# Stop responding to the racists. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 2, 2012, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-responding-to-the-racists/627041 "2012-07-02T23:25:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![al27052](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/41988e/32.png) [@al27052](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/al27052)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2012, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-responding-to-the-racists/627041/21 "2012-07-03T03:30:38Z")
I personally ban all the racists that show up on the message board I moderate. I feel it undermines the credibility of my forum, and I simply can’t allow it. Generally, though, I really do fell that DNFTT works _very_ well. However, obvious hate speech can get to the point where it’s like yelling “FIRE!” in a crowded theater. In that case, one must moderate/ban. It reminds me of something I heard of a Serbian guy saying when asked “Why did Serbians go along with the genocide? You lived beside these Muslims for centuries with no problems.” His answer was basically “If you had David Duke doing 7 hours a day on every radio station in your country, after a while the people would start to become racists themselves.” He said Milosevic did this, talking for hours a day on all the radio stations. If you allow hate speech, racist ideas, and even just racists themselves to flower and prosper in your society, bloodshed is invariably the result. Invariably. Even if the racists themselves don’t understand that, they are still creating the conditions necessary for bloodshed, and must be stopped. A Swedish pastor was jailed recently for racist hate speech during his sermons. The Swedes remember Nazism. ---
**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2012, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-responding-to-the-racists/627041/22 "2012-07-03T03:40:24Z")
I remember once in college one well-meaning but rather foolish girl wondering why black people couldn’t just ignore it when someone called them “nigger”. A friend just stared at her and said, “that’s very easy for you to say.” ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2012, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-responding-to-the-racists/627041/23 "2012-07-03T03:47:05Z")
> [@Ibn\_Warraq](#): > > I remember once in college one well-meaning but rather foolish girl wondering why black people couldn’t just ignore it when someone called them “nigger”. > > A friend just stared at her and said, “that’s very easy for you to say.” Your friend should have said, “For the same reason you have trouble ignoring it when I call you a stupid cunt.” ---
**Author:** ![kidchameleon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2012, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-responding-to-the-racists/627041/24 "2012-07-03T04:15:02Z")
Well, with NDD banned, I suspect the thread will now die as Brazil84 ‘sees’ no one else in the thread. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2012, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-responding-to-the-racists/627041/25 "2012-07-03T04:21:45Z")
> [@kidchameleon](#): > > Well, with NDD banned, I suspect the thread will now die as Brazil84 ‘sees’ no one else in the thread. I can thnk of at least 3 other open racists left besides **Brazil84** on the board. ---
**Author:** ![Covered\_In\_Bees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2012, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-responding-to-the-racists/627041/26 "2012-07-03T04:32:16Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > I think most of the “racists” on this Board are trolls who are sitting back having a laugh at the responses, then they keep spewing forth to get more of the same. Each one I put on Ignore and don’t understand why most other posters don’t do the same. The one or two who may actually not be doing it for a laugh and really are rcists you can never reason with at all, as I learned growing up in West Texas. > > Be they troll or real, Ignore is your friend. Fucking a. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2012, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-responding-to-the-racists/627041/27 "2012-07-03T04:37:01Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > I can thnk of at least 3 other open racists left besides **Brazil84** on the board. Ooh ooh, do tell! 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2012, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-responding-to-the-racists/627041/28 "2012-07-03T05:03:21Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > Ooh ooh, do tell! 🆒 **Chuck11** , **Chen019** , **Chief Pedant** , and **magellan01**. Yes that’s 4 not 3; I just remembered **magellan01**. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2012, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-responding-to-the-racists/627041/29 "2012-07-03T05:15:16Z")
**Chief Pedant** hasn’t posted since last spring. ---
**Author:** ![mister\_nyx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@mister\_nyx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mister_nyx)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2012, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-responding-to-the-racists/627041/30 "2012-07-03T05:17:46Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > **Chief Pedant** hasn’t posted since last spring. Thank goodness that the moderatorial staff here stays on top of problem users this well. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2012, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-responding-to-the-racists/627041/31 "2012-07-03T05:25:31Z")
> [@mister\_nyx](#): > > Thank goodness that the moderatorial staff here stays on top of problem users this well. Thank goodness you’re so intent on making sure other people behave. Maybe you could start following the rules yourself next? ---
