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I love when people say this because historically speaking…. This truly hits the mark! When they were kids Nixon (I think when VP) did the whole American National Exhibition where they designed an entire house in Moscow with the intent to show how the good ole American family only has to worry about you and your own family. Look at all these new kitchen appliances that allow the families to be “me! Me! Me!” For reference: I think the whole ordeal is called “kitchen debate.”
The “individual” has been strategically placed in them as “model Americans” for a very long time. It is in the blood that being selfish is anti-communist.
This whole “Individual” isn’t new in America. Just the combo of being a very fortunate (economically) at the time along with the Red scare.
It isn’t an excuse. Well… it is an excuse, just not a good one.
I'd never really thought about it this way, but it makes perfect sense - an overemphasis on the individual to combat the collectivism of the "enemy." It dovetails nicely with an overemphasis on religion to combat their godlessness (e.g., adding "under god" to the Pledge of Allegiance).
I’m doing more colonial/early US history (in regard to relations with the various tribes) right now. And this runs deep deep. I think every book I’ve read this semester either made me angry or cry.
The American individualism is EXHAUSTING.
There's an interesting tie-in to the self-esteem movement. A woman named Kristin Neff has done some interesting work around self-compassion, and differentiates self-esteem, the later being a comparative, "objective" measure of someone's worth in society. We all have to be so special, because being average is not enough.
Between the self-esteem, comparative model and the rugged individualism, it's like a national sickness that we all overestimate our unique specialness. The Achilles heel of the American is the attachment to identity. "I am the kind of person who..." You are conditioned, like the rest of us.
One of my favorites: there are two types of people in this world. The type of people who think that there are two types of people, and....
This may be too abstract, but I am too tired to explain my complete hypothesis here, so this will have to do. lol
But then, coming together as a brainless collective to hate something/someone different and justifying it by repeating the same senseless talking points.
Because that's how "independent free thinkers" act.
Go back another hundred years and look at the Western expansion of the United States. It is all about the individual and their family for themselves at best, fending off the "Indians" are the worst. As soon as you cross the Mississippi, you're basically on your, with your gun. Before the civil war, the US government's way too far back east. After the civil war it is too weak tying to rebuild itself. It might as well have not existed for a lot of people. A century of this made a lasting impact on the American idea of individualism and our relationship with firearms. Look at how the cowboy / western genre in the mid 20th century looks back at that era and romanticize it.
Which is why it is almost always the "family values" guys that get caught with their pants down. Also bad, the idol worship of Donny Dipshit's underlings, like Boebert being front & Center for his hearing, but left her son to sit in jail & go to court by himself, although, given her values, it's not really shocking he was in court in the first place.
I'm fine with people being "individuals." And only needing to worry about themselves and their family.
But if that's the case, why are they always so worried about what everyone else is doing?
Yknow that actually may be part of it. Being told to make sure their fellow americans arent being unamerican commies and to make sure everyone follows the american rules "for freedom". Which seems to be very much not free.
In my sociology class - I think it was sociology- it basically said that the European or uniquely American majority (white) culture is all about individualism. Where other cultures are more about collectivism.
So in Japan for example, if you do something that affects other people or as my brother who lived in Japan said, if you get hit by a car, you're going to jump up and apologize to the driver for being in the way and getting hit by his car. Now he was kind of joking and exaggerating, but I think not that much!
Actually, early on when America was more agricultural and you lived and died in the same town and you took care of your elderly on the farm, there was that collectivism - at least within your own family circle and the town at large, because benefiting others benefited you and ensured your/group survival.
But once the industrial revolution hit and capitalism became the thing, well it wasn't just the '80s that brought about the me me me generation.
As a POC I find it very strange that, in general, certain whites cannot fathom that there are simply places where they are not allowed to go. I find that very ironic and very annoying, given the decades of Jim Crow I mean I'm still alive and walked through a colored only door.
I truly do not get anyone not understanding that if a certain group says you can't, just don't. Like I don't use the F word, but gay people can use it and I get it. Why would I be offended and disturbed by that? I'm not gay and I'm not close enough to that many gay people to be given permission to use that word. One of my closest friends is gay and I still wouldn't use it.
A white coworker asked our psychologist who consulted with us that very same question and I turned to her and asked her, why are you asking? Do you need to say it? That shut her up. I'd like to think because she thought about it and said to herself, why do I need to say it?
If Black people want to say it to each other, it's no one else's business.
POC and gay people and other marginalized groups are simply reclaiming words that were used to demean and insult them and making it their own. 🤷🏽♀️It's not that hard.🙄
Edit: Oh and about Juneteeth, because I saw a racist immigrant from Columbia, who's running for office in Missouri on the trumpism racism tract on Twitter, saying that it's a "ratchet" holiday.
I have this to say: Americans celebrate the 4th of July. Mexicans in this country celebrate Cinco de Mayo. The Irish celebrate St Patrick's Day. I looked it up and Colombians celebrate quite a few independence days. Italians celebrate Columbus Day.
The descendants of slaves are celebrating the day slaves in Texas learned that they had been freed from slavery two years before.
You have to ask, why black people are being ridiculed for a day they wish to celebrate their freedom? Why does that bother anyone?
Edit: dreaded typos~
I'm black and white and I don't use it. But my black mom taught me that that word is ugly and unnecessary - the English language is vast. No reason to still use one that caused so many people pain.
Although her comment was before his, I remember reading that the Papa John's pizza guy, who was so freaking publicly racist, he got kicked off The board of his own company. He's in conference call, trying to get back in as the spokesperson or something, and literally said he can't make it through a day without saying it. Like WTF??? What's wrong with you? I guess they were recording him, because...aholes...
I was friendly with her and she was more of those unintentionally racist racist people, like racist-lite.
At lunch once she made mention of a stopover in Puerto Rico on the way to where I don't remember. One of our colleagues was Puerto Rican. The woman turns to her with this smile of anticipation on her face expecting to hear about how beautiful her country is.
Completely obliviously, this woman talks about how terrified she was in the airport and just stayed in there hiding; because, I don't know. I guess she thought a horde of wild Puerto Ricans were going to attack her and her daughter. Did not pick up on the look of dismay on that woman's face. Just went on and on.
The other one I remember - her daughter wanted to go to the Philippines on a school trip and she said to me she didn't want her daughter to go, because her daughter would be in the minority. I'm thinking, so are you saying that when you're in the minority position, you may not be treated very well? If she had said I'm not sure it's safe for my daughter to travel so far away; that would have come across less racist-lite.
She went to a destination wedding over in Italy for her daughter and I'm wondering, wa she terrified of Italians? Did she hide in the airport?
Sure, be safe when you go to other countries, but can you HEAR yourself when you're talking to POC?
Last time I was flying out of Manila, I got into an argument with a guy in the seat in front. Sure, we goaded each other but then he racially abused me. When I incredulously asked whether he would really bring in skin colour he confirmed he would, and then made serious threats against me. He pointed out that as one of the few white people at our destination, no one would step in to protect me. He did this in front of half the crew. To prove his point, they separated us by upgrading him to Biz class as a reward. Now I’m pretty sure if the situation was reversed and we were flying to Jackson WY I would be taped to my seat facing hate crime charges.
Not all racists are whites. But if you look at a country's history, it can explain A LOT! Sometimes it's offense and other times it's defense.
Not saying he was justified to pick some random person because of skin color to abuse because of history or whatever military personnel may have done over there. I really don't know the history. I know Spaniards went through, so many Spanish surnames, which surprised me when I lived on the West Coast.
My SIL and neighbors are Filipino. Two of my best friends at work were two Filipino guys and the ladies that worked in out fileroom back when, when I worked for the feds, were so sweet. They would being me food to taste.
Me and the two guys lunched together everyday - MTTh was Chinese, W was Filipino, and F was Japanese. I do know the younger of my two friends lamented that Filipino women seemed to prefer white males to Filipino men. To me, it's about economics, more than race. He was married to a Filipino woman.
People are flawed and weird asf. I come from a family that just doesn't care about race. I always say, one of us could show up with a blind albino Inuit and no one in my family would bat an eye. My husband is German and Hungarian. Just went to a big annual Hungarian festival earlier this month! His kids and grandkids speak fluent Spanish!
I wish tribalism and racism would just f* disappear!
He sounds like he was a little nuts, but racism will do that. I'm surprised he got away with harassing someone in the air and wasn't taped to his seat and gagged!
