Black Hole = Racist term?

[Aliceacc]

I teach in a large high school, with lunch periods of 600 kids in one room. Every fall, at least one freshman forgets lunch and mom will drop it off, asking one of the 7 lunch moderators to find the child and give him or her the lunch.

In the years when I don't teach freshman, my MO is to stop kids at the door, asking whether they know Susie. Sooner or later, one always says yes, and I ask for a physical description.

they'll tell me tall, short, thin, overweight, hair color, eye color, glasses or not-- but they will NOT tell me the child's race until I specifically ask.

At 14 they're already politically correct.

 

[PrincessKsMom]

they'll tell me tall, short, thin, overweight, hair color, eye color, glasses or not-- but they will NOT tell me the child's race until I specifically ask.

At 14 they're already politically correct.

This sort of proves my point about everyone being sensitive. If they were truly politically correct, they shouldn't mention someone's height or weight. That too, depending on your situation, could also be offensive. To me trying to always be politically correct is like trying to explain colors to a blind person. How, exactly, do you describe something to a blind person so they get a mental picture of it? Or is it only politically correct to mention someone's color, height, weight, etc. when trying to give a missing persons report? You're American or some other ethnicity, be proud; you're white or black, be proud; you're fat or skinny, be proud! You are what you are, so don't be ashamed or be put off if someone else mentions it in a non-derrogatory fashion. Don't take life so seriously -- it's too short.

 

[EmmersIsTheMommy]

Well, I suppose I can be proud of being a punky, short, chubby, occasionally hyper mother of 2.

Wonder if that narrows it down enough...

 

[Aliceacc]

To me, it's important not to offend people. So if I'm telling a story about a kid in my class who was disrespectful, or one who aced a test, his race, weight, gender and ethnic background are completely immaterial and have no bearing on the story.

On the other hand, if I'm trying to find one stranger in 600 before he grubs lunch money off a friend, all those things are significant, since they help narrow down the possibilities.

 

[PrincessKsMom]

Emmers: I didn't mean that everyone needs to be pigeon-holed by their weight, height, race, description. I just meant that it shouldn't be assumed to be offensive if, in the course of conversation, where it has relevance, it is mentioned. Let's face it, I'd prefer a hundred different ways someone could describe me over fat, white lady, but it is what it is.

Aliceacc, you mentioned in your previous post that none of your students would mention another's race when you were trying to find a student you didn't know, because, I assume, they didn't want to be deemed politically incorrect. Now you said it's okay, if it meant giving a description. That's exactly how I feel. People shouldn't be worried about being offensive or un-PC if it has some relevance to the subject at hand. I think too many people try to be PC out of fear, not out of respect.

Sorry if my prior posts made it seem like I condone slurring other people just because an obvious observation. No one should disrespect anyone else, for any reason.

I'm sure the tag fairy will find my "fat, white lady" and tag me for all eternity.

 

[EmmersIsTheMommy]

Oh I know LOL That was in good humor Sorry if it came across snarky!

 

[sdarwkcabemanmy]

Last year for school my daughter was supposed to dress in the colors of her heritage and bring in food from her heritage

DS's school did this..it was an optional thing in the evening after school though. Some sort of big potluck dinner. I looked at the letter his teacher sent home and thought, "I suppose I could dress him as a turn of the century fur trapper, since DH's 'heritage' is technically possibly MAYBE French-Canadian." I'm not so sure a big pot of deer stew would've gone over so well though. Most of the kids at DS's school are Latino/Hispanic and probably wouldn't know a deer if it ran over them.

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

I have a great Disney Character story that relates to this discussion.

I was a friend of Minnie at the Kiosks in Animal Kingdom when an African American family with several children came up. The attendant announced that would be Minnie's last family and she was going back to check on the cheesecake and would be right out.

The faimly was adorable and as they were walking out the exit, I heard the oldest boy who was about 7 or 8 say, 'Mommy, mommy, I can see through her face. There's a white girl in there!' I got such a kick out of it. I wasn't just a girl, but a white girl. Of course, at the time my reaction was more like, 'Oh crud!"

Since that was already announced as my last family, I grabbed my attendant and as soon as we got backstage I asked him if he heard what the little boy said. He hadn't so I told him and told him that we might need to turn off one or two of the lights in the kiosk so other kids didn't see through her face. At least he seemed old enough that he understood about the characters.

 

[. In This Life .]

Oh My Gosh. Racism is the worst thing in the world. People should be ashmed of themselves

 

[Charade]

Oh My Gosh. Racism is the worst thing in the world. People should be ashmed of themselves

Really? The worst? You can't think of anything worse than that? I mean, wouldn't the black death be worse?