**Author:** ![mister\_nyx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@mister\_nyx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mister_nyx)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2012, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-responding-to-the-racists/627041/32 "2012-07-03T05:30:10Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Thank goodness you’re so intent on making sure other people behave. Maybe you could start following the rules yourself next? I doubt I have two years of worthwhile contributions to make, like New Deal Democrat did. ☹ I don’t expect to get anywhere near the degree of latitude he got. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2012, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-responding-to-the-racists/627041/33 "2012-07-03T05:32:53Z")
Maybe if you stopped calling people names left and right? ---
**Author:** ![mister\_nyx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@mister\_nyx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mister_nyx)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2012, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-responding-to-the-racists/627041/34 "2012-07-03T05:43:49Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Maybe if you stopped calling people names left and right? Yes, that’s a very cogent argument as to why two years of this asshole making outrageously racist ‘arguments’ and failing to argue them honestly was of benefit to this community. In summary, racists get years and years of extra latitude here. I see you’re an administrator. It’s quite clear to me why Miller, the moderator who said it’s totally acceptable to accuse a poster of being racist due to his national origin, feels so comfortable making such bizarre calls. Because, after all, look at the people in charge of him. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2012, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-responding-to-the-racists/627041/35 "2012-07-03T05:50:20Z")
> [@mister\_nyx](#): > > Yes, that’s a very cogent argument as to why two years of this asshole making outrageously racist ‘arguments’ and failing to argue them honestly was of benefit to this community. Mhm. That has what do with your own situation? You haven’t been here for two years and you’re already complaining about the same things in the ATMB thread. The only thing I will add in this thread is that if you are concerned you are not going to last very long here, _stop insulting people_. If you’d rather whine than acknowledge your responsibility in your own potentially short lifespan on this board, that’s not my problem. ---
**Author:** ![mister\_nyx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@mister\_nyx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mister_nyx)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2012, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-responding-to-the-racists/627041/36 "2012-07-03T05:51:35Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Mhm. That has what do with your own problems? Another extremely cogent argument. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2012, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-responding-to-the-racists/627041/37 "2012-07-03T05:54:58Z")
> [@mister\_nyx](#): > > Another extremely cogent argument. I’m not having this argument with you in two forums. You complained that you probably won’t last as long here as **New Deal Democrat** did. Stop insulting people and you probably will. If you can’t do that, it has nothing to do with **New Deal Democrat**. He was waste of pixels, but he understood the concept of not calling other people names. ---
**Author:** ![mister\_nyx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@mister\_nyx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mister_nyx)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2012, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-responding-to-the-racists/627041/38 "2012-07-03T05:56:16Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > I’m not having this argument with you in two forums. You complained that you probably won’t last as long here as **New Deal Democrat** did. Stop insulting people and you probably will. If you can’t do that, it has nothing to do with **New Deal Democrat**. He was waste of pixels, but he understood the concept of not calling other people names. That’s an excellent argument. Also, a moderator said it was cool that he called someone a rapist due to his nationality. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2012, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-responding-to-the-racists/627041/39 "2012-07-03T05:57:15Z")
Arguments about the rules go in ATMB. ---
**Author:** ![mister\_nyx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@mister\_nyx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mister_nyx)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2012, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-responding-to-the-racists/627041/40 "2012-07-03T06:00:54Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Arguments about the rules go in ATMB. Ouch, I wish I had been smart enough to know not to respond to your posts in this forum, then. Obviously responding to your posts is risking my membership privileges. And I had thought I could just straight up argue here without having to worry about rules about personal insults. Obviously not. (Unless I’m arguing that certain people are inferior due to their ethnic background.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-responding-to-the-racists/627041.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-responding-to-the-racists/627041.md?page=3)