How far do you want to take the stupid?

[rpannier]

Had a rather heated discussion with someone over the shooting in South Carolina. He is of the *ahem* mind that it could have been about religion
So I got angry and asked' How far do you want to take the stupid?'

I said something like:
Non-Asian man walks into a bar frequented by only Asians and shoots it up. I guess it's because the shooter hates bars or alcohol
Non-Hispanic man walks to a baseball game where only Hispanic people are playing and shoots them, I guess it's because the shooter hates baseball
Non-white guy walks into a clothing store in an all-white area and shoots everyone inside, I guess the shooter just hates clothes
Man shoots up a picnic for Hindus. I guess the shooter hates cookouts. Or maybe he loves beef and is pissed off there isn't any.
Maybe all the shooters just can't stand people getting together in one place.

"How fucking far do you want to take this asinine denial?"

It kind of digressed from there into an argument that broke up with everyone at the table mad at everyone else

[TDale313]

1. I don't know quite how you move forward...

With so many people so completely invested in denying there even is a problem.

[rpannier]

2. Agree with you

It's so damned frustrating
I mean, it almost makes me wish some rapture-like thing would happen and take the ignorant and stupid and bigoted.... some place... any place.... preferably a big, f*cking bottomless pit and drop em there

[Warpy]

3. You made them mad

but everybody who isn't already dead between the ears is going to have to start thinking about things.

You could also have said "when 11 Arab guys flew planes into buildings in NYC in 2001, was it because they didn't like buildings or planes?"

I'd have finished up with a big, fat "shame on you," which explains why I live alone these days.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

4. Sometimes I get the idea they feel like admitting racism is going to mean "reparations"....

They don't have a decent paycheck and haven't had a decent raise in years (if ever) and they'll be DAMNED if black people who they believe are already getting a free ride on welfare are gonna also get a massive check that white people have to pay for.

[Kablooie]

5. The only reason to deny racism is if racism is working for you.

They don't want to be forced to do something about it because it helps to bring Republican votes and allows them to deny Democratic votes.

If they just deny it exists they can keep the status quo.

[AgingAmerican]

6. Cognitive dissonance

The world they believe in doesn't jibe with the world they see. They have a hard time conflating they two, so they just deny.

Zero introspection. Zero independent thought. They just react like automatons.

[Divernan]

8. Like denying a candidate has been bought out by banks/Wall Street

Or denying that said corporate interests, having paid out tens of millions to a candidate, won't expect input on supreme court appointments: "Here's the deal. Your supreme court nominations can be soft on social issues. We don't give a fuck if gays marry or women can get abortions. Makes no difference to our profiteering. But by god they better leave Citizens United in place and not approve prosecution of war crimes."

[napkinz]

7. exactly what GOP is doing, spinning it as not a racially motivated hate crime but an attack on faith