[quote]Professor X wrote:
[quote]TDub301 wrote:
Huh, well there are plenty of predominantly black gated communities (upper and upper-middle class) around where I live. Maybe I shouldn’t go there and test if the opposite could happen. To be honest, had I an actual reason to go there, I wouldn’t think twice about something like that happening (as in, I don’t think it would happen at all). Maybe that’s just all the “white privilege” that people love to throw in my face every chance they get.
Prof., you said you think if the kid were white and the guy who shot him were black that the shooter would’ve been arrested. Maybe you’re right. My question: were your scenerio true, would people also be jumping to the racist conclusion? Would anyone be thinking the black guy was racist?
I don’t think HG is trying to “side” with anyone, I just think he doesn’t want people to jump to conclusions, including the one that the guy was racist and went after the kid cuz he was black. I agree. If you weren’t there and don’t know all the details, then you can’t justify any conclusion (even though there are some signs that point to it, it’s still not enough to be definitive).
The media loves to perpetuate this, too. Make it look like it was racism to cause a stir and get ratings. The report could easily be leaving out certain details and the simple fact that they have to mention the kid was black in the title is a sign by itself.
Racism still and always will exist. Hate is a human nature and will never go away as long as humans are around, racism is a form of this with even more ignorance added in. That doesn’t mean that everything has to become a race issue all the damn time. I for one am sick of it. Anytime something happens between a white person and a non-white person, everyone is quick to cry racist. It’s like the Salem Witch Trials, anyone who could be seen in any light as a racist automatically gets the label and is condemned by everyone.
I don’t want to defend the guy and it’s very tragic that the kid got shot just for a simple walk to the local convenience store while visiting his family in a “nice” neighborhood. No question that the guy was fucked up with what he did just from the simple fact that he was told to stay and not get involved and he ignored it.
I was taught to give people the benefit of the doubt when I didn’t know all the details. Isn’t that the right thing to do? If he IS racist, why lower yourself to his level?[/quote]
Him being racist (whether he is or not) isn’t even the main issue. These stereotypes led to someone getting killed. Most of the people who react to those same stereotypes would likely also claim they are not “racist”.
When someone DIES because of it, the issue is expanded.
Many people make racist stereotypical decisions all day long and don’t consider themselves “racist”.
The question is, WHY was a black walking “suspicious”? He went to the store. If I go jogging, do I now have to worry about someone thinking I am “chasing” them and shooting me?
The truth is, yeah, I do.
You are focused on the wrong shit.
This country is FILLED with racist fuckers who would deny it all day long. No one cares what you THINK. We care how you ACT…especially when someone dies because of it.
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He could’ve been thought suspicious simply because he was a kid that had never been seen in that neighborhood before. It really could be that simple.
He could’ve been looking around thinking how nice the houses were or something and it could have been misinterpreted as casing said houses.
He could have walked by some chick and checked her out in a certain way that made it look suspicious.
There’s any number of reasons why he could have looked suspicious. These are all possibilities.
I would agree that it is wrong to think he’s suspicious simply because he’s black. Noone is arguing that point. And I agree that this country is filled with people who give in to stereotypes. I’m reminded of that every time I step on a basketball court or drive by people blasting my rap music, trust me I know all too well about that (not literally EVERY time, but often enough to be significant).
But you’re still talking like it’s definitive that he got killed because the guy was racist (or “making decisions based on stereotypes” as you put it, which to me is still essentially being racist).
It could be any other number of reasons. Most of which still would make the guy fucked up, of course, but that’s what I’m getting at. We don’t know. Jumping to the conclusion that he thought he was suspicious simply because he was black is what I’m talking about.
The question you should be asking is “what made him look so suspicious” not “why is a black person walking suspicious”. The point I’m making is you don’t know whether being black had anything to do with it at all so you have no right to jump to the conclusion that that’s the reason.
You also didn’t answer my question, if the roles were reversed, would anyone be thinking it was cuz of the kid’s race? If the shooter was black, would you not assume he was stereotyping or would everyone still be having the same conclusion? Wouldn’t that be lowering yourself to same level that you are against?
Is being racist a stereotype for white people?
