The Race Card

[MaxBuck]

Lots of discussion on the basketball forum regarding "playing the race card" by Marcus Smart following his confrontation with an ill-behaved Texas Tech fan. (Smart is serving a three-game suspension, which I believe is warranted, for his actions.)

A lot of commentary appears on that thread about Smart "playing the race card" when he said that the fan used a racial slur toward him.

I'd assume that Smart was either A. telling the truth or B. mistaken about where the racial slur(s) originated in the Texas Tech fan base. (I'd bet Benjamins to doughnuts that the n-word was used more than once against opposing players by Tech fans in that game.) But others are suggesting that Smart is "lying" about the situation, and using racism as an excuse for his overreaction.

It's clear to me that many whites, even today, are quick to tag black folks with this accusation in situations when the blacks have suffered from true racism, just as it's clear to me that many blacks inappropriately tag whites with a racism charge when they feel slighted in any way, or when they're trying to deflect attention from their own faults.

Just a shame that both sides feel the need to resort to cheap-shot accusations, IMO. Not every interpersonal conflict between persons of different races results from racism, but racism remains the root cause of many such conflicts.

 

[jlb1705]

To me it is a loaded term. It is meant to call out an agenda but is often representative of one in its own right. I've probably used the phrase but I try to avoid doing so because I feel it harms the chances of having an honest discussion - even if other sides of the conversation are not interested in having one.

 

[DubCoffman62]

He called Smart a piece of crap.

 

[TDunk]

He called Smart a piece of crap.

And was wrong because a piece of crap is not Smart.

 

[Mike80]

The problem with the Race card is not that it exists, is that sometimes its used when no racial epithets or bias occurred and then detracts from people who are facing real discrimination.

It unnecessarily muddies the waters and brings everyone down, especially when nothing of the sort actually happened, which appears to be the case in the Smart saga.

Smart has been playing on the edge the past couple weeks as it was, and it's unfortunate that his season boiled over into this incident.

 

[Taosman]

I was blind. I had assumed that because this was the 21st century that we were done with blatant racism. But recent events have sadly, proven that we are still ignorant animals. Stupid and hateful of the smallest differences in color and beliefs. Willing to see the very destruction of our civilization for a perceived loss of white control in all things about our society. I see an end of any greatness this country once aspired to. A rot like the rot that overtook the United Kingdom. I am heartbroken and sickened by this realization.

 

[DubCoffman62]

I was blind. I had assumed that because this was the 21st century that we were done with blatant racism. But recent events have sadly, proven that we are still ignorant animals. Stupid and hateful of the smallest differences in color and beliefs. Willing to see the very destruction of our civilization for a perceived loss of white control in all things about our society. I see an end of any greatness this country once aspired to. A rot like the rot that overtook the United Kingdom. I am heartbroken and sickened by this realization.

What has happened in the UK and in Scandinavia and pretty much all of western Europe should be an eye opener for us all and what is coming down the pike, prepare your anus.

 

[WyoBuck]

Shit, I thought this is where I was supposed to go to sign up for mine.......nevermind.

 

[Taosman]

What has happened in the UK and in Scandinavia and pretty much all of western Europe should be an eye opener for us all and what is coming down the pike, prepare your anus.

We have been and continue to be clueless to the consequences of not taking an active part in the election of officials and the issues up for voting.
And many have been brain washed by media playing the race/fear card.
The worst Congress in American history(15% approval rating). A bunch of old white males. A party that is openly racist. And playing to the racist fears of the old white population. A country that was built on inclusion of other races now wants to "stop the invasion".
We deserve what we get.

 

[BUCKYLE]

I agree with Taos.

Time to eat a bullet. Catch y'all on the flip side.

 

[Mike80]

We have been and continue to be clueless to the consequences of not taking an active part in the election of officials and the issues up for voting.
And many have been brain washed by media playing the race/fear card.
The worst Congress in American history(15% approval rating). A bunch of old white males. A party that is openly racist. And playing to the racist fears of the old white population. A country that was built on inclusion of other races now wants to "stop the invasion".
We deserve what we get.

