Getting spat at because of who i am

Won't UB My Nabor wrote:

All these people have been pretty ghetto looking and i try to ignore these racist morons, I know that they're underprivileged and have had horrible lives.

Also, as a word of advice, you might want to check these notions at the door before you head out each morning.

Agreed.

You know, ever since this thread started it has made me somewhat self conscious as I walk around the neighborhood. I've been wondering if this spitting thing is going on and I've just been oblivious to it. You know what I've noticed? Nothing. My verdict is that this is largely a projection by someone new to the neighborhood, who clearly has some preconceived ideas about this place and the people who live here.

Guess what, people spit. A lot. I admit that I spit too. This is New York City.

Maybe there has been some asshole that has spit at you in the past. Alright, he's an asshole. But this idea that people are constantly harassing you this way? I think it's kind of crazy, and the quicker you realize it's crazy, the quicker you'll start enjoying yourself and appreciating what we've got going on here.

Anyone want to buy MHA a drink?

MHA wrote: I had a spitter spit as he walked by me yesterday. I was walking towards Franklin, and he was on the other side of the street walking towards Bedford. He crossed to my side and then he looked at me then spat. I hawked and spat back, but all I had to bring up was mist.

Regarding words like 'racist'. I have to say, when whitefolks use this word it sounds like a feeble attempt at verbal ping-pong, or verbal jujitsu. I am not saying that white people cannot be hated, but it is difficult for me to associate Black anger with 'racism'. Despite my own infamous distaste for the affects of gentrification, I don't associate irrational hatred and bias with my anger at white people, and I don't think that most Black people in this community do either. I wish most white people could appreciate the societal 'burden of blackness' -- and believe me, I wouldn't change my color for the world, but in this world, the psychic damage wrought by 'you guys' intentionally and unintentionally can be such a burden, and what has been the remaining solace for many black people is their HOME, and now here 'YOU' come. And I phrase it that way (with the ' ' ) because I hope that you can, as Atticus Finch says in 'To Kill a Mockingbird' , "..put yourself in another man's shoes..." Here is an abridged version of MY story. I worked in a profession where my accomplishments were muted and exploited by whitefolks who were allowed to claim credit for my endeavors. A co-worker and peer made at least 15grand more than I did --because she was a white woman who society would not allow to make what I made. She lives in Park Slope. I wish I could aford to live in Park Slope, and maybe if I was paid for my accomlishment and what I brought to the company, I would have. I was not. Now this is a common story, and it transcends race, but race is a primary element to the story. MY STORY. Race imbues the experiences of Black people, and if you ignore that element, then you are intentionally not understanding the story, and choosing to filter out context. I said in another context on this site that no one hates Balckvolk more than other Blackvolk, and I wish one of y'all would have 'taken me to task' and at least either asked what I meant by that, or said I understand what that means. Sadly, no one did. Ah well, the spit will fly no doubt....

Maybe I too am privileged but I think a lot of black people (like you) just complain to complain. You use the blanket of black suffering to justify perpetuating your ignorance, fear and hatred of white people (and any outsiders really). The cycles of poverty in the black community are real and are PARTIALLY the faults of SOME white people. To justify directing hate at ALL white people because 'they will never understand black pain' is ridiculous. I grew up in Rosedale, Queens and have friends from all wakes of life... again maybe it's just my limited experiences but 99 times out of 100 the dudes who got in trouble with the law and never made anythings of themselves weren't the victims of the evil doings of some evil faceless white boogeyman- they were the victims of their own laziness, poor decision making and lack of leadership from the older people around them.

I'm not saying black people are totally to blame for where we are today. Good God no. But to take on the, 'we are 100% victims and you just have to deal with our behavior' is counterproductive. If we wait for the 'white man' to come save us and never take responsibility for ourselves we will NEVER get anywhere.

This is very interesting. I'm a 40 yr old white female moving into CH in the vicinity of Dean/Bklyn. I was walking down Kingston this afternoon with some apt. items and this older black man on a stoop, at around Pacific and Kingston, spit in my direction as I walked past. I vaguely wondered if it was deliberate. I actually came onto this board to learn more about CH (love the architecture and quiet of where i'm moving) and stumbled on this thread.

