4 ms·

Because only whites can be racist? I understand what you're saying, but phrasing it like that is just silly. And no, not all cops will bring you in for bribing

Because only whites can be racist? I understand what you're saying, but phrasing it like that is just silly. And no, not all cops will bring you in for bribing them; I'm much more pro-cop than most people that blab on the internet, but that doesn't mean there aren't bad ones.

deleted 11y ago
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Frondo 11y ago
I see that the original comment must have been edited to remove something about racism, but I have to add this elaboration because it so often gets missed: Of course anyone can be racist, but when the white people have nearly all of the economic and political power, and the black people have nearly none, it doesn't matter if black people are racist, because there are no structures to support that. Or, put another way, black people might call me "cracker" or "white boy" or whatever, and hate me because I'm white, but I can still walk into a bank and get a home loan. I was never red-lined out of living in a neighborhood at first sight.
- Ntrails 11y ago
  Being of a race doesn't prevent you being racist towards it. A black cop can be just as racist to a black person walking down the street as a white cop can. Indeed, I seem to recall hearing on a few occasions that they often are. The assumption that all a black person can do to be racist is call you (a white male) "cracker" is rather disingenuous.
  - smtddr 11y ago
    Based on the current social economic structure of USA, OP's statement is pretty true. This prank video is like a small example of USA's issues. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=U0tDBvdunu0 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=U0tDBvdunu0 ...try reversing the ethnicity and neighborhood in this video... the vid would be much shorter and the outcome much worse, I'm sure.
  - Frondo 11y ago
    Of course not, and the fact that even black cops treat black people like they're less than human illustrates another important idea: internalized racism. When power structures in society constantly reinforce the idea that black people are worth less, everyone starts to believe it. Pernicious, isn't it? It isn't just about name-calling. It's about the systems that keep people disengaged politically and economically, generation after generation. The name-calling is just the surface stuff, and you know, I bet you anything that if people of color actually had a fair shot at anything in this country, the name calling wouldn't matter at all.

deleted 11y ago

[deleted]

Frondo 11y ago

I see that the original comment must have been edited to remove something about racism, but I have to add this elaboration because it so often gets missed: Of course anyone can be racist, but when the white people have nearly all of the economic and political power, and the black people have nearly none, it doesn't matter if black people are racist, because there are no structures to support that. Or, put another way, black people might call me "cracker" or "white boy" or whatever, and hate me because I'm white, but I can still walk into a bank and get a home loan. I was never red-lined out of living in a neighborhood at first sight.

Ntrails 11y ago
Being of a race doesn't prevent you being racist towards it. A black cop can be just as racist to a black person walking down the street as a white cop can. Indeed, I seem to recall hearing on a few occasions that they often are. The assumption that all a black person can do to be racist is call you (a white male) "cracker" is rather disingenuous.
- smtddr 11y ago
  Based on the current social economic structure of USA, OP's statement is pretty true. This prank video is like a small example of USA's issues. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=U0tDBvdunu0 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=U0tDBvdunu0 ...try reversing the ethnicity and neighborhood in this video... the vid would be much shorter and the outcome much worse, I'm sure.
- Frondo 11y ago
  Of course not, and the fact that even black cops treat black people like they're less than human illustrates another important idea: internalized racism. When power structures in society constantly reinforce the idea that black people are worth less, everyone starts to believe it. Pernicious, isn't it? It isn't just about name-calling. It's about the systems that keep people disengaged politically and economically, generation after generation. The name-calling is just the surface stuff, and you know, I bet you anything that if people of color actually had a fair shot at anything in this country, the name calling wouldn't matter at all.