If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck over an extensive period I’m going to go way out a limb and call it a duck and not worry too much about the possiblity that it might look like a kangaroo from a different angle.
You certainly have that right. I won’t argue that. It really doesn’t affect my point though. Sometimes you’d be wrong. You are willing to live with that. I really would rather not if possible. If I was allergic to ducks though I’d likely jump to the same conclusion.
I’m not and I’m not under any pressure to make a definitive statement about what the creature is. It could be something akin to a duckbill platypus. I don’t like being wrong simply because I’m unwilling to consider that my imperfect senses could be wrong and that’s what I’d consider it if I was unwilling to consider the alternatives.
Do I do it? Unfortunately I’m quite sure I do. It’s human. It’s something I dislike in myself when I catch myself doing it and it’s something I try hard not to do.
I think it is easier to conclude from that clusterfuck that he is indeed a racist than that he is not. It takes less stretching.
Actually, I agree with that. It takes zero stretching though to come to no conclusion at all. Since that is the case, why conclude at all? What purpose does it serve especially since not concluding risks nothing and hurts no one but concluding risks being wrong and can serve to hurt someone albeit indirectly?
I’m afraid I believe racist fucks need calling on it. This wasn’t an odd word spoken in the heat of the moment it was a sustained attack over a considerable period.
There reaches a point when bending over backwards to be non-judgemental isn’t saintly it is being blind to the obvious and letting a racist asshole off the hook.
Same with Gibson and his Jew rant. Both times we are getting an unvarnished look into a sick psyche.
If the guy had a career to lose he would deserve to lose it. I always had a feeling there was something wrong with Richards, a creepy vibe. Then I withheld judgement. No need to now.
How do you feel about OJ and the de facto judgement passed upon him career and social-wise?
Not judging allows someone to escape the consequences of his action. It rewards him with a continiung career.
When you “presume” something, you’re working off none to little evidence. We have evidence.
How much evidence do you need to see to say someone or something is racist, or at least say “wow, that is fucked up and offensive” without appending any mollifying “buts” and “that saids”. That’s what I’d really like to figure out. I don’t know why Richards is so deserving of the benefit of the doubt that it is wrong to say that the man is racist. Being racist means believing racist things.
I wouldn’t call a racist diatribe that was caught on tape “unsubstantiable data”. That’s just me, though.
What harm can come out of calling Richards racist if that is how he has presented himself?
Calling someone racist because he calls black folks niggers after talking wistfully about the days of lynching is no more acting on stereotypes than is adding 1 and 1 together to make 2.
Jesus.
Oh, I missed that part about him having a career. 
So, in your opinion, if he isn’t a racist at all he deserves to no longer be able to eat and support himself because if he is racist, he offended someone in a night club Gotcha. Seems fair punishment for an insult.
I’m hispanic. I worked at a hospital and saw nurses pre op a patient for surgery simply because it was after hours, they were waiting for a hispanic and this guy happened to walk in and was hispanic. He was looking for the emergency room because he’d hurt his back.
I guess they should be electrocuted the racist SOB’s even though the pain it caused them once they realized their mistake far outweighed his at having some blood taken. I see your point.
Of course, if we all weren’t so certain that we’re infallable and be willing to realize that the obvious just might not be the case, I’d have no example to share would I?
Personally, I’d never want to judge someone by a standard that I wouldn’t want to be judged by. I guess I’m odd that way.
What on earth are you talking about?
Do you seriously not see the difference between an honest mistake and screaming “lynch the nigger”?
What would a person have to do before you would agree it was safe to call him a racist?
I hated him as a no-talent one-hit wonder playing Kramer, and now I can hate him as a person. Not that I’ll give him another thought unless the subject comes up, but he’s worthless. It’s not like there aren’t 100,000 non-racist comedians that can’t replace him.
[QUOTE=you with the face]
When you “presume” something, you’re working off none to little evidence. We have evidence. [/qoute]
Yes, very, very little evidence. Only words and words spoken in anger.
I admit the latter. It was fucked up and offensive and I didn’t append one thing to it. I won’t say it makes him a racist. It makes him someone capable of using racial language in a hurtful manner. I could say fuck you to you and it wouldn’t make me a rapist.
The world is made of a cotton candy core. I said it but it doesn’t mean I believe it.
Richards isn’t more deserving of this than any other human being. If you said something like this I’d say the same thing about you. That’s my point. I’m being very personal here not saying what others should do but if you can’t lead by example then how can you lead?
Well, you and a lot of other people. It’s not me though. It is, however, a great thing that the world can accept diversity, even in thoughts such as this…isn’t it?
The self fulfilling prophesy comes to mind. Heck, if I’m going to be considered a <blank> no matter what I do, why not be a <blank>. There has to be an element of rising above the behaviour you want to abolish and I don’t see it in many of the views espoused here.
Well, if adding one and one together in binary you get 10 so yeah, you’re right. You made the assumtion that the issue was being presented in base 10. I see your point.
I don’t know. Not much record of him engaging in too judgemental behavior actually.
Actually, the more damning racial remark was “see what you get when you mess with a white man.” That statement isn’t intended to hurt someone in an argument; it’s a statement of superiority.
To answer your last question I’d say actions speak louder than words. Actions coupled with words even more so. Prolonged use of either would be a more telling sign. One outburst in a fit of anger, not so much.
Wait…are you making the old “it’s not really tolerance if you don’t tolerate bigots” argument under all that nonsense?
It seems to me that a lot of the problems with saying “Richards is a racist” comes from people not being able to agree on what “a racist” actually is.
So here’s the question: if you have no problem working with African-Americans, but use racist language to lash out when you’re upset, are you a racist?
Now there’s a more honest hatred. Hating someone simply because they didn’t entertain you. It doesn’t judge, it doesn’t accuse, it doesn’t assume facts. In fact states an irrefutable fact as a solid foundation for the hatred.
Maybe it’s a little weird but I think it makes perfect sense and I respect it. I also believe that the level of said hatred rose exactly to the level that the crime did thus it’s a harmless and quite fun hatred to have.
I should also add - we seem to be tripped up by the fact that we treat racism as a binary situation. Either you are one, or you aren’t one. Either you’re Martin Luther King or you’re Bull Connor; get put onto a side, and there’s no middle ground.
I’m not sure how my stating that I don’t feel competent to judge if the person is or is not a bigot can boil down to tolerating something that I just said that I don’t know if the person is.
Try more along the lines of judge not lest ye be judged and notice that I pretty much only spoke for myself before you say I’m judging those who feel differently.
All good points, you with the face, tagos, and Ensign Edison.
I was just sitting here thinking about this within the context of the “you can’t call a person a racist because he uses racist words” argument, and though I can see the nuances in this argument (not too many nuances, mind you, but a veeeery limited some), this thought occurred to me: I wonder if any of the cops who murdered (yep, murdered) Amadou Diallo ever thought the word “nigger” with regard to black people?
Uhhh, does this qualify as a rimshot?
I wonder if Damian Williams who nearly beat to death Reginald Denny during the L.A. riots ever though “cracker ass motherfucker” in his mind?
Do you have a point Li’l Pluck?