# Is this really acceptable in GD? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [May 1, 2014, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-really-acceptable-in-gd/687420 "2014-05-01T04:38:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**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:** [May 1, 2014, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-really-acceptable-in-gd/687420/1 "2014-05-01T04:38:03Z")
This post, I thought, was shocking in its blatant racism and attacking posters for no other reason than their race: > [@](#): > > Pjen, I think what you’re doing here is great, but you’re wasting your time. The guy was black and he killed a white woman. The issue is over in most people’s minds. The peanut gallery celebrates vengeance over justice when victims are white but exhibits mild indifference when the victims are black. White people could only spare us 80 or so years before restarting their Tuskegee-esque experiments. The people celebrating his death and the botched execution are not unlike the monsters on Attack on Titan. Over the last few weeks, it has never been so clear that white people want us gone. Treating us like some Palestinian step-children and shit. We don’t fire missiles nor we don’t engage in terrorism but still treated like animals. I just wish they’d move forward on a reparation and repatriation package so we can get the hell out of dodge. > > I move the idea that we should turn death row into mini concentration camps. That way, white people can use death row inmates for life-long experimentation followed by organ harvesting and burning the remains. You can broadcast the human experiments on pay-per-view television and use the proceeds to fix your broken, pot-hole riddled roads and your crumbling bridges that you’ve intentionally neglected for over three decades. From [this thread, post #202](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=722235&page=5). Yes, I did report it, but even though a mod came in after this post to admonish two other posters for going at each other, not a word about that post. I’m dumbfounded, but maybe it’s OK to say this about “white people” when saying the same about "black people’ would likely get someone banned post haste. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2014, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-really-acceptable-in-gd/687420/2 "2014-05-01T04:53:16Z")
Guessed who the poster was in 1. Not really surprising though. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2014, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-really-acceptable-in-gd/687420/3 "2014-05-01T05:27:33Z")
This white male poster doesn’t have a problem with the post referenced in the OP. Occasional bracing posts like this don’t do much harm and they may do some good. As I see it, the harm they do is that vitriolic language is habit forming and tends to place the poster aboard the ban train. It’s challenging to use such a tone sparingly. I would therefore advise Honesty to ease up. Yeah, I’m saying speaking generally vitriolic language isn’t symmetrical across races and genders and to pretend otherwise tends to put butthurt white guys in a bad light. On the substance of the post, I myself would only add modest qualifications. But that’s not for this thread. ---
**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:** [May 1, 2014, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-really-acceptable-in-gd/687420/4 "2014-05-01T06:15:48Z")
> [@MfM](#): > > Yeah, I’m saying speaking generally vitriolic language isn’t symmetrical across races So, you’re saying we should have a different standard depending on the race of the poster and/or race of the poster’s target? Not buying it. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2014, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-really-acceptable-in-gd/687420/5 "2014-05-01T06:50:15Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > So, you’re saying we should have a different standard depending on the race of the poster and/or race of the poster’s target? Not buying it. Er, are we discussing personal attacks? Because I didn’t read the referenced passage that way. I can’t honestly recall: didn’t we discuss this during sexism month? Calling somebody a c— is worse than calling another person a dick. Using the N-word is worse than honky. On a pseudo-anonymous message board, the race of the poster shouldn’t matter. It’s a pretty straightforward social observation that attacks on females and racial minorities in the US tend to have greater import than broad characterizations of the US electoral majority or Caucasian collective, taken as a whole. My take is that US adults have to be pretty dim or majorly butthurt if they don’t recognize that [straight white males play the game at the lowest difficulty setting](http://whatever.scalzi.com/2012/05/15/straight-white-male-the-lowest-difficulty-setting-there-is/). Also, water is wet. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2014, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-really-acceptable-in-gd/687420/6 "2014-05-01T07:01:02Z")
> [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#): > > This white male poster doesn’t have a problem with the post referenced in the OP. Occasional bracing posts like this don’t do much harm and they may do some good. As I see it, the harm they do is that vitriolic language is habit forming and tends to place the poster aboard the ban train. It’s challenging to use such a tone sparingly. I would therefore advise Honesty to ease up. > Yeah, I’m saying speaking generally vitriolic language isn’t symmetrical across races and genders and to pretend otherwise tends to put butthurt white guys in a bad light. On the substance of the post, I myself would only add modest qualifications. But that’s not for this thread. I disagree. Racism is racism and the post John Mace quoted is blatantly racist. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2014, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-really-acceptable-in-gd/687420/7 "2014-05-01T07:05:12Z")
> [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#): > > It’s a pretty straightforward social observation that attacks on females and racial minorities in the US tend to have greater import than broad characterizations of the US electoral majority or Caucasian collective, taken as a whole. If Honesty had said something like “Crimes with white victims usually get more severe punishment and provoke more public outrage than crimes with black victims” then he would have been making a debatable point. But going off on a rant about how all white people want to exterminate black people is racist. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2014, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-really-acceptable-in-gd/687420/8 "2014-05-01T07:06:45Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I disagree. Racism is racism and the post John Mace quoted is blatantly racist. Agreed. **Honesty** makes these kinds of posts frequently. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2014, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-really-acceptable-in-gd/687420/9 "2014-05-01T11:20:01Z")
