# Racism denial getting ridiculous **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [December 26, 2011, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racism-denial-getting-ridiculous/607412 "2011-12-26T11:43:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2011, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racism-denial-getting-ridiculous/607412/41 "2011-12-27T19:34:24Z")
> [@Onomatopoeia](#): > > :Raises hand: > > Found one! > > I’ve been to Japan; first as a child when my dad was stationed in Okinawa, and a number of times during my adulthood. I also plan to retire there. YMMV, I guess, but I consider the Japanese to be more insular than racist. Some may say they’re the same thing. > > I’ve never had a bad experience while in Japan. If anything, although I am biracial, I’m not ethnic-looking enough to be as interesting to the Japanese as black friends I’ve made while there, who are treated, more or less, like the most interesting people in the world, and are emulated, especially by Japanese teens and 20-somethings, which is kind of weird, and somewhat funny to see. > > Sure, there’s racism in Japan, but it is no where near as pervasive as you seem to believe, and it doesn’t hold a candle to racism against blacks in the US, which I and my parents personally experienced, especially my mom, but my dad too for having the temerity to fall in love with a black woman in the '60s. > > When I’m in Japan, I’m treated the same as my other non-Japanese colleagues and friends, whether they’re white, black, Hispanic, or anything else. > > I know anecdotes don’t mean much around here, but there it is. I think when we think of Japanese racism, the attitudes toward other Asians (particularly Korean and Chinese minorities) is what we are thinking about. And from the Koreans and Chinese that I know who live or have lived in Japan, it is pretty bad. At least part of the bad relations is the Japanese (individually and collectively) refuse to accept any responsibility or express any remorse over the misdeeds of the 1930s and 1940s. It is also almost impossible to become a Japanese citizen, so you have people who have been there for four generations, who cannot vote or work for the government. I also have a cousin (South Asian descent, but born and raised in Canada) who has lived in Japan almost all of his adult life (he married a Japanese classmate in Uni in Canada and they moved to Japan) but no matter how good his Japanese gets, he cannot really be accepted into the society. As long as he was an English teacher in an international school, he faced no problems. But trying to work in his field (marketing) in a Japanese firm was impossible. He could not break into the informal network at all. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2011, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racism-denial-getting-ridiculous/607412/42 "2011-12-27T19:34:33Z")
> [@Onomatopoeia](#): > > I’ve never had a bad experience while in Japan. You do understand that racism doesn’t mean just lynchings and ugly behavior, right? Basically, do the Japanese think of blacks, whites, other Asians as being fundamentally different than other Japanese? What would be the reaction to a mixed-race couple (say native Japanese/black)? If you are of Korean descent living in Japan, do you feel at least some pressure to take a Japanese name and try not to stand out or reveal your heritage, even after several generations? If you are of Japanese descent having been born abroad, are you treated the same as somebody born on the home islands? What are the stereotypes Japanese people hold about people from other countries or other races? Whether good or not, do they indicate healthy attitudes about their fundamental attitudes towards equality of all peoples? Maybe they don’t lynch foreigners in the street, but I don’t see how you can claim such low levels of racism there. It’s not true just in Japan but all of East Asia. At least in the US, as ugly as the racism can get, it’s out in the open and often confronted. ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2011, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racism-denial-getting-ridiculous/607412/43 "2011-12-27T20:16:24Z")
> [@janeslogin](#): > > Every time the TV shows that Mitch McConnell - U.S. Senate saying that the goal is to defeat Obama I am taken back to my youth in Kentucky and I hear and see him say, not “defeat Obama” but rather “defeat the colored boy”. I know what you mean. Whenever I see that clip, I hear and see him say, “Death to puppies and kitties. Horrible, horrible deaths!” That guy is such an asshole. ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2011, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racism-denial-getting-ridiculous/607412/44 "2011-12-27T20:24:01Z")
