Have you ever been accused of being racist?

[dfphetteplace]

Yeah, a few times at one of my jobs. I work in an Emergency Department in Detroit, MI. I am white, and our patients are a fairly wide mix of everything, which I think is pretty cool honestly. But some of the patients, regardless of race, accuse the staff of being racist, usually because we won't just give out pain meds to everyone. I had a patient complain to my supervisor that I was being racist and mean to her, because I wasn't giving her pain meds. I'm not the doctor, so I cannot order pain meds, regardless of whether I think they need them or not.

The first time bothered me, but then I realized that this is just how some people respond and to not pay any attention to it.

 

[Lugbzurg]

I've been called racist before for... no conceivable reason. Though there was one point in which I was talking about "darkness/evil", and someone made a chain of idiotic connections.

"Hmmm... Evil... Darkness... Blackness... LE GASP! RACISM!!elevenone1!"

And this makes zero sense, considering I have several friends of varied ethic backgrounds.

Some people would even go so far as to insist something along the lines of "Just because you have black friends, doesn't mean you aren't racist against blacks!" Actually, it kinda does mean I'm not racist. Anything otherwise would make no sense.

 

[emeraldrafael]

the only time i can think of I was seriously accused of being racist because people caught the wrong end of a conversation after i walked out of a door and screamed back in pointing at the guy i was angry with (who happened to be black) and shouted some rather obscene things and ended it withthe phrase "fuck you people" which was more aimed at the store itself. luckily only four people heard me and I cleared it up (it was generally known pricks worked at the place).

 

[Helmholtz Watson]

Ive not personally, but I see so many things about 'reverse racism', 'Politcal Correctness' and 'Double Standards' that I assume some of you have, as with any issue its better to talk about it then sweep it under the carpet, so please share your experiences and points of view.

'reverse racism' and 'political correctness' are often just buzzwords used by butthurt white boys who take the erosion of their social superiority as adversity in the face of a lack of any real adversity. People seem to apply the same with double standards, too.

I believe the internet calls this "first world problems."

Don't forget people who cry "cultural/religious/ect. appropriation" because a white person decided to get a tattoo, throw paint at another white person, get dreadlocks or visit a country where the people are POC. First world problems indeed.

 

[FitScotGaymer]

Yeah. I have been accused of being racist.

By a dude that I wouldn't go out with or sleep with cos he wasn't my type and I didn't fancy him. lol. Yeah.

 

[Ryotknife]

Ive not personally, but I see so many things about 'reverse racism', 'Politcal Correctness' and 'Double Standards' that I assume some of you have, as with any issue its better to talk about it then sweep it under the carpet, so please share your experiences and points of view.

First off, whoever invented the term "reverse racism" was a moron...... what that term should mean is people who are racist against racists...... but for that to even work "racist" would need to be a race, and it is not.

If someone is racist against blonde haired blue eyed white people they are still just racist, no reverse necessary.

On topic though..... No never, however I did break up with someone because of racist comments she made.

I always thought the term "Reverse Racism" referred to extreme niceness/politeness towards someone of another race, based solely on their race.

that is political correctness (which i guess is a form of racism)

one example of reverse racism i suppose is this. I used to work a minimum wage job at Kmart (think target or walmart) and the store had a problem with people stealing. They even started to train people how to spot shoplifters. Well, one employee found a person who was trying to shop lift. The shoplifter cried racism because she was black and she was being unjustly targeted. The employee, white, was fired on the spot and the shoplifter was allowed go even though there was video evidence of her stealing (she came into the store with an empty bag, and magically the bag was filled when she was leaving without buying anything). The employee was fired because she was white and the company was afraid of a scandal. And no, the employee did not say anything racist.

Although oddly enough most of the shiplifters at that store tended to be white and elderly, which is strange (the elderly part). Made me glad I worked the night shift and didnt have to deal with people.

 

[krazykidd]

Yes . But to be fair i am a bit racist . I don't like black people . Now being black myself , makes that very ironic . However , to me , there is a different between racism and discrimination . I would never discriminate against anybody ( I.E treat them differently than i would anyone else due to skin color , sex or sexual orientation ) but it doesn't i have to like them. I avoid other black people like the plague unless forced to associate with them , and when i do associate when them i am as kind as i would be anyone else . So yes , i have been called racist , when i say i don't like black people . But i make sure to clearify that i don't discriminate against them .

Oh and gay people make me unconfortable . But again, when put in a situation where i have to associate with homosexuals , i am nice . Ironically , honosexual MALES are some of the nicest people i ever met . And yet i'm uncomfortable around them . Haven't met a nice homosexual female though , probably because i treat them like any other women with whom i don't have a chance to sleep with , i ignore them .

Yeah iv'e been called a bigot on these forums several times. The price of being honest i guess.

 

[mateushac]

Being from Brazil, and being born in a family of Black, White AND Native [South] American origins, probably made me really open minded when it comes to 'race'.
That said, I've been called a racist for mocking a very close friend once. (he often makes jokes about the stereotypes surrounding his race and is okay with me doing so too)

I know I'm gonna be called a racist here pretty soon, but don't bother: I know exacly how racist I am or I am not.

