Sick of Black Racism - MLK day food for thought

alecorock

Subject: Re: Sick of Black Racism - MLK day food for thought

fedup wrote: I have been called a pussy, had rocks thrown at me, snowballs, see smiles turn to frown when I walk into stores or businesses. I have been mocked. The super in my building won't even respond when I say hello. .

Oftentimes we associate certain traits with certain responses (ie:I didn't get the job because I was short, or because I have a moustache). In this case I would like to suggest that perhaps it wasn't whiteness as a trait that people are responding to. Perhaps people aren't picking on you because you are white but because you are a pussy.

anonymous

DO NOT FEED THE TROLLS!

Geeze people! You've gone and made little baby jesus cry again.

alecorock

Ezn wrote: DO NOT FEED THE TROLLS!

Geeze people! You've gone and made little baby jesus cry again.

DO NOT FEED THE BROKEN RECORD! SHEESHERS GUYS!

sterling2000

black people in the neighborhood should hate white people -- we moved here to eat their babies

joehep

sterling2000 wrote: black people in the neighborhood should hate white people -- we moved here to eat their babies

+1 with BBQ sauce

hamilton

I prefer the black baby bean soup

god

Baby the other, other white meat.

obamanut

sterling2000 wrote: black people in the neighborhood should hate white people -- we moved here to eat their babies

Not quite, but close--you moved there as a bet that the black people would be priced out and replaced by other out-of-town white people in the not-too-distant future. So, if you think about it, they're completely justified in their resentment.

flo

"The radical of one century is the conservative of the next. The radical invents the views. When he has worn them out, the conservative adopts them."--Mark Twain

Obamanut-- Your response is clever and I'd wager that it captures at least some of the people some of the time. But it leaves out a lot of truth and at this point your argument is pretty worn out.

christobel

This post disturbed me enough to join this site. OP, you sound quite paranoid and self absorbed, perhaps even guilty.

*BREAKING NEWS* - Most black people are busy living their lives and really do not think or care about white(or any other) people that much.

The world does not revolve around you.

If you are perceiving "hostility", it could be for a myriad of reasons. Maybe you smell bad. Perhaps you conduct yourself in a less than dignified fashion. Perhaps the perceived hostility is nothing more than a perception.

Also, not everyone runs around with fake smiles all day every time they pass somebody.

Perhaps people in a store were having a private conversation before you walked in.

We have much bigger fish to fry. Nobody cares about you.

In short, get over yourself.

sterling2000

Obamanut wrote: [quote=sterling2000]black people in the neighborhood should hate white people -- we moved here to eat their babies

Not quite, but close--you moved there as a bet that the black people would be priced out and replaced by other out-of-town white people in the not-too-distant future. So, if you think about it, they're completely justified in their resentment.

100% correct...this the same reason why when I walk into a Native American goods store to buy a dream catcher and some turquoise jewelry I get resentful vibes for replacing their people, too...

hamilton

Subject: Re: Sick of Black Racism - MLK day food for thought

[quote="fedup"]I just want to say that I am sick of being targeted - in ways overt and not - by black people because I am white. It is the the only group that seems to think its okay to be openly racist. (Not all or even most, of course but some). I have been called a pussy, had rocks thrown at me, snowballs, see smiles turn to frown when I walk into stores or businesses. I have been mocked. The super in my building won't even respond when I say hello. I know Asian friends of mine who get called racial slurs. And on and on...

It all have three things in common 1) it is always black people 2) It is always strangers that I am not even interacting with. 3) it always when I'm alone or with my girlfriend. I am a target because of my race. That is not okay.

I have never targeted anyone for their race. I was raised to not judge people by their color. I am not wealthy or obnoxious. I have not benefited from past racism. I'm just trying to make my way in the world and am the victim of racism over and over.

My question is what should I do?

*******************************************

Try going black face it worked for Al Jolson.

fedup

Christobel wrote:
*BREAKING NEWS* - Most black people are busy living their lives and really do not think or care about white(or any other) people that much.

Um yeah, I beleive I indicated more than once that is was a very small minority of blacks. Please read closely before responding.

Christobel wrote:
If you are perceiving "hostility", it could be for a myriad of reasons. Maybe you smell bad. Perhaps you conduct yourself in a less than dignified fashion. Perhaps the perceived hostility is nothing more than a perception.

