What the hell did we do to you?

The BBQ Pit
1

To the asshole downtown, and to his friends, since you laughed when he said it:

Listen, dudes. I know we look like hippies, what with the long hair, and my friend wearing a tie-dye shirt and all, but what the hell? Calling us “Fucking goddamn fucking faggot fuckers” is really dumb. Plus, way too many uses of fuck in one sentence. Assuming you actually thought we were gay, get a goddamn clue. Long hair doesn’t = gay, idiots. And if we WERE gay, so what? WHO CARES?

And if “faggot” is just your general insult to people you don’t like, then grow the fuck up. Get a new insult, moron. And guess what? We aren’t even hippies. I just like my hair long, and my friend likes the Grateful Dead. Neither of us has ever done any drugs. Hell, we don’t even drink. Again, if we did, so the fuck what? Why do you care? We didn’t say shit to you. You saw us walking past you, and just had to comment loud enough for everyone within thirty feet to hear, while pointing at us. I guess you thought it made you look cool and tough.

And another thing. This is not a very diverse area. You guys are black, dressed in “urban” clothing, in a city with something like 99% white population. A lot of people up here have never seen a black person before. While my friends and I would never judge your race based on the actions of a few dumbasses, just because they have the same skin color, a lot of people around here would. You are giving racists fucks all the ammo they need to talk about “black youth today”. You are dressed in what most people refer to as “black” clothing, and going around insulting people for… looking different, I guess?

Kinda ironic, but also really dumb. Guess how many jackasses you just gave a story to tell at work tomorrow. Especially since we were near a bunch of high school kids. Do you know how many racist idiots there are there? The cracks about “wiggers,” or even the flat out racist comments and jokes, happened ALL THE TIME when I went there. Unless the racists were all seniors, I bet there are still plenty of idiots there.

It’s not fair, but like it or not, people hold you up as “representatives” of your race. They see this shit, and it reinforces a negative image about a group of people. I know it is totally at the feet of the racists and bigots, but when you do something offensive in public, dressed in “black” clothing, dumb people associate it with your race. You make it hard for people like me and my friends*, who try to dispel racism, sexism, and any other stupid isms when we hear people spouting them. And you make it even harder for black people who have to put up with not only racists, but with you guys giving them real shit to go with all their preconceived shit.

You are insulting people who won’t treat you any different due to your skin color, sexual preference, anything other than the content of your character. Well, guys, I guess I know the content of yours. Lucky for you, I won’t connect it to anything other than you three. The other people who heard it, who knows?
What does it say about me that what pissed me off more was the probable consequences to you guys, rather than the fact that you insulted us, specifically? I guess I’m just used to people assuming things about me and my friends, but I’m not used to seeing people trying to fulfill other people’s preconceived notions.

*I’m not a “crusader for the downtrodden” or anything, it just pisses me off when people say ignorant and offensive things. I know that most people can defend themselves, but considering how few minorities and open gays, etc, that there are around here, I figure any little thing I can do to change some minds when the victims can’t be there to defend themselves is OK.

2

you/re in Traverse City MI and you’re surprised by this reaction?

3

I’m not sure what you mean. Surprised by how the people who live around here act? By these three specifically? By how people view me? How some people view black people?

If you mean how there are racists here, then no. I grew up here. We have our share of dumb people. If you mean by these guys, then, maybe. I guess I assume that people who presumably have to deal with being treated different/insulted based on how they look/dress would be more sensitive about doing the same damn thing to other people.

But then again, human stupidity never ceases to amaze me. I guess maybe when some people are treated different for dumb reasons, they enjoy turning around and doing it to someone else.

Which makes them as stupid as the people who did it to them.

What about T.C. makes you think I shouldn’t be surprised?

4

you said it. it’s not a diverse area (to put it mildly) and you’re surprised that folks use stereotypes? (yes, even minoritites)

5

Well, I think it is more the fact that from a visual standpoint, they looked the most different, and he started loudly insulting us, who aside from the hair and a goofy shirt, look like most of the people there. And again, it’s not that people are jerks to other people that made me go WTF? it’s that a guy who probably has had to deal with that often in his life, doing it* to two kids who didn’t even notice him until he started cursing at us.
And really, it’s more sad than anything. I do to you, so you do to him, so he does to her, ad infinitum. We as a species are morons, I guess.

*not that casual or blatant racism is the same thing as picking on two kids. But a black man going after some one because they look different is rather ironic, considering all of the above

6

Sometimes I see obnoxious and/or drunken guys (usually in lifted pickup trucks, but sometimes in brand new Jeep Grand Cherokees) screaming disrespectful things out the window. Once I was standing outside with the rest of the crowd after a Calexico show and a truck of guys rumbled by, yelling “FAGS!” at 55 indie rockers smoking cigarettes. I just thought, “these guys have no idea who Calexico are. I just saw one of the best shows I’ve ever seen, and they probably have their dials set to whatever station plays the shittiest ‘music’ in town. They don’t know anything about music, they don’t know anything about culture, they’re uneducated, and they’ll never have a shot in hell at a classy woman.” Well, fuck 'em. The kind of people who yell at others from their cars aren’t worth getting worked up over.

I think you’re reading too much into the racial dynamics here. There’s not that much to think about. They’re assholes, that’s it. There are a lot more where they came from. The less you worry about it, the better.

