# Virtue signaling? Cowardice? Or other (race relations topic) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 8, 2021, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virtue-signaling-cowardice-or-other-race-relations-topic/943821 "2021-06-08T06:29:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2021, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virtue-signaling-cowardice-or-other-race-relations-topic/943821/41 "2021-06-08T19:44:13Z")
> [@Jasmine](#): > > I simply stated that it is a possibility you can’t dismiss out of hand. What you said was a little stronger than that: > [@Jasmine](#): > > Living and working in an urban environment has shown me that **his concerns are valid**. African-Americans themselves have a phrase for this; “playing the race card”. It’s done all the time. [my bold] It seems pretty poor to be assigning sinister motivations when we can’t dismiss _any_ possibility out of hand. The no-sitting policy may have been counterintuitive and/or poorly signed. She may have poor eyesight. She may have been having a hypoglycemic attack. She may have been Cthulhu in human form. And the reason we can’t assess any of these possibilities is because OP didn’t talk to her to find out. ---
**Author:** ![Chingon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chingon/32/17645_2.png) [@Chingon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chingon)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2021, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virtue-signaling-cowardice-or-other-race-relations-topic/943821/42 "2021-06-08T19:52:36Z")
She was Black, that’s all @Jasmine needed to know. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2021, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virtue-signaling-cowardice-or-other-race-relations-topic/943821/43 "2021-06-08T20:12:46Z")
> [@Jasmine](#): > > African-Americans themselves have a phrase for this; “playing the race card”. No. That is not a thing that “African-Americans have.” That is a thing that conservatives, racists, and white supremacists accuse African Americans and other people of color of doing. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2021, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virtue-signaling-cowardice-or-other-race-relations-topic/943821/44 "2021-06-08T20:14:25Z")
> [@Chingon](#): > > She was Black, that’s all @Jasmine needed to know. This is a personal insult and is completely inappropriate outside of the pit. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2021, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virtue-signaling-cowardice-or-other-race-relations-topic/943821/45 "2021-06-08T20:22:23Z")
A solution to this situation would have been to enlist a white man who would cooperate with you, and have him sit in the one of the chairs. Then you could amble over and ask them both not to sit in the chairs. ---
**Author:** ![Chingon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chingon/32/17645_2.png) [@Chingon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chingon)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2021, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virtue-signaling-cowardice-or-other-race-relations-topic/943821/46 "2021-06-08T20:28:37Z")
We know that there was a woman who was: 1. Sitting in a chair 2. A chair that was labeled “don’t sit here” 3. Black And based on this information, it’s a valid concern that this women is going to play “the race card”? What part of this other than she’s Black would lead one to this conclusion? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2021, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virtue-signaling-cowardice-or-other-race-relations-topic/943821/47 "2021-06-08T20:42:50Z")
Does the name “Rosa Parks” ring any bells? OP, I understand what you are going through. I was working PT at a chain bookstore in Downtown San Jose, and very smelly, very dirty homeless men would come in. The FT manager had seen another manager get written up for asking one of them to leave, so she was afraid to (not to mention at least one had reacted with anger and minor violence). So I bit the bullet for her, since my main reason for the job was the large discount to feed my book addiction. I simply asked the person- politely- to leave. They did. So yeah, bad things can happen if complaints are filed, and why take the risk? Especially as it seems there was no really good reason why the chairs should not be used ( such as they were props that would collapse, they had wet paint, etc). My WAG is that the company did not want their brand new display chairs to be used so much they could not be resold. Reasonable, but not well planned, IMHO. Of course, you will know next time to have a chair or two for people to use, and marker tape across the other chairs themselves. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2021, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virtue-signaling-cowardice-or-other-race-relations-topic/943821/48 "2021-06-08T21:51:37Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Does the name “Rosa Parks” ring any bells? You are comparing this to Rosa Parks? Do you think this > [@stuccosuperstar2020](#): > > The last thing I wanted to get involved with was being part of a news story where the mean middle aged white guy told a black woman she could not have a seat in our display, and how that would paint me and my company with enraging headlines. compares? If I recall correctly, the “enraging headlines” back then attacked Rosa Parks. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2021, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virtue-signaling-cowardice-or-other-race-relations-topic/943821/49 "2021-06-08T21:59:59Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Massive uproar merely because someone is asked to move from a reserved seat? 🙄 That is exactly what happened to Rosa Parks. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2021, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virtue-signaling-cowardice-or-other-race-relations-topic/943821/50 "2021-06-08T22:04:33Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > That is exactly what happened to Rosa Parks. Yes, it’s exactly the same. Rosa Parks was sent on a mission to violate a garden furniture company’s preference that you don’t sit on their display furniture. The world of garden furniture retailing was never the same after her bold defiant action. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2021, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virtue-signaling-cowardice-or-other-race-relations-topic/943821/51 "2021-06-08T22:06:29Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > Yes, it’s exactly the same. Rosa Parks was sent on a mission to violate a garden furniture company’s preference that you don’t sit on their display furniture …because it is the law that black women can’t sit on display chairs, so she did it deliberately to prove a point, right @DrDeth? Just the same, my ass. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2021, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virtue-signaling-cowardice-or-other-race-relations-topic/943821/52 "2021-06-08T23:30:24Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > That is exactly what happened to Rosa Parks. Rosa Parks: as part of a broader social movement against systemic racism, sat in a seat that only White people were allowed to sit in, and the person in charge got her arrested. This woman: For no reason we know, sat in a seat that nobody was allowed to sit in, and White people weren’t sitting in, and the person in charge ran away. I def see the parallels. Both involve people sitting down. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2021, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virtue-signaling-cowardice-or-other-race-relations-topic/943821/53 "2021-06-09T00:20:39Z")
Both female as well. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2021, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virtue-signaling-cowardice-or-other-race-relations-topic/943821/54 "2021-06-09T00:30:44Z")
> [@Chingon](#): > > We know that there was a woman who was: > > 1. Sitting in a chair > 2. A chair that was labeled “don’t sit here” > 3. Black > > And based on this information, it’s a valid concern that this women is going to play “the race card”? What part of this other than she’s Black would lead one to this conclusion? Warning issued for arguing moderation in the thread. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2021, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virtue-signaling-cowardice-or-other-race-relations-topic/943821/55 "2021-06-09T00:33:04Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Does the name “Rosa Parks” ring any bells? Please drop this hijack. As others have noted, this event has nothing at all in common with Rosa Park’s intentional civil disobedience to draw attention to the injustice of seats being reserved for white people. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2021, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virtue-signaling-cowardice-or-other-race-relations-topic/943821/56 "2021-06-09T00:36:07Z")
Also, since the OP is asking for advice, I’m moving this to IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2021, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virtue-signaling-cowardice-or-other-race-relations-topic/943821/57 "2021-06-09T02:04:34Z")
I’m not the only one who remembers this story, right? The person inappropriately sitting being Black is new, but we’ve heard this story before. There’s demo furniture at a convention that MUST NOT BE SAT ON for…reasons. The OP never tells the reasons and becomes increasingly belligerent about people asking why there’s furniture at the booth if it can’t be sat on and suggesting the OP either get other furniture that can be sat upon or omit the furniture from the display instead of talking about the bad people who insisted on sitting on the forbidden furniture. I think it ended up in the pit. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2021, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virtue-signaling-cowardice-or-other-race-relations-topic/943821/58 "2021-06-09T02:09:39Z")
I, too, vaguely remember that story before. I thought the other details were different, though. Like, this sounds like a different story about some poorly-run company that sets out enticing furniture and doesn’t let people sit on it. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2021, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virtue-signaling-cowardice-or-other-race-relations-topic/943821/59 "2021-06-09T02:10:15Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > I’m not the only one who remembers this story, right? The person inappropriately sitting being Black is new, but we’ve heard this story before. There’s demo furniture at a convention that MUST NOT BE SAT ON for…reasons. The OP never tells the reasons and becomes increasingly belligerent about people asking why there’s furniture at the booth if it can’t be sat on and suggesting the OP either get other furniture that can be sat upon or omit the furniture from the display instead of talking about the bad people who insisted on sitting on the forbidden furniture. I think it ended up in the pit Was it [this](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/excuse-me-but-what-makes-you-think-our-trade-show-booth-is-your-personal-trash-can/781973) one? ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2021, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virtue-signaling-cowardice-or-other-race-relations-topic/943821/60 "2021-06-09T02:24:00Z")
Yes! Thanks. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virtue-signaling-cowardice-or-other-race-relations-topic/943821.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virtue-signaling-cowardice-or-other-race-relations-topic/943821.md?page=4)