> [@Mighty\_Mouse](#): > > I think when we think of Japanese racism, the attitudes toward other Asians (particularly Korean and Chinese minorities) is what we are thinking about. Ah. Apologies to **RNATB** then, as I completely misinterpreted what he was referring to > [@Mighty\_Mouse](#): > > And from the Koreans and Chinese that I know who live or have lived in Japan, it is pretty bad. At least part of the bad relations is the Japanese (individually and collectively) refuse to accept any responsibility or express any remorse over the misdeeds of the 1930s and 1940s. It is also almost impossible to become a Japanese citizen, so you have people who have been there for four generations, who cannot vote or work for the government. Yes, I have read about Korean Students in Japanese schools adopting Japanese names in order to fit in, or masking their ethnicity to friends and acquaintances. I agree that it must be terrible to live this way. > [@Mighty\_Mouse](#): > > I also have a cousin (South Asian descent, but born and raised in Canada) who has lived in Japan almost all of his adult life (he married a Japanese classmate in Uni in Canada and they moved to Japan) but no matter how good his Japanese gets, he cannot really be accepted into the society. As long as he was an English teacher in an international school, he faced no problems. But trying to work in his field (marketing) in a Japanese firm was impossible. He could not break into the informal network at all. I think it may depend on the industry. I’m in pharmaceutical compliance and have Japanese companies as clients, e.g., Otsuka, Yamanuchi, EISAI, etc… There are opportunities for employment open to me if I want to pursue them, but I understand your point. > [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > You do understand that racism doesn’t mean just lynchings and ugly behavior, right? Yes > [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > Basically, do the Japanese think of blacks, whites, other Asians as being fundamentally different than other Japanese? Yes, they do. However, what’s important to me is how one is treated. > [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > What would be the reaction to a mixed-race couple (say native Japanese/black)? I know a few mixed-race couples (black/Japanese, white/Japanese), each of whom have children, by the way. They’ve all regaled me with various issues they’ve experienced over the years, e.g., being stared at, excluded from certain functions, etc…, but each have also advised that over time they’ve become welcomed in by their communities > [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > If you are of Korean descent living in Japan, do you feel at least some pressure to take a Japanese name and try not to stand out or reveal your heritage, even after several generations? Yes, I’ve acknowledged this above, and agree that it is quite disgusting. > [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > If you are of Japanese descent having been born abroad, are you treated the same as somebody born on the home islands? I have to admit that you’re correct here as well. I know a Japanese girl who was born and raised in Brazil and went to Japan in her late teens when her father was relocated back home. It was very difficult for her, and she told many a tale about her peers taunting her and saying she wasn’t really Japanese. Her stories made it sound like she’d have had an easier time in Japan if she weren’t Japanese at all. She’s adjusted quite well in the intervening years. > [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > What are the stereotypes Japanese people hold about people from other countries or other races? Whether good or not, do they indicate healthy attitudes about their fundamental attitudes towards equality of all peoples? I’m sure Japanese hold stereotypes of people from other countries just as natives of most countries do. Ask the average French person what they think of Americans, for example. > [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > Maybe they don’t lynch foreigners in the street, but I don’t see how you can claim such low levels of racism there. It’s not true just in Japan but all of East Asia. At least in the US, as ugly as the racism can get, it’s out in the open and often confronted. I can only tell you first hand what I experience. I’ve been all around Japan, and with the exception of the most rural of places, I’ve detected no ostracization nor ill will. I am willing to admit that my experiences may have been too limited for me to see the underbelly of Japanese society. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2011, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racism-denial-getting-ridiculous/607412/45 "2011-12-27T21:05:17Z")
> [@Onomatopoeia](#): > > YesYes, they do. However, what’s important to me is how one is treated. I know a few mixed-race couples (black/Japanese, white/Japanese), each of whom have children, by the way. They’ve all regaled me with various issues they’ve experienced over the years, e.g., being stared at, excluded from certain functions, etc…, but each have also advised that over time they’ve become welcomed in by their Yes. Very often the people you are closest to, accept you eventually. My wife’s parents accepted me as a son-in-law after a few years. But their initial reaction, that my wife had married some kind of sub-human creature, is forever burned into my memory. I might love my MiL to death now but I can’t help wondering if she no longer think that all brown people are disgusting, or if I am the only exception, since I took such good care of her when she was ill, and she sees what a devoted and diligent father and husband I am (her words). Fortunately my Chinese is not good enough for me to talk about these things to them. My cousin’s Japanese parents-in-law now accept him as part of the family. But the extended family, not so much. Eventually accepting those “other” that you have to interact with very closely is not enough. It’s very easy to conclude that those select few are the exceptions. “Our” Brazilian is not the same as those other Brazilians. ---
