Was this thread racist?
 

http://www.clubcobra.com/forums/lounge/94177-pity-poor-bhussein-obama.html

Just checking, the barrister seems to be a bit touchy.

Scott S

Scott,
Tell you what - come up to my neck of the woods and I'll drop you off at the place in Roxbury where a friend of mine was killed 20 years ago. You can ask your poll question there. If you survive then maybe Jamo will let you use it. ;)

Don't expect the happy ending that Bruce Willis and Sam Jackson had in Die Hard.

Steve

Yes-
You asked!

Scott... you're not getting it, are you?

You and anyone else are certainly entitled to say what you want, and anyway you want to say it....straight out or with innuendo.

...just not here.

If in the Mod's opinion, it's over the line...then it's over the line.
...and it's not up for discussion.

We are committed to stop any thread early and if necessary, stop the poster if they repeat...

thanks
ron
ClubCobra Moderator

Scott
If a moderator determines that the sun will NOT rise tomorrow, do not question the opinion. Your opinion is worthless as compared to the moderator, even if everyone agrees with you. It is their football, and they can call the game at any time and take the ball with them.

PS - some of the comments were borderline racist, but racism is racism.

Just making sure it is a straight line.

Scott S

It doesn't have to be...it's simply our call.

I see Warren understands it.... snotty as he was... but he gets it.

This is not the real world...this is our forum...and we try and run it under Brent's guidelines.

Like it, or leave it.

thanks
ron
ClubCobra Moderator

My honest thoughts - off the cuff
 

What do you think? You may not be a racist per se, and it doesn't bother me either way, but the racial stereotype snipes sure seemed to come across.

There seems to be a lot of race card playing here in the last lil' while - mostly by those who always complain about the race card being played by others, and mostly in the form of gripes about how hard done-by the white male is in today's society. Try actually speaking to any black person over 50 about the things they grew up with and what their parents had to choke down and swallow on a daily basis and then bawl and cry about how rough you have it today. That goes for people of any color, by the way.

I see no point in feeling offended, especially by the prolific baiters who chum the waters with an artfully veiled slur or a cut-and-paste from one of their security blanket websites; hoping to sit back and watch the feeding frenzy as the peanut gallery eats it up. I bite once in a while, usually hoping for debate on debatable points, but that rarely occurs as clearly, meaningful discussion was just never the OP's intent.

I'm not big on political correctness but I believe in mutual respect. I do prefer communicating with people who speak their minds and I do the same in return. I can't stand cowards who hide behind their keyboards and try stir up $hit with innuendo and "innocent" snipes and it is far easier to piss me off with stupidity than it is to offend me by being sincerely open about race issues.

The moderators make the guidelines pretty clear, I think, and workable for all but the real disturbed whack jobs and their far out agendas. The way I see it the onus is on me as a minority and a foreigner in here to either go with the flow or go away. If it was that bad in here, I would do exactly that. It isn't so I stay and I like many of the regular folks whether we are in agreement about most things or not.

Man, I'm long winded sometimes!

Scott...here's the thing.

I posted this in the sticky at the top of the page right after the new year as an update to the election period protocols we were following. Maybe some folks missed it...

Please Read: The Lounge
The Lounge was provided to allow off-topic discussions. It was not created to allow unrestrained slamming of each other or long-winded cut and pastes. Newcomers should be aware that the one thing that will likely NOT be discussed on these pages will be Cobras.

Politics, religion, moral and ethical issues are ok...but don't engage in a war over the issue. Jokes are ok, just keep it from going into the gutter or becoming hurtful to any group. Watch it on the pictures...think Maxim rather than Playboy.

When Computerworks or I come in and moderate...don't argue. We are usually responding to a complaint from someone or trying to prevent a closed thread. Don't ask us to explain or detail where we've missed something else someone else said or did...we're frankly too doggone busy watching the whole place and helping members. We're going to be wrong once in awhile, or we might miss something...we can live with that.

Have a good time and enjoy the bantor...just keep it to a mild roar.

Many thanks,

Computerworks and Jamo

Now, that being said...after Computerworks asked folks to watch it, there was an exchange which, quite frankly, ran afoul of the suggestion and just kept digging away instead of moving on.

...and so it goes. :cool:

Touchy? Me? Naw...but you can bite me anyway. :p

Bigotry is pretty ugly...and sad
 

and found everywhere in our society. No need to listen to talk radio or to go to red neck taverns, these people can sing to a smaller and smaller choir the rest of the world has moved on.

