I am fucking pissed off to fuck.
Seriously. Every night after work, I go to a particular bar for a couple of drinks. People I thought were my friends have just been struck off my Christmas Card list (not that I had one, but you get my gist).

There are 6 of us in our "group", plus a bunch of others that swing by from time to time. 3 ouf the "group" tonight kept making racist, bigoted comments about Obama being the next president - they're staunch Republicans so voted for McCain. But I realize that even if Condoleeza Rice would have run for President, they'd have voted Democrat if it was a white candidate.

Fucking fuck. Sorry for the rant, I just can't stand people who pretend to be something they're not and then show their true colours when it suits them.

Grrrrrrrrrrr!!!

I did get my own back kind of by pouring a pint over the head of the main guy spouting the comments right as I left the pub
( Batshitmentalist is sane for once, Fri 7 Nov 2008, 5:48, 14 replies, latest was 16 years ago)

Heh nice one.
Was it a US pint? Not quite as satisfying as tipping a UK pint...

I've found the best way, for me at least, to deal with direct racism in my company is to ignore it and not get involved. I often just leave.

I have a couple of friends in particular who make comments about the people I work with, or my daughter's black friends. If there's one thing I've learned it's that people with these bigoted ideals are as unlikely to change their views as you are.
Despite being occasionally racist, my friends have many redeeming qualities, so I let it pass. But if they were just cunts in general, they wouldn't be my friends anyway.
( Noeli overtheshoulderboulderholderthingstraplatchboobs, Fri 7 Nov 2008, 6:07, Reply)

^
I've got friends from all walks of life. I don't agree with everything they say or do. But as said above, if they have lots of redeeming features then I can tolerate their less attractive attributes. Tolerance for people being different or even wrong - it goes a long way... and really, thats what we are seeking in them.
( enoughblueskyforsailorstrousers, Fri 7 Nov 2008, 8:27, Reply)

Good for you.
They must be aware of your feelings about such things so for them to be so brazenly racist in front of you is awful. If you know a friend has radically opposing views then you keep your opinions to yourself, especially if the subject is as serious as racism.
( girlinthehole, Fri 7 Nov 2008, 8:53, Reply)

The problem is,
I tolerate the occasional remark.
But when they spend two hours blatantly slagging off Obama/what will happen to America now he's going to be President (and yes, I do say it with a capital P), and one of our friends is in tears over it (he's black, ex-gang member, hard as fuck but has since rehabilitated for 10 years +), it fucking pisses me off.

It's just after 1 in the morning and I'm still angry!

Grrrrrrrrr.
( Batshitmentalist is sane for once, Fri 7 Nov 2008, 9:09, Reply)

Good show
If the person can do the job, then whats it matter about background?
(Ethelred is watching cheese grow, Fri 7 Nov 2008, 9:11, Reply)

Ethelred,
I agree completely with you. But, as others will point out when they wake up (Loon etc), there are a lot of people in this country who can't stand the thought of a black man in the White House.

Me? I was proud to watch history being made in my adopted country on Tuesday night, but I also live in what's probably the most Republican, conservative county in the state of California.........there's a reason they call it the Orange Curtain....so I have to deal with it as much as I can.

Although word has already got around about me pouring the drink over the twunts head. And the bartender, who is Egyptian (yeah, he got shit for Sept 11th) didn't let me pay my tab after that :D
( Batshitmentalist is sane for once, Fri 7 Nov 2008, 9:28, Reply)

Fighting ignorance with free booze?
Where do I sign? :)
( Noeli overtheshoulderboulderholderthingstraplatchboobs, Fri 7 Nov 2008, 9:33, Reply)

What's that?


Oh.
( Bert Monkeysex is waiting for the mods to delete him, Fri 7 Nov 2008, 10:20, Reply)

Good show that man!
I'd buy you a beer if you weren't on a different continent.
(Shippy likes linebreaks and doesn't care what you think, Fri 7 Nov 2008, 10:32, Reply)

@Shippy
Pssst! She's a lady, you can tell by the massive fish in her profile.
( Bert Monkeysex is waiting for the mods to delete him, Fri 7 Nov 2008, 10:47, Reply)

Ahaha!
Euphamism of the week there Bert :)
( Noeli overtheshoulderboulderholderthingstraplatchboobs, Fri 7 Nov 2008, 10:56, Reply)

She's right, of course.
There are many, many people in this country whose primary reason for casting their vote as they did is his race. This goes both ways- the blacks who voted for him because they wanted to see a brotha in the White House are no better than the whites who voted against him because they didn't want it. Racism is alive and well even today, I fear. Go to the Craigslist board I posted earlier if you'd like a small sample.

A few barbs about it from her friends might have been annoying, but tolerable. Two hours of that shit would have really upset me as well and would have proven to be more than friendship should be asked to take. I can tolerate someone having different opinions than mine- in fact, I value that- but basing it on racial stereotypes and blatantly ignoring the person under that skin is another matter altogether. It's pure ignorance with a stubborn refusal to see reason, and it's one of the things I won't tolerate in my friends.

Good on you for dumping them. Wipe and flush.
( The Resident Loon Not a demographic. Do not measure., Fri 7 Nov 2008, 12:00, Reply)

Just a point
Why is he the first black president when he's clearly mixed race? He's 50% white and 50% black. It's a moot point really. My feelings on the matter are that he should just be the 'president' and the colour should be left out of equation. It's not like Bush was announced as a another white president when he was elected. We can see the colour of their skin so stop pointing it out. They are all human beings and lets just leave it at that.
(The Archduke of South London I'm in your Girlfriend eating her organs, Fri 7 Nov 2008, 12:49, Reply)

Because
as I said above, racism is still alive and well. It may be benevolent racism, such as cheering for a presidential candidate who comes from a mixed family or such as affirmative action, but it's still there. It will likely be a factor for at least a few more generations. Remember, just because we disapprove of it now in 2008 doesn't mean a lot- we're still only a few generations removed from slavery, and only two generations (in this country) removed from institutional racism. 1964 may seem a long time in the past, but hell, that was within MY lifetime.

You can't undo thousands of years of racism in one century. It has a momentum of its own and will take time to sort out- if it can actually be done at all.
( The Resident Loon Not a demographic. Do not measure., Fri 7 Nov 2008, 12:55, Reply)