Racism.....

[Scar]

I had a friend on ******* who recently noticed my scars for the first time. There is a brief explanation of where they came from in my 'About Me' section, so it's not toooo hard to figure it out if you have half a head of brains. However, he wrote me and asked why I had them. I have mixed feelings about going into great detail with strangers about their origin, cause it's a long story and some people are just asking as a conversation starter. So I always check out their pages and pictures and try to figure out if they are geuinly interested, mocking me, or reaching out for help.

This guy was a first class loser. He took a photo of himself in front of a German nazi flag, so I told him that when he told me why he took that photo I'd tell him where my scars came from. I personally don't like glorification of the Nazi era, I know some people think it's a cool fashion statement but honestly every time I see someone dress up as a Nazi it makes me uncomfortable and it makes me want to leave the event..... Here is his reply:

-----Because I like very sick and brutal things and events, it gets me off, Nazi Germany was one of the sickest things weve ever had happen in history, and the only motherfucker with balls enough to actually try and rule the world (HITLER), and totally fucking brutal as fuck, plus the flag is rad. I also grew up in the south where Ive had Black fucks put guns in my face, my parent were both killed in a drive by by 3 Black Gang Bangers, My house was robbed 3 times growing up by black fucks, they stole my christmas gifts when I was 12 and when I was 13, they get better health insurance theyve got theyre own tv channels, theyre own month, and theyre own everything, but the second I say im proud to be white or proud of my German heritage Im a fucking racist. ITS FOR WHITE/GERMAN PRIDE, AND ALSO MEANS NOT WELCOME TO A LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE NOT JUST FOR THEYRE RACE BUT FOR THEYRE LACK OF INTELLEGENCE, AND INDEPENDENCE. I DONT CONSICDER MYSELF A RACIST I JUST KEEP MY EYES AND EARS OPEN AND WATCH MY BACK AND OBSERVE THE WAY THESE FILTHY CREATURES WE CALL HUMANS ARE, WETHER THEY ARE WHITE, BLACK, MEXICAN, JEWISH, IRISH, FRENCH, EGYPTIAN, OR CHINESE, IF THEYRE A PIECE OF SHIT THEYRE A ******.
SO WHATS WITH THE NAME????-------


I didn't write back and blocked him, but I couldn't get the story out of my head or shake off the hostility for a while. He really freaked me out and reminded me that ther are a lot of angry, hateful people out there........

How do you all react in such situations? Have any of you had uncomfortable run in's with racism??

[TheDeathKnight]

I try to realize that everyone has a past. Everyone has a history. So if you run into a mean, nasty, fucked-up racist, they have a reason they ended up thinking that way. His story, his history, means he probably has only dealt with pretty fucked-up, uneducated, criminal black people. So he has a bad impression of them. If he were to meet a really cool black person, maybe he would change his attitude. I sort of agree with him, that all people need to be judged based on their behavior. But he is a perfect example of a shitty white person. He looks just as stupid and ignorant, as the people he is prejudiced against. But yeah, I generally don't want racist people as my friends. But if I can, I try to change their viewpoint. So if that guy sent me an e-mail like that, I'd probably try to change his mind a little. Because the more people that tell them to fuck off, and who hate them, just makes them hate everyone even more. The idea is to get people to open their minds, and realize that there are lame, fucked up, criminal people, or all races. It's not just one. So yes, if you are in a bad black neighborhood, maybe you should be careful. But I'd be just as careful in a bad trailer-trash white neighborhood, if I was black. Because those people are just as dangerous. Some methed-out honky is just as likely to rob me. But if I am on Wall Street, do I need to be afraid of that black man in a business suit? Probably not. Same thing with the white guy in the suit. He's probably not some cracked out drug addict. And again, I know that judging people on clothes is also a prejudice, same as judging people with tattoos. But you generally need to get to know someone, before you can really tell if they are a good person or not. I am sure there are really cool, nice, honorable people, in the worst neighborhoods. And they may dress like gangsters, have tattoos, etc, but still be really good people. But you still have to be smart, and not put yourself into bad situations.

[Lady Alias]

^ Don't think I could have put it better.

