# It's upsetting when other whites reveal their racism to me. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 20, 2012, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-upsetting-when-other-whites-reveal-their-racism-to-me/616307 "2012-03-20T13:41:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-upsetting-when-other-whites-reveal-their-racism-to-me/616307/21 "2012-03-20T15:22:16Z")
I’m in the north, and believe me, we have it here. ---
**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:** [March 20, 2012, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-upsetting-when-other-whites-reveal-their-racism-to-me/616307/22 "2012-03-20T15:28:23Z")
I hate this too. Many people are fishing for fellow racists when they do this. One of my favorite responses is to tell people that I am ‘black’. I look like a ‘white’ guy, so it really messes them up. Other times when I hear the diatribes about ‘black’ people get all this special treatment and ‘white’ people get nothing, I’ll say “Wow! I wish I was black!”. In one case, a guy came to me and explained he felt bad for his comments and thought it was socially acceptable among other ‘whites’. He said he really wasn’t racist and wouldn’t ever do that kind of thing again. He seemed sincere enough. Most other people like that I won’t interact with again. I think I can accept a lot of things based on the environment people live in, but when it comes to racism it’s just been that one guy in a long life who seemed to realize what he was doing was wrong. Pretty sad. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-upsetting-when-other-whites-reveal-their-racism-to-me/616307/23 "2012-03-20T15:33:08Z")
**Tripolar** , It doesn’t sound like he thought that the racism was wrong, just that revealing it was a mistake. ---
**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:** [March 20, 2012, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-upsetting-when-other-whites-reveal-their-racism-to-me/616307/24 "2012-03-20T15:40:16Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > **Tripolar** , > It doesn’t sound like he thought that the racism was wrong, just that revealing it was a mistake. Well there was more to the conversation, and he seemed to be admitting he knew it was wrong. I don’t know, maybe he wasn’t sincere. But as I said, no one else even bothered to say anything. They’d shut up, but I think they’d just keep on doing the same thing. Just one guy among who knows how many doesn’t make me feel much better about the world. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-upsetting-when-other-whites-reveal-their-racism-to-me/616307/25 "2012-03-20T15:48:41Z")
> [@LonesomePolecat](#): > > Racial prejudice is always going to be around, and guess what? Whites aren’t even the worst offenders. LULZ ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-upsetting-when-other-whites-reveal-their-racism-to-me/616307/26 "2012-03-20T15:49:05Z")
You had the conversation, so you would know. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-upsetting-when-other-whites-reveal-their-racism-to-me/616307/27 "2012-03-20T15:51:52Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > You’re pretty clueless, aren’t you? > > You’re a perfect illustration of what the OP was talking about: a racist who thinks he’s normal. **Pwnsome Lolcat** is as effective a moral compass as any I’ve encountered. Listen to what he says, take it to heart, and then do the exact opposite—straight on till morning. ---
**Author:** ![lorene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/65b543/32.png) [@lorene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lorene)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-upsetting-when-other-whites-reveal-their-racism-to-me/616307/28 "2012-03-20T16:04:58Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > Here’s my question - what was she actually complaining about in the “OMG - you should see them” and “You should see the one girl”. Was there any reason at all? Any one of them wearing, I don’t know, a bowler hat or something equally weird? Very millinerist of you. ---
**Author:** ![DianaG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-upsetting-when-other-whites-reveal-their-racism-to-me/616307/29 "2012-03-20T16:07:22Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > In one case, a guy came to me and explained he felt bad for his comments and thought it was socially acceptable among other ‘whites’. I’m always amazed at this shit. Why do people think that because I’m white I must have the same prejudices they do? And what really kills me is that when I object to people spouting this crap at me, they almost invariably say “Oh I’m sorry, are you part (whatever)?” Um, no. I’m not “part” anything. I’m 100% fucking disgusted. ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Tonya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/4491bb/32.png) [@Queen\_Tonya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Tonya)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-upsetting-when-other-whites-reveal-their-racism-to-me/616307/30 "2012-03-20T16:08:06Z")
It happens at my workplace regularly, and it upsets me too. We’re a very diverse place, probably 50% non-white, but nearly all the salaried and skilled positions are white males. Just yesterday a few of us were talking about an opportunity to transfer to the Chicago location, and the immediate consensus was “But the cost of living is so high in Chicago you’d only be able to afford living with the blacks, who wants that!?” And that’s them being _nice_ by saying black instead of nigger because they know I’m sensitive to such language. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![iftheresaway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ecae2f/32.png) [@iftheresaway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iftheresaway)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-upsetting-when-other-whites-reveal-their-racism-to-me/616307/31 "2012-03-20T16:12:09Z")