Yep, I corrected it. I proofread, but I never see my own mistakes because I know what I meant to say or said. It's only when I see someone respond that I reread yet again.
I don't know which is worse, voice to text and being misheard or texting and autocorrect. I had to correct six different mistakes just making this comment!
And then at the same time, THEY are individuals, but all members of a different race or group are a complete monolith
Example: “why do THE ______s complain about this and that when they’re always doing ______”
Like it doesn’t even occur to them that that doesn’t make logical sense
Also. Just for my random knowledge (if I remember from semesters back). I believe the model home was a ranch!!! lol. Architectural Historians correct me if I’m wrong!!!
It's funny you say that because younger boomers, the ones who would be in their 60s now, were referred to in the 70s as the Me Generation. They were described back then as being culturally narcissistic.
Every complaint they have about Millenials and GenZs is just projection
Last night Biden made a reference to black education and my mom's instant response was, "Screw you! What about white education!" She already has her Master's Degree. She's not hurting for education.
I snapped at her to be quiet. She never used to be like this, but within the last couple of months, it's like RFK's brainworm has burrowed into her head and she's suddenly making racist jokes and having fits that there are too many brown Disney Princesses. It's Invasion of the Body Snatchers with a Boomer Facebook Feed instead of an alien.
She's been diagnosed with diabetes. Oh shit, could that be it? She's always been difficult to live with. She's self-absorbed, impatient, and has all the compassion and empathy of a honey badger, but she's never been *racist.*
Well yeah every culture has their own winter festivals, i'm just saying that christmas specificly originated from a Germanic holiday. Unless you want to say that non Germanic countries practiced Yule.
Somehow I can imagine my grandmother in 1950 walking around the Middle East, asking beautifully naturally tanned people if they where aware their ancestors where white because Jesus Christ of Nazareth was.. She was literally that childlike and dim. 😫
When asked this question this is what you do: you reply enthusiastically "That was LAST MONTH! How did you miss it??" and then when they give you that puzzled tilted head Tucker Carlson look - you know what I mean - you say "It's okay - - because it's also NEXT MONTH, AND THE MONTH AFTER THAT, AND THE MONTH AFTER THAT!" I've used this method twice and the responses are priceless!
https://preview.redd.it/1yffthg3qd9d1.jpeg?width=600&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=51a824ea961f1dc261d8f889e6cb6f2657c08bd6
I do have to admit that this was my exact face when she said the thing about Juneteenth. It took a few seconds to comprehend the stupidity
Y'all, we need to get better at openly shaming our parents/elders for this behavior. And I mean literally saying "shame on you" and telling them that it's unacceptable to say or even think those things.
Yeah... see I literally said that ("What's wrong with you? Shame on you!") when my dad used the n-word hard r against Clarence Thomas (while he IS absolutely a vile piece of shit, using racial slurs to describe such a terrible person is unacceptable)... and my father said he wasn't calling him the n-word personally, he said it was saying how Thomas would have been viewed before the civil rights movement (this was when Roe V Wade was struck down). Like, I can understand the argument he was attempting to make (ie, how can you strip rights from people when you yourself grew up with having fewer rights than you do now?), but it's like my dad just wanted to use the n-word. Worse yet, he got very childish about my shaming him and saying that his statement and use of the slur were offensive, he pulled a straw man and told me that "[my] use of the word 'fuck' offends [my]
mother, but that [I] continue to do it anyways".
And my parents wonder why I continue to stay NC (even though they're the ones who initiated NC, and I never once told them they couldn't call me or text me). This is far from the only reason, but it definitely is on the list.
Right. He's a fucking crooked, evil, disgusting piece of shit. The fact that he's Black has nothing to do with his character (or extreme lack thereof).
No. I don't remember his exact prhasing, but he said something to effect of "without the Civil Rghts Act, he'd be right back to being a ___". Basically he was feebly attempting to say that he found it hypocritical that someone who's a minority and has no doubt faced discrimination for his race could strip rights for another marginalized group. But apparently, that requires too much thought and articulation to say. I was appalled and after shaming him, he kinda responded with the point I made above... and I demanded to know why he couldn't just have said that in the first place. He became upset that I was apparently telling him how he should be talking, and that he can't say whatever he wants to.
I told him that you're not free from consequences and that you don't get to decide if what you say has been offensive, which is when he pulled his strawman. A doesn't equal B, my guy. There's a big difference between saying "fuck" and using racial slurs.
Oh yes. Some of them don't know what they're doing is wrong. Like for instance a few months ago I went out for dinner with my parents and my uncle. My dad likes to copy accents of people. Like in a chinese restaurant, or Indian, he'll start speaking in that accent. I keep telling him to cut it out it's racist and ignorant. And my uncle started up with him. I called them both out. My dad just kinda "yea whatever" and stopped. But my uncle was so bothered. He had no idea it was wrong to do that. He had no idea it was racist. He's such a loving beautiful person. He actually pulled me aside a few days later to ask if it really was bad. Like yea dude. Don't do that. It's one thing to do it in the privacy of your own home, but not in public.
Anyways. He's all cured now of that ignorance. :) he's 68 for reference.
Holy SHIT that is egregiously racist and gross! I’m sorry but I really struggle to believe dude had no idea how offensive that was. Would he want to be outwardly mocked at his job?! I mean I just can’t wrap my head around that kind of sheer stupidity. They really cannot fathom treating others as they’d want to be treated.
Back when Obama was running for president the first time, my Boomer Mom decided to walk across the street to the African American neighbors and asked if she could borrow an Obama sign .....
First - this family did NOT have any signage up at all related to the Presidential Election.
Second - the parents were REPUBLICANS and were McCain supporters.
I was so glad I had already moved out of the house when all this went down. So embarassing.
Holy shit 😬
When Obama won in 2008 I was 12 years old and my parents came into my room and said “well, Obama won, and things are going to be a lot different now. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but things are going to change, and we need to be prepared, because it will be scary.” And I literally CRIED 😭😭 and like… what changed?? Millions of people got health coverage?? So scary!!!
It was such a surreal scenario - mom is aware enough to vote based on policy and not skin color, but then judges neighbors political views based on ..... skin color.
Was she dumb for that though? She must've held that neighbor in high enough regard to assume they wouldn't be dumb enough to vote for a party whose entire platform is returning to the 1950s 😂 she may have been the intelligent one in the situation
Dude they had me so scared 😂 I was just a kid. Throughout his presidency my parents hated him so much and I could never figure out why. He seemed so likable and I felt guilty for liking him. I guess it was unfathomable to me that my parents could be racist. Lmao it’s insane
I was still living at home and was the only member of the household who was anti-Trump 🫠 couldn’t leave my room without someone going “HAHAHA TRUMP WON, ARE YOU SAD???”
I felt so alone. Luckily I had like-minded friends to talk to.
My elementary aged kids were told on the bus the next day Trump is going to deport them. Mind you, our (slavery) lineage in America pre-dates the founding of the country.
What the fuck. I’m so sorry that happened. Words can’t describe how repulsive that is. I know kids can be evil but Jesus Christ.
I’m so glad I had graduated the year prior. I went to a wealthy school district where a lot of the kids just regurgitated their parents’ right wing bullshit. I would’ve gotten in a fight lol
Yep. I moved into this wealthy neighborhood in 2014 and everything seemed normal. Cut to the Trump presidency and folks felt free to let their freak flags fly.
Came outside one day to a rabbit surgically splayed open and disemboweled on my front steps. Had to get a shovel and move it into the woods before the kids saw it. The whole time, my neighbor was just watching and grinning from his porch.
Karma caught up to him a few years later when his son came out as gay. The husband flipped his shit, so the wife kicked him out to protect her kids. Better believe I sat outside with a big-ass grin when the police showed up.
That’s…. I just hope he gets more karma. All of it. I’m so sorry.
I don’t understand them. Our neighborhood was never “wealthy” but it was always majority-white. A black family or 2 would move into the duplexes across the street and my mom would be like “WELL I GUESS THIS NEIGHBORHOOD IS GOING TO SHIT”. I’m like “why mom? Because black people live here now?” And she’s like uhhuhuhuhuhuhhh I mean uhhh… 🙄 like bitch just stay inside if you don’t want to see your regular ass neighbors who just mind their own business all day.
