# Myspace racist cowards **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 27, 2009, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/myspace-racist-cowards/487700 "2009-02-27T18:56:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2009, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/myspace-racist-cowards/487700/21 "2009-02-27T23:06:07Z")
> [@brazil84](#): > > It seems to me that the same thing could be said about “black” and “hispanic.” For example, it seems that a lot of African-Americans identify with Barak Obama. Isn’t that like an Irishman who identifies with an Italian or a Frenchman? Hispanic and African-American are cultures, not races (well, black is kind of a race; hispanic is absolutely not), so you are factually wrong. Plus, the vast majority of black Americans don’t know where in Africa their ancestors are from; it’s not like they came here with passports and signed in at Ellis Island. Re: The question of authorship of the dandy little piece in the OP: I thought it was blindingly obvious that Michael Richards didn’t write it, and still said it twice in OP anyway. Anyone who thought I was lying could’ve done a really quick and rudimentary google search to find out the truth. I figured links were only necessary when there was any question of doubt. Re: what **mswas** said: thank you, **Miller**. ---
**Author:** ![brazil84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8491ac/32.png) [@brazil84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brazil84)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2009, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/myspace-racist-cowards/487700/22 "2009-02-27T23:14:22Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > Hispanic and African-American are cultures, not races I’m not sure what your point is. “black” is just as much of a race as “white.” Anyway, it’s fascinating to learn that Brazillians share the same culture as Mexicans who share the same culture as Puerto Ricans. I never knew that. > [@](#): > > Plus, the vast majority of black Americans don’t know where in Africa their ancestors are from; it’s not like they came here with passports and signed in at Ellis Island. One can make a rough approximately of where they are from based on the historical records of where slaves were purchased. One could also do DNA tests, I suppose: Let me ask you this: Do you seriously believe that any significant percentage of black Americans can trace their roots to the area around Kenya? ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2009, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/myspace-racist-cowards/487700/23 "2009-02-27T23:24:13Z")
> [@brazil84](#): > > I’m not sure what your point is. “black” is just as much of a race as “white.” I notice you conveniently cut off the very next thing I said. > [@brazil84](#): > > Anyway, it’s fascinating to learn that Brazillians share the same culture as Mexicans who share the same culture as Puerto Ricans. I never knew that. You obviously don’t know a lot of things, including that Brazillians aren’t hispanic. But yes, Mexicans and Puerto Ricans do share many hispanic cultural traits. Glad I could teach you something. > [@brazil84](#): > > One can make a rough approximately of where they are from based on the historical records of where slaves were purchased. One could also do DNA tests, I suppose: > > Let me ask you this: Do you seriously believe that any significant percentage of black Americans can trace their roots to the area around Kenya? I guess I _could_ figure out where in Europe my ancestors from, and I kind of have an idea where some of them were from, but why bother? To your question: I don’t know. Haven’t studied it that thoroughly. ---
**Author:** ![brazil84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8491ac/32.png) [@brazil84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brazil84)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2009, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/myspace-racist-cowards/487700/24 "2009-02-27T23:48:11Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > I notice you conveniently cut off the very next thing I said. You obviously don’t know a lot of things, including that Brazillians aren’t hispanic. :shrug: my dictionary defines “hispanic” as follows: American citizen or resident of Spanish or Latin-American descent. Are you saying that my dictionary is wrong? Or that Brazil is not part of Latin America? > [@](#): > > I guess I _could_ figure out where in Europe my ancestors from, and I kind of have an idea where some of them were from, but why bother? To your question: I don’t know. Haven’t studied it that thoroughly. Well, permit me to teach you something. Most American blacks are NOT descended from people from the area of Kenya. [cite](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_American_history)/ Glad I could help fight your ignorance. ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2009, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/myspace-racist-cowards/487700/25 "2009-02-28T00:40:27Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > So I guess the tactic is to run into a room - turn around, bend over, drop trou, and take a huge spraying shit - and then run out before anyone can give you what-for. Fucking cowards. Her and all her friends who read that shit and nod along with their opinions - _on either side_ - and not say a word. She could have just deleted all the comments. OR When my friends or associates post something equally retarded, I’ll often send them a message, telling them how stupid they are. I figure it’s more polite. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2009, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/myspace-racist-cowards/487700/26 "2009-02-28T00:45:30Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Where did the OP say that? That’s what the entire OP was about. His response to someone complaining about why it’s ok for black and brown people to be racists, but not white people. So he went into the usual screed about historical oppression at the hands of whitey. ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2009, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/myspace-racist-cowards/487700/27 "2009-02-28T00:49:35Z")
> [@EJsGirl](#): > > Didn’t I hear a response to the “Black History Month” bitching that **every month is White History Month**? 😉 I loved Morgan Freeman’s response to it [here](http://www.wimp.com/morganfreeman/). ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2009, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/myspace-racist-cowards/487700/28 "2009-02-28T01:01:15Z")
> [@brazil84](#): > > :shrug: my dictionary defines “hispanic” as follows: > > American citizen or resident of Spanish or Latin-American descent. > > Are you saying that my dictionary is wrong? Or that Brazil is not part of Latin America? Wow, yes. I am saying your dictionary is wrong. Hispanic means, roughly, “in the Spanish style.” There is more to life, and knowledge, and words, and culture, than can be found in a dictionary. [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hispanic) does somewhat of a better job: > [@](#): > > Hispanic is a term that historically denoted relation to the ancient Hispania (geographically coinciding with the Iberian Peninsula). During the Modern Era, it took on a more limited meaning relating to the contemporary nation of Spain. > > Still more recently, the term is used to describe the culture and people of countries formerly ruled by Spain, usually with a majority population of Spanish heritage and speaking the Spanish language. These include the Mexico and most Central and South American countries, most of the Greater Antilles, and the African nations of Equatorial Guinea and Western Sahara. There is also much Spanish influence in the cultures of the Asia-Pacific nations and territories of the Philippines, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands. No mention of Brazil in the entire article, because _Brazil is not a hispanic country_. Brazil is a Portugese-speaking country. I can tell you this because I am minoring in hispanic and latin-American studies in college, and considering switching it to my major. I’ve got dozens, maybe hundreds of hours in lectures, researching, and studying the topic. If that doesn’t satisfy you, allow me to quote [this article](http://www.brazzil.com/2003/html/articles/oct03/p112oct03.htm), from [brazzil.com](http://brazzil.com), entitled **Once again: Brazilians Are Not Hispanic:** > [@](#): > > A number of the diverse populations who migrated to Brazil include: Portugal, Italy, Poland, France, Germany, Lebanon, Syria, Japan, Russia, Austria, Turkey all of which are disengaged on several levels; medically, culturally, and ethnically from the “Hispanic-Latino” paradigms. > > The US Census does not list Brazilians as part of their breakdown of South Americans of “Hispanic” or “Latino” origin > > Brazilians are not Spanish-speaking Latin Americans and hence cannot and do not call themselves “Hispanic” > > The Portuguese language spoken in Brazil, Brazilian ethnicity, and Brazilian culture are not interchangeable with “Spanish/Hispanic/Latino”. . . . and on, and on, and on. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2009, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/myspace-racist-cowards/487700/29 "2009-02-28T01:05:46Z")
> [@mswas](#): > > That’s what the entire OP was about. His response to someone complaining about why it’s ok for black and brown people to be racists, but not white people. So he went into the usual screed about historical oppression at the hands of whitey. Most of the really racist items in the text are strawmen; when was the last time you were called a caveman or carjacked because you were white? I was mostly responding to why “they” can have black history month, BET, Caesar Chavez day, etc, and “we” can’t. When racial discrimination isn’t an issue anymore, “they” won’t need or want those things. ---
**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:** [February 28, 2009, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/myspace-racist-cowards/487700/30 "2009-02-28T01:10:54Z")
> [@mswas](#): > > That’s what the entire OP was about. His response to someone complaining about why it’s ok for black and brown people to be racists, but not white people. So he went into the usual screed about historical oppression at the hands of whitey. You really think that’s what the MySpace post was about? Really? ---
**Author:** ![torie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/77aa72/32.png) [@torie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/torie)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2009, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/myspace-racist-cowards/487700/31 "2009-02-28T01:11:34Z")
Of course it’s not ok for white people to suffer abuse at the hands of blacks. That’s silly. However, what the email in the OP describes is not either not racism or entirely made up. In this country currently, “white” culture and history is still considered the default. If the blacks have BET, whites have every other channel. Looming large in the history books are the contributions of white men. Blacks taking some time out to celebrate their culture and contributions is not racism. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2009, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/myspace-racist-cowards/487700/32 "2009-02-28T01:13:18Z")
