If you have to make claims like "I'm the least racist person there is" then you probably are racist

[LynneSin]

Because people who aren't racist don't have to go around making statements like that. They just live their lives and treat everyone fairly and never once have to demand recognition like "Ooo look at me, I once made friends with a minority blah blah blah".

The fact that Donald Trump has to make this statement (and he's made it a few times) pretty much means the guy is a racist. I mean he's not "KKK/Skinhead out there" racist but he definately is leaning into the racist column.

[TheWraith]

1. Yep.

I get the feeling Trump is probably one of those people who believes that anyone who isn't as rich as him is that way because they're lazy and/or stupid, which dovetails pretty well with racism, particularly toward black folks.

[HopeHoops]

2. Or how about starting a sentence with "I don't mean to sound racist, but...."

[lame54]

definite red flag

[HopeHoops]

9. Donald reminds me of a babysitter interview in the movie "Corina, Corina" with Whoopie Goldberg.

There's a guy with almost the same accent sitting on the couch saying, "kids love me. I show up and kids swarm around me. I'm like a God damn kid magnet." Same guy.

[Very_Boring_Name]

12. "Some of my best friends are black, gay, etc"

I've heard that one on DU so many times I've lost count

[HopeHoops]

16. "I knew a black guy once. He was actually pretty okay." - another of my favorites.

There are WAY too many of those lines to count.

[zappaman]

3. well, I AM the least racist person there is

and I am outraged by your accusation.

[LynneSin]

7. But people who aren't racist or sexist or homophobic don't have to make those claims

you just see their actions and know they are good people.

[safeinOhio]

20. How about this?

Not fond of any culture, dislike women and men and I'm against gay marriage, if fact against all marriages.

But, that is just me.

[LynneSin]

28. well that's just wack!

:pals:

[wtmusic]

4. The Donald doth protest too much. nt

[Ichingcarpenter]

5. Alan.....

sometimes refers to Alan as "my black friend, Alan". He first appeared on the October 25, 2005 segment of The Wørd in a photo Stephen displayed while talking about the death of Rosa Parks.

He also appeared on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day when Colbert was complaining about having to work on that holiday, assuming that Alan was angry about it as well. It turns out that he wasn't.


Alan, the betrayer, at the protest rally.

On May 3, 2006, "Alan" was reduced in status from "black friend" to "black acquaintance", after he was spotted at a protest rally.
Stephen banished Alan to Alan-Town, where he sends all of his banned Alans.

Since then, Stephen Colbert has led a search to find a "new black friend". Thus far unsuccessful, Stephen Colbert expressed deep sorrow on an episode upon spotting Alan in the audience with a "new white friend".

[Mz Pip]

6. I wouldn't make it a blanket statement

though I do think Trump probably is.

We have not reached a point in this country where talking about race is at all comfortable. I can see some people who are not racist trying to make that point by saying things like that, but not just out of thin air like Trump does. Trump keeps calling attention to himself with remarks like that.

[bullwinkle428]

8. "I have no problem with gayness. I think it's a wonderful thing! I'm not a gay man, though."

Yes, the above was an actual quote by Trump from last night's "Celebrity Apprentice"!

Let's just say I watch so the rest of DU doesn't have to!

[Vanje]

15. Trump has "fabulous" gay friends. "Fabulous"

but he does not like the use of a long putter. He hates it.

[SlimJimmy]

35. I don't blame him for that. The use of a long putter is akin to cheating in

many a golfer's opinion.

[JTFrog]

10. Bingo! n/t

[JohnnyRingo]

11. "I voted for Obama"

will be the new "some of my best friends....." of the future.

[blondeatlast]

23. I met a guy recently who had that mentality--really.

Voted for Obama but thought it was just fine to use the "N" word 'because, you, know, THEY do'.

I swear, I tried not to laugh. Really I did.

(and failed miserably)

[JohnnyRingo]

26. That's the Limbaugh rationalization.

He always carps about how he can't say that while he feels it's common language in urban settings.
What he overlooks is that he's perfectly free to use the word in every paragraph if he wants to. He can walk down the street screaming it at the top of his lungs to every window and doorway on the block.

He doesn't do it because he realizes it's a horrible name to call someone and he knows that comes with retribution in so many different forms. The answer to someone who complains that they can't express themselves in such a way is "who's stopping you?, with a follow up of "why would they do that?".

[blondeatlast]

29. Wish I would have thought about that at the time. Here in a my

spiffed-up redneck area of Arizona, I'm pretty sure I'll encounter it again.

[JohnnyRingo]

34. Not to go on and on about it..but I've given the matter previous thought.

The flip side of that coin would be an African American swinging open the front door of the local Boot Scoot 'n Boogie on Travis Tritt night and proclaiming everyone in the bar a "toothless knuckle dragging redneck idiot who's screwin' his sister".