Racist?, In my opinion "no", but maybe I'm a little bit of one. I don't think so but who knows. The main thing is that the moderators asked it to stop and someone must have decided to see how far they can push them. It won't work. Everybody will never agree with them all of the time. They don't have to. But when they say "enough", they mean it.
Ron & Jamo do a great job. Listen to them.
Terry

Scott,
Regardless of the fact that this is not a democracy, some will take the comments as racism. There are still people who feel threatened by anything that isn't a well spelled out helping hand. They have not had the opportunity to feel accepted by others and what I would take as a joke meant in good humor would cut them like a sword. Those of us who have not experienced the racism first hand, cannot even begin to understand the emotional side of it. It does not matter that there is not any intended harm, the perceived harm is enough that nothing further said will be trusted. Sad but true.

Recognizing a racially based epithet, stereotype or pointed reference for what it is, is a far cry from feeling threatened or suffering from not having the "opportunity to feel accepted by others". Answering the OP's quesion frankly about the impressions created by the statements in the referenced thread is a far cry from being offended by them.

While it is true that it those who have experienced racial discrimination are likely be hurt by the slurs that others will find funny, its also simplistically obvious; and the truth is those who feign innocence after dropping the remarks know exactly what they wanted to say.

Above all - your insinuation that recognizing racially based innuendo is the same as those suffering from the malady of low self esteem being threatened by "anything that isn't a well spelled out helping hand" is way beyond bull****. Gimme a friggin break! LOL!

I used to work with a lady who thought black people were lazy and good for nothing. She was leaving early one summer afternoon to go to the beach and one of the techs who worked for me told her that if she gets any more tan she will end up as lazy and good-for-nothing as he already was.

I just don't see why anybody needs to get worked up over someone elses melanin content, or whether sneetches have stars or not.

Hey! Watch it with the sneetch remarks! (what's a sneetch?)

"You cannot unring the bell"---it is what it is!

The ones with stars on their bellies thought they were better than ones without. Then a guy came along with a machine that would print stars, and so the original ones with stars had them removed...ad infinitum... Lots of Dr Suess fun from many years ago.

http://www.childrenstheatrecompany.o.../SNEETCHES.jpg

I met a pretty young girl of "color" over 30 years ago both our parents were upset we were dating but being young and in love we shrugged it off. We married and began to start a family. My Dad was really concerned that his family name would somehow be tainted by the color, he stills feels the same way about his great grand children.

My wife and I have been physically attacked by Skinheads and have endured many of the epitaphs mentioned. We have consoled our children when they have come from school upset on how they have been treated.

I really think I need no lectures.

We have taught our children that there is no disadvantage to being different and it is unfair to all too take advantage of that difference. We have also taught our children that for stereotyping to end don't fall into the same patterns of behavior that reinforces the appearance.

I hope our new President believes the same.


I made a silly stereotypical joke, some got it some didn't. I became offended when a few thought the remark was racist and turned the offense into a stupid remark.

I am sorry for the stupid remark.

Those of you that want to throw rocks go ahead.

Jamo I take big bites, too bad there is just so little...:LOL:

Scott S

Steve, how could I forget Dr. Suess? I think I had every one of his books at the time when I was growing up - a couple of them are still kickin' around!

Scott, I've seen a picture of your wife (I think) in your gallery. She's still pretty 30 years later.

I just got back from court, and I gotta say I'm a bit disappointed. Neither of the gents involved are anywhere near being racists, and the remarks clearly were meant in jest. Our concern in moderating was to insure folks weren't hurt unintentionally. Having grown up on a steady diet of Don Rickles and Red Foxx, I don't look at these things as they might affect me if I was a member of a victimized class...my hide's a bit too thick from years of being on the bottom rung of the ladder growing up (everyone picked on the Armos...even the damn Meesicuns gave us sh!t).

I've known about Scotts' marital union for several years since we both talked (in the Lounge if I recall correctly) about "difficulties" with family in marrying outside the tribe (I myself married an "odar"...a white chic). I was supposed to marry a nice hand-picked young lady from another "....ian" clan down the road with a nice vineyard. Luckily I didn't...her moustache is only surpassed by her uni-brow. :p

Freddie? A curiously funny and intelligent commentator on the human condition, and far beyond the reach of mundane things that trouble lessor beings, such as being politically correct. We usually catch him after the first or second fart in church.

The over the top backlash from some of you finger-wagging folks is, in my mind, just as hurtful as what some folks felt the original remarks were. Now, I'm sure y'all are going to say that you didn't mean to suggest they were racists, but then again...y'all aren't always interested in knowing what folks meant before you throw the rope over a low branch, are you.

Damn good lesson learned by everyone, me hopes. Time for recess. :)