I’ll be sure never to guard my purse in the presence of a non-white person. Because that would be racist.
Whenever I hear someone say there’s serious active racism in this country, I look for them to provide an example, and they almost never do. Oh, it’s “institutional” and whatnot. Even then, I’d like examples but they’re rarely forthcoming.
I don’t even know how I landed on this article; it was through a series of clicks I’m too lazy to retrace, but it’s about women and their choice between Obama and Clinton (I guess it’s just assumed that no woman in her right mind would vote for McCain). In any case, check out this part:
Coleman, who is African American, pondered the Clinton-Obama question after church every Sunday for weeks with her husband, brother and sister-in-law. Their talks usually came to a single question: Is sexism or racism the bigger issue in America?
For Coleman, the answer was pretty easy. It took her a full day to think of an instance when she had faced sexism, finally recalling a time when she managed men who had difficulty taking direction from a woman.
But she didn’t have any trouble remembering stinging encounters with racism. “Even now, I can have both kids, be wearing a fabulous outfit and carrying a gorgeous purse, and be in an elevator and someone will still clutch their purse,” she said.
And that is a big part of the reason she voted for the black man instead of the white woman.
Oh for the love of God. That is an example of racism?
I don’t know about you, but when I’m in an elevator with other people, I ALWAYS CLUTCH MY PURSE no matter what. Even if the only other occupant is a 5-year-old white kid or a 90-year-old blind Chinese woman. In fact, if I’m anywhere in public with a purse, I AM CLUTCHING IT.
But apparently that makes me a racist if I do it in the presence of a black woman with a slammin’ outfit and two adorable kids.
Oh my god. I am so sick of that kind of projection and presumption, that anything a white person does in the presence of a black person MUST have something to do with the black person’s race. Gah! It doesn’t.
What, am I supposed to completely alter my regular behavior every time I encounter a black person? Am I supposed to suddenly not focus on retaining possession of my purse because a black person is near, since otherwise they might interpret my universal, habitual-at-all-times caution as racism? Fuck that. I will not do it.
Is it stating the obvious to say that, in fact, what the woman in the article claimed is racism itself? She interprets white people’s behavior negatively because they’re white and she’s black. The fact of the matter is, she has NO IDEA what people in elevators are thinking, and her attribution to them of malicious intent is the same exact thing - racism - that she’s accusing them of.
Ugh. It’s all really getting old.
I so love all the ranting lately.
March 11th, 2008 at 11:24 amI’m with you Rachel. I can’t even begin to adequately describe just how irritating it is to me that it’s almost impossible for any white person to do or say anything around a minority (especially black people) without being labeled a racist. But if you’re black you can call white people crackers and honkeys and thats OK. Personally, I’ve decided that watching what I say and do isn’t worth the aggravation and stress it causes. If anybody wants to try to label me a racist, whatever. Myself and the people who know me know otherwise and I don’t have to prove anything to anybody else.
March 11th, 2008 at 11:43 amThis is why race-baiting works so well. If you convince one group of people that everything that another group of people does is a negative response to your presence, then paranoia and self-focus will do the rest for you. It sure makes maintaining political loyalty a lot easier.
March 11th, 2008 at 11:43 amYou really want to piss the race pimps and poseurs off? I mean, really piss them off? Point out that voting for Obama because of his race is just as racist as voting against him for same.
I cannot recommend that you do so at work, however.
March 11th, 2008 at 11:44 amyes. Black people like making us honkies nervous. Wait. No. Don’t alter your behavior, because remember all the complaing about walking across the street when you see a black person coming? So definitely do or do not alter your bevavior around a black person.
March 11th, 2008 at 11:45 amIt takes a special kind of narcissism to see someone clutching their purse or crossing the street or passing you over for a promotion and assume they did it because you’re black.
I’ve had women clutch their purses around me too. Whenever I sit down on the bus, the people sitting on either side grab their bags and pull them a little closer. I always assume they’re being polite and trying to make a little extra space for me (I’m a big guy). But it seems I’ve been missing out on a grand opportunity all these years. I could have claimed they were racist or sexist or something-ist and sued the bus company for a million dollars.
March 11th, 2008 at 11:45 amThis kind of thing enrages me. because it affects me on a personal level. I am a purse snatcher…who also happens to be a racist, and even I am pretty sick of all the race-baiting as well.
March 11th, 2008 at 11:48 amIs sexism or racism the bigger issue in America?
Since it would take me virtually no time to come up with numerous instances of anti-white racism and anti-male sexism that I’ve experienced (at least on the “purse-clutching” level of offense), does that mean that I should vote for the white guy?
I mean, I’m going to, but by this sort of logic, I guess have to.