> [@zoid](#): > > Guessed who the poster was in 1. What took you so long? ---
**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:** [May 1, 2014, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-really-acceptable-in-gd/687420/10 "2014-05-01T13:27:32Z")
> [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#): > > Er, are we discussing personal attacks? Because I didn’t read the referenced passage that way. > > I can’t honestly recall: didn’t we discuss this during sexism month? Calling somebody a c— is worse than calling another person a dick. Using the N-word is worse than honky. On a pseudo-anonymous message board, the race of the poster shouldn’t matter. It’s a pretty straightforward social observation that attacks on females and racial minorities in the US tend to have greater import than broad characterizations of the US electoral majority or Caucasian collective, taken as a whole. But neither of those things are differently offensive depending on the race of the poster. Not to mention the fact that we don’t know the race of the poster-- only what they claim to be. It should not matter whether someone says “white people are murderous assholes” or “black people are murderous assholes”. Neither of those should be allowed in GD. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2014, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-really-acceptable-in-gd/687420/11 "2014-05-01T13:32:27Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > But neither of those things are differently offensive depending on the race of the poster. Not to mention the fact that we don’t know the race of the poster-- only what they claim to be. > > It should not matter whether someone says “white people are murderous assholes” or “black people are murderous assholes”. Neither of those should be allowed in GD. As long as we all agree about the Belgians. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2014, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-really-acceptable-in-gd/687420/12 "2014-05-01T13:37:47Z")
I agree. More than racism, it’s the easy attacks of group dynamics I’d like to see eliminated in Great Debates (and a pony. I’d really like a pony.). Such contribute nothing to debate and can be considered a form of bullying and an attempt to cut off debate when a debater thinks positions are indefensible. ---
**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:** [May 1, 2014, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-really-acceptable-in-gd/687420/13 "2014-05-01T13:45:47Z")
OK, I can see that **JC** moderated that post. I would have given a warning, but I’m not going to argue about the level of moderation. It’s his call. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2014, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-really-acceptable-in-gd/687420/14 "2014-05-01T15:11:39Z")
I agree that it was racist, but it brings up a question in my mind. How do we distinguish posts like it from posts by the so-called “race realists”, who spit out the same basic bullshit but make the tone either faux-analytical or even “sympathetic” the the poor race that just doesn’t have the right stuff to keep up? Does it just boil down to the chosen adjectives being perceived as more or less inflammatory? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2014, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-really-acceptable-in-gd/687420/15 "2014-05-01T15:12:50Z")
It’s the ‘all \_\_\_\_\_\_\_ are \_\_\_\_\_\_\_’ part that tips this one too far. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2014, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-really-acceptable-in-gd/687420/16 "2014-05-01T15:21:01Z")
Yeah, while I wouldn’t commit to a hard and fast rule (good luck getting me to do so) and I don’t want to speak for other mods, I’d say the emotional weight of language, combined with the blanket statements (which are patently false) and the invective are enough to cross a line for me. ---
**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:** [May 1, 2014, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-really-acceptable-in-gd/687420/17 "2014-05-01T15:22:10Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > I agree that it was racist, but it brings up a question in my mind. How do we distinguish posts like it from posts by the so-called “race realists”, who spit out the same basic bullshit but make the tone either faux-analytical or even “sympathetic” the the poor race that just doesn’t have the right stuff to keep up? > > Does it just boil down to the chosen adjectives being perceived as more or less inflammatory? This particular post was directed at posters on this MB, so when “race realists” start saying “the black peanut gallery here will never understand because they are genetically predisposed to being stupid”, then they get moderated. Anyone can post that: “The latest poll shows white Americans are less sensitive to issues of justice when the person accused is black”. But no one should accuse white posters on this MB of being so. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2014, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-really-acceptable-in-gd/687420/18 "2014-05-01T15:38:03Z")
If someone says, “all blacks are X”, then it certainly includes all blacks on this message board. In fact, if someone claims that “all blacks on this message board are X”, then they are not making what I could call a racist claim. They are making a claim about a set of black individuals based on their board membership, not against all blacks because of their race. ---
**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:** [May 1, 2014, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-really-acceptable-in-gd/687420/19 "2014-05-01T15:47:48Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > If someone says, “all blacks are X”, then it certainly includes all blacks on this message board. > > In fact, if someone claims that “all blacks on this message board are X”, then they are not making what I could call a racist claim. They are making a claim about a set of black individuals based on their board membership, not against all blacks because of their race. All blacks on this message board are lazy and stupid and all they want to do is sit around and eat watermelon and fried chicken. _Not racist???_ ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2014, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-really-acceptable-in-gd/687420/20 "2014-05-01T15:59:16Z")
Worse than racist. It’s too easy to falsify. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-really-acceptable-in-gd/687420.md?page=2)