"Playing The Race Card"?? Yeah Right!!! You Don't Know The Half!!

When people say "you're playing the race card" i cringe. There is a side to life (i assume) that these people will never know. Maybe its good that they don't know (for them), but it pisses me off. This is such a small example of what people "like me" go through everyday. Imagine a police officer thats convinced i'm a "thug" or a criminal. Imagine a (pointless) job interview. Imagine being labeled as an animal.

Take three minutes out of your life and walk in MY shoes. Take a look at the racism that "doesn't exist".

reply to post by ProphecyPhD


Well if that's you in the video than your acting very suspicious. That's like rubbing you body in chum and jumping into a shark infested sea and saying, "now watch how the sharks hate me and will bite me".

But of course people still know racism exists so you don't need to point it out as it won't accomplish much but start a race thread.

Maybe that's the point of this post I don't know.

I dont think you did a good job of portraying the ways in which you have been affected because of your race. That being said what is the point of your post other than to start an arguement? Are you trying to prove that racial prejudice does exist?


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reply to post by ProphecyPhD


i am a white guy, i have been followed many times to especially when i was between the age of 16-22 and dressed in the latest 'street fashion'.

yobs have a reputation or preiseived image, wrongly so in my opinion but it is there. how do you know this is racial as opposed to 'image'

do you have a shirt and tie and a nice pair of shoes? try doing it again, but this time dress like a business man or in an image not associated with crime and see if the results are any different.

if it is racial, complain to the store, and don't pay thier wages, ie: don't go back.

www.youtube.com...

Here is the other side of the story.


Wish race did not matter.

This is stupid

Plus... you can always turn white if yer not happy with your current results. If MJ did it...

reply to post by lifeform11


lifeform nails it on the head...

It is usually protocol to check out if people look suspicious as they won't want their store to be robbed etc... You are carrying a video camera or phone with you and holding it in the air... With a hoodie on and the other guy has a hat, both these items of clothing can be used to completely disguise someone's identity... Perfect for robbing a shop?

This has nothing to do with Racism! Sure Racism still exists but its probably in your head...

reply to post by ProphecyPhD


There's certainly a possibility that the manager was following them because they're black, but it's also perfectly possible that he was suspicious of them because they were teenagers in slightly ''street'' clothing.

The way the manager behaved is the normal way that you track suspicious customers, and, like it or not, teenagers dressed in a certain way are the number one suspects for being potential shoplifters.

Nobody doubts that racism exists - I've personally experienced it a number of times during my life - but unless it's overt racism which you can do something about, then you just have to shrug it off. You are not going to be able to change conscious or subconscious racial prejudices in someone else's mind.

While some people write off every claim of racism as ''pulling the race card'', I think that the term is used specifically for someone who is hypervigilant and paranoid about race and reads unfounded racial connotations into every little statement or action by a member of one race towards another.

Pulling out any ''victim card'' is also used when people want an excuse to forego personal responsibility and when they want to personally lower the standards which everyone else in society is expected to meet.

The problem is differentiating between real racism and imaginary racism, which is easier said than done. Unfortunately, the ones who play the race card, either by interpreting something as racist when it's not, or dishonestly using their race as a ''free pass'' to do or not do something, are perpetuating the prevalence of racial divides within society.

Well on the otherhand you seemed to be filming in a supermarket which is of itself completely suspicious. I do not need to put my hand in the fire to know fire burns. Racism exists. Black to black I write and say get over it. The alternative is a life of misery as every idiot and their mother will seek to make your life a living hell.

best wishes

T

reply to post by ProphecyPhD


Racism still exists, and I have no doubt that there are closeted racists using the "race card" as a way to cover their true feelings. That being said, I would not jump to the conlcusion that the manager in the video was following these kids because they were black. Rather, I get the feeling he was probably being agist. Was in a store once and had a white kid get handled by the shop owner because of suspicions he was stealing something. Ofcourse he wasn't, but this shop owner was naturally acting defensive as he's had kids vandalize his shop before. The kid didn't steal anything and he was let go, but that's just an example.