March 11th, 2008 at 12:02 pmWell, it’s amazing what you can find when you’re intent on looking for it. You’ll even find stuff that’s not even there.
March 11th, 2008 at 12:04 pmI always clutch my purse too. I do it because I assume everyone else wants to steal my awesome stuff. Maybe I’m an awesome-ist… I look down on people who do not have the natural levels of awesome that are contained within my awesome bod.
March 11th, 2008 at 12:15 pmI also lived in Italy for awhile and had my pursed grabbed a few times, but, thanks to my clutching, it was never stolen. I feel justified.
Next thing you know the accusation of racism will be leveled at women clutching non-black purses for not showing sign of support, or clutching black purses as a representation of holding the black person down, etc etc etc.
It was in college that I was told for the first time I was a “victim of racism”. It took me awhile to figure out that the liberals were part of that “safe-hate clan” and they were trying to cultivate me into a “safe-victim”.
March 11th, 2008 at 12:15 pmI think the disturbing thing here is the fact that people are actually voting their particular victim class rather than the issues. When you look at life through the victim glasses, it’s only a matter of time before EVERYONE offends you. I’d hate to carry that baggage around with me all day.
March 11th, 2008 at 12:21 pmi will probably be flamed for this, but i feel it needs to be said and it’s my opinion backed up by my experience. and it has to do with black men and asian women. why the hell do all black men think that asian women want them? i’m so serious. who the f*ck propagated THAT myth? i blame porn.
in my experience, black men are the most forward and obnoxious out of all the men that randomly approach me in the streets. one had the gall to say “let me make you pregnant.” i’ve had many cases where a black man would feel me up inappropriately whereas a white man wouldn’t touch me. what the f*ck? it’s absolutely disgusting and revolting. and then people tell me i’m racist because i don’t like black men. well, gee, why do you think so? because i should accept the pawing and inappropriate and disrespectful comments such as the one above because they’re black?
the only time i had money stolen from me was when the culprit was a black man. police didn’t catch him. one experience is enough. so f*ck yes, i will clutch my bag and my vagina close when i see black men. that “pick up line” still makes me shudder in revulsion.
but before you consider me racist (i probably am), i do think that men like denzel washington and will smith are quite attractive and respect them for their art. and i know there are black people out there who don’t act like the ones i talked about. but i have not seen any who haven’t approached me with the intent to “i want to f*ck you because i know how you are down there.” disgusting, awful, gross. if you want to call me a horrible person, then do so and i will understand. but i stand by my experiences.
March 11th, 2008 at 12:25 pmSoooo, when EXACTLY is it OK to be careful & watch your stuff and when is it not OK? Perhaps someone should write a manual so I can be clear on it. Congress should hold hearings! I wouldn’t want to be thought of poorly while I was concerned about my personal safety. puh-leeze.
March 11th, 2008 at 12:30 pmRacism exists wherever people exist.
I will not quibble over the dictionary definition of racism - but to me, it’s when someone prejudges me based on my race (ethnic background) and the color of my skin.
I have had encounters of my own with racism. I choose not to let it bother me, and use my words and personality to educate - not lament or call names.
My own personal encounters:
1. when I had surgery, someone called an interpreter for me, based on the foreign spelling of my name - without even talking to me first. When the interpreter came to my room, I spoke better English than she did, and I even had problems talking to her my native language, as she used big words that I didn’t understand and asked her to say the English word. We both had a big laugh, when the nurse came in, I told her to thank whoever tried to help, I speak better English than my native language. We all had a big laugh.
No doubt it was racism. Someone based on how I looked and my foreign sounding name thought I could not speak English. I did not get angry, I appreciated the gesture, as it was made out of consideration for me (though still racist). We all had a big laugh and no doubt, whoever called the interpreter probably got an earful from her about wasting her time. It did not get me angry, I still think it’s funny even now. Hopefully, it will serve as a lesson to the person who made the call for the interpreter.
2. When traveling to a foreign country (Malaysia) with my plain vanilla white husband, a gal in the airport thought I was a “foreign bride.” She tried to recruit me in to recruiting all my girlfriends to “recommend” to match-up agencies. (Apprently, foreign brides are a hot business) She did not know that I grew up in America, was educated here, and met my man in college. She assumed that since I was an Asian chick traveling with a white man, I just be his Asian “prize.” That’s an example of racism right there. Based on our races, someone made assumptions about us that were untrue.
The moral to this story is, I choose not to let it bother me. But racism does exist, what is important is not that it exists, but your response to it when you encounter it.
Responding by shaming and calling the other person names not going to educate people. It won’t get them to change their minds. You don’t educate or convince by acting like a douchebag. Responding with humor, understanding, letting go of the anger, an being a counter example helps the other person broaden their views.