I suppose it could be those things if I did smell bad or was having any interaction with these people beyond just passing them on the street. I suppose blacks who experience racism could just be mistaking it for someone thinking they smell, too. But somehow I don't think so. Somehow I think things that look like racism usually really are racism. Call me crazy.

Christobel wrote:
Also, not everyone runs around with fake smiles all day every time they pass somebody.

Yes, count me among those people who do not. But I wasn't even talking about that...

Christobel wrote:
Perhaps people in a store were having a private conversation before you walked in.

Yeah, or maybe they are racist.

Christobel wrote:
In short, get over yourself.

I would be very happy to just live my life without having to deal with any of this. I have lived a lot of places - lots of big cities, around lots of different kinds of people and this is one of only two places that anyone is petty enough to fixate so much on race or to use it as shorthand for identity. It's lazy and stupid and this area will be better once it passes (and it will pass because it is false).

I don't know why it is so hard for people to believe there are black people who are actively racist against whites without justification. I don't frequent this board so, I didn't realize that idea would get so much resistance. My post was not an attempt prove that black racism exists. I just assumed people would be honest and observant enough take for granted that it does. I just wanted to talk about something that most honest people are aware exists. I'm really disappointed that people can't imagine that a white person would be targeted by no fault of their own.

I guess this board is less a community message board than a graffiti wall for blowhards, then. Now I know! And it's not something I want to be involved in from now on.

BTW, none ( i mean none) of the assumption made about who I am or how I conduct myself have been correct. That has been really funny to watch, actually. Some really unintelligent people out there...

christobel

fedup wrote:
Yeah, or maybe they are racist.

Maybe you are racist. The more you type, the more it becomes quite apparent.

silverager

Just so I am clear: Name calling, rock throwing, and harassment are not acceptable if it is because of race but if someone does that to you because in their eyes you (a complete stranger to them) are a "pussy" then that is OK?

See, call me crazy but I think that kind of behavior is wrong no matter what the reason.

flo

Fedup: My guess is that your original post was either incredibly naive or, more likely, meant to stir up trouble. In case you don't get why it was in poor taste, I think you should go back and read it again and then ask yourself if this kind of post really could have been well intentioned when posted on the holiday that celebrates the life of Martin Luther King, Jr.

MLK food for thought??? Come on now. Martin Luther King was known for supporting non-violence, but I think even he would have wanted to slap you upon reading that post.

sterling2000

fedup wrote: I guess this board is less a community message board than a graffiti wall for blowhards, then.

Then welcome! We've been saving you a place at the table!

flo

...and Hunter S Thompson, who was no big fan of phonies himself, probably would want to fire a few rounds at you if he hadn't already shot himself.

germanhermann

fedup wrote:
I don't know why it is so hard for people to believe there are black people who are actively racist against whites without justification. I don't frequent this board so, I didn't realize that idea would get so much resistance. My post was not an attempt prove that black racism exists. I just assumed people would be honest and observant enough take for granted that it does. I just wanted to talk about something that most honest people are aware exists. I'm really disappointed that people can't imagine that a white person would be targeted by no fault of their own.

I don't doubt that it's possible for black people to be racist. Maybe you are just one of those people who has trouble expressing yourself. And also one of those people who never rereads what he wrote. Because you may have intended to say, "you know what, black people are racist. too" but what you actually typed out was

fedup wrote:
It is the the only group that seems to think its okay to be openly racist.... it is always black people

But then you must have been joking, because nobody is so stupid as to declaim racism using a generalization based on race.

obamanut

sterling2000 wrote: [quote=Obamanut][quote=sterling2000]black people in the neighborhood should hate white people -- we moved here to eat their babies

Not quite, but close--you moved there as a bet that the black people would be priced out and replaced by other out-of-town white people in the not-too-distant future. So, if you think about it, they're completely justified in their resentment.

100% correct...this the same reason why when I walk into a Native American goods store to buy a dream catcher and some turquoise jewelry I get resentful vibes for replacing their people, too...