Just to add, these kids are walking around with a camera acting alittle suspicious in also.

reply to post by ProphecyPhD


I have to say, I understand your plight. I've been followed, harassed, and mistreated because of my race. I remember one of the most embarrassing things that happened to me wasn't something that affected my own mood, but those around me as well. I was in a Chili's restaurant, with two friends who happened to be female. We were provided with a booth table, and one of them said to me "I'll sit next to you," and provided me with a playful wink. While we were ordering our food, I told her that we should probably change our seating arrangement. She was slightly offended, and asked me why. My other friend, who I pretty much grew up with said that she knew why. She informed the one sitting next to me to casually look around for a few minutes. When she followed these instructions, she asked with a shock of disbelief "Are they...are they staring at us. Is it because...no...no.."
My friend across the table, red in anger and embarrassment, simply said "Yes."
The one next to me began to protest, and I said to her that this would all just be easier if she sat on the other side of the booth. She finally decided to move and the staring, for the most part, ceased.

This story is so silly and seemingly inconsequential on it's surface, but for someone like me...someone who hates the idea of inconveniencing his loved ones. It hurt, a lot, for me to embarrass a friend in that manner. I never intend to subject anyone I care for to such circumstances....it is a significant example of the situation that we find ourselves in.

I've been passed up for scholastic opportunities, events, and invitations merely because of this visual feature that seems to define me in the eyes of others. Being clean cut, appropriately dressed, well spoken, and intelligent hasn't prevented me from being followed in department stores, hasn't prevented me from being asked was I stealing something, hasn't prevented me from being told I'm in the wrong place, and hasn't prevented me from being ignored in stores that sale more "expensive" goods because I don't fit the demographic that usually buys said goods.

I'm 20, and I've experienced a few things that no one should ever have to. However, there are those much much older than I who have experienced worse. Lynch mobs, hangings, domestic terrorism, murder, violence, and segregation were all experienced by and fought against by those who preceded myself. Though the battles may be old, some of the runoff still hits all of us in the face today.

Do not be bitter. Do not fret. Do not became hateful. Simply endure. Succeed in your life goals and endure. If you must fight back, do not push back with the fist, but force with the heart.

Do not hold it against those who shall wrong you or inconvenience your everyday life. Do not hate those who brand you, and define your image as negative in their media brands. Endure, and push forward towards a future that you hold dear.
We do not shun children who do wrong. We teach them to do right. So, shun not the child who hates your skin, pity him and wish him well. For the universe and the creator, in all its glory, will teach the lesson that must be learned.

tl;dr - Let it roll off of your back sometimes. It's not worth it to hold on to the negativity that others will place upon you, let it be theirs to keep. These things happen, no matter how many may deny their occurrence....find peace within yourself, and all will be well.

reply to post by ProphecyPhD


It does exist and the people who are telling you in this thread that you "looked" suspicious are racists themselves. How can one look suspicious? "Street" clothing? What the hell is that supposed to mean even, as if clothes define thieves(if so - they should arrest all people in suits and ties).

I hope you notice how they are bending backwards to not have their posts removed YET still make their little underhand racist comments.

Here in the Netherlands it's pretty much the same with racism against black people. There are different kinds of racism though, one against blacks the other against brown the other against yellow and so on. It's ridiculous because nearly all of these white people I meet for the first time, think that because I'm Middle-Eastern, I must have something against more darker skinned people than myself - it's stupid really. Helps me with spotting sociopaths and taking my distance from a lot of these racist folk though.

Take care.

Don't shop there anymore either.

reply to post by TheOneElectric


don't worry i will never let those pesky security gaurds bother me. it feels personnal when it happens but you just learn to ignore it. remembering back now one security guard who followed me was black, i am now wondering if i should of suspected racism as the reason. no it could'nt of been, i was the white guy.



by the way i have had funny looks before when getting frisky or close to someone in public one time at a bus stop, my girlfriend was even banned from saying goodbye to me outside work ages ago, it was because i was white, no it was because they did'nt want smooching infront of the building, it gives a bad image of the place.

Originally posted by Zamini
It does exist and the people who are telling you in this thread that you "looked" suspicious are racists themselves. How can one look suspicious? "Street" clothing?

What the hell is that supposed to mean even, as if clothes define thieves(if so - they should arrest all people in suits and ties).

