Dog Community

Posted : 4/9/2008 7:54:05 PM

FourIsCompany
For me to NOT use the word brings the phrase "separate but equal" to mind. If people are equal, then we shouldn't be treating them differently because of their race. If I treat a person differently because of his race, to me, that's not respect, that's racist.

I agree wholeheartedly with this statement. Issues like this one are making me jaded, I am getting very tired of the political correctness, of the inability or fear one must have if you are having to discipline or fire someone who is of color, and of walking on eggshells around people of color. To give some background on me, I was raised in the south by a white father who believed with all of his heart that all people were created equal and who paid the price for that belief. As a child I heard many a cry of ____ lover directed at my dad, I even answered the phone as a kid and heard grown ups tell me that they would run my _____ loving father out of town on a rail. I grew up with these beliefs deeply ingrained in me, in junior high I was in several fights, because my friend was black, and white people were not suppose to have black friends. I am a godmother to a black child and have several friends that are black, so I am confident that I am not a racist. With that being said I find my self having less and less sympathy in regards to racial matters, and a lot of that is due to the stupid things I see in the media, like this story and like the black preacher screaming about how everything is the fault of the white race. I grow tired of holding the white supervisor accountable for everything but am then told to hold back on the Hispanic one because someone might interrupt that as racism. I grow tired of people telling me to consider the person of race for a job regardless if they qualify because we could use someone of that race to make us look diversified. Bottom line for me is this. I firmly believe that God created every human with the same rights, we are all the same, and only our skin is different. The person most qualified should get the job, the person failing should be written up or fired for their failures, everyone should be held to the exact same standards and at NO time should a white woman who is working her ass off to get a black man elected, be fired for calling children in a tree monkeys. It is obvious to anyone that she is not a racist. What racist in their right mind would work to elect a black person if they believed that black persons were inferior? Where is the logic in this situation?

This thing has been taken way to far, the scales have tipped in the other direction and as a white person I cannot help but feel that I and others of my race are being subjected to the very racism that many of us have fought to abolish.

jennie_c_d

Posted : 4/9/2008 7:58:05 PM

miranadobe
I had no knowledge that "beaner" was a slur, either. Until I was talking to Jada using the myriad of nicknames I've given her... everything from "Potato Head" to "Va-Jay-Jay" to "MubbaWubba" to "Hippo" to "Beanie" - and thus the variation of "Beaner".

I also had no idea... I called Teenie my Beanie Weenie, and Beaner Weiner all the time.... Oops.

fuzzy_dogs_mom

Posted : 4/10/2008 12:42:49 PM

Great post, dgriego. There are some words that could only be used in a hateful way ... and we all know what those words are. But Good Lord, can't people use a bit of common sense and take context and intent into consideration? It just seems like everytime you open your mouth anymore somebody gets offended ... and nobody ever bothers to ask the "offender" what they meant. They just turn it into a major issue.

Joyce

snownose

Posted : 4/10/2008 12:50:10 PM

Everything has spun way out of control.........a good portion of the black community has no problem riding on the racial theme for eternity.....look what happened to Bill Cosby, a well liked person who only spoke the truth.....well, after that he lost popularity.....

fuzzy_dogs_mom

Posted : 4/10/2008 2:25:03 PM

I know that I'd never deliberately say something to offend someone but if I accidentally said something offensive I'd much prefer that someone take me aside and say "You know, I found what you said offensive and this is why ..." than contact the media, cause problems with my job, get me fined and turn the whole thing into a circus. I think a quieter approach would really go a lot farther toward educating people.

Joyce

amstaffy

Posted : 4/10/2008 3:33:07 PM

I'm closing this thread.

There has been some genuine honest thought put into many of your responses and I thank you for that. Some that are not. This is a topic that tends to get out of hand fast and since I do not get to frequent the board as much as I'd like too I feel this is best left off the forum.

Thank you!

"Monkey"--a racial slur?