Anxiety said:

It's like they're not racist if they aren't directing their comments against black people. I encounter that a lot. I've heard racist rants against Indians from people who don't have a clue about my ancestry. Sometimes I then tell them, sometimes I don't.

A little story (possibly a silly one to relate on this thread but I'll type it anyway)... although this is nothing to do with racism, it's got do do with prejudice, and probably the only time I've ever been truly gobsmacked - I was once on holiday, minding my own business and choosing food from a buffet, and this guy who had made a point of telling everyone he was a farmer suddenly started shouting at me for not eating meat! He told me that "people like you are putting decent farmers out of business; you're disgusting!" He was furious, really ranting, and I couldn't believe his venom against me. It's so difficult to deal with any type of prejudice when you know there's nothing you can say or do to change someone's opinion.

rasplicious said:

great. so there are veggie-bashers in the world, too?

where i've lived, people just roll their eyes at vegetarians and make some stupid comment about rabbit food.

I've had this happen to me so many times, I've lost count.

What I've learned to do is to judge people by their intent, rather than what comes out of their mouth. Because a lot of what people say just comes from ignorance, not ill intent. So I've tried dialoguing more rather than just getting pissed and writing people off. I know when someone's trying to be insulting and when someone just doesn't know any better.

Many times, the ones who don't know any better can be taught and are worth salvaging.

Anxiety said:

You almost sound disappointed.

Soyboy!

Tofuhead!

Hey, I bet when you go to the bathroom you squeeze out a big curd!




.
[Edited 6/19/08 16:30pm]

Yesterday I received a forwarded email from somebody on this site that I've felt close with, not for very long but close. Obviously I won't disclose who it is regardless of how I feel about this but I'm in complete shock. I didn't see this coming at all, I didn't think this person was like that. I wrote an immediate response telling this person I took great offense to what they wrote and that I didn't appreciate it at all. Then I got a reply back in which they dug an even deeper hole and I decided to bury our friendship in that hole, I wrote a long-ass reply on the issues and then I told them goodbye.

Has something like this ever happened to you with people from this site? I once had a person spending a week on my couch but I found out that they felt that homosexuality was a disease and that "mixed" marriages (fuck it, there's only one race!) were wrong. If that hadn't been on the last day they would've enjoyed the short flight down from my balcony, I swear. I just don't stand for bullshit like that. I feel sad about the friendship ending but I'm still amazed (in a bad way) that I was so mistaken about the person. I'm usually a better judge of character than this.
:noracists:

violator said:

i agree. it may be a noble standard to be intolerant of ignorance, but i think it's often a case of throwing out the baby with the bathwater to also be intolerant of the person displaying the ignorance.

of course, when you try to inform/educate them and they're STILL displaying that ignorance, it's a different song altogether.

Anxiety said:

I taunted you!

I tried to massage that warm underbelly I saw a glimpse of in chat and now I've tried to incite you to respond to me with vicious anti-veggie slurs, but nothin'!

We don't have to be BFFs but as fellow Taoists I thought maybe we could hang out, maybe do lunch sometimes, point our fingers and laugh at people who falsely worship actual Gods instead of a vague energy type thing synonymous with nature or something.

Anxiety said:

I taunted you!

I tried to massage that warm underbelly I saw a glimpse of in chat and now I've tried to incite you to respond to me with vicious anti-veggie slurs, but nothin'!

We don't have to be BFFs but as fellow Taoists I thought maybe we could hang out, maybe do lunch sometimes, point our fingers and laugh at people who falsely worship actual Gods instead of a vague energy type thing synonymous with nature or something.

Fauxie said:

i'm waiting for the end of the world when it's just you, me and kirstie.

Anxiety said:

But only to crush me in the ultimate way! I know it.

I am 37 years old raised in massachusetts, now living in maine. In my life I have only met two people who have not made some sort of racist comment. I married one of them. I have sadly just come to expect it of people.

great. so there are veggie-bashers in the world, too?

where i've lived, people just roll their eyes at vegetarians and make some stupid comment about rabbit food.

This thread is pointless without a name.

G0d said:

see my very first post on this thread! I still don't know why this thread is out here.....

abierman said:

then let's this shit up and join forces to find that porn actress dammit.

BlueZebra said:

ya know.....I have a basement, maybe I should take a look.....

Anxiety said:

the only veggie I like to bash is moby.....but that's because he's moby!


eating steak tonight, yo!

abierman said:

that's a new one

Anxiety said:

you're right, moby isn't a veggie.....he's a vegan....

where i've lived, people just roll their eyes at vegetarians and make some stupid comment about rabbit food.

I don't know the specifics of this situation, obviously. But I also think it's pretty sad when people:

A. Feel compelled to air their dirty laundry and try to score points against the person they're fighting with in a common habitat.

B. Think they have to insulate themselves against possible association with the other individual by running down said person in public (even if no names are mentioned).

C. Think that anyone who doesn't agree with them is a bad person or a bigot, or that every thoughtless remark is a sign of an evil character.

If someone pissed you off, fine. Decide whether you still want to be friends with them - and let it go.

Either way, it's no one else's business.

A little story (possibly a silly one to relate on this thread but I'll type it anyway)... although this is nothing to do with racism, it's got do do with prejudice, and probably the only time I've ever been truly gobsmacked - I was once on holiday, minding my own business and choosing food from a buffet, and this guy who had made a point of telling everyone he was a farmer suddenly started shouting at me for not eating meat! He told me that "people like you are putting decent farmers out of business; you're disgusting!" He was furious, really ranting, and I couldn't believe his venom against me. It's so difficult to deal with any type of prejudice when you know there's nothing you can say or do to change someone's opinion.

I don't know the specifics of this situation, obviously. But I also think it's pretty sad when people:

A. Feel compelled to air their dirty laundry and try to score points against the person they're fighting with in a common habitat.

B. Think they have to insulate themselves against possible association with the other individual by running down said person in public (even if no names are mentioned).

C. Think that anyone who doesn't agree with them is a bad person or a bigot, or that every thoughtless remark is a sign of an evil character.

If someone pissed you off, fine. Decide whether you still want to be friends with them - and let it go.

Either way, it's no one else's business.