There are a great many negative things that exist in this world. We can all sit and complain and lament that it exists, call each other names, act like complete assholes toward each other. That does not solve anything. Change starts within ourselves and our response.
That said, complaining and whining and acting like assholes sometimes make for great entertainment.
March 11th, 2008 at 12:31 pmThe unanswered question, of course, is how does voting for the black guy end racism?
March 11th, 2008 at 12:36 pmLate to the thread again, I see.
Thanks for the link, Rachel. It’s not every day I read an article where 1) the woman named “N’Yoka” is not the dumbest in the article (that dubious honor goes to the man-hating late-middle-aged white attorney) and 2) the anti-corporate tattoo artist makes more sense than anyone else quoted. (OTOH, it’s fun to think about a petty, vindictive and enraged President Rodham using some intercontinental ballistic diplomacy on sexist male world leaders who didn’t take her seriously enough…)
Earth to “N’Yoka”: I clutch my briefcase or whatever else I hold dear whenever strange males are around - regardless of color. Likewise, I don’t worry to much about women, who are statistically unlikely to commit a crime against the tall, 200lb. man with the CCW…
March 11th, 2008 at 12:38 pmI think the logic goes like this.
Black men have big penises (or so they claim).
Asian men have small penises (or so the stand-up comedians claim).
Therefore, a black man’s penis must seem enormous to an Asian woman.
Or something.
March 11th, 2008 at 12:38 pmReminds of a black stand-up comedian I saw years ago who did a bit on how white people check to see if their car door is locked when they see a black man approaching. Earth to black guy: I check to see if my car door is locked whenever ANYBODY approaches my car - it’s called erring on the side of caution. It’s called knowing any person is capable of ruining your day, black or otherwise so why give them the chance.
March 11th, 2008 at 12:47 pmI agree with whoever said it is a form of narcissism to think everybody is all concerned about you all day - most people are just getting through their day and aren’t giving you a thought, positive or negative.
I had to hold back laughter recently when a young black woman was talking to her friend about how everyone on the bus was racist because they were being rude and shoving to get past her, not giving up their seat for her, etc. To her it was an example of the inherent racism in the system, and not just a bunch of dickheads on a bus. She was too full of self-centered victimization to realize that people in crowded public places are rude to everybody, not just blacks. Welcome to public transit!
March 11th, 2008 at 12:51 pmdidn’t either al sharpton or jesse jackson tell a story about how (one of them) was walking down a dark alleyway late at night and he felt that there were some men walking behind him. when he turned around, he was relieved that the two men were not black, but white.
i don’t hear the black community jumping on (which one) for that.
March 11th, 2008 at 1:00 pmPaul T,
That raises an interesting question: Is it racist to assume that people of a different race are racists simply because they act in a manner you disapprove of?
March 11th, 2008 at 1:01 pmI did a study to see if there is any association between demographic characteristics of persons who enter an elevator and the “clutching” activities of persons already on board.
Here are the main findings.
30% of White women clutched their purses when a Black person entered–male or female.
30% of White women clutched their purses when a White person entered–male or female.
[So, no differential response as as function of race.]
75% of men clutched their balls when women named “Duke,” “Otis,” “Killer” and “Andromache” entered. This behavior is termed “defensive nut clutching.”
50% of men clutched their balls when the door opened but no one entered. This behavior is called “compulsive nut clutching.”
40% of men clutched their balls from the moment they entered to the moment they got off—the elevator that is. These men are termed “nut jobs.”
10% of women who entered clutched the balls of men who were on board. This response was often accompanied by statements such as:
“Come here often?” And
“Whatcha got there, big boy?”
20% of women on board clutched the balls of a man next to them when another male entered. This was typically accompanied by statements such as:
“Please don’t leave me.” And
“I am so alone in this great big city.”
0% of women who went to Wellesley or Radcliffe clutched balls, period.
I plan to replicate the research on an escalator.
And then submit a paper to the Norwegian Journal of Ballistics Research.
March 11th, 2008 at 1:04 pmI second all the “since when is guarding your possessions in a public place automatically fucking RACISM?” and add on a dollop of common sense. Statistically, many, many more crimes are committed by black men than by any other demographic group. (Obligatory disclaimer for stupid people - No, that does not mean all black men are criminals, and that is neither my opinion nor my argument.) But if you expect me to purposefully be super-vigiliant around 90-year-old nuns and purposefully relax my NORMAL vigilance against a group that is STATISTICALLY the most likely to commit a crime, ’cause “I’M NOT A RACIST DAMMIT!”, well, then, you’re an idiot.
In other words, I agree with Rachel. Of course.