MHA: I've lived in Wash Heights in the 90s and in the Bronx now so i've been stared at and comments have been made, so i've a thick skin by now. The intent behind the spit doesn't offend me as much as the gross spit itself! But I have a short temper so my worry is how I'll react if that spit ever hits me.

MHA wrote: Yep Meg, I believe the spit was intentional. Cool the Kid, something is definitely wrong with you. Black people complain to complain? Your whole statement is just irrational and not exploratory. Holla Peno, SUre I'll take the drink; no idea what a 'dialup modem handshake' is... Cool the kid, I ain't blamin' the white man for anything...

U basically blamed the dude who got spit at for being spit at...

MHA wrote: It is my argument that their anger/hatred/frustration comes from perceiving benny b as such (entitled) in contradistinction to their life.

What's the solution to benny's problem? Maybe he should go back to where he came from? Sounds an awful lot like those racist white dudes down south.

First-I've been visiting this site regularly for over a year yet this is my first reply/post.

Side note--I love you, MHA

I am a Black woman. I grew up in Bed Stuy on Lefferts Pl at Classon Ave not far from CH border. I moved to Chapel Hill, NC at age 14 once crack/cocaine moved into my hood. Talk about culture shock. I was one of a handful of Black people in my school. I never wanted to live in Brooklyn again after one week in NC! During my 2nd week of school, I boarded my school bus and sat next to a white boy. He looked me up and down and said "ewwwwww, gross. You sure are BLACK". Didn't expect that. I thought people were friendly in the south?! Well, here I am, mid thirties back in Brooklyn for 4 years now (Prospect Place @ Franklin Ave.). Thank God for my beginnings because I still know the area and more importantly the people living in it, both White and Black.

I hate people who spit and I don't care what you look like. It sucks to see and hear someone spitting, especially if it's directed towards you. I'm sorry for all of the white people who were spat on. F-ing sucks, but you should keep it moving in mind and spirit. Chances are, that person will be in the same general area the next time you're walking to the subway, home, or wherever. They won’t be in the leasing office as you try and rent an apartment, the bank as you try and get a loan, or have much to do with your employment status, etc, so why let them get to you? Now, the guy who I sat next to on the bus--I’m bread to believe I won’t see him again either. But I’ve encountered versions of him in my life, all memorable examples of how certain types of racism can be more damaging than others. I can be more specific, but I have no choice but to “keep it moving” myself.

Don’t know how this post will be perceived, but if it helps, my best friend (who also lives in CH) is White

And, now, for some shameless promotion of a thread that is related, albeit only tangentially: http://brooklynian.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=57225

Carry on....

MHA wrote: Bkjoy, Thanks! Someone who gets me...Cool the Kid, I am not blaming the spittee, I am trying to understand why the spitter spat. Oy, how can you not get that? Why does a murderer commit the act? Why does the tree branch - breaker break the tree? What's the motivation?? I understand the bottomline, and I am NOT being sympathetic of it, I am trying to understand and convey that understanding to YOU, and as I do it, the first thing you want me to do is align my expression with that of the spitters. Like most white people, you are simply concerned with the 'bottomline' and living an ahistorical existence -- which is essentially an anti-intellectual one. I am not calling you an anti-intellectual (let me be clear), I am saying CHOOSING not to understand antecedent activity IS anti-intellectual. If you want to debate whether that is true or not, well then, let's get it on!

I don't deny any history. I totally acknowledge the ugly past of gentrification & abandonment by the city in places like Crown Heights. . The difference between me and you is, you define yourself by said history... and are crippled by it. You can't even engage in a civil discussion with white people and look to overreact over anything. I don't. I've had plenty of candid discussions about race with white people- in person at that- and have often had to provide them with the historical context black people live in as they often times don't know. But I'm not angry or combatative about it. And I don't hold any grudges or harbor any hatred. You sound like the kind of dude to turn down a promotion as you don't want to be patronized by your white boss. Hilarious

Hamilton - that's f***ing hilarious. Thanks!

did spitzer becoming governor have anything to do with this disgusting habit.

sterling2000 gets it

MHA your whole steez is based in baseless stereotypes, entitlement and misdirected anger

From what I gather you have beef with white people for moving into CH, as if that is the cause of all its problems

And for some reason I don't think you're alone in your sentiment

Just seems silly to me

You're very eloquent in your prose but your opinions make no sense

W/e.

