Do you consider this racism?

**mkreyssig** · Moderator Posts: 206 Join date: 2009-01-27 Age: 31

On Funny note I watched the interview with Crowley and when asked what he thought about the President's comment he turned towards the camera and said "I didn't vote for him." Ha Ha Ha!

seek2mend · Senior Member Posts: 166 Join date: 2009-02-17

Wendy, you are coming from a different perspective regarding the word "racist". For many of us, the word is painful. It reminds us of the atrocities commited by our European ancestors. Maybe we need a new word. Obama is good at that. Maybe he should ordain a word czar. Very Happy

Re: Obama

As for a response , maybe if Obama simply said something like "I don't have all the facts so I do not think it would be appropriate for me to comment. But no one can deny that we have come a long way and we should continue on a path towards reconcilliation, understanding, and mutual respect". But to chastise one party for acting stupidly was, IMO, inappropriate. BTW, Whoopi Goldberg has commented that she hates the 'S' word.

What needs to happen now is Biden has to come out and say something REALLY stupid so Obama looks good. Good cop, bad cop has served them well. Just wait..... Wink

Wendy · Regular Member Posts: 99 Join date: 2009-01-20

I think I've found KJo's true identity! Just kidding. Moving on.

And this is why people are concerned about Crowley. Get a load of this police officer and what he thinks is appropriate to say:

http://www.myfoxboston.com/dpp/news/local/justin_barrett_full_email_072909

Now, I am of two minds. I'm a firm believer in free speech. On the other, what kind of moron is he? Menino says he's gone; he won't work as a cop again. The police union should support him through his appeal to make sure he gets due process, but basically, they should not stand behind this guy any further than that.

**Dave** · Admin Posts: 317 Join date: 2009-01-18 Age: 98

Quote:

And this is why people are concerned about Crowley.

Sorry...not following. If people are concerned about Crowley (who it turns out is the department racial profiling Instructor), because they harbor a bias then that makes them part of the whole racial problem.

I asked before...if the Officer who knocked on Mr. Gates door had been African American do you think he would have reacted the same way???

I would argue that a preconcieved bias is a better indication of racial motiviations than a display of poor judgement.

d

Wendy · Regular Member Posts: 99 Join date: 2009-01-20

Barnett said what he said *and didn't think it was wrong*. Where did he get that idea?

A lot of people suspect that he didn't realize he was wrong because he hasn't had to filter himself. IOW, he hangs out with people who wouldn't consider it wrong, i.e., other police, probably.

**Dave** · Admin Posts: 317 Join date: 2009-01-18 Age: 98

He got that idea because he has an issue with his character. By your reasoning he became the way he is because of the people that he works with. I prefer to think that people are racist because they have a flawed character that skews their perceptions. That can happen to anyone....anywhere. I should not matter if they are a police officer or grew up with a single parent - that is just an excuse and excuses are a problem with character.

my 2

d

Wendy · Regular Member Posts: 99 Join date: 2009-01-20

First, I don't buy that racism is a character flaw. Racists are made, not born.

Second, the Boston PD hired someone who is a racist and let him work there for years.

Third, the logical explanation is not that Justin Barnett is a man who hid his racism for years and it suddenly spilled out. Unless he is a profoundly stupid man (in which case the Boston PD should be held accountable for hiring a profoundly stupid man), he has to be aware that the kind of things he said are considered unacceptable by most people. The only way he would have expressed those things in public is if he thought there were a substantial number of people who supported him.

And I would bet money he felt those people were his fellow cops and their families.

**Dave** · Admin Posts: 317 Join date: 2009-01-18 Age: 98

Quote:

Racists are made, not born

Exactly my point...so is character. You make it, you are not born with it.

Quote:

Second, the Boston PD hired someone who is a racist and let him work there for years.

Are you saying that BPD knew this Officer is racist and did nothing about it???

Really trying to understand you here...at some point ansering my question about Mr. Gates would be great.

d

seek2mend · Senior Member Posts: 166 Join date: 2009-02-17

Wendy,

You use the term moron to describe the woman who made the 911 call. Then you use the same word to describe the Boston police officer. You put these two people in the same category? And then you seem to conclude that it is understandable, maybe even wise to look at all Police Officers with a jaundiced eye.

I can't understand where you are coming from.

Who knows? Maybe Barnett was just hoping for an opportunity to have a beer at the white house, even if it means getting slapped around by a couple of elitists.
study

**mkreyssig** · Moderator Posts: 206 Join date: 2009-01-27 Age: 31

I don't think that Barrett is any more of a racist than say...Jessy Jackson when he started dropping the N-bomb when he though he was off camera in the Fox News Studio, or Michael Richards when he lost it.

Sometimes when people get angry they use the worst language possible relating to the person so that they can get the message across that they are bleep.

Just like if I hall off can call Dave a "Pig" or Wendy....a bad word....doesn't mean I am sexist or anti-cop. It could mean that I don't have a the verbal skills to express what I am feeling in an educated manner.

Playground talk you stupid snot face. (That was aimed at no one)

That said...Barrett is an idiot, and I saw his point and would have seen his point without him throwing jungle monkey into the mix. That was uncalled for, and as a public servant he should be disciplined.

BUT....I don't see how Crowley has anything to do with this. If we are lumping people then we are all at fault for something....

Wendy · Regular Member Posts: 99 Join date: 2009-01-20

Dave, I can't really deal with hypotheticals. I think it possible that Gates would have reacted the same way with a black officer saying the exact same things in the exact same way to him. But I have no way of knowing.

Yes, I think the BPD hired a racist. I think they should have known so either they were incompetent at screening their hires or they knew he was racist and hired him anyway. Honestly, my guess is the latter, but they thought he could control himself in public. They were wrong.

I think a huge problem we are having is that no one can agree on what the term "racist" means. I can't believe that you guys are referring to racist comments like the ones Barnett made are just "playground talk." They're not. They're demeaning racist comments that have no place being uttered. If you can't agree that's racist, then you and I do not agree on any meaning of the term.

**Dave** · Admin Posts: 317 Join date: 2009-01-18 Age: 98

Since there seems to be some genuine confusion as to what a racist is I thought the actual definition from dictionary.com would be helpful;

Quote:

Racist - a person with a prejudiced belief that one race is superior to others.

I think most of us out there would agree with that definition. As for not getting into a hypothetical...well...most of Wendy's comments are based on assumptions on how one person feels about another and who is aware of their behavior, and even deeper now, who is covering up for said behavior.

I am not trying to single you out Wendy but clearly your definition of being a racist is different from the standard one that most of us are familiar with.

d

**mkreyssig** · Moderator Posts: 206 Join date: 2009-01-27 Age: 31

Did I really type ObleepO in my post.....lol....wow.... uhm

seek2mend · Senior Member Posts: 166 Join date: 2009-02-17

This is what you posted on 7/22, Wendy.

[quote="Wendy"]
I think I am racist.

You also posted that you think most people are racist.

Last night you inferred that the BPD was incompetent in their screening and hiring practice because they hired a racist.

My question is this. If most people are racist, including you, do you think they should be eliminated from contention for certain professions. If so wouldn't you agree racist's do not belong in the classroom?

**Dave** · Admin Posts: 317 Join date: 2009-01-18 Age: 98

mkreyssig wrote:

Did I really type ObleepO in my post.....lol....wow.... uhm

Figures it would be a Mod who triggers our first - BLEEP!

funny2