7

Well, two things. I don’t think the guy and his friends were racist, just dumb. I know my town, and I know how some people around here think. I guarantee you there were a few racists around to hear it, and from what crap I’ve overheard, and how few black people we have, they will use any thing to support their views.

Also, we were walking through a park downtown, surrounded by people. No cars or drive by insults, so it was a bit weirder. I’ve been yelled at by motorists before, but never by some one walking past me. It was very strange.

But I’m not dwelling on it. I basically got yelled at, thought the contents of that first post to myself, came home and felt like writing it. I’m over it, but it just struck me as all sorts of stupid and ironic to get called “fag” for dressing like a hippie by the only black guys I have seen in… probably several months, in a big crowd of white people.

And ignorant comments piss me off.

8

Well, **Argent Towers ** is right–those shits were assholes, so fuck 'em–but, as a Black man, I **totally ** get what you were saying about the racial dynamics, how racists will use that episode to confirm their bias, etc.

Since I realize that people hell bent on being racist will always find *something * to justify their asshattery, I think in terms of my actions not as changing their minds (yeah, good luck with that) but on making sure the I don’t lend justification to their bullshit.

Which I think is exactly where you were coming from, right?

At any rate, I’m very sorry that happened to you. I can’t stand skidmarks who can’t live and let live, y’know?

9

Fuckity fuck fuck those fuckin’ fucktards!

See, there are times when nigh-excessive use of fuck verbage is completely appropriate :smiley:

10

I thought the test case for that dated back to August 1945 and went:
“<What the fuck was that?>” - Lord Mayor of Hiroshima

11

You should totally have made out with your friend.

12

It had nothing to do with you. It only revealed something about them. Sad and twisted and doomed to be miserable. Sympathy is in order.

13

Get a haircut, ya hippies!

14

Ok, wait - so black teens do what black teens do on a daily basis, all of the time , which is yell harassing things at passersby when emboldened by the fact that they’re in a group, but we’re mad at theoretical racists that might “use this to fuel their racist attitudes?”

The mind boggles.

All teens act like shitheads in public, *especially * in groups. Black teens know that they can get away with it more than any other groups because they’re black and people are afraid to say anything about it, other teens are more afraid to confront them, and white and black adults are generally more intimidated and afraid to say something to them. Just yesterday, I sat on the train while three black teens yelled “hey bitch! Hey, bitch! Come on, let me smell those titties” to a cute black adult who had boarded the train until she eventually left the car in tears.

What’s with this weird pre-emptive anti-racism instead of directing anger at the actual perpetrators? “I’m so pissed that due to black teens doing this everywhere on a daily basis, someone might get mad at them! It just PISSES ME OFF!”

!?!?!?!?

15

You ought to go ahead and petition the mods to change your user name to “Object Lesson.”

16

No. No drivebys in this thread, Miller. Save that for video game threads, you git.

This is a great example of political correctness gone too far - people are so terrified of being perceived as “racist” that they’re getting angry at the victims of harassment rather than the perpetrators! I feel like I’m living in bizzarro world!

What’s next, people start to get angry at the victims in that recent black-on-white hate crime because it might fuel more prejudice that blacks are criminals or might hurt white people? This is insane!

17

That’s not even what’s going on.

18

VCO3 can you knock off your quest to prove that black people are… whatever the hell you think they are? I have been to Detroit, dressed the same exact way, with the same friend, and been the only white kids there, surrounded by black people, and none of them were rude to me!

And, as I pointed out, the racial makeup of this town is (checks wikipedia) .65% black. Black kids will not get away with shit for being black here. And people (like you, apparently) will use the way these three acted to uphold their views, while ignoring the other black people they encounter who are not assholes.

I am not giving them a pass because of their race, or blaming them for it. I’m merely pointing out that it is shit like this that gives people ammunition. I get yelled at by some one every other time I go downtown. This is the first time I got insulted for being different by someone more different than me. It is also the first time a black person has been rude to me. I have had several normal, pleasant interactions with black teenagers in my life in Traverse City and especially in Detroit.

In my entire life I have ran into three rude black people. I have seen a lot more rude white people. I see them every day. Should I conclude that all white people are assholes?

My whole point is that I know that they are assholes, but that some people around here (enough that 20 miles from here some jackass flew a KKK flag at a business picnic, and some people said it was not a big deal) will blame it on the fact that they are black, and not just assholes.
I guess like you are doing.
Hey, you just proved my point for me! Thanks!

19

All right, who replaced VCO3’s flavor crystals with crack cocaine AGAIN?

Let’s try this slowly.

The guys in the truck were ignorant dipshits.

Given the demographics of humanity, there were also ignorant dipshits in the crowd.

TRB is annoyed that ignorant dipshittery on the part of the former is going to feed into the ignorant dipshittery on the part of the latter.

He is making a point on how ignorance is a vicious circle (wasn’t it a Calvin and Hobbes comic that had a very angry fanged circle for a vicious circle? or is it just my imagination? or was it peanuts?) that feeds off itself, creating more ignorance. It’s a perpetual motion machine. If we could just harness ignorance, we could solve the energy crisis.

20

Bullshit! You know good and goddamn muthafuckin’ well that that’s not what the OP was saying. If you want to shit on the dude’s thread, I reckon that you can just knock yourself out, but at least act like you’re *trying * to have the *slightest * clue about what he’s saying.

Jesus.

And just what the FUCK are you talking about here?

:confused: :rolleyes: