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"Racist" accusation: what should I do about it?

wordmunger said:
I did explain it, in the comments, as probably related to main stream media portrayals. Do you think I should also edit the original post? And how is the second "are you a racist" comment justified?
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Just reading it now I can easily see the impact it could have on people. I don't think you should edit the original comment, but append some text, either in parenthesis or at the end, that clarifies your wording.

In terms of the second "are you racist" comment, justification isn't the point. While it might be nice to edit it simply because it doesn't seem to add anything to the mix, I'd leave it, along with your reply, to show that you're not ignoring it.

If you're really ambitious, address the topic of mainstream media portrayal of blacks in a future article.
 
I've added this comment to the post:

I've done some serious thinking about the implications of Dave and Memer's comments and decided that a more substantive response is in order.

In retrospect, I'd have to say that my original statement of "surprise" about drug use among black and white youth could certainly suggest that I am racist. That wasn't my intention, but I can see how someone might have come away with that impression. My hope, when I made the statement, was to emphasize the misconceptions that many people -- even myself -- have about differences between races, and to show that the only way to improve our knowledge about racial differences and similarities is to do careful research. I'm sorry if that's not the point I conveyed.

The only true racist is one who maintains his or her ignorance about racial differences when confronted with the facts. Sadly, too many people have done -- and continue to do -- just that.
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clayj said:
I should have copyrighted my text about a racist being one who maintains their dislike for another race even when confronted by contrary facts. :p
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Hate to break it to you, Clay, but I said it before you -- look at post #14.
 
MongoTheGeek said:
The thing that surprised me about the statistics were that they were that stark. Then again the sample size seemed a bit small. I could see a difference of 20% or so in the numbers but some of them were 4:1.
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With a difference that big, the sample size is not going to be much of a factor. A bigger problem is the localization of the study -- all from northern Florida. Results could be different elsewhere.
 
wordmunger said:
With a difference that big, the sample size is not going to be much of a factor. A bigger problem is the localization of the study -- all from northern Florida. Results could be different elsewhere.
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I also noticed there appeared to be no statistical difference between males and females, which was interesting.

[does that make me sexist?]
 
And, I'm not a racist because I have the Confederate Flag painted on the roof of my car -- I just happen to like the Dukes of Hazzard.
 
Sun Baked said:
And, I'm not a racist because I have the Union Jack painted on the roof of my car -- I just happen to like the Dukes of Hazzard.
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Don't you mean the Stars and Bars? The Union Jack is the flag of the United Kingdom.
 
clayj said:
Don't you mean the Stars and Bars? The Union Jack is the flag of the United Kingdom.
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Sorry I meant confederate flag, but those other guys also piss me off.
 
clayj said:
As to deleting comments, sure, why not? I'd especially delete the "Are you racist or somethin?" comment, since it's inflammatory and you don't want to get in an argument with someone who can't even spell "something" correctly.
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"Somethin'" is a perfectly acceptable colloquial spelling of "something." Unless you want everyone to speak and write "standardized" English (and I wonder whose standard those would be -- and whose standards we'd be considering disposable or, worse, in need of correction). The poster's comments can be perceived as inflammatory, but then the poster was inflamed.

More generally -- isn't there a difference between racism and prejudice? I think of racism in larger, cultural terms. We live in a racist/sexist culture because given races/genders have specific advantages in that culture.

The original post in the blog certainly is at the very least suggestive of a prejudice regarding what race is more likely to be using. One who confronts similar prejudice on a day to day basis would not be unjustified in feeling as though this was "racism," regardless of whether it is or is not.
 
thedude110 said:
"Somethin'" is a perfectly acceptable colloquial spelling of "something." Unless you want everyone to speak and write "standardized" English (and I wonder whose standard those would be -- and whose standards we'd be considering disposable or, worse, in need of correction). The poster's comments can be perceived as inflammatory, but then the poster was inflamed.
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I'm not so concerned with the colloquial nature of the post -- it's more that there was no attempt at a reasoned argument. As I said in my comment, when you toss accusations like that around, you ought to be able to back them up.
 
wordmunger said:
I'm not so concerned with the colloquial nature of the post -- it's more that there was no attempt at a reasoned argument. As I said in my comment, when you toss accusations like that around, you ought to be able to back them up.
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I don't think it's that easy. If you're dealing with someone who faces similar prejudice on a day to day basis, they're going to be far more likely to dismiss you than to reason with you. How does someone reason with what they perceive to be racism?