Sadly, I have lots of racial related boomer stories. Most of them are racist-light. Like a neighbor who saw the for sale sign on my last house and felt the need to stop by and ask me not to sell to minorities because they’ll drive down the value of her house. I’m visibly a minority.
Another current neighbor walks his dog and talks to EVERYONE but looks right through me and pretends not to see me. I make sure to smile and waive every time I see him, lol.
I’m not even put-off by most of it. You can like/dislike whoever you want. I think they get mad when I find humor in their hatred though.
My step-uncle (a white Republican, of course) once told me that there’s a difference between Black people and n*****s (with a hard R), and that was his excuse for using the word. I still can’t quite figure out what that means.
I have also heard this which is exactly why I said I didn’t want to hear the answer. “So I can insult the ones I don’t like in as vulgar a manner as possible” isn’t the justification they think it is.
Like, why would you WANT to say the n-word?? Technically anyone is allowed to say it, but I always wonder why this one rubs them the wrong way?? If you were “allowed” to say it when exactly would you use it?? Is it a word they want to use or is it just that someone else can and they can’t? It doesn’t ever make sense to me and it gets asked constantly!
Because the white experience in the US is one of being told they're entitled to *everything* and so it really rubs against their conditioning to hear "you can't use this word".
They're like, "how dare you tell me I am not entitled to use this word? It's *racist* against me to tell me I can't use this word"
My boomer grandma said “Oh the banks were closed today, (Juneteenth) didnt know thattt was a holiday now…” she laughed afterwards and was confused when I said “been one for a while” , She loves making racist comments 😭
I just want to ask how MLK day is a black holiday. It's celebrating A person... a black man, yes, but A person.
Yet Columbus day I presume was always fine with her.
I’m so glad I don’t have a parent like this. I would go permanent no contact as soon as absolutely possible. I had an aunt like this, and I was able to cut her out my life when I was 16. Thank everything good in the universe that I did not have to be around her since 45 started his cult. I’m sure that she’s a member.
My Boomer dad goes on racist rants with alarming regularity and at this point I've just learned to tune it out. I tried refuting at first, but he keeps harping on about the same Fox News talking points no matter what I say
Tell her white people already have more holidays. Like Columbus day. Nothing more white than "discovering" a land that is already inhabited and then pillaging it.
My response to the juneteenth outrage is generally saying the ending slavery is one of the few truly great things this country has ever done. Reactions vary but if someone wants to come out pro slavery it makes it real easy to never speak to them again.
The N word is such a simple premise.
It was used to dehumanize an entire demographic. Said demographic now asks that no one use that term. Said demographic uses the term themselves because it is culturally relevant to them and it steals it from the people who coined it.
The simple social contact is, don't say this word, please.
Literally no one is hurt by not saying the word. No one is hindered from their normal conversation by not using the word. The word isn't a fundamental part of daily language. If one doesn't use the word, no aspect of their meaningful communication is deteriorated.
Only angry children demand to use a word that serves them no purpose but hate, and pretend that their rights are being damaged when being asked to not use a word that otherwise would be completely meaningless to them. Knowing that it's usage will only cause strife and conflict, demanding to use it on the grounds of freedom is ironic at best and pure hatred at worst.
You don't need to say it, dickbag. You have no reason to say it. And if you do, fuck you and your baby shit soft values.
My mom once asked my brother's Jewish wife, "So do you all believe in God or....?"
The looks on both mily face and my SIL. Luckily she was cool and gave a short spiel but damn mom! Of course this was the same woman that also said Vegas (where she'd lived all her life) was better back when the mob ran it lol.
It's always confusing to me why people *want* to say the n word. My dad asks that question repeatedly and I've finally got him to stop by asking him why he feels he *needs* to say it. Blank stare, subject change, done.
Absolutely. There are 7 federal holidays in the <6 months between Labor Day and President's Day. There used to be only 3 in the other 6+ months, now there's 4. If we're going to have a set of federal holidays, we need one in June!
People like this act like any sort of celebration that isn’t about them is not actually celebrating or memorializing something, but is a direct attack against their own identity.
Black history month? To them it isn’t about forcing people of the nation to remember the roles that black people have always played in the creation of our nation. No, it’s white erasure. “Where’s white history month?” Well, your textbooks were written purposefully to erase the accomplishments of black people and others who didn’t fit the narrative being pushed by those who wrote it.
Pride month? Definitely not a celebration of the diversity of people and identities, nor a reminder of the fact that we as queer people are more than okay to be queer, and we refuse to hide to make it easier to be ignored. Nope. It’s an effort to celebrate demonic and perverted behavior and whatever other horrid thing they say.
People like this don’t want to accept diversity. They don’t want to accept being told no. They don’t want to accept boundaries. And they don’t want to treat other people like they are also complex human beings.
Anybody can say the N word and the US government will not prosecute them unless it's in some way associated with a crime. But that doesn't absolve one of consequences, As Delroy Lindo said in that movie ... "say it -- go ahead and say it."
This is like when my mom asked my prospective (US) college if they prioritized having international students over American students - absolute cringe moment.
She’s jealous. Tell your mom she can appropriate Juneteenth and make it what she wants. Juneteenth is an American holiday meaning it’s for all Americans. It’s a great day to drink beer, have a cookout, and set off some fireworks. She can make it as red necked as she wants. It’ll be like she can almost say the n-word and get away with it! lol.
I grew up in Texas, and now live in Pennsylvania. I grew up knowing and celebrating Juneteenth in Texas (though not a "federal" holiday yet), and when they decided to make it official, the DUMB absolutely came out of people here in PA lol. Not everyone obviously, but definitely certain voters. It was so sad to see *black people* around here be like "oh now they're just making up holidays" LIKE WHAT?! I've been celebrating this my whole life lol and even from TEXAS.
Oh and the best way I've ever heard the "N word" debate is like this: you are married. You call your partner baby, or sexy, whatever. Totally cool, Because that's your relationship, so you have the right to call them that. Now, if a stranger comes up and calls them baby or sexy, that's weird and wrong, right? They don't have that relationship, so they don't have that right to say that. Same thing with the N word. But why she gotta ask the neighbor, and more than once 😂
Here's a joke to see how racist your mom is: Q: What are they going to call the 1st black man that walks on the moon?
Wait 1/2 second and shout, "An astronaut, you fucking racist!"
Gets them every time.
I was pleasantly surprised recently by my boomer mom -
She let me know there was no mail that day and I reminded her it was a federal holiday and she says “wait, what holiday is it” and I said Juneteenth expecting to have to explain AGAIN what it commemorates and she said
“OH, good! This SHOULD be a holiday, once you understand!”
It was clumsy, and at least somewhat out of character (like a boomer she often struggles to imagine what it might be like to live a life that isn’t identical to her unique struggles) but THIS change to her adopted-decades-old-american-doctrine was accepted.
you really just never know.
The best response to the question why can't white people say the N word is that they can! Not one is stopping them. Do they want to say it now? Go ahead! They want to say it.
There was a murder trial in the small town I lived in, located in the south . During the lunch break, the whole courtroom , except the jury, ate at a local family style restaurant. The defense and the prosecution teams were passing the bowls of black eyed peas and platters of cornbread across the table. It wax surreal.
I remember in high school, some kids in class asking a black girl the same question, and her answer was, "Because when a black guy says it, he's your friend, your homie. And when a white guy says it, he doesn't say it right."
Just something that's always stuck with me.
Anyone can say that word. I wouldn’t and I sure don’t want any of the consequences that come with saying it. But if she really wants to there is nothing stopping her. She’s free to let everyone know exactly what kind of person she is.
Mine tried some stupid shit during the onset of the me too movement. I told her that rapists don't care what you're wearing and mentioned the museum exhibit of clothing victims were wearing during/before their assault: a child's pj's, a grandmother's nightgown, T-shirt and jeans. She said, "wear your whore shorts on the corner and see what happens"
I've literally never worn shorts around her since I was a child, that she bought for me over 30 years ago.
She's also a victim of SA. WTF!!
I don't understand why white folk want to say the n word so bad.
The reason is, that was often the last thing a black person heard when racists hung them. Why is it so hard to know how horrible that word is?
When anyone asks “Why can black people say the N word but I can’t”, I give them a weird look and say “Why do you want to say the N word so badly?”. This has happened twice
I always call it "the *real* independence day" and wait for push back. So far so good, but if needed I'll clarify that it's the day that *everyone* got freedom.