(someone please see the irony in this...)

 

[Chipmunk89]

Anyone who has lived in Dallas knows that John Wiley Price is a loud mouthed, bigoted, race-baiter who loves stirring up controversy.

 

[julie_yet]

This reminds me of a story about my friend's little grandson. His preschool called my friend to have her come pick him up early. When she got there one of the women who worked there was fuming because her grandson had been calling her a "black ho" all day.
My friend almost laughed in the woman's face and went on to explain that one of the games she plays with him is that they call each other silly things, usually inanimate objects. At the time he loved Bob the Builder and construction machinery. What he was actully calling the woman was a backhoe.

 

[HelenePA]

Oh My Gosh. Racism is the worst thing in the world. People should be ashmed of themselves

Its Ashamed, Ashmed seems to be an OB/GYN in Savannah, GA

 

[HelenePA]

This reminds me of a story about my friend's little grandson. His preschool called my friend to have her come pick him up early. When she got there one of the women who worked there was fuming because her grandson had been calling her a "black ho" all day.
My friend almost laughed in the woman's face and went on to explain that one of the games she plays with him is that they call each other silly things, usually inanimate objects. At the time he loved Bob the Builder and construction machinery. What he was actully calling the woman was a backhoe.

We do the same thing here.. because of something in someones sig. here we call each other coconut heads... I wonder who my kids would offend if they called someone that?

 

[EMom]

At DD's school, they have a festival where they celebrate ethnic heritage. One grade (5th?) has each kid tell where their family is from and they might even bring a food, etc. This year, those kids got up and each one said ONE country. How is that possible? Someone has to be a mix.

I told DH that DD is in trouble when she hits 5th, because my family started coming over in the early 1600s and the last of them came over in the mid-1700s. Whatever English/Scottish/Irish/Welsh traditional foods & customs we had 300-400 years ago have sort of given way to AMERICAN traditions, wouldn't you say??? I can certainly come up with some SOUTHERN traditions/foods, but that's it. DH's background is similar to mine, so what ONE country do we pick? England? Scotland? What?

Too many people have been here a LONG time and are just plain old Americans. I think the parents of some of those kids just rolled the dice and settled on a choice.

 

[Aliceacc]

Oh My Gosh. Racism is the worst thing in the world. People should be ashmed of themselves

I think most "isms" are pretty bad.. racism, sexism, weight-ism, age-ism, homophob-ism (OK, I make up the last three words, but the situations are real.)

And you're right. Trying to limit or pigeonhole people based on your perception of them is simply wrong.

 

[Aliceacc]

Another story on the innocence of kids:

My son is adopted from Korea. (I'm blonde and blue eyed; my husband is of Italian descent.)

On his 1st day of Pre-K, he met Niko, a boy with a black mom and white dad. He looked at me, then at Brian, then back at me, and asked "Is he your kid??"

I smiled, said yes, and explained about adoption. Niko thought for a minute, then nodded his head and said "OK."

The next class, I brought my blonde, blue eyed biological daughter along to drop Brian off. Niko stopped again, looked from me to Julia to Brian and back, and asked: "Is SHE your kid TOO???"

You could just see the wheels turning in the poor kid's head as he tried to figure out the dynamics of my family. There was no judgement, just an honest attempt to figure it out from a kid who must have gotten the same question many times in his 4 years.

 

[beachblanket]

I am offended by the term "white lightning." This means that everyone has to STOP saying that. If you do not stop, you are:

1. Racist
2. Cruel
3. Not respectful

And I will take you to court for using hate speech.

You may call it an "electrified occurance." "Lightening" - even without the horrid "white" attached to it - just carries too much baggage. And, really, you should have known that without having to be TOLD.

And I will now sue anyone who uses the term "Whitewash."

 

[PrincessKsMom]

And I will now sue anyone who uses the term "Whitewash."

What about brownout or blackout (during the summer months this always happens!)

 

[froglady]

I thought of this thread while listening to the news this morning. There was an open forum about the crime rate in Jacksonville, with the Mayor asking for more money to fight it.

An audience member stood up and said "We've tried spending more money in the past, and nothing changed. We'll just be throwning more money into a Black Hole."

I suspect that he was using an astronomical term, but considering that 30% of the population is African-American, yet they have 3 times the homicide rate of other residents (in the vast majority, both victim and assailant are of the same race) , it will be construed as racist.

I'm afraid that just stating that fact (homicide rate) will also be construed as being racist.