March 11th, 2008 at 1:05 pmthis is not how I feel, but just for the sake of it:
Rachel, if you were walking in the street late at night and you saw a group of black males coming towards your direction and behind them a group of white males wouldn’t you be more frightful of the black group?
March 11th, 2008 at 1:27 pmI have stopped trying to steal purses on elevators. Everybody seems to be clutching them too tightly.
And I am not even black.
Those racist bastards.
March 11th, 2008 at 1:34 pmI think this has more to do with human nature than with racism. Humans are very good at generalization. In other words, we have the ability to take a limited number of experiences and extrapolate what we learn from them to a variety of similar situations.
For example, once you learn how doors work, you can pretty much open any door in any building whether you’ve been there before or not. You don’t need to figure out each door individually, your brain generalizes the concept of opening a door and applies it to every one that you encounter.
That ability is what makes humans so successful. It’s why we have cities, airplanes, cars, space shuttles, and computers while our very close relatives are just now figuring out how to shove a stick in an ant hill to get food.
The flip side of the coin is that a very few negative experiences with people who share obvious characteristics causes us to generalize as well. That’s not racism, it’s experience. A racist would take your experiences and use them as justification for believing that black people are naturally inferior or criminal in their behavior. Your response is simply caution based on previous encounters with members of a group.
March 11th, 2008 at 1:35 pmAnecdotally, I once found that when a 6′, 200+lb man walks around a bad part of town with an expression like he will kill the first person who talks to him, black men will cross the street to avoid him.
I was working in said bad part of town when I had an argument with a co-worker. After which, I went for a walk to calm down, and after a few minutes, I noticed that some guys were crossing the street a block or so away. I didn’t think much of it, but when I stopped for a traffic light and looked around, a couple of the same guys were crossing BACK to my side, about a block past me.
Oh, and jjs - my observation has been that the behavior you mentioned is usually strongly dependent on the environment people grow up in, because the only black people I knew when I was growing up in Northern Kentucky were the nicest, most polite people I have ever known. After I started working in Cincinnati and meeting some who grew up in the “bad” parts of town, I met a number of people who would treat women like that.
March 11th, 2008 at 1:45 pm*Dougman sockpuppet alert*
I have no problem admiting that I’m a racist.
I hate every race there is.
White, Black, yellow, Red, . . .especially Red with freckles
100 yard dash? Hate it!
1000 meter race? Hate it.
Or maybe I’m just a Hate-ist
March 11th, 2008 at 1:53 pmarmyofdog, thanks for clarifying. i think i’ll always generalize, considering how often it happens.
wayneb, most of my bad experiences were in new york or boston. i still love those cities, though. and since i want to live in a big city later on, i guess i’m out of luck. oh well. i do believe you about what you say about environment and i do think it’s a big influence.
every one of my former friends would always say i was racist. they would say things like “well that happens with everyone!” and i couldn’t say anything back to them because i was grappling with myself on whether or not i was racist based on truly awful (in my opinion) experiences that DID happen only with this certain group of people. and it’s why i now don’t ever look black men in the eye because somehow even innocent eye contact invites inappropriate gestures.
one more story. i was at a strip club for the first time not too long ago (i’ve been curious, what can i say) and as expected, it was full of men. the evening went by uneventfully (i was with a female friend) and no one grabbed me or her. even when i got up to go to the restroom or get some water, there were never any stray hands from the white guys in the room. however, the minute i walked past a black guy, he went for my butt. it happened so fast that it wasn’t until a few minutes later, i let it sink in that i had my ass grabbed by some random black guy and i started freaking out because i felt violated. ironic, i know, considering where i was.
March 11th, 2008 at 1:58 pmI always clutch my European Carry-all while in public–no matter who’s nearby. I suspect to appease the author of that stupid rant that I’m supposed to open the contents of my European Carry-all and expose them to whomever I may see in public?
Is there a term similar to racism/sexism that accurately defines the mental state of those who create either where neither exists? Does “delusion” fit the bill?
March 11th, 2008 at 2:08 pmBy the way…can I point out something that seems obvious (to me, at least)? How much does the thug culture add to these feelings? Is it so unreasonable…or for that matter, so racist…that when people see you dressed like a thug that they assume you are, in fact, what you appear to be? Rachel has pointed out in the past that one of her reasons for arming and training herself is because, as a petite female, she could be overpowered by practically any normal-sized 14-year old boy. If just such a realization of simple physics is reasonable, how much more reasonable is it when that boy does everything he can to look like some prison thug? If a male, black or otherwise, said or did the things to my sister that jjs describes, and I was present at the time, there would be trouble. Is survival instinct now racist? And if so, just why is that?