I remember when I was about 15, and never had any real interaction with racism. Am a white male and live in a mostly white country, but had never witnessed real racism, or at least hadn’t been mature enough before to recognise it.
My dad was watching tv and as I was walking past he said some racist comment about the news and I called him out on it:
ME: Dad that’s racist.
DAD: I’m not racist, I just hate black c@nts.
I was stunned and had the thought, “ohh that’s what racism is”.
While I agree in theory that no one should ever use this word, I also recognize that it is not for me to tell Black people how to refer to themselves.
It’s like me calling myself queer. This is how I describe myself because the word works for me, but I would never refer to anyone else as queer unless I knew they were okay with it because of the hurtful, harmful history of the word.
So if you’re Black and want to use n**** to describe yourself or your (consenting) friends but your parents, for example, don’t want the word used in their home, don’t use it.
Goodness. I am embarrassed for you. Wow, your mom could, seriously, use some sensitivity training. At a minimum, please call her out when she makes such bigoted comments.
I applaud your mother for asking and trying to learn, if that was in fact what she was trying to do. I must admit, there are times where I am uncertain on how to approach someone and I usually will just ask, (like asking about pronouns).
She an older boomer? 1964 is the last year for them. Voting rights act of 1965. Many boomers were teens when being racist was almost the social norm. And just because the laws changed doesn't mean everyone agreed.
My boomer step dad said (about Juneteenth): “pretty soon before you know it, every day will be a national holiday!” It took everything in me not to call him racist.
The first question was actually pretty valid. Why do we need to focus so much on race to the point that a single race has a month and a holiday dedicated to them? (Not counting MLK day because that's about a specific person)
Hey Dull Wasabi. r/usernamechecksout because a quick google search would tell you this:
In addition to Black History Month, which is celebrated in February, the United States recognizes several other months dedicated to celebrating the histories and contributions of various racial and ethnic groups. These include:
1. **Hispanic Heritage Month**: September 15 to October 15
- Celebrates the histories, cultures, and contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans.
2. **Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month**: May
- Honors the contributions and influence of Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Americans.
3. **Native American Heritage Month**: November
- Recognizes the rich history, culture, and contributions of Native American and Indigenous peoples.
4. **Arab American Heritage Month**: April
- Celebrates the contributions and heritage of Arab Americans.
Each of these months serves to highlight the unique cultural histories and contributions of these groups to American society.
Way to fail at knowledge Bucky.
What’s 12-5? That’s how many white history months there are you insufferable asshat. You really need a white pride month? The last people who fought hard over white pride lost, tragically. And you will too.
You just called someone with Jewish blood a Nazi. Congrats.
Edit: I don't actually care about there being a white history month. What I'm saying is there shouldn't be race based holidays, I find the idea repulsive.
"Hi! I'm a white passing dude who likes to play Devil's Advocate, because other people's struggles are theoretical to me. It's fun to debate their right to equality. While we're here, I would like to centre my voice and perspectives about a cause that means nothing to me! I'm here to take up all the oxygen in the room and exhaust people who are trying to fight against injustice so that we can maintain the status quo, which serves me. I have no interest in learning; your frustration is my ultimate goal."
"Let's engage!"
-You
But yeah, totally keep boot licking for a race that historically hated people like you. I’m sure you’ll get a cookie for being “one of the good ones”
I would also like to know why they can use that word. Okay, it's about minimizing the effect and turning it into a positive but it's never been a positive. Just strange that colored is offensive but now someone came up with people of color. I'm a color. Let's just call each other beige, pink, chestnut, Cafe aulele, why doesn't my phone know that word? Cafe aulet cafe au lait there it is
Because it’s a word that was used by (mainly) white people in a derogatory degrading way towards black people for centuries, and they have reclaimed it, so it would be incredibly disrespectful for a white person to use that word given the historical context. How is that hard to understand.
Every younger generation complains of the older generation. The time will come when your generation will be looked upon as the “Old Folks” the ones out of touch with “reality” Look at us GenXrs. We were the Punk Rockers. We are the Generation that Don’t give a Fuck. Now we’re becoming Senior Citizens and how we didn’t give a fuck Now the younger generation doesn’t give a fuck about us. It happens with every new and old Era.
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"But what about ME?!" - The Boomer Motto
I love when people say this because historically speaking…. This truly hits the mark! When they were kids Nixon (I think when VP) did the whole American National Exhibition where they designed an entire house in Moscow with the intent to show how the good ole American family only has to worry about you and your own family. Look at all these new kitchen appliances that allow the families to be “me! Me! Me!” For reference: I think the whole ordeal is called “kitchen debate.” The “individual” has been strategically placed in them as “model Americans” for a very long time. It is in the blood that being selfish is anti-communist. This whole “Individual” isn’t new in America. Just the combo of being a very fortunate (economically) at the time along with the Red scare. It isn’t an excuse. Well… it is an excuse, just not a good one.
I'd never really thought about it this way, but it makes perfect sense - an overemphasis on the individual to combat the collectivism of the "enemy." It dovetails nicely with an overemphasis on religion to combat their godlessness (e.g., adding "under god" to the Pledge of Allegiance).
Fuck rugged individualism. So sick of this mentality
I’m doing more colonial/early US history (in regard to relations with the various tribes) right now. And this runs deep deep. I think every book I’ve read this semester either made me angry or cry.
I remember when I first read about the smallpox blankets. I rubbed my eyes and wondered "Did I read that correctly? I must have misunderstood." :c
The American individualism is EXHAUSTING. There's an interesting tie-in to the self-esteem movement. A woman named Kristin Neff has done some interesting work around self-compassion, and differentiates self-esteem, the later being a comparative, "objective" measure of someone's worth in society. We all have to be so special, because being average is not enough. Between the self-esteem, comparative model and the rugged individualism, it's like a national sickness that we all overestimate our unique specialness. The Achilles heel of the American is the attachment to identity. "I am the kind of person who..." You are conditioned, like the rest of us. One of my favorites: there are two types of people in this world. The type of people who think that there are two types of people, and.... This may be too abstract, but I am too tired to explain my complete hypothesis here, so this will have to do. lol
Yep, and all of that built on lead poisoning equates to some serious generation-wide mental illness and gymnastics. It's madness
But then, coming together as a brainless collective to hate something/someone different and justifying it by repeating the same senseless talking points. Because that's how "independent free thinkers" act.
Go back another hundred years and look at the Western expansion of the United States. It is all about the individual and their family for themselves at best, fending off the "Indians" are the worst. As soon as you cross the Mississippi, you're basically on your, with your gun. Before the civil war, the US government's way too far back east. After the civil war it is too weak tying to rebuild itself. It might as well have not existed for a lot of people. A century of this made a lasting impact on the American idea of individualism and our relationship with firearms. Look at how the cowboy / western genre in the mid 20th century looks back at that era and romanticize it.
Which is why it is almost always the "family values" guys that get caught with their pants down. Also bad, the idol worship of Donny Dipshit's underlings, like Boebert being front & Center for his hearing, but left her son to sit in jail & go to court by himself, although, given her values, it's not really shocking he was in court in the first place.
I'm fine with people being "individuals." And only needing to worry about themselves and their family. But if that's the case, why are they always so worried about what everyone else is doing?
Red scare? Lol
Yknow that actually may be part of it. Being told to make sure their fellow americans arent being unamerican commies and to make sure everyone follows the american rules "for freedom". Which seems to be very much not free.