Teenagers in ''street'' clothing are automatically suspicious in the eyes of shop managers and workers, because they are the main demographic who are responsible for shoplifting and petty theft.

''Street'' clothing generally means certain kinds of tracksuits, hoodies, woolly hats, caps, vests etc. the sort of clothing which is generally worn by young people in areas of lower socio-economic standing. Also, the general manner in which these teenagers often conduct themselves arouses suspicion.

It's got nothing to do with race, at least, not in Britain, as they are known as ''chavs'' here, and most of them are white. Of course it's prejudiced towards young people from less affluent parts of a town or city who dress like this and who aren't criminals, but businesses are looking to prevent losses, and are not really that bothered about being seen to be PC.


Here's an example of some young people in ''street'' clothing. This group would immediately put all workers on ''theft alert'' as soon as they set foot inside the shop:

the most common types of shoplifters are dressed as such. so it just makes sense to security to keep a close eye on anyone who looks like it. if you walk into tesco's near us and your wearing a hood, they ask you to remove it as you enter the shop. i am wondering how many people took that as a race issue. i suppose it depends.

2 things that WILL NEVER DIE:

1. Racism

2. Chuck Norris

reply to post by Naptown317


you missed assumed racism, there are two types, real racism, and then assumed racism. many of the things i hear people say is racist has happened to me to at some point in my life to, and i am white, the only difference being i did not jump to a racism conclusion. maybe its to easy because of the real racism to assume most situations were caused because of skin color. therefore they were being racist and all other possibilities are overlooked.

if there is no other explaination then i would say yes it is racist, but to say it is racist when there are perfect logical reasons for it, that do not involve racism, is just jumping to conclusions.

Try wearing a leather jacket and carrying a crash helmet round town. You'll get plenty of negativity, whatever your skin colour.
And no, I can't wear a different jacket cos of the bike, and I ain't into changing cos of other people's prejudice.
If it wasn't your colour, then the kind of people you see as racist would hate you for something else. Some people are just bad, like that.

reply to post by Sherlock Holmes

Teenagers in ''street'' clothing are automatically suspicious in the eyes of shop managers and workers, because they are the main demographic who are responsible for shoplifting and petty theft.

Actually, you are very wrong. Relatively speaking the elderly shoplift WAY more.

''Street'' clothing generally means certain kinds of tracksuits, hoodies, woolly hats, caps, vests etc. the sort of clothing which is generally worn by young people in areas of lower socio-economic standing.

Ah so now you're discriminating based on income. I see. So what if these hoodies are of an expensive brand and they are sold for 400 dollars a piece. Does a hoodie then STILL say "lower social-economic" standing? No it does not but your mind likes to discriminate.

Also, the general manner in which these teenagers often conduct themselves arouses suspicion.

That has NOTHING to do with this topic. You are projecting the chav image on the OP and that is just incredibly stupid.

It's got nothing to do with race, at least, not in Britain, as they are known as ''chavs'' here, and most of them are white.

What are you even doing here?

Of course it's prejudiced towards young people from less affluent parts of a town or city who dress like this and who aren't criminals, but businesses are looking to prevent losses, and are not really that bothered about being seen to be PC.

So it is okay to discriminate because you want to make money. Got it.

Here's an example of some young people in ''street'' clothing. This group would immediately put all workers on ''theft alert'' as soon as they set foot inside the shop:

Three guesses as to why? It is so IGNORANT of you to compare that to the OP's post.

Let me make it REAL simple:

If you have NOT been discriminated against based on skin color you do NOT know what it is like. PERIOD.

reply to post by Zamini

If you have NOT been discriminated against based on skin color you do NOT know what it is like. PERIOD.

Everyone has been discriminated against because of their skin color...whether we know it or not...take for instance my case:

I am as white as they come...but I do not qualify for some student loan programs at my college because I am not a minority...seriously...I am not a minority...is this discrimination? I would say yes it is...am I any less poor because I am white...or am I less qualified to properly use student loan money because I should have enough already (because I am not a minority). This is clearly discrimination against me...just does not fit the typical mold of discrimination as we commonly think about it.

I could think of a hundred more cases just like this...and the race card being an issue...so whether you know it or not you are being subject to discrimination all the time.