And jjs - regarding when you said:
That is precisely the conditioning that the people always crying, “RACISM” are going for. Your common sense is still functioning while your friends have gone off the indoctrination deep end. That hesitation is because you still have a brain inside you yelling, “Wait…that’s not right….” My point is, your discomfort is based on experience, not preconceived racial prejudices. I am, of course, assuming that you didn’t feel this way in the past - until the incidents you describe.
March 11th, 2008 at 2:40 pmsatanum in computatrum (dang, that’s hard to type out), thanks for even more clarification on the matter. i feel like i was venting in my last two posts, but part of me was asking “is it okay if i feel this way? based on what has happened?” and i’m so glad i brought it up here because i don’t feel so bad and shameful about it now. you guys rock. and thanks rachel for choosing to this article to rant about. (i knooow, prepositions do not go at the end of the sentence…)
and no. when i was younger, i didn’t used to feel this way. and i definitely do not see black people as inferior or inherently criminal, in the sense that when i talk to them (or anybody), i always try to be respectful, courteous, and nice. it’s only when they start grabbing at body parts they aren’t supposed to grab is when i start thinking differently.
kat (don’t know if you can see this because your comment is below mine), i agree largely with your sentiments. however, the thing is that white guys are also very aware of that stereotype, but i don’t see them going around doing the same things that black guys do. the only time i got pissed off at a white guy was when he was clearly drunk. all the black guys were NOT drunk and VERY sober. so it makes you wonder sometimes. your father figure sounded like a very nice man, though, i think it would have been nice to meet someone like that.
March 11th, 2008 at 3:03 pmJJS, I have to say I have had similar experience though thankfully not quite that vulgar, but enough to catch me off guard. In college the black guys( ranging from arrognant pricks to shy quiet boys) were a lot more aggressive than white guys in their little come-ons and I had wondered if they were going by the stereotype that Asian girls were more submissive and crap that that. In graduate school it was a completely different story as most of my male black classmates were retired military guys and one in particular viewed me as a daughter. When he suddenly died just 3 credits short of graduating I was devastated, realizing too late that he was a father-figure who gave me many wonderful advices and memories.
There were supposedly similar stories during the civil rights movement where white women helping in said movement were pressured to have sex with black men to “prove” that they were not racist. I had forgotten about this until a group of us were discussing the movie Last King of Scotland. We were all analyzing the film like we were doing a dissertation or something when one guy said to effect that the sole white female character was racist because she didn’t have affairs with the local African men, never mind that she was married. Honestly, I don’t think the guy really believed that her character was racist but rather throwing out any excuse under the sun to pressure women into having random sex at her expense.
March 11th, 2008 at 3:09 pmanarchybunny:
No. I would not.
The reason for that is very personal and involves a young member of my extended family, who is the only convicted criminal I’ve ever known. He stole from people and generally created mayhem and an unsafe environment in his neighborhood.
He’s white, and so were most of his friends who did these things with him (and they live in an area that has a LOT of black kids so it’s not some silly reason like only white kids were available to do these crimes).
So in my personal experience, knowing what I know of this relative’s crimes, I have every reason in the world to fear a group of young white kids approaching me every bit as much as a group of young black kids.
Honestly, I don’t even care what statistics say - I am just as deeply wary of white boys as black boys. I avoid them like the plague. Frankly, if I see ANY teenager approaching me or trying to get in my space, I get the fuck away.
Teenagers are animals.
March 11th, 2008 at 3:51 pmI guess I’m racist, because when I see someone dressed like a gangster, white or black, get on an elevator, I clutch my Beretta.
I’ll be honest with you, though…the other day, I go to the convenience store. I pull up, and there’s a car with two black males in the front, sitting there, the lights off, no engine idling. This is 1 AM. I got about halfway to the door, and realized, hey, I may have forgotten to lock my car. I hit the remote and the lights lit up on my car. Ok, good.
Considering how the two were dressed, it wouldn’t have made a god damn difference if they were white or asian. Two guys in a car at a convenience store at 1 AM look like they’re casing the parking lot. Plain and simple.
I’ve seen enough crime in my lifetime (I was held up at gunpoint as a cashier in a health food store), that I am ever vigilant. Unless I’ve known you for 2 years or more, I’m suspicious (and even then, it didn’t stop an ex from stealing my car). You must be on your guard at all times. I’m not racist…I’m just suspicious of everyone.
March 11th, 2008 at 5:00 pmWhat Rachel said. We lived in Portland for awhile - didn’t always have a working car. I walked short distances once in awhile and let me tell you, a group of guys is scary when you are a girl walking down the street alone. I don’t care what color they are. A great book to read is The Gift of Fear. The author details how our culture tends to wear down the natural instincts and common sense (in women especially) we all have for bad situations. Like one woman who said “I knew I shouldn’t have got into that elevator with just that guy, but I did because I didn’t want to seem rude.’ Well, one rape later, she wasn’t congratulating herself on not being rude to the guy, she was kicking herself for thinking the social awkwardness was worse than what ended up happening to her. We learn to tune out the instinct and bad things happen. The only downside in the book is he is anti-gun - which I found to be a huge contradiction of his thinking. That aside, it will get you back in touch with your instincts and stop you from worrying about all that ‘does this make me racist?’ crap. It doesn’t make you live afraid - it makes you live smart.