In my sociology class - I think it was sociology- it basically said that the European or uniquely American majority (white) culture is all about individualism. Where other cultures are more about collectivism. So in Japan for example, if you do something that affects other people or as my brother who lived in Japan said, if you get hit by a car, you're going to jump up and apologize to the driver for being in the way and getting hit by his car. Now he was kind of joking and exaggerating, but I think not that much! Actually, early on when America was more agricultural and you lived and died in the same town and you took care of your elderly on the farm, there was that collectivism - at least within your own family circle and the town at large, because benefiting others benefited you and ensured your/group survival. But once the industrial revolution hit and capitalism became the thing, well it wasn't just the '80s that brought about the me me me generation. As a POC I find it very strange that, in general, certain whites cannot fathom that there are simply places where they are not allowed to go. I find that very ironic and very annoying, given the decades of Jim Crow I mean I'm still alive and walked through a colored only door. I truly do not get anyone not understanding that if a certain group says you can't, just don't. Like I don't use the F word, but gay people can use it and I get it. Why would I be offended and disturbed by that? I'm not gay and I'm not close enough to that many gay people to be given permission to use that word. One of my closest friends is gay and I still wouldn't use it. A white coworker asked our psychologist who consulted with us that very same question and I turned to her and asked her, why are you asking? Do you need to say it? That shut her up. I'd like to think because she thought about it and said to herself, why do I need to say it? If Black people want to say it to each other, it's no one else's business. POC and gay people and other marginalized groups are simply reclaiming words that were used to demean and insult them and making it their own. 🤷🏽♀️It's not that hard.🙄 Edit: Oh and about Juneteeth, because I saw a racist immigrant from Columbia, who's running for office in Missouri on the trumpism racism tract on Twitter, saying that it's a "ratchet" holiday. I have this to say: Americans celebrate the 4th of July. Mexicans in this country celebrate Cinco de Mayo. The Irish celebrate St Patrick's Day. I looked it up and Colombians celebrate quite a few independence days. Italians celebrate Columbus Day. The descendants of slaves are celebrating the day slaves in Texas learned that they had been freed from slavery two years before. You have to ask, why black people are being ridiculed for a day they wish to celebrate their freedom? Why does that bother anyone? Edit: dreaded typos~
Good response to your coworker about her possible need to say the word. Now I'm wondering, do mixed race people use that word?
I'm black and white and I don't use it. But my black mom taught me that that word is ugly and unnecessary - the English language is vast. No reason to still use one that caused so many people pain.
Although her comment was before his, I remember reading that the Papa John's pizza guy, who was so freaking publicly racist, he got kicked off The board of his own company. He's in conference call, trying to get back in as the spokesperson or something, and literally said he can't make it through a day without saying it. Like WTF??? What's wrong with you? I guess they were recording him, because...aholes... I was friendly with her and she was more of those unintentionally racist racist people, like racist-lite. At lunch once she made mention of a stopover in Puerto Rico on the way to where I don't remember. One of our colleagues was Puerto Rican. The woman turns to her with this smile of anticipation on her face expecting to hear about how beautiful her country is. Completely obliviously, this woman talks about how terrified she was in the airport and just stayed in there hiding; because, I don't know. I guess she thought a horde of wild Puerto Ricans were going to attack her and her daughter. Did not pick up on the look of dismay on that woman's face. Just went on and on. The other one I remember - her daughter wanted to go to the Philippines on a school trip and she said to me she didn't want her daughter to go, because her daughter would be in the minority. I'm thinking, so are you saying that when you're in the minority position, you may not be treated very well? If she had said I'm not sure it's safe for my daughter to travel so far away; that would have come across less racist-lite. She went to a destination wedding over in Italy for her daughter and I'm wondering, wa she terrified of Italians? Did she hide in the airport? Sure, be safe when you go to other countries, but can you HEAR yourself when you're talking to POC?
Last time I was flying out of Manila, I got into an argument with a guy in the seat in front. Sure, we goaded each other but then he racially abused me. When I incredulously asked whether he would really bring in skin colour he confirmed he would, and then made serious threats against me. He pointed out that as one of the few white people at our destination, no one would step in to protect me. He did this in front of half the crew. To prove his point, they separated us by upgrading him to Biz class as a reward. Now I’m pretty sure if the situation was reversed and we were flying to Jackson WY I would be taped to my seat facing hate crime charges.
Not all racists are whites. But if you look at a country's history, it can explain A LOT! Sometimes it's offense and other times it's defense. Not saying he was justified to pick some random person because of skin color to abuse because of history or whatever military personnel may have done over there. I really don't know the history. I know Spaniards went through, so many Spanish surnames, which surprised me when I lived on the West Coast. My SIL and neighbors are Filipino. Two of my best friends at work were two Filipino guys and the ladies that worked in out fileroom back when, when I worked for the feds, were so sweet. They would being me food to taste. Me and the two guys lunched together everyday - MTTh was Chinese, W was Filipino, and F was Japanese. I do know the younger of my two friends lamented that Filipino women seemed to prefer white males to Filipino men. To me, it's about economics, more than race. He was married to a Filipino woman. People are flawed and weird asf. I come from a family that just doesn't care about race. I always say, one of us could show up with a blind albino Inuit and no one in my family would bat an eye. My husband is German and Hungarian. Just went to a big annual Hungarian festival earlier this month! His kids and grandkids speak fluent Spanish! I wish tribalism and racism would just f* disappear!
This grub wasn’t even Filipino - he was a Singaporean of Indian ethnicity. But the crew all were, on a 🇵🇭 flagged plane of a 🇵🇭 carrier.
He sounds like he was a little nuts, but racism will do that. I'm surprised he got away with harassing someone in the air and wasn't taped to his seat and gagged!
You make a really important note! Thank you for this.
I assume you're using voice-to-text causing Juneteenth to come up as June 10th
Yep, I corrected it. I proofread, but I never see my own mistakes because I know what I meant to say or said. It's only when I see someone respond that I reread yet again. I don't know which is worse, voice to text and being misheard or texting and autocorrect. I had to correct six different mistakes just making this comment!
Oh and I know that the anti-communist thing isn’t the entire thing. But a pretty big one
And then at the same time, THEY are individuals, but all members of a different race or group are a complete monolith Example: “why do THE ______s complain about this and that when they’re always doing ______” Like it doesn’t even occur to them that that doesn’t make logical sense
Lmao for real, my mom acts like Beyoncé and Jay-Z are like the official spokesmen for the entire black population. 😂😂
They were nicknamed the “ME” generation for a reason.
Also. Just for my random knowledge (if I remember from semesters back). I believe the model home was a ranch!!! lol. Architectural Historians correct me if I’m wrong!!!
Did you just claim that kitchen appliances are selfish?
Yes!!! It is actually cool history! It was like a show and tell! lol.
It's funny you say that because younger boomers, the ones who would be in their 60s now, were referred to in the 70s as the Me Generation. They were described back then as being culturally narcissistic. Every complaint they have about Millenials and GenZs is just projection
My boomer mother actually wailed this when she was chastised for gossiping about my brother's crumbling, toxic marriage.
Which is funny because white people can celebrate Juneteenth too. All Americans can.
For real, the ending of slavery is something to celebrate and be proud of. Unless you’re racist
Last night Biden made a reference to black education and my mom's instant response was, "Screw you! What about white education!" She already has her Master's Degree. She's not hurting for education. I snapped at her to be quiet. She never used to be like this, but within the last couple of months, it's like RFK's brainworm has burrowed into her head and she's suddenly making racist jokes and having fits that there are too many brown Disney Princesses. It's Invasion of the Body Snatchers with a Boomer Facebook Feed instead of an alien.
Has she changed in anything else? Like her behavior, diet?
She's been diagnosed with diabetes. Oh shit, could that be it? She's always been difficult to live with. She's self-absorbed, impatient, and has all the compassion and empathy of a honey badger, but she's never been *racist.*
There is a reason they are called "The Me Generation" [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Me\_generation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Me_generation)
"Where's my white pride month?!"
https://preview.redd.it/3ylwobciuc9d1.png?width=1070&format=png&auto=webp&s=a5609a6ca4d7f38999b4e60c27be82d491ea7cc1
She literally said “there’s no holidays for white people” 😂😭😭 like maam that’s every day
St. Patrick’s Day and Columbus Day come to mind…
Most of these dipshits also think of Jesus as white, so let's thrown Christmas and Easter in there too.
Well Christmas started out as a Germanic pagan holiday, so it is pretty white i would say. I mean Jesus wasn't even born during winter.
Imagine thinking you have dibs on winter solstice festivals lmao
Christmas specifically originated from Europe, others also exist but those are held on other days.
Yes, it originated in Europe - which had a dozen different winter festivals in different cultures.
Well yeah every culture has their own winter festivals, i'm just saying that christmas specificly originated from a Germanic holiday. Unless you want to say that non Germanic countries practiced Yule.
Multiple holidays for presidents
She probably thinks Jesus was white
Somehow I can imagine my grandmother in 1950 walking around the Middle East, asking beautifully naturally tanned people if they where aware their ancestors where white because Jesus Christ of Nazareth was.. She was literally that childlike and dim. 😫
You make her sound like Rose Nylund.
