Paula Deen's use of the "N"-Word

[Kevin]

Originally Posted by Mizeree I2K

It is. And folks who were raised up by dudes like that hold the same or similar attitude. Dude probably laughed like it was a joke when his dad told him that.

Laughed? No... More like disbelief at how much we've changed in so short a time. This was only 50-60 years ago. The folks who used to be comfortable addressing someone as "N_ Jim" wouldn't dream of it today and only tell those stories to illustrate how we were, not how we are.

That's how when I hear about Deen saying she had certainly used that word, I'm not reading into it as much as others here. It's how things used to be.

[Mizeree I2K]

Originally Posted by Kevin

Laughed? No... More like disbelief at how much we've changed in so short a time. This was only 50-60 years ago. The folks who used to be comfortable addressing someone as "N_ Jim" wouldn't dream of it today and only tell those stories to illustrate how we were, not how we are.

Short period of time? Really dude? It took a lot longer than 50-60 years of struggling. I'm talking over 400 years. And we still have a long way to go. These legal documents still crack me up. Everybody is some kind of "American". African American, Asian American, Native American, and the list goes on. I'm still waiting on "European American", when is that going to be added to the list? We haven't come a long way. Race is still an issue, and white folks TODAY are still the ones benefiting from all the oppression and bullshit they put us through.

Originally Posted by Kevin

It's how things used to be.

And today it's the same shit different toilet.

[Psi U MC Vito]

Originally Posted by Mizeree I2K

Short period of time? Really dude? It took a lot longer than 50-60 years of struggling. I'm talking over 400 years. And we still have a long way to go. These legal documents still crack me up. Everybody is some kind of "American". African American, Asian American, Native American, and the list goes on. I'm still waiting on "European American", when is that going to be added to the list? We haven't come a long way. Race is still an issue, and white folks TODAY are still the ones benefiting from all the oppression and bullshit they put us through.


And today it's the same shit different toilet.

While we still have long way to go, you really can't say that we we haven't come a long way. Slavery no longer exist, and there are legal protections against other kinds of discrimination. In fact this whole Paula Deen thing illustrates how far we have gone because of the sheer amount of outrage her comments are causing.

[Mizeree I2K]

Originally Posted by Arnold Poppi :P

I'm in school to become a gastroenterologist assistant, and you wouldn't believe the struggles I am having. I'm also a white guy. Black people aren't the only people who struggle in this country.

LOL @ Dr. Wackenstein over here talkin shit with two posts. Dude, take your trollin, Arnold Poppin ass somewhere and fuck off. Up in here posting pics of some dude sitting in a chair bustin his ass, and then gonna turn around and expect folks to take you seriously.

Originally Posted by Psi U MC Vito

While we still have long way to go, you really can't say that we we haven't come a long way. Slavery no longer exist, and there are legal protections against other kinds of discrimination. In fact this whole Paula Deen thing illustrates how far we have gone because of the sheer amount of outrage her comments are causing.

Don't tell me what I can and can't say. The physical act of slavery no longer exist, but the damage of it does.

[Sen's Revenge]

Originally Posted by Mizeree I2K

The physical act of slavery no longer exist, but the damage of it does.

Word.

http://www.tracingcenter.org/

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by Sen's Revenge

Word.

http://www.tracingcenter.org/

Word.

Originally Posted by amIblue?

Preach it!

Word.

Originally Posted by naraht

How do people feel about the use of Colored in this regard? I've got an 86 year old neighbor who will still use this term sometimes. Note he voted for Obama, twice.

Don't you all dare turn this thread into a Race Workshop. Naraht, you are certainly conscious and can answer your own question.

As for the 86 yo neighbor, he has either been ignored or cussed out over the years. Voting for President Obama means absolutely nothing. Nothing. People do not receive a "pass" for voting for President Obama. As always, I do not call individuals racist because racism is a structural and institutional pattern that has never solely relied upon individual hatred and prejudice. The importance of behavior that spans beyond individual intent and prejudices is why people are able to say things like "I'm not racist...I love everyone...I took a diversity workshop 20 years ago, married a Latina 5 years ago, and voted for President Obama for goodness sake!!! But I can't hire you because my customers are afraid of nonwhites...and I need money in this tough economy...but, on a personal level, you and I can hang out sometimes...you seem really cool...."

Real talk.

This thread had so much potential to be a GC Race War. I commend IotaGuy for his hard work and determination and I agree with much of what you all have said. There were a couple of comments that I considered...special...but the comments were indicative of the GCers who typed them.

/This thread is really not about Paula Deen and I do not hold any ill will toward Paula Deen. This is definitely not only a southern issue (not only a North American issue either) although the overt nature is (not was) characteristic of the south. As always, people use news stories to share sentiments that they do not regularly feel comfortable sharing. This is why I hate "diversity training" and things that give people "permission" to express certain beliefs. My personal and professional realities are such that I talk about these topics everyday with people. Therefore, people don't have to bullcrap and wait for news stories like Paula Deen to share wider opinions on the -isms (racism and other -isms). People don't have to be passive aggressive and look for quick complaints and therefore quick fixes--humans are extremely lazy and shortsighted.