March 11th, 2008 at 5:01 pmGood point, marla. Better to be called a racist, or rude, than be dead or raped.
The point being: ANYONE YOU DON’T KNOW IS POTENTIALLY A THREAT. That’s the way it is.
March 11th, 2008 at 5:08 pmDoesn’t hurt to have a lion-hunting ridgeback on your leash, though.
March 11th, 2008 at 5:09 pmAhem..
Voting for somebody because they are black, is this not racist?
Voting for somebody because they are female, is this not sexist?
The black activist community appears to be mostly (if not entirely) racist. They attribute everything to their own blackness. Huh… there do appear to be many successful and well-to-do black folk. Did they get that way by bowing to the man?
Shelby Steele has a great talk (hour plus long!) available at the Hoover Institution site about how blacks interact. It is interesting and chilling.
I agree with the comments above that point out that common sense is common sense (and woefully uncommon).
March 11th, 2008 at 5:27 pmCall me sexist, but if there is one single type of person I do not want etching things into my live flesh with a sharp vibrating needle gun, it’s a cranky woman muttering away about “this country is run by the white corporate male.”
I mean, just YIKES! Sticking my twig & berries into a bear trap seems almost just as safe, somehow.
March 11th, 2008 at 5:51 pmWhat I especially love is when the behavior of blacks toward blacks is pointed out as an example of white racism.
Example; When I was living in Washington DC (AKA Wonderland on the Potomack), the Washington Post kept coming back to the “fact” (was it? who knows?) that taxi cabs regularly declined to pick up young black men.
The vast majority of DC cab drivers are (or were then) black. Yet, somehow this was evidence of white racism.
The Liberal mind is very wonderful.
March 11th, 2008 at 6:04 pmI suppose it never occurred to the racially obsessed that the purse-clutchers of the world could simply have been drawing said objects closer to their bodies so as not to take up so much room in the elevator, out of common courtesy. Some of us ladies have big, bulky purses.
Naaah! It’s racist Fear Of A Fabulously-Dressed Woman Of Color!
March 11th, 2008 at 7:02 pmmightysamurai,
i was just reading over the comments again and i saw your entry and my goodness, i have to laugh because that seems to be the basis for the urban myth i was talking about. i just didn’t want to say it because i sounded angry enough, so thank YOU for saying it.
and that is a horrible premise either way. gross gross gross.
March 11th, 2008 at 7:04 pmYep, every bit of it - unless they have the raging hormones under control, and the fact is a lot of teens have not even begun to learn control at this present time in our societies..
March 11th, 2008 at 8:26 pmIt’s a wonder sometimes they even make it through the teenage years alive.. heh..
OMG! I have animals in my house (besides the lazy Lab). Jeez, how’d that happen? Golly!! Dang!!!
March 11th, 2008 at 8:38 pmFucking Word. I am a black person (from the Caribbean, mind you) and it has been my experience in America that black Americans are way more racist than white Americans. Maybe it’s because I grew up in a society where black people (in the Caribbean) are the majority and hence do not have that whole victimization complex that black Americans have, where every thing is the fault of the white devil and woe onto us, blah blah blah. It is quite aggravating, to put it mildly. But black Americans seem to automatically assume that every white person they meet is against them. I do not get it, period.
March 11th, 2008 at 9:21 pm*exception to the rule* I am no animal.
Of course, that could just be because I’m too weird to qualify…
I often feel awkward on the bus when I’m sitting down holding all my stuff close to me. I’m not even doing it to avoid theft, it’s just because I have so much random junk (6 periods’ worth of books and binders is nothing to sneeze at). Yet my faux paw meter twitches, because I worry that I’ve somehow offended someone by doing that. Then I get over it.
Anyway, idiocy like this keeps people from noticing REAL racism, when it happens. Whether it be white-on-black, black-on-white, Chinese-on-Arab or whatever, incidents of serious racism still occur. But by making so many mountains out of so many molehills, race baiters desensitize people to the charge of racism. So the foolishness here is twofold: not only does it raise a bunch of ruckus over nothing, it also makes it so that no ruckus will be raised over genuine racism, because it’s just another cry of wolf.
March 12th, 2008 at 12:14 amKeep the eye on the ball. The Channon Christian and Christopher Newsome case. Two white kids butchered by 4 black thugs. Never forget it - and what the upcoming trial will bring to our entire society.
