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The Next Time Someone Calls You a Racist. . .
I’ve never been called a racist. If I were, I admit that it would be upsetting. But @gossamercat brought up the fact on @richardfulmer’s post that many of us feel obligated to defend ourselves when we are attacked; it’s only natural to protect ourselves and our reputations.
But what if we didn’t “bite”? What if we responded by not responding or making an off-handed acknowledgement? I think it would drive others crazy. Even on Twitter. Let me give you a couple of examples:
You’re a racist.
Really? So, let’s discuss your other point further. . .
You’re admitting you’re a racist!
Nope. Now you were trying to explain. . .
You were born a racist!
You’ll have to explain that to my mother. As I was saying.
But my favorite response—
You’re a racist!
[a soft smile, tip of the head sympathetically] So where did you say you went to school?
* * * * *
It’s important to remember that people will insult you for all kinds of reasons. In rare cases, they will believe what they say; since you know they don’t know what they’re talking about or don’t even know you, they really don’t deserve a response.
If they call you a racist, the most powerful response: none. I’m not on Twitter or Facebook, but a non-response would drive them crazy. Even better, you could respond by simply typing the word: Sigh. Over and over again.
Suddenly they will go bonkers, feeling angry and powerless that they haven’t baited you. It doesn’t matter how you feel (because you will probably be upset), but the best way for us to fight back is to give no credence to what they are saying. They are boors and childish manipulators. They get their power by trying to make you feel inferior. If you don’t respond defensively, they will eventually run out of steam.
You’re just no fun.
So the next time you are called a racist, you know what not to do.
* * * * *
You might have noticed that my responses are not kind or cordial. They are not meant to be. When a person attacks you, they have not earned your respect. They haven’t even earned your acting respectful. At the same time, if you respond in kind, you will have lost respect for yourself (or at least I would for myself). We have to assume that for the near future (at least up to elections), people will be nasty, punitive, hateful, and inappropriate, and we are unlikely to change their perspectives.
I know that this response may be difficult to carry out. Try it anyway. What have you got to lose?
[This will work for other insults sent your way, too.]
Published in Culture
They don’t have to call you racist anymore. Now they’ve got the catch-all “Systemic Racism”.
No. Those outside of sub-Saharan Africa all have some Neanderthal traces, so those who moved out of Africa interbred with them as they declined over the next 60,000 years or so. The Black Africans stayed behind and were the only ones who did not contribute to the decline of Neanderthals and other related species who were still existing then (Denisovans, for instance).
Everything bad is white folks fault. The science is settled.
I am part Neanderthal too. Small world.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DX0Dg9MxsOg
Everyone with genes from outside of Africa is part Neanderthal. The trick is to identify as one.
Oog I say. Oog!
You’ve mistaken me for your mother.
My normal option, not that it occurs too much outside of a internet forum less reputable than Ricochet, is something along the lines of the following. “So you have conceded my point and can’t find a meaningful way to attack it or engage with it other than an ad hominem.” Normally that is the point where the wise ones take their ball and go home. The unwise just degenerate into incoherence and I recognizing my job is done ride away into the sunset.
“That was fun. Now is it my turn to read your mind?”
Susan’s advice tends to be well-thought out; the product of an ordered mind and a pure heart.
So it’s up to me to provide a contrary view.
Punch them.
Being a racist is a bad thing. It is calumny and slander and the charge can destroy you if it sticks.
In a more polite age a charge with such gravity resulted in court proceedings or pistols at dawn.
A walk through the stream of consciousness of most people wouldn’t get the tops of your boots wet.
But what if they punch back? I don’t run all that fast!
This is brilliant. Coincidentally (or not!), the scripture text I was given (by my meditation app, not the Holy Spirit. Or was it?) this morning was 1 Peter 3:9. “Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult.”
As I’m struggling with my emotional response to the world’s madness, I am going to have this on a mental loop. It may be the only way I make it through.
I’m so glad this post was helpful, @suspira. I have this compulsion to help all of us through this chaos. Thanks.
Since the charge is based on nothing, thin air, why not find something equally absurd to call them.
Well, you’re a:
Flat Earther
Little green man from Mars
My favorite insult was said by some actress in a movie from maybe the 1930s, a long string of ever tinier things and I remember only “You’re a …. on the …. on the …. on the knee of the gnat … on the…”. I wish I had written it down.
The reason why FU remains the go to response is that it works with all attention spans.
One of my favorite (third-person) insults comes from P.G. Wodehouse: “He had just enough intelligence to open his mouth when he wanted to eat, but certainly no more.”
Then you didn’t punch them hard enough.
Yep, that is definitely worth considering!
Let me introduce you to pepper spray. Stops punching back.
The down side, especially if you live someplace like Seattle or Portland, is that you’d likely be arrested and prosecuted for using pepper spray.
Two things:
As for “punching him,” maybe not. But I do think that one legitimate response (if you have the energy) is to get angry—as if he had called you a “b**ch” or something similar) and demand an apology.
Second thing—@KEDavis, evolution is not about “improvement” in any teleological sense. Evolution is only about adaptation.
Respond?
Unless the “adaptation” is to a LESS… complex?… environment, evolution certainly is improvement.
Actually, it’s more of killing off the individuals who do not fit as well in the new or changed environment. None of the individuals are changed (other than assuming room temperature). It is the population characteristics that change.
Strangely enough in places where pepper spray is illegal, most of the time bear repellent isn’t.
Got that too.
They might care more about how you use it, than what it says on the label.
“Your honor, the defendant is charged with using pepper spray on mostly-peaceful rioters.”
“Objection, your honor, it’s not pepper spray, it’s bear spray!”
“Case dismissed!”
Uh, no.
What if you identify as a bear?
Don’t worry eventually he’ll be accused of being a racist himself and that will really bewilder him.