 

[Frokane]

Yeah. I have been accused of being racist.

By a dude that I wouldn't go out with or sleep with cos he wasn't my type and I didn't fancy him. lol. Yeah.

just out of interest, does your 'type' have anthing to do with the guys race?

 

[thejackyl]

Not directly. I live in a town that is prominently White and Hispanic. In fact, there is only one Asian family and two Black families in the entire town. So we have people who think they can pull the race card, based on that fact alone when they can't rip us off.

I work at the local Wal-Mart, and I was a cashier, and worked at the service desk, so I saw everything. I've had someone try to return something from 4 years ago (we have a 90 day return policy), and when I refused they said: "It's because I'm Black isn't it?", I ended up having to get an assistant manager up front to talk to the guy. (Who is Indian), and the sad part is that they let him return the item, AND he got a $25 gift card for his "trouble".

 

[Ickorus]

Yep, on this very forum too, they couldn't have been more wrong.

I've noticed over time that it tends to be the most bigoted people that throw all the accusations.

 

[Not Matt]

I said "glad i never ever have to have a period" to a female friend when she told me she had just bought tampons, guess how big a of shitstorm that sparked.

 

[omega 616]

Yup.

Me and a few college chums used to say words that are considered racist, there was never any malicious intent behind them. We never said them to anybody outside of the group or around anybody that could be insulted by it.

I stated such things on this site and got a torrent of "you're racist", which isn't true. Hating somebody due to skin colour is like hating them for being blonde or for having brown eyes.

It's like we were mocking the racist names rather than the people it's usually addressed to, for more info on the subject please read movie bobs article about calling a 9 year old a ****.

On the topic of racism, why is it not ok to say "I've got black friends" in response to "you're racist"? If you have black friends how can you hate black people? (sorry for reducing racism to white people hating black people, I know there are people of every skin colour who hate people of any other colour)

 

[jolenejolene]

Hi all,

So I stumbled across this thread because I literally just got called racist, for the first time in my life. I was on public transportation on the way back from a country music concert with my friend. Both of us are white. I was wearing a cowboy hat for the concert, but because my friend didn't have a cowboy hat, I'd lent her a Civil War reenactor's cap that had two crossed rifles on it. While we were on our way home, a drunk (white) guy came up to us and started asking us about the history of the hat. I told him it was a Civil War hat and yes, it was from a Southern soldier's uniform. I honestly had never thought about anyone thinking the hat was racist, as it was just made for reenactments and to do any kind of reenactment, you obviously have to have hats from both sides. The musicians that were playing were Southern so it just seemed normal to bring a Southern hat. I calmly explained the reasons for having the hat. The guy went totally crazy. He immediately assumed I was from the South (which I'm not) and the first thing out of his mouth was "Number one, we totally slaughtered you," which seemed a little irrelevant. Then he went on calling us racists, comparing us to being Nazis, saying it was like having a swastika, saying he was ashamed I was American. Other people in the train car took our side and asked him to back off. He then started walking around the train car and saying, "What's your problem, I'm just trying to deal with these racists over here," saying the hat was offensive to everyone and I owed everyone on the train an apology. It got to the point that I was legitimately scared for my safety and that of my friend. He then went and pointed at the only dark-skinned person in the train car and said, "You're offending him," and the guy he'd indicated shook his head as if to say no, we weren't. Another guy on the train ended up having to break it up, asking him to move along. Because my friend and I were both upset, other people on the train started to reassure us. But I'm still really shaken up. I think of myself as very sensitive to race issues and I do try to be really careful, and my friends are from various ethnic backgrounds. Even though I'm very into country music, I boycott anything with a confederate flag on it (and that's a lot of stuff). I just don't think of that hat as a problem because it's just a historical recreation of what actually happened, not a statement in support of anything. I'm definitely not taking the hat out in public again anywhere after tonight....but I'd really appreciate some opinions or advice on what happened. I really didn't mean to offend anyone.

 

[Baron von Blitztank]

A few times but then I correct them by saying I'm Anti-Semitic good friends with many people of various cultures and beliefs!
But let's be honest here...

 

[jolenejolene]

Thanks for your response. I completely understand everything you're saying. Because people from my family fought and died in that war, I have affection for that hat and other Civil War memorabilia, and therefore wasn't thinking about the way it could affect others, and only what it means to me; for me, it's a way to remember those who died, regardless of what side they were on. The Civil War was a huge tragedy for both the North and the South, and though I do firmly believe that the South was in the wrong and am of course glad for the end of slavery and civil rights (though that came much later), I think of things from the war as a way to keep the memory of those who died alive. To me, even if what they were fighting for was wrong, most of them were just kids and it's still really sad that they died like that. It's sad when anyone dies like that. But now that I have been clearly informed about the way such things might affect others, the hat will stay at home unless it's in a reenactment situation. I really regret what I did and feel truly sorry for the behavior. I hope it didn't hurt anyone too much.

That said, I do feel like that guy was over the line in that once he had made his point, and my friend actually took the hat off, he continued to badger us until I felt worried for our safety. I'm glad he informed us of the effect of the hat, but wish he had done it in a less threatening manner.