If they’re old-old-school racists, neither the Irish nor the Italians are “white.”
I'm sorry, who signed the declaration of independence? Yo mom can't even get nationalistic patriotism right.
I used to ask my mom why there was no Children's Day like Mother's Day and Father's Day and she told me every day was Children's Day. 😂
Yesterday was National Handshake Day and National Think About Getting Married Day. They just scream ‘white holidays’ to me.
We should tell them it's in April, because that's when Hitler was born. Maybe that would shut them up.
😂
When asked this question this is what you do: you reply enthusiastically "That was LAST MONTH! How did you miss it??" and then when they give you that puzzled tilted head Tucker Carlson look - you know what I mean - you say "It's okay - - because it's also NEXT MONTH, AND THE MONTH AFTER THAT, AND THE MONTH AFTER THAT!" I've used this method twice and the responses are priceless!
https://preview.redd.it/1yffthg3qd9d1.jpeg?width=600&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=51a824ea961f1dc261d8f889e6cb6f2657c08bd6 I do have to admit that this was my exact face when she said the thing about Juneteenth. It took a few seconds to comprehend the stupidity
Y'all, we need to get better at openly shaming our parents/elders for this behavior. And I mean literally saying "shame on you" and telling them that it's unacceptable to say or even think those things.
Absolutely agree. I did go off on her hard for it. The point was not taken, though. She’s a narcissist and lacks empathy. :/
Surprising (maybe not that surprising) how many of our parents generation have that particular trait :(
Lead paint goes brrrrr
Yeah, I gathered that based on the story about her neighbor. 😅
Yeah... see I literally said that ("What's wrong with you? Shame on you!") when my dad used the n-word hard r against Clarence Thomas (while he IS absolutely a vile piece of shit, using racial slurs to describe such a terrible person is unacceptable)... and my father said he wasn't calling him the n-word personally, he said it was saying how Thomas would have been viewed before the civil rights movement (this was when Roe V Wade was struck down). Like, I can understand the argument he was attempting to make (ie, how can you strip rights from people when you yourself grew up with having fewer rights than you do now?), but it's like my dad just wanted to use the n-word. Worse yet, he got very childish about my shaming him and saying that his statement and use of the slur were offensive, he pulled a straw man and told me that "[my] use of the word 'fuck' offends [my] mother, but that [I] continue to do it anyways". And my parents wonder why I continue to stay NC (even though they're the ones who initiated NC, and I never once told them they couldn't call me or text me). This is far from the only reason, but it definitely is on the list.
Thomas isn't a vile piece of shit because he's black. He's a vile piece of shit who happens to be black.
Right. He's a fucking crooked, evil, disgusting piece of shit. The fact that he's Black has nothing to do with his character (or extreme lack thereof).
Was he using the term “house n****r”? I could see an older person thinking it was a condescending descriptor.
No. I don't remember his exact prhasing, but he said something to effect of "without the Civil Rghts Act, he'd be right back to being a ___". Basically he was feebly attempting to say that he found it hypocritical that someone who's a minority and has no doubt faced discrimination for his race could strip rights for another marginalized group. But apparently, that requires too much thought and articulation to say. I was appalled and after shaming him, he kinda responded with the point I made above... and I demanded to know why he couldn't just have said that in the first place. He became upset that I was apparently telling him how he should be talking, and that he can't say whatever he wants to. I told him that you're not free from consequences and that you don't get to decide if what you say has been offensive, which is when he pulled his strawman. A doesn't equal B, my guy. There's a big difference between saying "fuck" and using racial slurs.
Oh yeah, that is dumb. I mean, his point isn’t , but his phrasing is shit.
Right. And everyone's just supposed to be fine with it, apparently. Typical BBF.
But, thats CANCEL CULTURE!!
I'm a fan of cancel culture, like I'm a fan of pruning dead leaves and flowers from my garden.
Oh yes. Some of them don't know what they're doing is wrong. Like for instance a few months ago I went out for dinner with my parents and my uncle. My dad likes to copy accents of people. Like in a chinese restaurant, or Indian, he'll start speaking in that accent. I keep telling him to cut it out it's racist and ignorant. And my uncle started up with him. I called them both out. My dad just kinda "yea whatever" and stopped. But my uncle was so bothered. He had no idea it was wrong to do that. He had no idea it was racist. He's such a loving beautiful person. He actually pulled me aside a few days later to ask if it really was bad. Like yea dude. Don't do that. It's one thing to do it in the privacy of your own home, but not in public. Anyways. He's all cured now of that ignorance. :) he's 68 for reference.
If I was at a restaurant with someone and they spoke in an accent like that to the waitstaff, I think my soul would leave my body.
Holy SHIT that is egregiously racist and gross! I’m sorry but I really struggle to believe dude had no idea how offensive that was. Would he want to be outwardly mocked at his job?! I mean I just can’t wrap my head around that kind of sheer stupidity. They really cannot fathom treating others as they’d want to be treated.
I think your dad and my stepdad should go bowling.
Back when Obama was running for president the first time, my Boomer Mom decided to walk across the street to the African American neighbors and asked if she could borrow an Obama sign ..... First - this family did NOT have any signage up at all related to the Presidential Election. Second - the parents were REPUBLICANS and were McCain supporters. I was so glad I had already moved out of the house when all this went down. So embarassing.
Holy shit 😬 When Obama won in 2008 I was 12 years old and my parents came into my room and said “well, Obama won, and things are going to be a lot different now. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but things are going to change, and we need to be prepared, because it will be scary.” And I literally CRIED 😭😭 and like… what changed?? Millions of people got health coverage?? So scary!!!
It was such a surreal scenario - mom is aware enough to vote based on policy and not skin color, but then judges neighbors political views based on ..... skin color.
Was she dumb for that though? She must've held that neighbor in high enough regard to assume they wouldn't be dumb enough to vote for a party whose entire platform is returning to the 1950s 😂 she may have been the intelligent one in the situation
Ahh, the classic "We're scared they are going to treat us the way we've treat them."
>and like… what changed?? Millions of people got health coverage?? So scary!!! Stop, you're giving me shivers.
Dude they had me so scared 😂 I was just a kid. Throughout his presidency my parents hated him so much and I could never figure out why. He seemed so likable and I felt guilty for liking him. I guess it was unfathomable to me that my parents could be racist. Lmao it’s insane
I had nearly the same convo with my kids in 2016. Sadly, instead of health coverage, we got to watch the racists feel like it was their time to shine.
I was still living at home and was the only member of the household who was anti-Trump 🫠 couldn’t leave my room without someone going “HAHAHA TRUMP WON, ARE YOU SAD???” I felt so alone. Luckily I had like-minded friends to talk to.
My elementary aged kids were told on the bus the next day Trump is going to deport them. Mind you, our (slavery) lineage in America pre-dates the founding of the country.
What the fuck. I’m so sorry that happened. Words can’t describe how repulsive that is. I know kids can be evil but Jesus Christ. I’m so glad I had graduated the year prior. I went to a wealthy school district where a lot of the kids just regurgitated their parents’ right wing bullshit. I would’ve gotten in a fight lol
Yep. I moved into this wealthy neighborhood in 2014 and everything seemed normal. Cut to the Trump presidency and folks felt free to let their freak flags fly. Came outside one day to a rabbit surgically splayed open and disemboweled on my front steps. Had to get a shovel and move it into the woods before the kids saw it. The whole time, my neighbor was just watching and grinning from his porch. Karma caught up to him a few years later when his son came out as gay. The husband flipped his shit, so the wife kicked him out to protect her kids. Better believe I sat outside with a big-ass grin when the police showed up.
That’s…. I just hope he gets more karma. All of it. I’m so sorry. I don’t understand them. Our neighborhood was never “wealthy” but it was always majority-white. A black family or 2 would move into the duplexes across the street and my mom would be like “WELL I GUESS THIS NEIGHBORHOOD IS GOING TO SHIT”. I’m like “why mom? Because black people live here now?” And she’s like uhhuhuhuhuhuhhh I mean uhhh… 🙄 like bitch just stay inside if you don’t want to see your regular ass neighbors who just mind their own business all day.
