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[kaijyuu]

@Redking's link


...Yep. Not much to say about that than... what the hell, idiotic fear mongered people.

[G-Flex]

People let out their dumber sides in a consequence-free, conversation-based environment with a hint of anonymity. Then again, judging by Facebook comments I see on The Onion's and NPR's links, even the anonymity requirement seems to be less than necessary.

Yeah, I actually "Unliked" NPR, just because I got so tired of seeing what should be a brighter-than-average community make some of the most atrocious comments.

The hockey thing just....Jesus. Yes, the NHL is male-only. But the sport of hockey has plenty of females. If any of those douchebags actually knew hockey and not just their fratboy devotion to their local team, they'd know that. The US women's hockey team is actually a perennial powerhouse. I give EA the thumbs-up for implementing this.

The strange thing is that normally, having a barrier to entry (in this case, liking the page) helps, because it helps to constrict comments to the target audience and to those willing to actually put in a (extremely minor) commitment/effort to it. However, on Facebook, for some reason neither of those things seem to be true, probably because Facebook's page system (where everything from "James Wood" to "click this if you think justin bieber deserves a grammy" to "~UR MY SHINEING STAR~" has its own page) trains people to click "like" on damn near everything. For instance, how else would there be so many people commenting on The Onion who don't recognize the satire?

[RedKing]

Well in the case of NPR, I think some were actually people who like NPR and fancy themselves "progressives". Who then take any kind of negative story about China as an open invitation to post xenophobic screeds, in some cases calling for ethnic genocide. Because you know....China = bad, therefore anything bad we would do to them = good.

Which I just take as a reminder that there are as many colossal idiots on the Left as the Right. SATW's characterizations of Brother and Sister America are just so damn spot-on at times. >_<

[Andir]

@Redking's link


...Yep. Not much to say about that than... what the hell, idiotic fear mongered people.

Strangley, she felt no remorse in calling them all beer bellied rednecks... ironic.

[RedKing]

@Redking's link


...Yep. Not much to say about that than... what the hell, idiotic fear mongered people.

Strangley, she felt no remorse in calling them all beer bellied rednecks... ironic.

I'll weep on behalf of the redneck airport cops. Satisfied?

There's playing devil's advocate, and then there's just being a dick.

[kaijyuu]

I wasn't aware "redneck" or "beer belly" were necessarily negative terms.

If your claim is she was stereotyping rather than just being descriptive, then sure, there's some irony there. I didn't read it that way myself, though.

[Andir]

I wasn't aware "redneck" or "beer belly" were necessarily negative terms.

If your claim is she was stereotyping rather than just being descriptive, then sure, there's some irony there. I didn't read it that way myself, though.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redneck

Redneck is a historically derogatory slang term used in reference to poor white farmers, especially from the Southern United States. It is similar in meaning to cracker, hillbilly, and white trash.

If you want a more "reputable" definition:

noun
1.
an uneducated white farm laborer, especially from the South.
2.
a bigot or reactionary, especially from the rural working class.
adjective
3.
Also, red-necked. narrow, prejudiced, or reactionary: a redneck attitude.

I've never heard Beer Belly used in an endearing format.  -- Edit: The only people I've heard use redneck in a non-negative light have been comedians... even then, Dave Chappell using "nigger" and George Lopez uses "wetback" in their comedy in the same light.

[Siquo]

Strangley, she felt no remorse in calling them all beer bellied rednecks... ironic.

It's sad, really, because she probably wouldn't have if she hadn't been detained, but does it because it's being done to her. Reap what you sow, etc.

[Andir]

Strangley, she felt no remorse in calling them all beer bellied rednecks... ironic.

It's sad, really, because she probably wouldn't have if she hadn't been detained, but does it because it's being done to her. Reap what you sow, etc.

So, "Eye for an Eye" is acceptable behavior?

[RedKing]

Strangley, she felt no remorse in calling them all beer bellied rednecks... ironic.

It's sad, really, because she probably wouldn't have if she hadn't been detained, but does it because it's being done to her. Reap what you sow, etc.

So, "Eye for an Eye" is acceptable behavior?