. . . and goddamn the ignorance in that hateful screed. Caesar Chavez day has nothing to do with race; it’s a celebration of labor rights. But I guess since it honors a dirty fucking Mexican it’s racist :rolleyes:. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2009, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/myspace-racist-cowards/487700/33 "2009-02-28T01:28:17Z")
> [@brazil84](#): > > Well, permit me to teach you something. Most American blacks are NOT descended from people from the area of Kenya. > > [cite](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_American_history)/ > > Glad I could help fight your ignorance. Thanks, I did not know that (though I, uh, didn’t ignorantly claim otherwise so I guess I should thank you for teaching me something pretty random.) Now will you also acknowledge that you learned something here? ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2009, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/myspace-racist-cowards/487700/34 "2009-02-28T01:40:06Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > You really think that’s what the MySpace post was about? > > Really? Well partially, in it’s own inarticulate MySpace sort of way. Couched in the, “Why can’t I be a racist too?”, bubba logic. The correct answer shouldn’t be a screed that condescends to historical injustice, that’s an old trope that just causes confusion. The correct answer should be, ‘racism isn’t ok.’ ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2009, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/myspace-racist-cowards/487700/35 "2009-02-28T01:43:14Z")
There is however this injunction against there being such a thing as ‘white’ culture. White people are not allowed to have a culture that is their own. This isn’t such a problem for those who have an ethnic culture like Irish or Jewish, but for us Mutts it can be kind of sad. ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2009, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/myspace-racist-cowards/487700/36 "2009-02-28T01:45:50Z")
> [@ivan\_astikov](#): > > I loved Morgan Freeman’s response to it [here](http://www.wimp.com/morganfreeman/). That was awesome. He is a man, not a black man. Damn straight. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2009, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/myspace-racist-cowards/487700/37 "2009-02-28T01:46:26Z")
> [@mswas](#): > > There is however this injunction against there being such a thing as ‘white’ culture. White people are not allowed to have a culture that is their own. This isn’t such a problem for those who have an ethnic culture like Irish or Jewish, but for us Mutts it can be kind of sad. You want me to go ahead and list about a thousand different things that are part of “white” culture or will you quiet’n down now? You’re starting to dig a hole. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2009, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/myspace-racist-cowards/487700/38 "2009-02-28T02:00:17Z")
Actually, I take back my last post. I’m not going to make a list because they always end up looking like a list of stereotypes; everything applies to _someone_ and nothing applies to _everyone_. Instead, I’ll just point out that was **torie** said is right: white culture is the default in America. You’ve heard comedians say, “if you don’t who the [whatever archetype] is in your group of friends, it’s YOU!” Well, white Americans are the cultural equivalent. ---
**Author:** ![brazil84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8491ac/32.png) [@brazil84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brazil84)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2009, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/myspace-racist-cowards/487700/39 "2009-02-28T02:20:49Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > Wow, yes. I am saying your dictionary is wrong. Hispanic means, roughly, “in the Spanish style.” There is more to life, and knowledge, and words, and culture, than can be found in a dictionary. Assuming that’s true, it does not change the fact that my interpretation of the word “Hispanic” was not unreasonable. But let’s assume for the sake of argument that Brazillians should not be considered Hispanic. Since you are such an expert, why don’t you explain to me the similarities between the cultures of Western Sahara and Argentina. I would really like to know. ---
**Author:** ![brazil84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8491ac/32.png) [@brazil84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brazil84)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2009, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/myspace-racist-cowards/487700/40 "2009-02-28T02:30:25Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > Thanks, I did not know that (though I, uh, didn’t ignorantly claim otherwise so I guess I should thank you for teaching me something pretty random.) You seemed to be disputing my claim, which was that an African-American who identifies with Obama would seem to be a bit like an Irishman who identifies with an Italian or Frenchman. Perhaps a better example would be a Dutch South African who identifies with an English South African. Do you dispute my claim? > [@](#): > > Now will you also acknowledge that you learned something here? Sure, I learned that according to some definitions of the word “Hispanic,” Brazillians are not Hispanic. I also learned that according to some definitions of the word “Hispanic,” people from the African nations of Western Sahara and Equitorial Guinea are considered “Hispanic.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/myspace-racist-cowards/487700.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/myspace-racist-cowards/487700.md?page=3)