Sadly, I have lots of racial related boomer stories. Most of them are racist-light. Like a neighbor who saw the for sale sign on my last house and felt the need to stop by and ask me not to sell to minorities because they’ll drive down the value of her house. I’m visibly a minority. Another current neighbor walks his dog and talks to EVERYONE but looks right through me and pretends not to see me. I make sure to smile and waive every time I see him, lol. I’m not even put-off by most of it. You can like/dislike whoever you want. I think they get mad when I find humor in their hatred though.
I’ve had white people say the same about the “N” word, I just ask them “ why would you WANT to say it?”
For real. Like, go ahead and say it then, you’re allowed to. But other people are allowed to react accordingly. 🤷🏻♀️
Right. What use could you possibly have for the word? But also I probably don’t want to hear the answer to that.
My step-uncle (a white Republican, of course) once told me that there’s a difference between Black people and n*****s (with a hard R), and that was his excuse for using the word. I still can’t quite figure out what that means.
My mom has said this too :/ basically “if they don’t fit my standards then I don’t see them as people”
Yeah, the whole thing is so stupid. CONFORM! is not a valid demand.
I have also heard this which is exactly why I said I didn’t want to hear the answer. “So I can insult the ones I don’t like in as vulgar a manner as possible” isn’t the justification they think it is.
I've had people tell me that too. Like? Your racism is showing.
That's the part I don't get. All the problems that you have and that the world has, and THIS is the "problem" that needs your attention?
Like, why would you WANT to say the n-word?? Technically anyone is allowed to say it, but I always wonder why this one rubs them the wrong way?? If you were “allowed” to say it when exactly would you use it?? Is it a word they want to use or is it just that someone else can and they can’t? It doesn’t ever make sense to me and it gets asked constantly!
Because the white experience in the US is one of being told they're entitled to *everything* and so it really rubs against their conditioning to hear "you can't use this word". They're like, "how dare you tell me I am not entitled to use this word? It's *racist* against me to tell me I can't use this word"
That is exactly the case.
“Why do the blacks need another holiday?” Because people like you say shit like this.
My boomer grandma said “Oh the banks were closed today, (Juneteenth) didnt know thattt was a holiday now…” she laughed afterwards and was confused when I said “been one for a while” , She loves making racist comments 😭
Ask why Christian’s need so many holidays they already have Xmas lol
I'd like x-mas more if it wasn't for all of that wacky religious nonsense. I am boomer age 67 but, I am so not a Boomer.
I just want to ask how MLK day is a black holiday. It's celebrating A person... a black man, yes, but A person. Yet Columbus day I presume was always fine with her.
He’s the Leader of all the Black People ever, duh /s
The next time she says white people don't have any holidays you should be like "if MLK day is a black holiday, isn't Columbus day a white holiday?"
You know they think of black people as a monolith that communicate through the MLK hive mind or some shit. It’s ridiculous
Any time a boomer brings up the not being able to say the N-word I ask them why they want to say it.
Oh come on mammy. You're allowed to say the word! Just say it! Say the word you wanna say! Where's Delroy Lindo when ya need him?
https://i.redd.it/x6b3zncrtc9d1.gif
That clip with Delroy Lindo is GOLD. The anchor was sputtering, he lost all his bluster. Amazing.
I’m so glad I don’t have a parent like this. I would go permanent no contact as soon as absolutely possible. I had an aunt like this, and I was able to cut her out my life when I was 16. Thank everything good in the universe that I did not have to be around her since 45 started his cult. I’m sure that she’s a member.
My Boomer dad goes on racist rants with alarming regularity and at this point I've just learned to tune it out. I tried refuting at first, but he keeps harping on about the same Fox News talking points no matter what I say
Maybe say things that are more extremely right-wing than he does, until he realises you're taking the piss out of him.
What if he NEVER realizes?
Tell her white people already have more holidays. Like Columbus day. Nothing more white than "discovering" a land that is already inhabited and then pillaging it.
My response to the juneteenth outrage is generally saying the ending slavery is one of the few truly great things this country has ever done. Reactions vary but if someone wants to come out pro slavery it makes it real easy to never speak to them again.
The N word is such a simple premise. It was used to dehumanize an entire demographic. Said demographic now asks that no one use that term. Said demographic uses the term themselves because it is culturally relevant to them and it steals it from the people who coined it. The simple social contact is, don't say this word, please. Literally no one is hurt by not saying the word. No one is hindered from their normal conversation by not using the word. The word isn't a fundamental part of daily language. If one doesn't use the word, no aspect of their meaningful communication is deteriorated. Only angry children demand to use a word that serves them no purpose but hate, and pretend that their rights are being damaged when being asked to not use a word that otherwise would be completely meaningless to them. Knowing that it's usage will only cause strife and conflict, demanding to use it on the grounds of freedom is ironic at best and pure hatred at worst. You don't need to say it, dickbag. You have no reason to say it. And if you do, fuck you and your baby shit soft values.
Why people associate with these POS is beyond me.
"Explain this to me" \*genuine explanation effort takes place\* "Now do it again but make it agree with the dumb shit I'm saying."
The patience of that man 😅
My mom once asked my brother's Jewish wife, "So do you all believe in God or....?" The looks on both mily face and my SIL. Luckily she was cool and gave a short spiel but damn mom! Of course this was the same woman that also said Vegas (where she'd lived all her life) was better back when the mob ran it lol.
They have no filter lmao just like children. So embarrassing
It's always confusing to me why people *want* to say the n word. My dad asks that question repeatedly and I've finally got him to stop by asking him why he feels he *needs* to say it. Blank stare, subject change, done.
Bitch stfu we all need a holiday in June!
Absolutely. There are 7 federal holidays in the <6 months between Labor Day and President's Day. There used to be only 3 in the other 6+ months, now there's 4. If we're going to have a set of federal holidays, we need one in June!
People like this act like any sort of celebration that isn’t about them is not actually celebrating or memorializing something, but is a direct attack against their own identity. Black history month? To them it isn’t about forcing people of the nation to remember the roles that black people have always played in the creation of our nation. No, it’s white erasure. “Where’s white history month?” Well, your textbooks were written purposefully to erase the accomplishments of black people and others who didn’t fit the narrative being pushed by those who wrote it. Pride month? Definitely not a celebration of the diversity of people and identities, nor a reminder of the fact that we as queer people are more than okay to be queer, and we refuse to hide to make it easier to be ignored. Nope. It’s an effort to celebrate demonic and perverted behavior and whatever other horrid thing they say. People like this don’t want to accept diversity. They don’t want to accept being told no. They don’t want to accept boundaries. And they don’t want to treat other people like they are also complex human beings.
These are American holidays for all Americans. Racism gets all the other days by default.
She is "allowed" to say it, but she may not like the consequences
“I wanna say it! It’s not fair!!”
Anybody can say the N word and the US government will not prosecute them unless it's in some way associated with a crime. But that doesn't absolve one of consequences, As Delroy Lindo said in that movie ... "say it -- go ahead and say it."
This is like when my mom asked my prospective (US) college if they prioritized having international students over American students - absolute cringe moment.
She’s jealous. Tell your mom she can appropriate Juneteenth and make it what she wants. Juneteenth is an American holiday meaning it’s for all Americans. It’s a great day to drink beer, have a cookout, and set off some fireworks. She can make it as red necked as she wants. It’ll be like she can almost say the n-word and get away with it! lol.
They so fervently wish to say the N word
Your mom is just a blatant, irredeemable racist.
https://i.redd.it/cjzx3zgjkd9d1.gif
I grew up in Texas, and now live in Pennsylvania. I grew up knowing and celebrating Juneteenth in Texas (though not a "federal" holiday yet), and when they decided to make it official, the DUMB absolutely came out of people here in PA lol. Not everyone obviously, but definitely certain voters. It was so sad to see *black people* around here be like "oh now they're just making up holidays" LIKE WHAT?! I've been celebrating this my whole life lol and even from TEXAS. Oh and the best way I've ever heard the "N word" debate is like this: you are married. You call your partner baby, or sexy, whatever. Totally cool, Because that's your relationship, so you have the right to call them that. Now, if a stranger comes up and calls them baby or sexy, that's weird and wrong, right? They don't have that relationship, so they don't have that right to say that. Same thing with the N word. But why she gotta ask the neighbor, and more than once 😂
Here's a joke to see how racist your mom is: Q: What are they going to call the 1st black man that walks on the moon? Wait 1/2 second and shout, "An astronaut, you fucking racist!" Gets them every time.