March 12th, 2008 at 12:57 amHalf my lifetime ago, I was still driving my first VW Beetle. I got rear-ended by a black man. Okay, no biggie. No insurance at the time, and he didn’t want me to call the cops. He tried to slough it off as not being all that important. He was driving a pickup truck–much newer and much more expensive than my car.
I kept calling his residence number to see if I could start the ball rolling on him paying for the damage he’d caused to my car. His sister, who worked in the insurance industry, screamed racist epithets over the phone at me… like it was wrong for a white person to expect a black person to pay for the damages he’d caused. They both claimed that he was out of work for the better part of a year.
I did get a small claims court judgment against him, and eventually (a long time later) he paid up… but not without a lot of trouble. I guess he figured that since I was white, it was okay to stiff me out of damages he’d caused. But I guess, according to some people, that’s not racist–it’s “tropistic.”
For a while thereafter, I took buses and worked TWO jobs so that I could get the money together to get the car repaired, and then worry about getting reimbursed by the perp later. I was buying money orders, and kept them in my purse to pay the repair men (wrote the name of the car repair place in the “pay to” portion of the money orders).
One night I got mugged by two black men who’d been watching me for some time. They took my purse and my watch. They asked me how much money I had… I said maybe five dollars. They said, better have more money than that or we’ll kill you. Then they said, “We don’t care if we kill you ’cause you’re white.” But I guess, according to some people, that’s not racist either.
Fortunately, I was able to get the money orders replaced, and eventually got the car repairs paid for. It took me an extra month to get all this done, during which time the mechanics forgave the extra storage fees.
Some years later, I was driving another VW Beetle, and also got rear-ended by a black man. He tried to wiggle out of paying for damages, too, saying he didn’t think he’d done all that much damage. He was wrong–there was body and engine damage. He tried to slough it off because my car wasn’t as expensive as his sports car. But I guess, according to some people, that’s not racist either.
Damned if you do, damned if you don’t. And yes, when I’m on an elevator, I clutch my purse tighter. Sometimes it’s because I’m trying to make room for other people. Sometimes it’s because I’m mistrustful of who is on the elevator with me. If I’m also walking somewhere alone at night, I also clutch my purse tighter… because I don’t trust anyone anymore.
If Thomas Sowell, or Walter Williams, or Shelby Steele (or similar black people) were my neighbors, I wouldn’t worry about walking down the street in my neighborhood at night. In fact, Thomas Sowell in particular is one of my favorite authors and a personal hero to me. However, somehow I just don’t feel the same about the Ghetto (and Barrio) boys out there.
IMO that’s not racist… it’s experience talking. Sorry if some black people out there get their feelings hurt over all this; but the statistics say that I’m right to be cautious.
March 12th, 2008 at 3:51 amif you look at the numbers of who is voting where. everyone is pretty divided up between clinton and hussein. except of course for the black vote. 90 percent for the black candidate.
there’s the real racism. and they claim it is for ‘pride’.
yeah. i make decisions based on ‘pride’, i would be prosecuted for breaking the law. denying others their civil rights and all.
racist voting. wtach the numbers. they are indisputable.
March 12th, 2008 at 4:57 amgeez … I must not only be racist, but prety damned stupid too> It would never have occurred to me that purse theft was a big threat on elevators … after all, it’’s not they go up and down, and the doors are closed 95% of the time. In my racist dumbness, I assumed the place to be careful with your purse would be in open areas where they could snatch-and-grab.
Being from Western Canada, I always assumed that racism was not liking reservation indians. Then I moved to mid-Michigan where the nightly news is wall-to-wall Flint and Saginaw … black shootings, black house burnings, black drug crimes. Heck, if it wasn’t for the occasional white person getting carjacked, you’d think there were no white people here. But it would be racist for me to notice that, right?
March 12th, 2008 at 8:15 ampete in Midland,
I had the same ‘huh?’ moment. I mean, who steals a purse in an elevator? I do however, clutch mine closer when people get on, especially if it’s three others. I do so to get the thing out of the way and make room for the people getting on (I tend to carry a large purse/small briefcase so that I don’t have to carry both). So, it seems my attempts to be polite are now being seen as ‘racist’ because I’m white. I can’t win for loosing.
March 12th, 2008 at 9:20 amPete and Boudica - In an elevator, the threat is not someone stealing the purse itself, rather it’s the possibility that someone would take advantage of the crowding to take something from the purse. I’m told that a slick thief can even open a fastened purse without you feeling it, and many security seminars advise that a purse with a fold-over flap be carried so that the flap is towards the body to prevent it being opened easily.