> [@DianaG](#): > > I’m always amazed at this shit. Why do people think that because I’m white I must have the same prejudices they do? And what really kills me is that when I object to people spouting this crap at me, they almost invariably say “Oh I’m sorry, are you part (whatever)?” Um, no. I’m not “part” anything. I’m 100% fucking disgusted. I’m stealing this. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-upsetting-when-other-whites-reveal-their-racism-to-me/616307/32 "2012-03-20T16:20:50Z")
I just passed the entire group of women on their way to the cafeteria for their lunch break. Honestly, I couldn’t begin to guess which one she found so objectionable. The only one that stood out at all was the one white woman. I don’t think that’s who she was talking about. ---
**Author:** ![Meyer6](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cc9497/32.png) [@Meyer6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meyer6)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-upsetting-when-other-whites-reveal-their-racism-to-me/616307/33 "2012-03-20T16:26:54Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > And on a similar note, I am an invisible immigrant. I take much secret pleasure when people start riffing about immigrants, and I get to respond with “I wasn’t born in Canada.” After much backpedaling and awkwardness they usually try to make excuses about the “type” of immigrants and “you know what I mean?” Me too - it’s not at obvious, and I consider myself 100% Canadian, but I wasn’t born here. I’ve had many colleagues lament to me that they can’t get a job because of those immigrants taking all the good jobs, and the Canadian government should make sure everyone hires ‘real Canadians’ first (we’re grad students so everyone is looking for a job). When I point out that I’m an immigrant and that vanishingly few of us are ‘real Canadians’ really, and why on earth would the government let me become a citizen and then refuse me a job, they get very flustered. There’s often some sort of excuse that I’m not the kind of immigrant they mean. Some people, even otherwise intelligent people, just have uninformed and unexamined opinions about things. In other news, Lonesome Polecat is quite vile and I somehow never noticed that before. Maybe I don’t spend enough time here, I thought I knew who the idiots were. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-upsetting-when-other-whites-reveal-their-racism-to-me/616307/34 "2012-03-20T16:41:41Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Not that that matters. I for one am glad he clarified his remarks to mean only _some_ of the Dopers. After all, judging an entire group by the actions of a few would be prejudiced. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-upsetting-when-other-whites-reveal-their-racism-to-me/616307/35 "2012-03-20T16:47:02Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > I for one am glad he clarified his remarks to mean only _some_ of the Dopers. After all, judging an entire group by the actions of a few would be prejudiced. I can’t tell if this is tongue in cheek or a real criticism. Expecting this board to receive idiotic remarks does not in any way equate to saying that most of the board members are idiots. As I said before, it’s an acknowledgement that there are a small number of vocal idiots and that threads like this tend to attract them. ---
**Author:** ![Imasquare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Imasquare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Imasquare)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-upsetting-when-other-whites-reveal-their-racism-to-me/616307/36 "2012-03-20T16:50:47Z")
I’d rather be considered a n\_\_\_\_\_\_ lover than a racist. To me bigots are the lowest of the low ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-upsetting-when-other-whites-reveal-their-racism-to-me/616307/37 "2012-03-20T16:53:41Z")
> [@](#): > > As I said before, it’s an acknowledgement that there are a small number of vocal idiots and that threads like this tend to attract them. Yes, but I promise not to stay long. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-upsetting-when-other-whites-reveal-their-racism-to-me/616307/38 "2012-03-20T16:56:10Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Yes, but I promise not to stay long. ☹ You better not, you &%_^_ so and so! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-upsetting-when-other-whites-reveal-their-racism-to-me/616307/39 "2012-03-20T17:14:00Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > Wow. Unbelievable response. I guess I should have expected it knowing this place. It’s not this place. It’s just him. He’s an ass. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-upsetting-when-other-whites-reveal-their-racism-to-me/616307/40 "2012-03-20T17:19:23Z")
> [@Imasquare](#): > > I’d rather be considered a n\_\_\_\_\_\_ lover than a racist. To me bigots are the lowest of the low It’s OK. I’m a nerd lover too. My wife is sweet, quiet, clumsy, wears glasses and reads a lot. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-upsetting-when-other-whites-reveal-their-racism-to-me/616307.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-upsetting-when-other-whites-reveal-their-racism-to-me/616307.md?page=3)