In a month, no one will remember this ludicrous poll except Scott Adams, who used it to justify his unhinged racist rant, and promptly lost his book deal and comic syndication.
The most absurd people have been elevated by social media...
This is a well-done piece and lowers the temperature... but got to say I'm still disturbed by the results. The number of people who disagree is still stunning and sad. (And with the noted caveat that it is a weird question that could be interpreted in different ways).
Imagine if a poll came out where 26% of white people disagreed with "it's okay to be black." It would be media and NGO apocalypse.
Most disturbing of all to me is that the country is stuck on "let's figure out how we can exacerbate and emphasize" racial categories. Let's change the damn channel.
Again, that's in The Atlantic, so it's prime pundit audience.
It's possible some poll respondents interpreted "be white" not in terms of the trolling phrase (which is mostly a Very Online thing), and not as skin color, but in regard to the above. It's a much more common sense of the words among "normies".
I’m a White guy, over 70, who has spent his entire adult life more or less totally among Black folks. To the extent of having an annual Christmas party with 100-150 guests, open to anyone who showed up, where only 1 or 2 would be White. In my 50 years as the only White guy in the room, club, church, or house I only had ONE unpleasant experience regarding race. It happened in Philadelphia, a city which in the 1980’s had a particularly poisonous racial atmosphere, largely thanks to Frank Rizzo, a pretty openly racist mayor. In a very crowded Black gay bar an inebriated patron turn to me and said, “Get back!”. Of course, my feet were then nailed in that spot and the fellow picked up his drink and moved. That was it! In fifty years! Black folks don’t hate you because you are White, and if you are a decent, caring human being, they will treat you with love and affection. White folks need to treat their Negrophobia by having social interactions with Black people. It’s as easy as that.
Sorry, but I have yet to meet a "White Supremist". Maybe because I've never been incarcerated and forced to pick a gang. Anyone who has a problem with "It's okay to be White" is not my friend .. and it is not due to White Supremists .. not even those named Kanye.
So this essay is saying that it is okay to cancel Scott Addams based on his MISUNDERSTANDING of a poll or even a slogan. In a civilized nation, he would be invited to a debate on, say, PBS News Hour, and the nuances can be discussed or clarified or confirmed ... eg. "Hey Scott, I see what you are saying, as it does come across that way if taken literally .. but IF those polled meant this other thing, THEN what would you think? But in an uncivilized country, intent does not matter.
In a month, no one will remember this ludicrous poll except Scott Adams, who used it to justify his unhinged racist rant, and promptly lost his book deal and comic syndication.
The most absurd people have been elevated by social media...
Doing the lords work Carl. Thanks for throwing our National embarrassment Pauline Hanson into the mix 😂
I’d go so far as to frame her as ‘reactionary right’. She gives the sane right a bad name!
He’s a humorist, presumably he was exaggerating for comic effect. But in this case, it just wasn’t funny, and that’s the worst possible sin.
A lot of interracial mind-reading going on here . . .
This is a well-done piece and lowers the temperature... but got to say I'm still disturbed by the results. The number of people who disagree is still stunning and sad. (And with the noted caveat that it is a weird question that could be interpreted in different ways).
Imagine if a poll came out where 26% of white people disagreed with "it's okay to be black." It would be media and NGO apocalypse.
Most disturbing of all to me is that the country is stuck on "let's figure out how we can exacerbate and emphasize" racial categories. Let's change the damn channel.
I can't be the only white person in the world (hyperbole!) who is familiar with the black culture issue of "acting white", see e.g.:
"The Origins of the "Acting White" Charge"
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/07/acting-white-charge-origins/594130/
Again, that's in The Atlantic, so it's prime pundit audience.
It's possible some poll respondents interpreted "be white" not in terms of the trolling phrase (which is mostly a Very Online thing), and not as skin color, but in regard to the above. It's a much more common sense of the words among "normies".
I’m a White guy, over 70, who has spent his entire adult life more or less totally among Black folks. To the extent of having an annual Christmas party with 100-150 guests, open to anyone who showed up, where only 1 or 2 would be White. In my 50 years as the only White guy in the room, club, church, or house I only had ONE unpleasant experience regarding race. It happened in Philadelphia, a city which in the 1980’s had a particularly poisonous racial atmosphere, largely thanks to Frank Rizzo, a pretty openly racist mayor. In a very crowded Black gay bar an inebriated patron turn to me and said, “Get back!”. Of course, my feet were then nailed in that spot and the fellow picked up his drink and moved. That was it! In fifty years! Black folks don’t hate you because you are White, and if you are a decent, caring human being, they will treat you with love and affection. White folks need to treat their Negrophobia by having social interactions with Black people. It’s as easy as that.
Sorry, but I have yet to meet a "White Supremist". Maybe because I've never been incarcerated and forced to pick a gang. Anyone who has a problem with "It's okay to be White" is not my friend .. and it is not due to White Supremists .. not even those named Kanye.
So this essay is saying that it is okay to cancel Scott Addams based on his MISUNDERSTANDING of a poll or even a slogan. In a civilized nation, he would be invited to a debate on, say, PBS News Hour, and the nuances can be discussed or clarified or confirmed ... eg. "Hey Scott, I see what you are saying, as it does come across that way if taken literally .. but IF those polled meant this other thing, THEN what would you think? But in an uncivilized country, intent does not matter.