**Author:** ![Hyperelastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Hyperelastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hyperelastic)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2011, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racism-denial-getting-ridiculous/607412/46 "2011-12-27T21:06:24Z")
> [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > Sure, there’s definitely less overall racism in the US than ever before. But that’s not the standard we set and certainly doesn’t match our expectations. Perhaps it doesn’t match _your_ expectations. But to most people a de minimus level of racism is preferable to the police state that would be necessary to totally eradicate racism. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2011, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racism-denial-getting-ridiculous/607412/47 "2011-12-27T21:57:38Z")
> [@Hyperelastic](#): > > Perhaps it doesn’t match _your_ expectations. But to most people a de minimus level of racism is preferable to the police state that would be necessary to totally eradicate racism. Our expectation is also that it’s not necessary to enact a police state to create a de facto eradication of racism. There’s no historical evidence this is possible, but if we are to set goals, we may as well set them high instead of accepting ‘good enough’. Besides, _your_ idea of ‘de minimus’ may not actually be the lowest achievable bound. There are plenty of places (Brazil comes to mind) where, due to breeding between different population groups, racism does not exist to the extent it does in the US. So, it may be possible to achieve through societal pressures what other cultures have achieved through genetic mixing. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2011, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racism-denial-getting-ridiculous/607412/48 "2011-12-27T22:20:59Z")
> [@Stratocaster](#): > > > [@janeslogin](#): > > > > Every time the TV shows that Mitch McConnell - U.S. Senate saying that the goal is to defeat Obama I am taken back to my youth in Kentucky and I hear and see him say, not “defeat Obama” but rather “defeat the colored boy”. > > I know what you mean. Whenever I see that clip, I hear and see him say, “Death to puppies and kitties. Horrible, horrible deaths!” That guy is such an asshole. Unfortunately, many accusations of racism are just as manufactured as this. And that’s too bad. There are only so many cries of “wolf” that we are going to react to. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2011, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racism-denial-getting-ridiculous/607412/49 "2011-12-28T00:01:11Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Unfortunately, many accusations of racism are just as manufactured as this. And that’s too bad. There are only so many cries of “wolf” that we are going to react to. > > Regards, > Shodan Agreed! ---
**Author:** ![Honesty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/f04885/32.png) [@Honesty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honesty)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2011, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racism-denial-getting-ridiculous/607412/50 "2011-12-28T01:09:28Z")
> [@grude](#): > > Anyone else noticed this trend to basically deny racism exists, ever existed, and if you have an anecdote you can save it because its obviously an attention getting lie. > > If you have a story about a personal experience where someone treated you unfairly and you suspect it might be racism, you better have a taped confession from them admitting they are racist and let it effect their decision making. And even then you’ll probably still be dismissed. > > Have a public official saying something obvious and damning on video you say? Don’t worry people will be along shortly to do some amazing mental gymnastics to explain why its actually YOU who are the racist! When the mayor said he was disgusted by the darkies he is obviously talking about chocolates! 😛 > > Then you have the racism trolls who lay booby trapped comments, using every stereotype they can think of along with some statement like “fucking animal” and when someone calls them one it they reveal…GASP I was talking about a white guy you racist! hahaha! :rolleyes: > > When you end up in a argument with someone because they claim racism was rare and unaccepted even in the 1940s…it just gets sad ☹ Here’s what I think. White people - god help them - believe that racism is primarily a physical thing that words have very little power. I suspect a majority will agree that brown people shouldn’t be arbitrarily beaten in the street by law enforcement but I also suspect there’s far less consensus on “intangibles” such as racial discrmination (work, housing, criminal justice), social mobility, wealth disparities, etc. It’s because, I think, deep down, they don’t look at brown people with the same humanity as they view themselves. You don’t have to take my word for it - take a gander at the threads on this very folder that discuss _ad nauseum_ the inferiority of brown people, the religion of brown people, or the accomplishments of brown people. - Honesty ---
