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racism: where absence of evidence can itself be evidence

$tinkle

Expert on blowing
Feb 12, 2003
14,591
6
noo yawk mag
On a short flight to New York recently, I was sitting behind two white, well-dressed twentysomethings chattering loudly and uninhibitedly about going to clubs and travel plans and the possibility of living in New Jersey. Then came the question: “So who are you voting for?”

“I was for Hillary, but now … I’m kind of undecided,” volunteered the first woman.

“Are you a Democrat?” asked the second.

“Yeah. But I think I might go with McCain. It’s just that, well, I don’t know. You know.” Her voice dropped. I leaned forward to hear better. “You kind of hate to say it aloud, but … ” Here her voice dropped again, to a murmur lost in the roar of the jet engines, and I missed whatever came next.

Let’s start with this concession: I have no idea what that young woman actually said. In a perfect world, I suppose that would be the end of the story and I would go back to minding my own business. In the context of contemporary political discourse, however, it did cross my mind that if this conversation were presented on one of those “finish the sentence” cultural-literacy tests, then pretty much every American, of whatever creed, color, or class, would have exactly the same guess as to how the woman completed her thought.

I think there’s some consensus, in other words, about the one thing in America we really “hate to say” aloud. Yet by refraining from saying audibly that-which-must-not-be-spoken, was the young woman’s political choice rendered rational, neutral, pure? Conversely, if I were to spell it out here, would I be the one accused of “playing the race card”?
i'm growing just a little sick of intellectual laziness from supposedly educated people, especially those who are the very model of the closing race-gap.
 

Silver

find me a tampon
Jul 20, 2002
10,840
1
Orange County, CA
If you were voting for Hilary, and you weren't voting for her just because she's a woman, and now you're voting McCain, you're a racist.

Clinton and Obama's policy positions are very close. Try to sell it however you want, you ought to just admit that you don't want a spook in the White House...
 

sanjuro

Tube Smuggler
Sep 13, 2004
17,373
0
SF
I'll be absolutely frank about this:

The reason why this article exists because people are afraid to discuss race openly.

Here is an easy question to ask a black person: I'm afraid to live in the ghetto, where there is a lot of black-on-black crime. Should I be afraid or am I being racist?
 

$tinkle

Expert on blowing
Feb 12, 2003
14,591
6
If you were voting for Hilary, and you weren't voting for her just because she's a woman, and now you're voting McCain, you're a racist.

Clinton and Obama's policy positions are very close. Try to sell it however you want, you ought to just admit that you don't want a spook in the White House...
that actually makes sense, for at least the reason that in order to vote for hillary w/o regard to her gender should be an indication of party loyalty. however, there can be legitimate scorn for those who voted for obama in the primaries purely b/c he's black (90% of voting blacks pulled for obama, i believe).

so do blacks get a pass?
 

$tinkle

Expert on blowing
Feb 12, 2003
14,591
6
^^^ dude, that's a jpg, which betrays your title. don't get sloppy on us now.
 

X3pilot

Texans fan - LOL
Aug 13, 2007
5,860
1
SoMD
I was sitting behind two white, well-dressed twentysomethings chattering loudly and uninhibitedly about going to clubs and travel plans and the possibility of living in New Jersey.
That should have told you everything you needed to know about them....


If Jesse doesn't like him because he's not black enough, is that racist?
 

Silver

find me a tampon
Jul 20, 2002
10,840
1
Orange County, CA
that actually makes sense, for at least the reason that in order to vote for hillary w/o regard to her gender should be an indication of party loyalty. however, there can be legitimate scorn for those who voted for obama in the primaries purely b/c he's black (90% of voting blacks pulled for obama, i believe).

so do blacks get a pass?
Blacks who voted for Obama in the primary, but then voted for McCain in the general because Clinton won the primary would have been in the same situation, and yes, they would have been racist.

Basically, the only three ways you can vote for Hilary in the primary and McCain in the general is if you are a crypto-Republican, a sexist, or a racist.

(Note I said sexist...you can't possibly be a feminist and vote for McCain.)