Racists Anonymous: "Hi, I'm Bonnie, and I'm a Racist

[SummerMadness]

Let's just say it was an abject failure compared to the LGBT methods used.
No riots, no firehouses, no mass hatred of the system, rejection of commercial values, etc.

You're right, the Civil Rights Movement was an abject failure, African Americans have to use separate fountains, they can't sit at lunch counters, they have to pass literacy tests when they go to vote. Abject failure.

 

[SkyWriting]

You're right, the Civil Rights Movement was an abject failure, African Americans have to use separate fountains, they can't sit at lunch counters, they have to pass literacy tests when they go to vote. Abject failure.

Children are not passing literacy tests. Not even writing complete proper english sentences.

And we ready for dat two souldjas head of da pack
Madda a fack who got the gat
And where ma army at rather atact and not react
Back the beats it don't reflect on how many records get sold
On sex drugs and rock and roll
Whether your projects put on hold
In the real world, these just people wit ideas
They just like me and you when the smoke and camera disapear
Again the real world
Is bigger than all these fake records
Where po folks got the millions and my womans disrespected



If you are proposing a literacy test for all voters, I'd back that.

 

[SummerMadness]

Now we're posting song lyrics...

 

[bhsmte]

Children are not passing literacy tests. Not even writing complete proper english sentences.

And we ready for dat two souldjas head of da pack
Madda a fack who got the gat
And where ma army at rather atact and not react
Back the beats it don't reflect on how many records get sold
On sex drugs and rock and roll
Whether your projects put on hold
In the real world, these just people wit ideas
They just like me and you when the smoke and camera disapear
Again the real world
Is bigger than all these fake records
Where po folks got the millions and my womans disrespected



If you are proposing a literacy test for all voters, I'd back that.

And, we have a black president. Many more blacks in executive positions, doctors, etc. Think that would have happened without the civil rights act?

 

[SkyWriting]

And, we have a black president. Many more blacks in executive positions, doctors, etc. Think that would have happened without the civil rights act?

I was referring to the failed movement and counterproductive activities
which set blacks back 100 years or so.

I don't think Obama benefitted from the black panther mentality.

 

[BubbaJack]

Now we're posting song lyrics...

That was a song?

 

[USincognito]

One sign of being a racist is being obsessed with the topic of race.

It's almost as if words can mean anything to some people.

 

[BubbaJack]

It's almost as if words can mean anything to some people.

Everything Is Racism

 

[USincognito]

Everything Is Racism

Uhhh, O.k.

 

[rambot]

One sign of being a racist is being obsessed with the topic of race.

Incorrect.

 

[BubbaJack]

Maybe they can have a support group for people who accuse with abandon anyone and everyone of racism.

 

[AirPo]

Children are not passing literacy tests. Not even writing complete proper english sentences.

And we ready for dat two souldjas head of da pack
Madda a fack who got the gat
And where ma army at rather atact and not react
Back the beats it don't reflect on how many records get sold
On sex drugs and rock and roll
Whether your projects put on hold
In the real world, these just people wit ideas
They just like me and you when the smoke and camera disapear
Again the real world
Is bigger than all these fake records
Where po folks got the millions and my womans disrespected



If you are proposing a literacy test for all voters, I'd back that.

I think a critical thinking skills test would be better.

 

[rturner76]

I think this group is awesome! I can understand why a racist would dislike it because it challenges the idea of racism. I think there is nothing wrong with people who want to work on themselves and see racism as a flawed and unchristian mindset (this group is church based). I applaud anyone even just joining a group like this even if they don't change much. At least they are showing a willingness to try to change their mind about categorizing an entire group of people and look at individuals.

 

[rturner76]

Anyone who thinks race is an important subject, is a racist.

It is one thing to ignore race when making a judgement about an individual and judge them based on their own merit. It is another thing however to ignore the facts that race exists and racism exists along with racial stereotypes. Ignoring those facts is literally ignorant.

ignorant ˈiɡnərənt
definition 2:
lacking knowledge, information, or awareness about something in particular

 

[BubbaJack]

I think this group is awesome! I can understand why a racist would dislike it because it challenges the idea of racism. I think there is nothing wrong with people who want to work on themselves and see racism as a flawed and unchristian mindset (this group is church based). I applaud anyone even just joining a group like this even if they don't change much. At least they are showing a willingness to try to change their mind about categorizing an entire group of people and look at individuals.

People who aren't "racist" may dislike it as well. Hopefully these penitents have enough self-awareness to not assume everyone else has their purported bigotries.

 

[Gadarene]

Ok, so is this "racist" as in "only non-whites can suffer racism", or are we going to see nonwhites being called out for generalising white people, and using racial epithets to them while decrying the same being done to them?

And what sort of racism are we talking about? Are we talking about "I wore a sombrero to a Halloween party at college one time 20 years ago" or "I actually think people should be treated differently based on race"?

 

[Gadarene]

Maybe they can have a support group for people who accuse with abandon anyone and everyone of racism.

Attention-Seekers Anonymous?

Special Snowflakes Anonymous?

 

[Gadarene]

I think a critical thinking skills test would be better.

People do tend to realise how much of contemporary equality talk is overrated though when you apply critical thought.

But hey, I'm all for that.

 

[rturner76]

People who aren't "racist" may dislike it as well. Hopefully these penitents have enough self-awareness to not assume everyone else has their purported bigotries.

I don't understand why someone who is not racist would dislike a group if people who want to free themselves of racist thoughts/actions. That just doesn't make sense. The group is for self improvement why would a non racist feel threatened?

 

[Gadarene]

I don't understand why someone who is not racist would dislike a group if people who want to free themselves of racist thoughts/actions. That just doesn't make sense. The group is for self improvement why would a non racist feel threatened?

because they may think (and not unreasonably) that racism is thrown around too often for things that aren't racist

because they may be wary of how the group defines racism seeing as it's been twisted by many to mean "something that can only be done to nonwhite people"

There are obviously reasons why people might be wary of this. This is an overtly politicised 12 step group. And this is supposedly not obligatory and about self-improvement, but a "well you must be a racist if you don't want to take part" isn't really in the spirit of that.

We've already talked about how 12-steps aren't above critique, this is no exception. As I said above, a huge amount depends on how racism is defined and who can be held accountable for it. If it includes black people confessing hatred of white people as a group too, or similar, then that's a step in the right direction. More of the same rhetoric we see in the press where it's impossible for black people to be racist against whites? We don't need that.