All that said, wordmunger, I don't read your blog entry as racist. From your perspective, the commenter is out of line, and that's justifiable. From the commenter's perspective, you're just another in a line of people making assumptions based on their race. So, that makes their comment pretty justifiable, too.

Everyone seems so afraid to talk about race and racism. We're badly in need of a cultural catharsis -- or at least honest conversation.
 
thedude110 said:
I don't think it's that easy. If you're dealing with someone who faces similar prejudice on a day to day basis, they're going to be far more likely to dismiss you than to reason with you. How does someone reason with what they perceive to be racism?

All that said, wordmunger, I don't read your blog entry as racist. From your perspective, the commenter is out of line, and that's justifiable. From the commenter's perspective, you're just another in a line of people making assumptions based on their race. So, that makes their comment pretty justifiable, too.
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These days, and especially in an academic environment, accusations of racism are taken very seriously. People lose their jobs over stuff like this. (Yes, I realize that many have lost their jobs due to racism itself, but still...)

Also, it's MY blog, and I have every right to remove any comment I don't like. In fact, I remove hundreds of spam every day (thankfully most of this is automated). Or I could close the entire thing to comments. So the real question isn't so much "is the comment justified," but how should I respond -- what's the best way to respond, given that I want my readership to continue to grow.

If the response was better reasoned, gave some hint that there was something besides kneejerk thinking behind it, there would be no question that I would keep it. Part of the purpose of the blog is to promote serious conversation about serious issues.

In the end, I did decide to keep it, and I think I offered a very sane response. But whether or not the comment was "justified" didn't really enter into my decision-making process.
 
wordmunger said:
Also, it's MY blog, and I have every right to remove any comment I don't like. In fact, I remove hundreds of spam every day (thankfully most of this is automated). Or I could close the entire thing to comments. So the real question isn't so much "is the comment justified," but how should I respond -- what's the best way to respond, given that I want my readership to continue to grow.
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That's the best point. It's YOUR blog, you can say whatever you want, and delete any comment you'd like. And, you should never feel the need to explain yourself to anyone.

We should say the things we think and feel; not the things we think our audience may want to hear, or accept to hear.
 
Josh said:
That's the best point. It's YOUR blog, you can say whatever you want, and delete any comment you'd like. And, you should never feel the need to explain yourself to anyone.

We should say the things we think and feel; not the things we think our audience may want to hear, or accept to hear.
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Well, I'm not going to say everything I feel--not on a professional blog. I save that stuff for my personal blog. Even then, I generally only say whatever I'm feeling when it's not directed at another person. There's some stuff my wife, for example, would definitely prefer I not write about ;)
 
wordmunger said:
Was my original observation racist?
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From a pragmatic point of view: yes
From the point of view that matters (IMHO): no
I think the key issue here is intent. The fact that you are worrying so much about this is a clear indication that you do not believe in race supremacy (or race inferiority) or any of that bs. If you don't believe in any of those things, then you can't possibly be racist no matter what you do or say. That is, you didn't intend to hurt other people with your comments, like most racists do. If anything, I think you were being naive.

I think that an apology and an explanation is all that is needed in this case.
 
It cannot be racist if it is a fact.

Just like how male teenage drivers get in more accidents than female teenage driver. Facts state it, its not sexist though, its a fact.
 
CompUser said:
It cannot be racist if it is a fact.

Just like how male teenage drivers get in more accidents than female teenage driver. Facts state it, its not sexist though, its a fact.
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That's 100% true. If the opposite were true though, I think you'd have a hard time saying it without accusations of sexism.

How about this:

In general, women are physically weaker than men, and are inferior athletes.

Have fun saying THAT in public, even though it's 100% true.
 
Yes

You sir are worse than Hitler and should be ashamed of yourself. :p

The very fact that you're asking proves that you aren't. Or you are. I forget which.
 
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