re: More White Privilege? ( personal story)

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Dude, her meaning was not plain. All you are doing is pretending that your reality is correct. And it's not.

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So earlier you asked me if I were a mind reader because I gauged her intent by seeing her actions. But now you are reading her mind without even being there.
That's a good one!

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If you felt like it was directed towards you as you stated, then why not just tell her to "STFU" and then check out?

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Wut?

You need to watch Saturday Night Lives documentary "White Like Me". It'll shed some light on this situtation.

LINK

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Or maybe people posting on internet politics boards are argumentative dicks.

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No, its because they are being consistent. Many black stories of racism are dissected on this board, looking for alternate explanations besides racism. Same should happen when a white person shares an example of what he interprets as racism. I mean, there is no objective evidence of racism in Rev's story. His only rebuttal is "well I was there and I know what she meant." We're just all supposed to accept that?

Ok my turn for a story. I was driving on the interstate and this white lady cut me off, and it was totally bc I was black. I was there, you guys weren't, so just trust me.

Responding to no one in particular, my take is that most of us probably see the world through a racial prism to SOME degree, the question being "how much?" I don't know that there is anything inherently wrong with it because we all have and even need numerous paradigms to inform, order, and streamline our thinking. Teh question to me is one of degreee and the problem is that some folks go overboard in viewing the world through their preferred paradigns, often in a Manichaean way. The left's current preoccupation with "white privilege" is an example. I actually believe there is some degree of what could be described as "white privilege" but that it's just not that important or helpful to people of any race to dwell on.

But let's also be honest that there are plenty of whites who seem incapable of describing someone in nonracial terms. Although it's fading, I bet there are a number of you on this board who have heard the phrases "black-doctor" or "woman-lawyer" when the modifier is rrelevant to the conversation. I recall a situation a few years ago when I had a colleague ask me if I knew that someone we had worked with years before was black - the gentleman had a light complexion ("bright" was the term I remember being used when I was in school). I replied that I did know because I had read his bio indicating membership in the NAACP and so forth. My colleague actually became agitated and asked "why didn't you tell me?" I didn't have much of a response other than "I never thought about it," and when I giggled a bit at his consternation, it just bothered him more. Probably not a "CSB" but whatcha gonna do ...

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I was at the mall shopping yesterday with the grad daughter. I was standing in line waiting to check out behind one older black woman and 2 middle aged black women.
The older black woman at the register was going on and on about some supposed discount that she wanted and they felt she shouldn't deserve. This dragged out for about 10 minutes.
The 2 black ladies asked the cashier if they didn't have someone else to open up a second register? She said no, and they remarked something like," it's a week before Christmas, why don't you have help?"
Right after they finally made their way to the counter, a second girl opened up a register and said," next". Since I was next, I stepped up and walked to the checkout. One of the black ladies said," Um Huh, now they open another register" in a snide voice looking at me while she said it.
The implication was that they now opened a second register for a white person.
The truth is that I was waiting in the same line as her and just as long and I was simply the next customer up, but to her, it was somehow racially motivated.
Why do some people of color go through life seeing all incidental events as racially motivated?

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Stolen from a friend on facebook:

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Plenty of black folks are profiled wearing Brooks Brothers, Ralph Lauren and Prada. Quick story: I'm in Walmart and my credit card declines. I'm wondering wth is going on and so I go to the ATM and try to withdraw money. I rechecked a few times and realized that I might have be holding people up. I look back and see a white woman and I ask her if she was waiting in line. This is where it gets strange. She quickly says no and that she was waiting for her husband. I thought that was strange. It was a simple yes or no answer and she got really flustered and defensive. I said OK. She then asks if I'm alright. I thought that was a peculiar question and was a little confused. She then hit me with "I don't want any trouble" with a red face. All of this happened in a span of maybe 15 seconds. Temporarily dazed, It then hit me like a freight train. She was scared. Here I am, pink plaid Ralph Lauren shirt, gray slacks and brown loafers in a crowded Wal-Mart and this lady was scared of me.

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Pot meet Kettle

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No, its because they are being consistent. Many black stories of racism are dissected on this board, looking for alternate explanations besides racism. Same should happen when a white person shares an example of what he interprets as racism. I mean, there is no objective evidence of racism in Rev's story. His only rebuttal is "well I was there and I know what she meant." We're just all supposed to accept that?

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Well, that's a good thing, I guess. Though it doesn't contradict my point. It could just be that we are consistent argumentative dicks!

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Ok my turn for a story. I was driving on the interstate and this white lady cut me off, and it was totally bc I was black. I was there, you guys weren't, so just trust me.

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Yeah, I guess it does approach CSB-land.

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She was scared. Here I am, pink plaid Ralph Lauren shirt, gray slacks and brown loafers in a crowded Wal-Mart and this lady was scared of me.

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Who the frick is scared of a "thug" wearing a pink plaid shirt? Some people are retarded.

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the comments were directed at me

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Oh yea the "F U, you pale skinned whitey!"

Or the comments that can be interpreted in more than one way?

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and it was plain

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I'm sure it was plain to you, as you are :raceobsessed:

You don't think it "plain" to many of those black people with similar stories of subtle racism? Do you take them at their word like you are expecting us to do as well?