**Author:** ![Dennis\_Arthur\_PERRETT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3e96dc/32.png) [@Dennis\_Arthur\_PERRETT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dennis_Arthur_PERRETT)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2011, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racism-denial-getting-ridiculous/607412/51 "2011-12-28T01:41:59Z")
> [@](#): > > And as for being called a Limey, and a Whinging Pom by certain ruffians Downunder, I’ll get you for that you total and utter bounders ! It’s whinging Englishman and/or Woman if you please. Don’t beat yourself up Mate. Ruffian. Bounder. WTF! Aristocratic morons, you can’t stand the fact that us Aussies are born free and not bound by English Anal Retention. That and the fact that you can’t stand us answering your lordship back. No wonder the Yanks told your pompous mob to piss off. The best thing the Yanks did was have a war against this English racism. Anyway, I guess I’m in trouble again …but its true. I cannot tell a lie. ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2011, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racism-denial-getting-ridiculous/607412/52 "2011-12-28T03:14:01Z")
You know, I am an -Ist. I know that. I get more nervous when three or four young men whose ancestors were from a different continent than most of mine are walking down the street toward. I am more polite to co-workers wawfadctmom, and take longer to start teasing and joking with them. I am less trusting of most people whose chromosomes are different. I absolutely do not trust people of a certain religion sect. Although, in all fairness, I don’t trust anyone who believes in a One True God. I treat people with respect, personally and professionally. I doubt people who deride others who are not of their religion, gender, or ethnic origin. I note and enjoy subcultural differences. But I know I am still an -Ist. ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2011, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racism-denial-getting-ridiculous/607412/53 "2011-12-28T03:37:43Z")
You know, the situation really has gotten a lot better in my lifetime. I hadn’t realized it until I got my most recent job. Most of the people are of European descent and a surprisingly high percent of upper management are men. It’s … odd. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2011, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racism-denial-getting-ridiculous/607412/54 "2011-12-28T04:20:27Z")
> [@BeaMyra](#): > > Our company had two distribution warehouses, one in Chicago and one in West Virginia. > > We needed to close one. This is a no brainer as Chicago is highly unionized and very costly, as opposed to a West Virginia town. Actually it’s not that far from Pittsburgh. > > I am in H/R and got a lot of complaints from African Americans, that the company was racist for doing so. No it was strictly about money. We even offered everyone in Chicago a chance to go to West Virginia. Only about 20 people did. All white. The African Americans explained that the company knows well that African Americans can’t live in West Virginia as it’s a southern state and a small town wouldn’t accept them. Thus we were racist. > > Maybe they have a point, I don’t know. The result could’ve been racism applied but the trigger was solely money. And as I pointed out, they would keep their same pay rate. So $20 an hour in West Virginia is going to go a lot father than $20 in Chicago. Or in any case unemployment. > > The fact that other minorities and white people were also out of a job made no different. Many people honestly felt it was racism that motivated the move. While your company’s claimed decision was solely based on money, the disparate impact fell upon the non-white employees. An astute civil rights lawyer could probably make a case that while the company’s overt intentions were economic the actual result was not. Disparate impact upon a protected class is a form of racism. ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2011, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racism-denial-getting-ridiculous/607412/55 "2011-12-28T11:54:57Z")
> [@Dennis\_Arthur\_PERRETT](#): > > It’s whinging Englishman and/or Woman if you please. Don’t beat yourself up Mate. Ruffian. Bounder. WTF! Aristocratic morons, you can’t stand the fact that us Aussies are born free and not bound by English Anal Retention. That and the fact that you can’t stand us answering your lordship back. No wonder the Yanks told your pompous mob to piss off. The best thing the Yanks did was have a war against this English racism. > > Anyway, I guess I’m in trouble again …but its true. I cannot tell a lie. Isn’t the last statememt self contradictory ? And are you aware of the concept known as WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH ! ---
**Author:** ![Rune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e68b1a/32.png) [@Rune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rune)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2011, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racism-denial-getting-ridiculous/607412/56 "2011-12-28T12:20:09Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > It’s common in sports for a team to have some kind of collective ritual to pump themselves up before a game. Often, this will take the form of a chant, like it did with the girls basketball team at Kenmore East High School, located in the Buffalo, N.Y. suburb of Tonawonda. Taken alone, doesn’t sound so bad. But when you find out that the chant was, “One, two, three, [N-word]!” – that, obviously, is a problem… You Americans are cute the way you think “nigger” is some kind of taboo word with special magical pow-wow powers. But anyway, until you get a normalized relation to racial words of your own language it hardly seems likely that racism is disregarded. From over here it seems more that you are on the hysterical side about race. Fine by me, as long as you keep your hang-ups to yourself, and don’t try to force them on the rest of the world as appears to have been the trend recently. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2011, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racism-denial-getting-ridiculous/607412/57 "2011-12-28T13:57:18Z")
> [@grude](#): > > When the mayor said he was disgusted by the darkies he is obviously talking about chocolates!( Where was this? I missed that one. ---