Cool the Kid, so be it. I can tell you that you have misinterpreted almost everything I have said, which brings me to a personal experience I would like to relay here, and I hope that some of you will read carefully:

I used to work in a store and once a very irate dude came in. He wanted a refund without a receipt, and just assumed he could get it, and I told him he could not. We went back and forth, in a heated civil manner, and at one point he looked at me and said, "Why are you threatening me?" I was shocked, because nothing in MHA's countenance bespeaks 'threat'. I looked at him and said, " I'm not threatening you, but you are feel threatened BY me because you presume someone in my 'place' (read Black and male) ought not to respond to you in this manner." He got really quiet and then said, "You know, you're right, I'm sorry." The morale to the story is that the history of this country did a number on white AND Black people; there is enough pathos around for everyone. One of the first thing some folks do when they dont like what he hears is to characterize speech he finds subversive as 'threatening', misdirected', 'hate-filled', 'angry', etc. By effectively characterising one's opinion as such, it encourages those who witness the conversation to avoid focusing on WHAT is said, but rather to focus on HOW one says what they say (Please re-read that sentence so that it can soak in your brain). Some folks always want others to COMPORT to a protocol when they express themselves, and this type of arrogance is so obvious to me in Cool the Kid's response to my posts here. In the stead of expressing a response to my posts, he/she CHARACTERIZES them: 'misdirected anger', 'based in sterotypes', etc. This is not argument, this is coy ad hominem response! This type of response is an attempt to not focus on WHAT I say, but HOW I say what I say. Cool the Kid, focus on my points dude/dudette, and not on how OBVIOUSLY RANKLED you are on HOW I make them. Please note the end of Cool the Kid's response:

"You're very eloquent in your prose but your opinions make no sense"

My 'prose' is 'eloquent' but my opinions make no sense?! So essentially, what I have said to Cool the Kid sounds really pretty but I am basically unintelligible to him/her, sort of like Cab Calloway's 'scatting'; essentially Cool the Kid is saying I'm 'talkin' shit'. Amazing. I put the words together, 'real purdy-like' but the sum of the whole is nonsensical to him/her. What a CONCLUSORY thing to say (another purdy word). Instead of CHARACTERIZING what I say Cool the Kid, please tell me WHY what I say makes no sense -- to YOU. You have not in any of your posts responded with a counter-argument that is anything but conclusory. It's all post revolution, Animal Farm-like: Four legs good, two legs bad! Four legs good, two legs bad! Damn, but if I recall my Animal Farm, Both Snowball AND Napoleon were pigs....


This is the same stuff they said about Obama, by the way if you recall: 'Oh, he's really 'eloquent' but he makes no sense.'

Whitefolks, this is why we don't like it when you tell us 'We' have 'native intelligence', are 'well-spoken', or Cool the Kid says is 'eloquent'.

It's the same thing 'they' said about Martin Luther King, as well as Malcolm, it's the same thing some folks have said whenever they don't like WHAT is said. I am grateful that I still have the right to say what I say, or the Cool the Kids of the world would likely deny me that right.


I read what you wrote, but I have no idea what you mean when you say what I have said is based on baseless stereotyping, misdirected anger and entitlement. I mean, I understand those words, but what do you mean by them? You did not provide any explanation for any of your conclusions here. Where is the baseless sterotyping? Where is my misdirected anger? What entitlement do you think I ought to have, or not have?

DOO YOUUU UNDER STAND THE WORDS THAT ARE COMING OUT OF MY MOWTH??

I tend to agree with Cool The Kid here -- I shared this thread with some coworkers (I am the only caucasian where I work) and they all could not believe what was being said.

You speak for yourself - and can ONLY speak for yourself, but seem to talk like you're speaking for a larger group. Much as I really don't appreciate being lumped into your stereotyped "white people", I don't think that all African Americans want to be lumped into what you say either. They certainly didn't.