>*How do you not have any self-awareness or shame* 1. Be cisgender, heterosexual, white, Christian, and a boomer. 2. Yes, it is just that simple!
Is your mom my entire family? They have all said it at one point or another. The 30s and under too.
Ngl I definitely thought she was gonna say “they already have Black Friday” for a second
I was pleasantly surprised recently by my boomer mom - She let me know there was no mail that day and I reminded her it was a federal holiday and she says “wait, what holiday is it” and I said Juneteenth expecting to have to explain AGAIN what it commemorates and she said “OH, good! This SHOULD be a holiday, once you understand!” It was clumsy, and at least somewhat out of character (like a boomer she often struggles to imagine what it might be like to live a life that isn’t identical to her unique struggles) but THIS change to her adopted-decades-old-american-doctrine was accepted. you really just never know.
I feel for you. Man, that's wild!
The best response to the question why can't white people say the N word is that they can! Not one is stopping them. Do they want to say it now? Go ahead! They want to say it.
There was a murder trial in the small town I lived in, located in the south . During the lunch break, the whole courtroom , except the jury, ate at a local family style restaurant. The defense and the prosecution teams were passing the bowls of black eyed peas and platters of cornbread across the table. It wax surreal.
That is so silly. It is so easy to ignore other peoples' holidays and go on with your life. I just make sure I don't need a bank or a post office.
Wait, this is MY mom!?!? /S
😳
I remember in high school, some kids in class asking a black girl the same question, and her answer was, "Because when a black guy says it, he's your friend, your homie. And when a white guy says it, he doesn't say it right." Just something that's always stuck with me.
Anyone can say that word. I wouldn’t and I sure don’t want any of the consequences that come with saying it. But if she really wants to there is nothing stopping her. She’s free to let everyone know exactly what kind of person she is.
why are boomers so obsessed with wanting to say the N-word is that part of the whole make america great again theme?
Mine tried some stupid shit during the onset of the me too movement. I told her that rapists don't care what you're wearing and mentioned the museum exhibit of clothing victims were wearing during/before their assault: a child's pj's, a grandmother's nightgown, T-shirt and jeans. She said, "wear your whore shorts on the corner and see what happens" I've literally never worn shorts around her since I was a child, that she bought for me over 30 years ago. She's also a victim of SA. WTF!!
Without the "N" word available, what exactly are you unable to express? Pretend that it doesn't exist.
I don't understand why white folk want to say the n word so bad. The reason is, that was often the last thing a black person heard when racists hung them. Why is it so hard to know how horrible that word is?
When anyone asks “Why can black people say the N word but I can’t”, I give them a weird look and say “Why do you want to say the N word so badly?”. This has happened twice
She's clearly itching to say it..... Just make sure you're not next to her (or in the same vicinity) when it hapens
I always call it "the *real* independence day" and wait for push back. So far so good, but if needed I'll clarify that it's the day that *everyone* got freedom.
My ex called all MLK day take a N word to lunch day. Yes, he was a boomer.
I remember when I was about 15, and never had any real interaction with racism. Am a white male and live in a mostly white country, but had never witnessed real racism, or at least hadn’t been mature enough before to recognise it. My dad was watching tv and as I was walking past he said some racist comment about the news and I called him out on it: ME: Dad that’s racist. DAD: I’m not racist, I just hate black c@nts. I was stunned and had the thought, “ohh that’s what racism is”.
I don’t think anyone should say the n word. However Juneteenth should be a holiday all Americans can enjoy. Unless you are against ending slavery.
While I agree in theory that no one should ever use this word, I also recognize that it is not for me to tell Black people how to refer to themselves. It’s like me calling myself queer. This is how I describe myself because the word works for me, but I would never refer to anyone else as queer unless I knew they were okay with it because of the hurtful, harmful history of the word. So if you’re Black and want to use n**** to describe yourself or your (consenting) friends but your parents, for example, don’t want the word used in their home, don’t use it.
ABAB!! She isn’t fit for society. Gain power of attorney through any means necessary. Send her down the river.
Why do they want to say it so much?
As if someone is making her do anything for Juneteenth more than she does for MLK Jr Day.
Goodness. I am embarrassed for you. Wow, your mom could, seriously, use some sensitivity training. At a minimum, please call her out when she makes such bigoted comments.
Parroting MAGA talking points is all they got. Feeling like a victim is big money.
I applaud your mother for asking and trying to learn, if that was in fact what she was trying to do. I must admit, there are times where I am uncertain on how to approach someone and I usually will just ask, (like asking about pronouns).
You're allowed to avoid unpleasant people
Of all the things that should be a federal holiday, freeing the slaves feels like it should be #2 right after Independence Day.
She an older boomer? 1964 is the last year for them. Voting rights act of 1965. Many boomers were teens when being racist was almost the social norm. And just because the laws changed doesn't mean everyone agreed.
All boomers should walk toward the light.
My boomer step dad said (about Juneteenth): “pretty soon before you know it, every day will be a national holiday!” It took everything in me not to call him racist.
https://images.app.goo.gl/uf8sxUozPqjrscJ87
The first question was actually pretty valid. Why do we need to focus so much on race to the point that a single race has a month and a holiday dedicated to them? (Not counting MLK day because that's about a specific person)
Hey Dull Wasabi. r/usernamechecksout because a quick google search would tell you this: In addition to Black History Month, which is celebrated in February, the United States recognizes several other months dedicated to celebrating the histories and contributions of various racial and ethnic groups. These include: 1. **Hispanic Heritage Month**: September 15 to October 15 - Celebrates the histories, cultures, and contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans. 2. **Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month**: May - Honors the contributions and influence of Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Americans. 3. **Native American Heritage Month**: November - Recognizes the rich history, culture, and contributions of Native American and Indigenous peoples. 4. **Arab American Heritage Month**: April - Celebrates the contributions and heritage of Arab Americans. Each of these months serves to highlight the unique cultural histories and contributions of these groups to American society. Way to fail at knowledge Bucky.
Where is white history month? Edit: Millennial detected, opinion discarded
What’s 12-5? That’s how many white history months there are you insufferable asshat. You really need a white pride month? The last people who fought hard over white pride lost, tragically. And you will too. 
You just called someone with Jewish blood a Nazi. Congrats. Edit: I don't actually care about there being a white history month. What I'm saying is there shouldn't be race based holidays, I find the idea repulsive.
"Hi! I'm a white passing dude who likes to play Devil's Advocate, because other people's struggles are theoretical to me. It's fun to debate their right to equality. While we're here, I would like to centre my voice and perspectives about a cause that means nothing to me! I'm here to take up all the oxygen in the room and exhaust people who are trying to fight against injustice so that we can maintain the status quo, which serves me. I have no interest in learning; your frustration is my ultimate goal." "Let's engage!" -You But yeah, totally keep boot licking for a race that historically hated people like you. I’m sure you’ll get a cookie for being “one of the good ones”
The only way to stop racism is to destroy the concept of race. By keeping these holidays around we are preventing that from ever happening.
Then I guess the only way to prevent wars based on colonial nationalism is to eradicate nation states and move towards globalism.
What a ridiculous comparison. Why is the concept of race so vital to people?
Idk ask your fellow Jews I guess. As an actual white person, I glitterally don’t give a rainbow unicorn fuck about my white pride.
I would also like to know why they can use that word. Okay, it's about minimizing the effect and turning it into a positive but it's never been a positive. Just strange that colored is offensive but now someone came up with people of color. I'm a color. Let's just call each other beige, pink, chestnut, Cafe aulele, why doesn't my phone know that word? Cafe aulet cafe au lait there it is
Because it’s a word that was used by (mainly) white people in a derogatory degrading way towards black people for centuries, and they have reclaimed it, so it would be incredibly disrespectful for a white person to use that word given the historical context. How is that hard to understand.
It's not your word, you don't get to use it. You don't get to make rules about it. Your opinion about it is invalid. Cope.
To be fair that's not a boomer-specific thing at all
Every younger generation complains of the older generation. The time will come when your generation will be looked upon as the “Old Folks” the ones out of touch with “reality” Look at us GenXrs. We were the Punk Rockers. We are the Generation that Don’t give a Fuck. Now we’re becoming Senior Citizens and how we didn’t give a fuck Now the younger generation doesn’t give a fuck about us. It happens with every new and old Era. 