Also, I’ve been in a situation once where a woman decided not to get on an elevator with me by herself. I figure she doesn’t know me from the man in the moon, so that’s a smart decision. I sent the elevator back to the floor she was on and went on my merry way (In case you might think I should leave the elevator and let her have it - that actually doesn’t make sense from her perspective, because I could always force my way back on with her as the elevator doors began to close, if I were likely to do such things).
March 12th, 2008 at 10:09 amI don’t clutch anything. I’m 6′2, 210 lbs, ( not fat, 34″waist) and white. I find people clutch things around me, when on the Metro or the elevator, when we’re closed-in. I get it, I’m rough looking. I have a grizzled face and a miltary haircut, and I get it.
I dont’ mind or take it personally. A lot of guys who look like me are the same types who are portrayed in movies to be the bad guy. I think movies have a lot to do with what we fear in public.
March 12th, 2008 at 10:57 amMy reaction in elevators and parking lots has as much to do with clothes as race. Here in Atlanta, there are many African immigrants who dress neatly and conservatively. Frankly, I don’t get as nervous around them as I do the thug-looking guys of any race.
To me, if you’ve gone out and deliberately purchased clothes to make you look like a criminal, don’t accuse me of prejudice if I assume you’re a thug. That goes for black, white, and hispanic people. In my area, many of the rural born white kids have gone for the Eminem look. I avoid them, too. Body language matters, too. It’s obvious when somebody’s stalking around trying to look tough. I stear clear of that, too. Situation counts. If I’m walking out of Walmart at 2am, I’m going to be far more cautious of ANYONE coming close to me. Overall, I’d rather offend someone than be a victim.
Normally, I’m packing a 38 revolver, so it’s not like I walk around terrified or anything. And, I speak Spanish, so I realize that groups of Hispanic guys are often just shooting the breeze and not focusing on me at all. I’ve stopped and helped people of all races who were having car trouble if they didn’t look threatening (I just made sure my gun was handy if needed).
If I see a black guy dressed in khakis and a buttondown who’s obviously headed home from work, I’m going to assume he’s alright unless he proves otherwise. But if his pants droop to his knees and he’s strutting around in a dorag, forget it. This isn’t a matter of money, either. I buy 98% of my clothes at Goodwill, so I know that you can get clean, decent clothes very cheap. I’d stop for a guy in jeans and workboots, too. Of course, the clothing test doesn’t protect you from the cleancut serial killer types, but I still think it’s a pretty valid gauge of people’s values and threat potential.
Some may say I’m crazy for helping people by the side of the road, and I may be. However, I don’t want to live in a world where people don’t help each other. Hopefully, I won’t wind up a terrible statistic, but I’d rather take that risk than be governed by fear.
March 12th, 2008 at 2:11 pmI moved into a suburb of Cincinnati 1.5 years ago. In that amount of time, within one mile of my house, the bank in the Kroger was robbed once. The Wallgreens robbed three times. The liquor store robbed once. The Ameristop robbed twice. The clothing shop next to the Ameristop was robbed once and the owner shot to death. The Boy Scouts were robbed with a sawed off shotgun, selling Christmas trees.
All of these robberies were done by black males. Is it racist to not trust blacks in certain situations. When you look at the accurate historical record, its just common sense. It is common sense and may save your life.
Of course this is a white opinion. Its also why no one is safe in the hood.
March 12th, 2008 at 2:21 pmWhen my wife (a tall white girl) and I moved down south she was surpised how poorly black people treated her as opposed to where she grew up.
March 12th, 2008 at 3:01 pmYou know, I live in Japan, where half the men are the same size as me. And if I’m walking home from work and there’s a guy within ten feet of me, you BET I clutch my purse, walk a little faster, and head for the most crowded and well-lit place I can see. Never mind that the guys are Asian and about 5′3″ and wearing nice suits and carrying expensive leather briefcases and wearing shoes that probably cost more than my monthly salary.
Kacie alone on the street + man getting too close = Kacie getting the heck out of there.
On the plus side, this being Japan they probably won’t steal your purse or kill you. On the minus side, about half the Western females I know here in Tokyo (myself included) have had some random guy stick his hand up their skirt and then take off running like the pathetic little losers they are, because that is as close to a real woman as they will ever get. And, sadly, because of Japan’s draconian self-defense laws, you can’t give them what they so richly deserve and beat them to death with your umbrella. The best you can hope for is to grab onto them and keep a hold on them until the police arrive. Grrr. Like THAT’s going to happen…
Anyway, I don’t care what color he is or what he’s wearing. I get totally paranoid about strange men, because there’s nothing more irritating than getting charged with assault for giving some spineless bottom-feeder the beat-down he so richly deserves.
March 15th, 2008 at 11:21 am