[Satiate]

well, i'm mixed... but a lot of people assume i'm white... i'm mainly french/indian, but i have puerto rican, african american, italian, swedish, irish, english, italian, spanish, etc. (it's just easier to say i'm everything but persian and asian)... i was never taught "race" in my house... i just thought some people had much darker tans or no tans at all... i grew up in the south, off of an air force base in an upper middle class home, and went to school in the ghetto... i never heard the "n" word, until i moved to a rural area with a mainly "white" demographic...

i've encountered racism on both sides, from white people knocking races that i'm related to, and from people with ethnic backgrounds assuming i'm white... i honestly have a different reaction to every single of those encounters and i find it very personally unsettling... because i deeply believe it's something evil to teach your children that type of value system... to judge a room full of people on the actions of a handful...

the most retarded display of racism, i've encountered came from a singer in a decently known rock band... my ex-fiance, who happens to look "white" but is in fact full blooded hispanic, was with me at a local watering hole... and sitting next to us at the bar is this singer (who used to rehearse down the hall from my boy's and i's two bands)... he's usually a bit of a snot, but every so often would sit back and churn out a joke and we'd walk away thinking, "Well, he ain't that bad..." so we all end up talking and telling jokes and he starts telling me, in a crowded bar full of people mind you, that he was dreading his upcoming tour... and i asked him "oh, where are you hitting?" and he responds "the south" so since it was the summer, and it was hot, i responded back "oh, yeah, make sure you have a killer air conditioner in your ride it's going to bake you..." and he goes "Oh no... no... that ain't it..." So i ask him, "Why then?" And this guy looks me dead in the eye, in this crowd of people, "Because of all the n*'s" Now I tried to laugh him off, and said "Man, so they only live in the south, huh?" And his response, "Well, that's where all the dumb n*'s stayed when they couldn't find their way north." I was shocked, being a southern girl... being a southern girl who's black great grandpappy was BLACK sharecropper, the son of a slave... and I respond back "Uh, you need to stop saying that word." He says, and I quote "Wouldn't have taken you for a n* lover..." So that's when my boy places his hand on my arm (if you know me, you'd understand exactly how close to violence I was getting) But I bit back my intial retord and said, "Just so you know, I am part black, and I really hate that word." He laughed, and I mean, gut wrenching laughter and said "What part? It sure ain't your ass, you have a **** (sorry don't know how to filter that and let it read right) ass." So that's when I put my beer down to face my opponent and my guy starts to step in between us as I shout, "That would be my Puerto Rican ass, the owner of the boots that are about to..." And my guy says, "Look man, we are all cool here, and I'm full blooded hispanic and I don't like that word at all..." The jerk finally realized the party of people I was rolling with, his band got involved, his band manager saw the scuffle about to explode and he was carted out of there.

I've seen him twice in clubs since then, and he won't make eye contact with me... and walks wide circles around me now.

But yeah, I've learned I'm a prime example of you can never guess what's anyone's ethic backgrounds. For example, I was born super straight strawberry blonde hair, green/hazel covered in freckles, my sister was born with rich black curly hair, dark brown eyes with such a lovely dark shade of skin, and my brother was platinum blonde with gray eyes with skin so white that he burns if he's in the sun more than 15 minutes... Same parents... Just the luck of the genetic...

I've learned you can't change a racist's mind... they have their opinions formed and they refuse to destroy that feeble balance of right/wrong they clutch onto for their belief system to work... I do my absolute best to keep myself out of said situations... But through the years, being mixed, most of my conflict has come from racist issues rather than sexist or religious... Because too many people assume too many things by someone's color of skin...

And where was I going with all of this... when I remember, I'll get back to you...

[GnArKiLL]

Ugh. This reminds me of a friend of mine. I hate racists but if theres one thing i hate just as much is ignorant people who dont know what the word "Racism" really means.

I have this "friend" who i dont really talk to much anymore but we spend alot of time together a little over a year ago. We had this thing together for a while. Anyways she had said something to make me believe she was a bit racist, and when i asked her about it, she had no shame in letting me know what she though. Now of course shes white, and im pretty much 100% mexican. She even told me she kinda had a problem(?) with it.. kinda,(its not as bad as it sounds, and i was forgiving cuz she was so so beautiful) because she said she watches what she says around me to not offend me. For which i replied that i dont care, say what you will, a jokes a joke, i got nothing against that. So as time went on i she always said some of the most ignorant racist things ive ever heard come out of anyones mouth in person. I mean it was N word this N word that, blah blah shit like that. Even though what she said was horrible, she never really said it with hate behind it, in fact she said everything in a kinda cute way, i guess.
One day we were hanging out and she got a call from a friend of hers. So she said she wanted to go see him and so we did. When we arrive at the dudes house i notice (wait for it... its shocking) that her friend was.... BLACK. Not just that but she was friend with him and his brother. Two of the biggest black dudes ive ever met. Straight up. We hung out there for a bit, they were really cool guys. Afterwards she told me how when she was in highschool were she live before, these guys were her neighbors, and would hang out and talk and stuff.
Anyways ever since then i tried explaning her the difference between being racist and being prejudice. Im pretty sure nothing i said ever got through. I came to the conclusion that she was a little ignorant and lacked education. Not to be mean to her or anything.