As he picks himself off the sidewalk he could look puzzled and explain that "Jeff Foxworthy says that all the time, why can't I?". Even worse is calling a "redneck" a hillbilly. They claim that's a "hurtful and demeaning" term.

[dipsydoodle]

13. So if I were to say

"I'm the most racist person there is" then it follows I'm probably the least so.

Reginald D Hunter compares racism in the UK to the US http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzqeud7ov6M

[LynneSin]

22. You got me there

But in all fairness, to me actions speak louder than words.

Someone saying they have black friends or gay friends or any friend that seems to be different, it just comes across fake.

I guess alot of it comes from Christianity, the best Christians just get out there and do good deeds instead of wasting time telling bragging to everyone what a great Christian they are.

[dipsydoodle]

24. The "friends" issue

is a matter of context i.e reason why it is said.

:hi:

[kick-ass-bob]

14. And you cinch it with "I have black friends"

:rofl:

[Bragi]

17. Has anyone ever been falsely accused of being a racist?

If so, what would be wrong with them denying the allegation by saying clearly they are not racist?

[dipsydoodle]

19. You're obviously racist

by bringing commonsense and logic into this discussion.

[LynneSin]

21. But if you aren't racist, you probably aren't doing anything that could be perceived as racist

Just saying

[Bragi]

25. So no-one is ever falsely accused of racism?

That would seem to be your view, if I follow your logic.

I guess my point is that I think it is unwise to judge people based simply on their use of a particular phrase.

On this, I recall another recent thread here where someone was trying to come up with a series of phrases that would automatically result in someone being identified and tossed from DU for bigotry.

Last I saw of that thread, it seemed clear that there really aren't a set of phrases that, in and of themselves, can accurately identify someone as being a bigot.

I think the reason for this is that context usually defines the meaning of words.

[LynneSin]

27. I don't think there is any perfect system, but to me Trump just seems to be pushing it.

But to me, and it's been pretty good judgement, that when someone insists they are something or they aren't something, there are times you start raising an eyebrow.

[Bragi]

36. No disagreement on that /nt

[pipi_k]

41. You know what the big problem is with that?

The use of the word "perceived".


Perception isn't reality. It's someone seeing something through his or her own mental filters.

Opinion...not fact.

And it's a shitty thing to call someone a nasty name..."racist"...based on nothing more than one's perceptions.

[leveymg]

18. Same guy who said, "Take it from me, I'm pretty smart. . . ." He's not.

He just has a bunch of NY media gossip mongers on his speed dial - people who are even dumber and hungrier to see their names in print than he is.

[rl6214]

30. I would accuse him more of being classist than racist

If you've got money I think you can be in his good ol boys club.

[LynneSin]

31. After reading the great replies to this post I want to update my statement

For those of you who pointed out you should be allowed to defend yourself, you are right. I mean there are reasons you might say "No, I'm not a racist/homophobe/sexist/etcetcetec".

But I think what bugs me even moreso about what Trump said wasn't that he had to defend himself as not being racist but the concept that he had to point out the 'Black People I have known' in order to back his statement.

That is all

[gratuitous]

32. How can you doubt the earnest word of Mr. Trump?

Especially when he said it to three of the whitest persons on television?

[pintobean]

33. Isn't this post basically you saying you're not racist?

What conclusion should we draw from this?
:shrug: :rofl:

[LynneSin]

37. Yes because I voted for Obama, but then again that must mean I am sexist

since I didn't vote for Sarah Palin

Oh boy I keep getting myself in trouble more and more.

[pintobean]

38. lol. good answer

My point is; it doesn't matter what someone says one way or the other, it's how they act and what they say when their guard is down. I think you are a good person and not racist or sexist in any way.
As for Trump, I don't think he's worthy of serious discussion. Jokes, yes. Obama took a fly swatter and smacked him back into insignificance, where he belongs.

[LynneSin]

39. Yeah but Trump is like a bad case of Herpes. Just when you think you got rid of it

It comes raging back at you.

[pipi_k]

40. One of those games it's impossible to win

My mom used to be real good at it.

When we were young, there were three of us girls. She didn't always know which one to blame when strange things happened, so she often ended up blaming the wrong one.

I recall many times being the target of undeserved blame. And I would cry.

And her reply to that would always be:

"Well, if you didn't do it, why are you crying???" And then my tears of protestation would convince her that I really had done what she said I did.

Had I been a bit older, I might have come back with, "Earth to Mom...Hello? I'm crying because you fucking accused me of something I didn't do!!!"

In her mind, whatever she thought we did...that was it. We did it. And if we protested? Further proof that we were guilty.

That game sucks.

It sucked then, and it sucks now.

[ScreamingMeemie]

42. It ranks right up there with "No offense but...

[LynneSin]

43. You are so ready to offend me if you are saying "No offense but..."

:D