All-Star Themed Practice Controversy

[ACEDAD]

For the record I don't think the original photo was racist, nor am I offended, but I have zero authority to decide what offends or feels racist to other people. I just think it's dumb to do anything that could offend someone... because someone will be offended. It's also just not how I would want my program portrayed...

Also I'm a complete nerd and I think it's ridiculous to be offended by "nerd day."

This post shows how stupid we've gotten in this country. On the one have we shouldn't do anything that COULD offend someone. On the other hand. You also said that you have zero authority to decide what is offensive. Then only a couple of sentences later, you state that it's ridiculous to be offended by nerd day.

So is it everyone's right to be offended and make that determination or not?

 

[Pebbles49]

Obviously this is more often true for minorities (that it does affect their success I mean). But if you think white people can't experience racism... Or have it affect their success or keep them from getting a job... I have some reality for you up here in Chicago (not the southern US, so it's different. Yes, really.)

Wow, I so agree with this statement I needed to do more then just shimmy... I definitely agree with the statement that white people can experience racism and have it affect their success or keep them from getting a job.
I remember when I was around 21-22 and I was working at my first job, full-time (corporate) and was attending college at night. I remembered, this young White woman(Italian) about 25, crying in the bathroom because she was killing herself working hard, this woman I tell you, no lie, will be the first person in (7:00am) and be one of the last to leave at night (6:00pm) and she was continuously passed over for promotions. The young woman will be called upon to train all these young men and then see them promoted over her, she will see and had a hand in helping everybody move up the career ladder, I actually got so angry seeing how unfair this woman was mistreated... This woman whole career was put on stall, which I found out because another friend (black woman) in the company was a secretary to this woman's boss; the secretary show me a letter, in which her boss recognized her hard work ethics, but he could not recommend her for a promotion at this time because of her unprofessional appearance. (This White woman used to wear really tight clothes and low cut blouses with the high stilletos heels) ...In essence, the executives at the company like having her around, but already decided that she would not move above a certain level because of her appearance... I cannot tell you how badly I wanted to tell her about what I found out, but I could not open my mouth and risk getting fire or that secretary fired for showing me that letter...
PS: I just could not understand why no one told her, she needed to clean up and look more professional... I will think, a friend should have told her or even the bosses could have had a meeting to discuss this...during evaluation, perhaps!

Side note: The White woman was stuck being an Account Assistant (only need an Associate's degree for this job) and she had a Bachelor's degree in Accountant and could not move up to the Accountant level in the company...Crazy

 

[icame2WERQ]

Ok, I'm not slow. So I don't know if you intended that to sound the way I took it, but it seems like you're trying to imply I'm stupid and can't understand something simple.



Are you saying black people cannot have a system in which they categorically deny something to someone based on race? (not just white people - Asian people for example. Black people can't be racist towards Asian people?)

Any person in a position of power can be racist. Any person who can deny, take away, or withhold something of value (even if that something is intangible) can be racist.


.

In order for Black People to be racist we would need a time machine.

Black people don't have the economical, social, or political power to have influence over society. -- don't reply with "we have a black president" -- Black people don't have the power to OPPRESS others.

Like I said before blacks can be prejudice and we can discriminate but we cannot restrict an entire race based of the color of their skin.





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[cheernerd5678]

This post shows how stupid we've gotten in this country. On the one have we shouldn't do anything that COULD offend someone. On the other hand. You also said that you have zero authority to decide what is offensive. Then only a couple of sentences later, you state that it's ridiculous to be offended by nerd day.

So is it everyone's right to be offended and make that determination or not?

I don't have authority to decide what shouldn't offend someone who is black, asian, hispanic, etc. Because I'm white. However, I am a nerd. Since I am one, I can state that it doesn't offend me or any other "nerd" I know.
Since we can't determine what offends other people, why not just avoid things that are on the edge.

 

[ACEDAD]

In order for Black People to be racist we would need a time machine.

Black people don't have the economical, social, or political power to have influence over society. -- don't reply with "we have a black president" -- Black people don't have the power to OPPRESS others.

Like I said before blacks can be prejudice and we can discriminate but we cannot restrict an entire race based of the color of their skin.

Well, even if what you say is accurate (which I'm not granting), at least Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson are doing their best to make it true regarding the Jews.

 

[Dixie]

I never understood nerd day. Is it about smart kids? Outcasts? Science intellects? That theme has always stumped me.


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[ACEDAD]

I don't have authority to decide what shouldn't offend someone who is black, asian, hispanic, etc. Because I'm white. However, I am a nerd. Since I am one, I can state that it doesn't offend me or any other "nerd" I know.
Since we can't determine what offends other people, why not just avoid things that are on the edge.

Because being offensive isn't illegal although we're trying to make it so. And if each and every person gets to ban whatever they find offensive, we're no longer a free society.

 

[NJ Coach]

In order for Black People to be racist we would need a time machine.

Black people don't have the economical, social, or political power to have influence over society. -- don't reply with "we have a black president" -- Black people don't have the power to OPPRESS others.

Like I said before blacks can be prejudice and we can discriminate but we cannot restrict an entire race based of the color of their skin.

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There are many countries in Africa where your statements would be false.