It's about relative empowerment. Using perhaps less-than-PC terms for her captors is all she can do. She has literally no recourse in this situation. They have the power. Frankly, I'd have been even more uncharitable in her position.

[fqllve]

Is that an eye for an eye? Or is it an honest report of private feelings she had while being detained for no obvious reason? It's difficult to control an internal emotional reaction, it's much less difficult to control one's actions in response to those emotions.

[Leafsnail]

It's not really "an eye for an eye".  The writer was wrongly detained purely because of her skin colour and then writes about how she, while being unfairly detained, felt some resentment towards her captors.  She didn't go and detain them.  She didn't even insult them to their faces or attempt to ruin their reputations by identifying them.  She just freaking said that while she was being unfairly detained she got annoyed and perhaps a bit irrational.  Frankly I think most people would in that kind of situation.

She doesn't mention the term "beer belly" at all during the entire article so I have no idea where that came from.

[Andir]

I guess I see it from this angle...

If a group of black cops detain a white person without telling him why... and he calls them "fat niggers" (even afterwards in a personal blog post) you better believe that there will be hatred toward the white person.  It's about double standards.  (Yes, I place both words in the same equal derogatory light.  The only difference is that it's somehow become "acceptable" to abuse Caucasians.)

Apparently it's perfectly fine for her to spout off whatever derogatory statements she wants to.

Also... she didn't necessarily say beer bellied redneck, but alluded to it:

"...I decided that I hated country music. I hated speedboats and shitty beer in coozies and fat bellies and rednecks."

"After fingerprinting me and asking me about my height/weight/place and date of birth and so on, a middle-aged white cop with a beer belly and a flat top returned me"

From the comments, I'm not the only one pointing this out.

Edit:

Also, Look at it this way.  The police that detained her didn't see her from the ground and decide to have the plane pulled over.  Some ass on the plane reported them and called up a suspicion near the anniversary of a tragic event.  The police were doing their job to determine if the person was in fact a terrorist.  If she was being divisive to the police they will most likely continue the interrogation.  We don't know if someone reported her for having something that looks like Play-Doh or if they told the authorities that they were saying hateful things toward people.  If she held/showed contempt for those doing the questioning (doing their job...), you better believe they will continue.  We are reading one side of the story.  She could be leaving out whatever she wants.  "But I was perfectly innocent..."

In other words... the cops didn't profile her.  They were detaining who they were told to detain and question.  It's not like they can come on the plane and say: "Oh, someone must have reported her because they are racist."

[RedKing]

I guess I see it from this angle...

If a group of black cops detain a white person without telling him why... and he calls them "fat niggers" (even afterwards in a personal blog post) you better believe that there will be hatred toward the white person.  It's about double standards.  (Yes, I place both words in the same equal derogatory light.  The only difference is that it's somehow become "acceptable" to abuse Caucasians.)

Apparently it's perfectly fine for her to spout off whatever derogatory statements she wants to.

Also... she didn't necessarily say beer bellied redneck, but alluded to it:

"...I decided that I hated country music. I hated speedboats and shitty beer in coozies and fat bellies and rednecks."

"After fingerprinting me and asking me about my height/weight/place and date of birth and so on, a middle-aged white cop with a beer belly and a flat top returned me"

From the comments, I'm not the only one pointing this out.

She didn't say "I hated white people/crackers/white devils/peckerwoods/assorted anti-Caucasian slurs". Redneck is a specific subset of white people. One that a lot of other white people don't care for as well. It's also a term that most rednecks embrace as a badge of pride.

So no, I don't see an equivalence.

[Frumple]

Apparently it's perfectly fine for her to spout off whatever derogatory statements she wants to.

Given the situation, I think some derogatory comments here and there can probably be excused, yanno'? The overall blog post is very level-headed, a hell of a lot more level headed than most of the people in the demographic possibly being commented against would manage. I've lived among that demographic all my life and can say that with a pretty good level of assurance.

Basically as Leafsnail said. A reaction under a very high stress, very inequitable situation. Definitely not a 'whenever she wants' kinda' thing, and pretty bloody far from being out of line.