Nice--when all else fails, return to the "Gentrifiers=Colonists" meme. Shall I trash that one now, or would you like to skip right ahead to the equally trusty and original "Gentrifiers=Ellis Island's Huddled Masses" stage, where you compare the brave Gentrifiers' treacherous journey over the roads from their cul de sac of birth to the immigrants' journey over the Atlantic?

phrez

Subject: who own PH anyway?

If you talk to some old timer European emigrants who settled in NYC, you'll hear them say things like "New York used to be nice. Our neighborhood was wonderful until the blacks and Puerto Ricans moved in". It seems like that kind of mentality will just never end. So who really owns this neighborhood anyway? I've seen squirrels shaking their fists at speeding cars, yelling "damned humans, get off our turf"!

obamanut

Subject: Re: who own PH anyway?

PHrez wrote: If you talk to some old timer European emigrants who settled in NYC, you'll hear them say things like "New York used to be nice. Our neighborhood was wonderful until the blacks and Puerto Ricans moved in". It seems like that kind of mentality will just never end. So who really owns this neighborhood anyway? I've seen squirrels shaking their fists at speeding cars, yelling "damned humans, get off our turf"!

So what you're saying is that the blacks and Puerto Ricans made it economically impossible for the old timer European emigrants to remain in their homes?

I'm afraid I never heard of any instances of European emigrants being evicted from their homes to be replaced by blacks and Puerto Ricans paying 4x the rent.

phrez

Yes, but I don't think it's an issue of racism, but rather an issue of greed. Landlords want to push rents as high as they can possibly get them.

Yes, it sucks being priced out of where you want to live, but the truth is that it's happening to everyone no matter what color you are. It happened to me, a white guy. I was living in Manhattan for 4 years. I loved it there. I had family and friends there and walked only 5 blocks to work. It was great. But after 3 years my rent went up so high and my salary actually went way down due to a job loss. It became "economically impossible" for me to stay in Manhattan. I really did not want to move to Prospect Heights but it was the only place I could afford. A close friend of mine (also white) who was living in Brooklyn, lost his job two months ago. So guess what, he's moving to Queens. Can't afford the Brooklyn rent anymore.

So it's just a sad fact that we're all getting pushed further and further out. Pretty soon they'll be building barges with low income housing out in the Atlantic.

doublediamond

brooklynpotter wrote: [quote=Flexichick]

I'm half-expecting Precious Williams to come to the rescue

heh, you took my line.

I love that we can still reference her and most get it! :-)

jay b

Fedup - it sucks that you get rocks thrown at you. And it sucks to be called a pussy and whatever other names. What sucks more is that now you're being called a racist when you're the victim. This message board is ridiculous. It's obvious that black racism exists, especially in Prospect/Crown Heights. Just because you see it, experience it, and post about it does not make you a racist at all. I applaud you for managing not to be racist after what you've been through.

And as for the landlord evicting people for higher rent issue: this is also NOT racism. Landlords rent out apartments to earn money. It's not charity. Why would they keep poorer tenants when they could make more money? Would you turn down a raise at your job if it was offered to you? If you don't want to be forced out of your home, you gotta pay up. It's free market capitalism, not racism.

germanhermann

Jay B wrote: Just because you see it, experience it, and post about it does not make you a racist at all. I applaud you for managing not to be racist after what you've been through.

He drew on his personal experience being harassed by a few black individuals in one neighborhood and generalized this to an ignorant statement about black New Yorkers. What part of his willfully ignorant (or did he conduct some thorough survey he didn't tell us about) generalization based on race was not racist?

Yeah, it's not right that he gets hassled because of his race. And you may excuse his racist remarks because he's a victim. But can you really call his remarks not racist? Not in the least bit?

christobel

GermanHermann wrote:
Yeah, it's not right that he gets hassled because of his race.

How does anyone know it is because of his race? There is no proof in the posts.

germanhermann

Assuming it's because of his race, it's not right. Let's say he were a pussy, it would also still not be right. Let's say he' were a gentrifier (as if that self-hating-liberal's term really means anything), it's still the wrong forum and the wrong message, and therefore the aggressor is not excused.

jay b

Where is the ignorant statement you mentioned?

germanhermann

Subject: Re: Sick of Black Racism - MLK day food for thought

fedup wrote: It is [Black People] the the only group that seems to think its okay to be openly racist.