 

[cheernerd5678]

Because being offensive isn't illegal although we're trying to make it so. And if each and every person gets to ban whatever they find offensive, we're no longer a free society.

I'm not saying you can't do the borderline things. I just don't know why you would while representing a school/program. Articles like this don't give the team a good image, and it's not going to draw people in. I mean, go for it if you want, but don't throw a fit when people are offended and choose somewhere else to spend their money.

 

[Official OWECheer]

I never understood nerd day. Is it about smart kids? Outcasts? Science intellects? That theme has always stumped me.


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If I wanted to dress like a nerd for a theme day, then I would probably do the typical huge-lensed, taped glasses, pants to my chest with suspenders, etc. However kids with average academic performance and an obsession with Pokemon, Yu Gi Oh, Dragon Ball-Z, Star Trek, Star Wars and other shows along that line can be labeled as nerds as well.

On a random note, have you seen the video of the kid that tried to go Super Saiyan?

 

[Pebbles49]

Now this topic is starting to have me think about that 'Star Trek' episode when the Enterprise were visiting a country of people warring over race... Each side had a reason why they hated the other side and was trying to explain it to Capt. Kirk and Dr. Spock. Capt. Kirk and Dr. Spock were looking at the 2 warring factions and could not understand why they were fighting and thought that 2 groups looked the same... At the end of the program, the viewers were told that the 2 warring factions hated each other because one group had the right side of their face painted White and the left side of the face painted Black, the other group had it just the opposite... These 2 groups picked out such slight differences between each other to kill over... Crazy!

PS: I really think that we are doing the same thing, instead of embracing the diversity of people... We rather kill each other over them! JMO

 

[Ashley]

I don't know what to say to this that won't get me banned, so I'm just quoting it to say wow. The amount of time it would take me to type out why this is wrong is not even imaginable. I'm curious if you would be willing to elaborate on this though. (in your own words, not a quote)

The sociological definition of most -isms is prejudice + power. So perhaps in some parts of Chicago that you mention, people can be racist towards white people if they're not in the power group. But in the US, in general, black people cannot be racist towards white people, nor can women be sexist towards men. At least according to that academic definition of the word.

eta: I read the rest of your comments, so you obviously understand the prejudice + power thing. I thought you meant black people can't be racist towards white people, not that black people can't be racist - which obviously they can.

 

[ACEDAD]

I was just saying that this would probably be a great "sit around having an adult beverage and solving the world's problems" kind of evening discussion if we were all at one of our homes.

I disagree vehemently with lots of posts in this thread. But talking about things can help everyone work through issues.

 

[Just-a-Mom]

In order for Black People to be racist we would need a time machine.

Black people don't have the economical, social, or political power to have influence over society. -- don't reply with "we have a black president" -- Black people don't have the power to OPPRESS others.

Like I said before blacks can be prejudice and we can discriminate but we cannot restrict an entire race based of the color of their skin.


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First of all, the fact that you thought I would reply with something as stupid and petty and irrelevant as "we have a black president" pretty much sums up everything. Obviously you have no idea where my head is or how I think.

Second of all... That's not racism. That's one form of racism. Yes, it exists, and no I can't fix it. But no, that one quote, from ONE person, is not the end all, be all, all-encompassing definition of racism. Racism is significantly more than that.

I don't consider only being able to oppress an entire race at once the only way for racism to exist. Any time someone in power (and yes, black people can hold positions of power in this country. Do they hold a significant amount of power, over the whole country? No, of course not. But they can be in power over a group of people) is able to withhold privilege, finances, success, or anything else of value from someone based. solely. on. their. race. it. is. racism.

This. Is. Not. Prejudice. Prejudice solely means "pre judge" - literally. This is the only meaning of that word. You can't just make up definitions.

But if that's how you define racism - solely that one thing of oppressing an entire race - then yes, you're correct.

@Ashley I think this addresses your post as well, but if not let me know. I'll also add that Chicago most definitely has racist leaders of all races - including black people. The racial divide in this city is astonishing at best, but really disgusting. And yes, I'm saying it - the people in power in this city that are black are racist. And no - I won't believe that they are not "in power" - because they are a large majority of our government and they have the power and ability to make laws.

 

[rrhhiannon]

"white students applying to medical school with a GPA in the 3.40-3.59 range and with an MCAT score in the 21-23 range (a below-average score on a test with a maximal score of 45) had an 11.5% acceptance rate (total of 1,500 applicants meeting these criteria). Meanwhile, a review of minority students (black, Latino, and Native American) with the same GPA and MCAT range had a 42.6% acceptance rate (total of 745 applicants meeting these criteria). Thus, as a minority student with a GPA and MCAT in the aforementioned ranges, you are more than 30% more likely to gain acceptance to a medical school."
(Even in Medical School, Affirmative Action Rules | American Renaissance

yes the statistics are somewhat skewed, because there is an overall smaller number of minorities applying to medical school... but if my resume is identical to someone in a minority, or even slightly better, they still have a much higher chance of getting into medical school in this country than i do.

the most qualified person should get into school/get the job/whatever. race shouldn't make a difference, but it does.

There are sooooo many scholarships and bursaries that you can get at my school that are race specific but NOT ONE is for white people only. That is so racist. One of the girls I went to school with is black and received one of these, and when I told her I thought it was racist she said "it's not racist, you're white."