**Author:** ![Hyperelastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Hyperelastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hyperelastic)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2011, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racism-denial-getting-ridiculous/607412/58 "2011-12-28T14:29:45Z")
> [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > Our expectation is also that it’s not necessary to enact a police state to create a de facto eradication of racism. There’s no historical evidence this is possible, but if we are to set goals, we may as well set them high instead of accepting ‘good enough’. > > Besides, _your_ idea of ‘de minimus’ may not actually be the lowest achievable bound. There are plenty of places (Brazil comes to mind) where, due to breeding between different population groups, racism does not exist to the extent it does in the US. > > So, it may be possible to achieve through societal pressures what other cultures have achieved through genetic mixing. I can’t agree with that. Reducing racism is a laudable goal, but it can’t be the only goal. I don’t advocate trying for the “lowest achievable bound”. For example, marriage patterns are extremely discriminatory. To reduce this discrimination, the government could set quotas on how many interracial marriages there must be every month, and refuse any same-race marriages until the quotas are met. No question such a policy would reduce racism in the long run. But it would have many negative effects as well as being an intolerable encroachment on freedom. ---
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2011, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racism-denial-getting-ridiculous/607412/59 "2011-12-28T14:38:04Z")
> [@BeaMyra](#): > > Racism has gotten a lot more subtle than before. And people are looking for ways to expose that. > > Here’s an example, > > Our company had two distribution warehouses, one in Chicago and one in West Virginia. > > We needed to close one. This is a no brainer as Chicago is highly unionized and very costly, as opposed to a West Virginia town. Actually it’s not that far from Pittsburgh. > > I am in H/R and got a lot of complaints from African Americans, that the company was racist for doing so. No it was strictly about money. We even offered everyone in Chicago a chance to go to West Virginia. Only about 20 people did. All white. The African Americans explained that the company knows well that African Americans can’t live in West Virginia as it’s a southern state and a small town wouldn’t accept them. Thus we were racist. > > Maybe they have a point, I don’t know. The result could’ve been racism applied but the trigger was solely money. And as I pointed out, they would keep their same pay rate. So $20 an hour in West Virginia is going to go a lot father than $20 in Chicago. Or in any case unemployment. > > The fact that other minorities and white people were also out of a job made no different. Many people honestly felt it was racism that motivated the move. That’s an interesting story. Did you really mean to suggest by your first sentence that it was a subtle example of racism that right-thinking people needed to expose? For me it was clearly an example of people wanting to find racism where it didn’t exist. I can understand that when it directly affects someone…that’s human nature even if it isn’t logical thinking. My biggest problem are those who are not affected (directly) who have an agenda to use claims of racism to promote their own interests… community leaders and politicians specifically. ---
**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:** [December 28, 2011, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racism-denial-getting-ridiculous/607412/60 "2011-12-28T15:02:15Z")
> [@Rune](#): > > From over here it seems more that you are on the hysterical side about race. Fine by me, as long as you keep your hang-ups to yourself, and don’t try to force them on the rest of the world as appears to have been the trend recently. It probably seems that way because you have no fucking idea what you’re talking about. Black people were beaten to death on the news and hanged from trees by mobs who knew they’d never see the inside of a prison cell for it _within the lifetimes of millions of Americans._ If Americans are hypersensitive about race, it’s for good reason. Perhaps you think the Germans are a bit touchy about the whole Holocaust thing, too? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racism-denial-getting-ridiculous/607412.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racism-denial-getting-ridiculous/607412.md?page=4)