted to scream them with increasing volume and vitriol. That speaks of someone whose purpose is not to engage in discussion, but to draw attention. We don’t need that. [/QUOTE] I believe you. As a mod, you’ve been nothing if not honest and forthright. I’m not sure I understand what the screaming threshold is, but that’s your call to make of course — although punishing loudness and vitriol in the Pit seems a bit odd. However, I think what you stated as his purpose has as much to do with your perceptions as his intent. Sometimes people just have opinions that are shocking to most other people. Combine that with the rather tender sensibilities of some members, and an open bigot is bound to push a button or two. As an example, almost everything Der Trihs writes is intended to shock and inflame, especially toward people of faith. But you’re not sensitive to that, and so you allow it to roll right on. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-racism-front-and-center/409361/29 "2007-06-25T21:08:25Z")
[QUOTE=Liberal] I believe you. As a mod, you’ve been nothing if not honest and forthright. I’m not sure I understand what the screaming threshold is, but that’s your call to make of course — although punishing loudness and vitriol in the Pit seems a bit odd. However, I think what you stated as his purpose has as much to do with your perceptions as his intent. Sometimes people just have opinions that are shocking to most other people. Combine that with the rather tender sensibilities of some members, and an open bigot is bound to push a button or two. As an example, almost everything Der Trihs writes is intended to shock and inflame, especially toward people of faith. But you’re not sensitive to that, and so you allow it to roll right on. [/QUOTE] I don’t think that’s a good analogy. As bad as \*\*DT \*\*is, he doesn’t start threads in order to get people riled up, and I don’t see him purposely stirring up shit-- he just comes across as grossly misinformed and too ideologically rigid to fix that. ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-racism-front-and-center/409361/30 "2007-06-25T21:19:15Z")
[QUOTE=Liberal] I’m not sure I understand what the screaming threshold is, [/QUOTE] _clears throat_ ---
**Author:** ![El\_Cid\_Viscoso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/41988e/32.png) [@El\_Cid\_Viscoso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Cid_Viscoso)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-racism-front-and-center/409361/31 "2007-06-25T21:22:03Z")
Fundie = Nigger? That is the question. BTW **John** , you sure can gild a turd. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-racism-front-and-center/409361/32 "2007-06-25T21:27:59Z")
[QUOTE=El Cid Viscoso] BTW **John** , you sure can gild a turd. 🙂 [/QUOTE] Well, it wasn’t easy to post that-- there is no love lost between \*\*DT \*\*and me. But I don’t think he’s a troll. ---
**Author:** ![DiggitCamara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df788c/32.png) [@DiggitCamara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiggitCamara)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-racism-front-and-center/409361/33 "2007-06-25T21:36:53Z")
[QUOTE=Omegaman] Yeah, right. It was his punctuation. Plain and simple. 😃 [/QUOTE] You ! Win, the¡ thread¿ 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-racism-front-and-center/409361/34 "2007-06-25T21:41:05Z")
[QUOTE=Liberal] Sometimes people just have opinions that are shocking to most other people. Combine that with the rather tender sensibilities of some members, and an open bigot is bound to push a button or two. As an example, almost everything Der Trihs writes is intended to shock and inflame, especially toward people of faith. But you’re not sensitive to that, and so you allow it to roll right on. [/QUOTE] Do you feel that **Der Trihs** should be censured by the mods for his posts? If so, how does that jibe with your OP? In any case, I don’t feel the comparison is apt. If **Der Trihs** repeatedly started threads just to yell about religion and fundies and Ted Koppel without engaging in any meaningful interchange with other posters, he’d have gotten the same response as **GuyNblueJeans**. This has not been the case, in my experience. **Der Trihs** has pretty consistently shown a willingness to debate his controversial assertions, so I don’t see much of a case for labeling him a troll. Trolling is as much about how you interact with other posters as it is about holding inflammatory and/or disingenuous views. ---
**Author:** ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-racism-front-and-center/409361/35 "2007-06-25T21:46:44Z")
Think before you type, me. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-racism-front-and-center/409361/36 "2007-06-25T21:51:17Z")
Mmmm. Can I be a racist for a day, cash the check, and then change my mind? ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-racism-front-and-center/409361/37 "2007-06-25T21:53:07Z")
Hey, wait a minute! What the…? Early onset Budweiser’s? **Terrifel** changed his post before I answered it, and now I look stupid! No fair! No fair! ---
**Author:** ![El\_Cid\_Viscoso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/41988e/32.png) [@El\_Cid\_Viscoso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Cid_Viscoso)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-racism-front-and-center/409361/38 "2007-06-25T21:56:50Z")
[QUOTE=elucidator] Hey, wait a minute! What the…? Early onset Budweiser’s? **Terrifel** changed his post before I answered it, and now I look stupid! No fair! No fair! [/QUOTE] Ha! Post like a peckerwood, pay like a peckerwood. Now give me all your 'shine or I’ll turn you into the revenuers. ---
**Author:** ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-racism-front-and-center/409361/39 "2007-06-25T21:57:38Z")
Yeah, sorry about flinching like that, **elucidator**. I guessed you were responding to my hastily composed jibe about the possibility of paying racists to leave the board. Now after my edit it looks like you’re transcribing an internal conversation with elves or something. I have enough trouble expressing myself coherently when I need to, without actively subverting the communications of others. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-racism-front-and-center/409361/40 "2007-06-25T22:10:32Z")
[QUOTE=El Cid Viscoso] Ha! Post like a peckerwood, pay like a peckerwood. Now give me all your 'shine or I’ll turn you into the revenuers. [/QUOTE] Hillbillies make 'shine, peckerwoods make trouble. Besides, if you did, your sister would kick yer ass into next week! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-racism-front-and-center/409361.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-racism-front-and-center/409361.md?page=3)