Despite your want to discuss politics outside of the political forum, racists don't have a political party - they are all over the place.

Case in point: http://www.ijreview.com/2014/04/134...y-joins-ranks-democrats-going-racist-tirades/

And yes I realize there are racist republicans too. but let's not act like one side or the other has a monopoly on the stupidity.

 

[BIATCHabutuka]

We have been and continue to be clueless to the consequences of not taking an active part in the election of officials and the issues up for voting.
And many have been brain washed by media playing the race/fear card.
The worst Congress in American history(15% approval rating). A bunch of old white males. A party that is openly racist. And playing to the racist fears of the old white population. A country that was built on inclusion of other races now wants to "stop the invasion".
We deserve what we get.

so this is the worst congress ever and it is because of old white males.

you realize this is the most women / minority laden congress ever right.

perhaps the white man was the only thing holding this shit hole together.


which party is openly racist? any examples here to educate me?

you do realize that by stereotyping an entire party as racist based off individuals in that party is essentially the definition of the bad kind of discrimination?


you are on the right track though, just not all the way there.

issues / politics / elections are irrelevant in a two party, one team, zero choice system.


it is the 99.999% vs the money changers, always has been always will be.

politics and our government are part of the matrix like charade they put on to keep the free range slaves docile.

 

[Taosman]

Despite your want to discuss politics outside of the political forum, racists don't have a political party - they are all over the place.

Case in point: http://www.ijreview.com/2014/04/134...y-joins-ranks-democrats-going-racist-tirades/

And yes I realize there are racist republicans too. but let's not act like one side or the other has a monopoly on the stupidity.

Every day we see examples of the blatant racism that has become acceptable by one party. One predominately white party. And I don't agree with your assessment that it's not mostly one group or party who dominate the headlines with stupid misogynous and racist remarks. The percentage of women and ethnicities who represent Americans does not represent the actual population percentages. Women are under attack. Hispanics and blacks are portrayed as lazy, leaches on the white society. Portrayed as electing officials based on the "gifts/stuff" they will get for free. That's blatant racism by one group of our population. It ties into the racists fears of white America. A loss of perceived power. Historically, even though ethnic immigrants have been a major part of our success as a country, that gets forgotten during tough economic times. Some ethnicity always gets the blame for the "bad times".
And the so called 1% is predominately white businessmen. The wealthiest and most influential people in this country are mostly white. Those that aren't like a black female, Oprah Winfrey, are viewed with hatred.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racial_wage_gap_in_the_United_States
Research has found wage and employment discrimination against blacks, Native Americans, Hispanics, and Asians; however, discrimination has been found to be a much larger contributing factor for black wages than wages of other races.[4]

 

[Taosman]

The "Race Card" as Racism?
http://theracecardproject.com/racism-deniers-are-the-worst-racists/
" The expression, “Race Card” is most often used by the people who want to perpetuate White Privilege, to treat Racism as if it didn’t exist, and demonize or ridicule those of us who call for repentance and overcoming of Racism. The “Race Card” Racism deniers are the worst, because they are happy with White Privilege- they want it to go on forever, and they’re running our culture over a cliff, because whites won’t be the majority in America much longer."

 

[Taosman]

The End of White America
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2009/01/the-end-of-white-america/307208/

"Today, largely because of immigration, there is no majority race in Hawaii or Houston or New York City. Within five years, there will be no majority race in our largest state, California. In a little more than 50 years, there will be no majority race in the United States. No other nation in history has gone through demographic change of this magnitude in so short a time ... [These immigrants] are energizing our culture and broadening our vision of the world. They are renewing our most basic values and reminding us all of what it truly means to be American. "

Not everyone was so enthused. Clinton’s remarks caught the attention of another anxious Buchanan—Pat Buchanan, the conservative thinker. Revisiting the president’s speech in his 2001 book, The Death of the West, Buchanan wrote: “Mr. Clinton assured us that it will be a better America when we are all minorities and realize true ‘diversity.’ Well, those students [at Portland State] are going to find out, for they will spend their golden years in a Third World America.”