*Eating a Paula Deen Sambo Burger while watching Melissa Harris-Perry on MSNBC. Watching a Black person on TV buffers the impact of the Sambo Burger.*

Oh yeah, welcome to DST christiangirl. I could not post without saying that. *hug*

[StealthMode]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

Oh yeah, welcome to DST christiangirl. I could not post without saying that. *hug*

Thanks!!! I've got neo fever like a mug.

[cheerfulgreek]

Originally Posted by Mizeree I2K

LOL @ Dr. Wackenstein over here talkin shit with two posts. Dude, take your trollin, Arnold Poppin ass somewhere and fuck off. Up in here posting pics of some dude sitting in a chair bustin his ass, and then gonna turn around and expect folks to take you seriously.

[AnchorAlum]

Originally Posted by Mizeree I2K

Short period of time? Really dude? It took a lot longer than 50-60 years of struggling. I'm talking over 400 years. And we still have a long way to go. These legal documents still crack me up. Everybody is some kind of "American". African American, Asian American, Native American, and the list goes on. I'm still waiting on "European American", when is that going to be added to the list? We haven't come a long way. Race is still an issue, and white folks TODAY are still the ones benefiting from all the oppression and bullshit they put us through.


And today it's the same shit different toilet.

How about we drop all the hyphenated "shit" (guess that's ok since you used it) period. We are all AMERICANS.

I didn't watch her show, didn't like the fake accent and all those recipes with butter, salt, and sugar, so I don't care if she is off the air one bit. What a dummy this woman is. I hope she socked away her money cause she is DONE.

White folks put you through shit? Really? How old are you?

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by AnchorAlum

How about we drop all the hyphenated "shit" (guess that's ok since you used it) period. We are all AMERICANS.

White folks put you through shit? Really? How old are you?

The bolded cliche' is a quick fix fantasy that has been used for generations. It is the foundation for acculturation and assimilation in the United States of America. The technicality of dropping hyphens is the same thing as "colorblindness". It boils down to a false rainbow pissing pony routine of pretending as though every citizen of the United States of America is the exact same. Then it involves shaming groups of people for identifying with their racial, ethnic, cultural, language, religious, and cultural origins that span beyond the United States of America. Humans cannot multitask and therefore everyone has to pretend to be carbon copies of whatever defines "America" for that generation.

IotaGuy's language is shortsighted and colorful (definitely no pun intended) but IotaGuy is definitely not too young to experience social inequalities rooted in race and ethnicity and the remnants of slavery, Jim Crow, and the Civil Rights Movement. If a 20-30-something year old homosexual man said that he experienced heterocentrism and oppression on the part of heterocentric individuals and institutions, he would hopefully not be told he is too young to know what is going on around him.

Originally Posted by AnchorAlum

And furthermore, my family put no one through bullshit. My family came over here from Ireland in 1914. Nobody in my family owned anybody else. EVER.

Well, since you took this discussion personally and falsely believe this boils down to your family and slave ownership, you should read historian Noel Ignatiev's How the Irish Became White.

Originally Posted by AnchorAlum

You know what's shameful? That we're sitting here arguing about that silly woman while a TRUE leader for his race, a man who fought for justice for his people is lying in a hospital in South Africa, in critical condition. Some news sources hinting that this icon is nearing the end of his days.

God Bless Nelson Mandela.

This is a common response when discussing social inequalities. People pretend as though we cannot multitask (similar to the "we are American" thing). Certainly you do not think Greekchat should shut down all of its threads until 94 year old Nelson Mandela either recovers or is blessed to transcend into the afterlife.

By the way, do not use the phrase "leader for his race". Mandela fought for justice, is someone who I was raised to research and know a great deal about, but Mandela himself would not want his battles to be reduced to leadership for a particular race and ethnicity. Nelson Mandela is a leader in the world, period, and his impact is not relegated to the racial and ethnic category with which he proudly identifies. Just as you would not call the many white icons and leaders around the world leaders for the white race.

But thanks for reminding me of how annoyed I was with this article a few days ago: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/...ep-segregatio/

Originally Posted by maconmagnolia

reverse racism

Dear Whites,

Please stop using this phrase. And please stop confusing discomfort with racism.

With Love and Respect,
DrPhil

[agzg]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

Dear Whites,

Please stop using this phrase. And please stop confusing discomfort with racism.

With Love and Respect,
DrPhil

Dear DrPhil,

I was hoping you'd pop in to this one. Thanks!

With Unbridled Adoration,
agzg

[agzg]

Originally Posted by Arnold Poppi :P

I'm in school to become a gastroenterologist assistant, and you wouldn't believe the struggles I am having. I'm also a white guy. Black people aren't the only people who struggle in this country.

Oh for fuck's sake.

[AOII Angel]

Originally Posted by agzg

Oh for fuck's sake.

Amen. Life is hard. Wah, wah, wah, wah.

[Old_Row]

I figure that since my great grandmomma who spent all her 98 years in the heart of Dixie and even knew people who fought in the Civil War could realize the horrible wrongs committed and went on to work in the civil rights movement, then there is no excuse for someone of Miss Paula's generation to continue to be this way. It's sad to say there are people who will still be racist and say horrible things in nonmixed company but I for one will give them a piece of my mind when they do!

[StealthMode]

Originally Posted by agzg

Oh for fuck's sake.

I am Black and I approve of this message.