[Xochitl]

Ha! I had a guy like that on ******* as well awhile back & if I recall you left a funny message to me in my blog about him.

Ah, racist people. Ain't they great, especially the ones who act like they aren't but they are. I have dealt with it for pretty much all my life, I grew up in a very "white" place & I am hispanic but my roots are very different than most latinos. I am a Sephardic jew (latin jew), good mix of Commanche, Southern Arapahoe and Yaqui with some Basque mixed in for good measure. I certainly look like "something" but what people can never figure out. It is really amazing how people can get about other groups or ethnicities, people love to separate themselves. Sometimes people really didn't know better so I was able to hopefully teach them something and often they didn't mean their remarks but sometimes there are some really fucked up people. I have never let my bad experiences with anyone especially when it comes to race make me less of a person, infact I am glad I had them since I have learned to laugh at things & not take stuff so serious in life. I wouldn't trade my sense of humor for anything! When I see people like that guy I feel sorry for them.

I couldn't agree more about the Nazi era in Germany, I guess it is personal for me. I have heard the stories of many old Jews about that time in history & it is one big reason why one of the languages that my ancestors spoke for so long is dying out. All those that spoke it were killed off during the holocaust. Then again almost all the actual languages & cultures of all of my ancestors have been killed off. That guy is an idiot since things like that have been going on throughout human history & Hitler wasn't the first, but for the sake of the world let's hope he will be the last one commit genocide like that.

I am glad you blocked that guy & don't let him bother you. It sounds like he needs some serious help & you own him no explaination for anything. It is to bad he had an issue with some bad black people. I know plenty of great black people who are not shitty gangstars, just regular working class slobs like the rest of us, trying to get by & have a good life. I have had bad experiences with whites in my past but I have had way more good experiences with white people, including the love of my life who is a nice white Irish guy to prove otherwise & I wouldn't trade him for anything in the universe either. We hope to have a family someday & you better bet that our children will learn about all their roots & they will be proud of all of them one will not be better than the other.

You would think in this day & age that people would knock this shit off since you never know when you will need a kidney & who it might come from.

[Mr Karl]

well I suppose everyone has thier pet peeves, some just get bit extreme about them

[Thistle Harlequin]

someone i wouldn't want to friend, besides that i have no comment

[The Raven King]

I'm black, there's no mistaking that. My ex is a white goth girl from Alabama. She has three children(Blonde haired blue eyed - Village of the Damned) from her previous marriage. I raised these kids from when they were in diapers and they still call me Daddy and I always will be, but it was interesting seeing peoples reactions when they would call me Daddy in public, my girls running to me at school for a hug and kiss, holding my sons hand in the grocery store or walking down the street. I'd get the occasional smile, but a lot of WTF's. My ex got pissed off at the sink and said it was ******-Rigged. She looked at me and turned beat red and I could tell she was praying I didn't hear her. I said what did you say and she told me and I started laughing. She was so embarassed and started apologizing saying it was a common phrase around her house growing up and it slipped out. It took a lot of effort on my part to put her at ease. I loved her and she loved me and that was real, and nothing else mattered. But the point is Racism is there and it's every where. I think as time goes on it will lessen, but I think it's going to be here a long time. You just have to have the quality of character to do the right thing when others won't.

[Black Spiral Dancer]

I wouldn't call myself racist, but I am selective of my friends. I was brought up to give everyone a "fair crack of the whip", so to speak. I will speak to someone if they speak to me, I won't intentionally ignore someone, but if they do something that pisses me off, no matter what their Race/Creed/Colour/Whatever, they will not get a second chance.

Scar - I couldn't help but notice your "******* Friend" had a lot of spelling mistakes in his reply. This to me is typical of the Neo-Nazi/BNP/National Front, but that in itself could be seen a racist remark, so I'll just say that he called them unintelligent, yet he hasn't learnt how to use a dctionary? Hypocrite! Now they make me MAD!

[Mr Karl]

the thing that gets me about these neo nazi's is that thier figurehead doesn't look blonde and blue eyed to me, I'm sure they have an excuse for that one though

[Black Spiral Dancer]

the thing that gets me about these neo nazi's is that thier figurehead doesn't look blonde and blue eyed to me, I'm sure they have an excuse for that one though

Yes, I always wondered about that. The "Master Race" vision of Mr A Hitler was, some would say, self-depreciating since he was neither blonde, blue-eyed or even German! He was an Austrian Painter! It would be the equivalent today of making Simon Bisley or Alan Moore the President of the USA! Or Todd MacFarlane the Prime Minister of Great Britain.