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[MetalSlimeHunt]

Which of course, meant that two of my grandmother's sisters promptly married a pair of Mexican brothers who were farm laborers. Funny how that works.

If I didn't know any better; I'd say that the universe seems to enjoy tormenting the intolerant by forcing their subject of hatred into their families. For example, the number of anti-gay people with gay children is just plain bizarre. That might be an interesting subject for a sociological-genealogical study, actually.

[RedKing]

Which of course, meant that two of my grandmother's sisters promptly married a pair of Mexican brothers who were farm laborers. Funny how that works.

If I didn't know any better; I'd say that the universe seems to enjoy tormenting the intolerant by forcing their subject of hatred into their families. For example, the number of anti-gay people with gay children is just plain bizarre. That might be an interesting subject for a sociological-genealogical study, actually.

Crap. This means my daughter is destined to hook up with some frat douchebag from New Jersey. Time to fetch the shotgun.
*cha-CHINK*

[nenjin]

I'm sorry MSH. I just got back from 3 days in Dixie. And people I'd never met before basically did the exact same thing Santorum did, in my presence. This time, it was someone parking the car in a more secure location, as far from the "Negros at the apartments as possible." And you know what wasn't what he meant to say when it come out as "Nneeeeee.....gros." That's just one example I heard in 3 days down there. Redking is right, familiarity breeds contempt.

I've lived down there for years prior to this, and I can say, without qualification, that if there's one place in the US you're going to here N******, it's in the South. I've lived the above situation countless times in a hundred trips down South, among dozens and dozens of very nice white folks. It's just how they roll down there, with a half-smile and a wink about what is really meant.

Does that mean Southern people are more racist? I don't honestly know. Maybe we're all racist, but Southern people don't self-censor as much (especially when they're in all white company.) Saying the South culturally doesn't have strong racial sentiments is, at best, revisionism, and at worst, dishonest. And I say that as someone who really does love the South.

[MetalSlimeHunt]

As RedKing pointed out; having all-white company in the South is actually quite a rarity. There are even a few regions in the South where there are more black people than white people.

[nenjin]

As RedKing pointed out; having all-white company in the South is actually quite a rarity. There are even a few regions in the South where there are more black people than white people.

Are we talking about sitting down at Denny's or Crackerbarrel? Because then I'd agree.

When you're sitting in a heavy truck yard full of good ole' boys, it's a crock. And that's when you get the uncensored version.

It's one of the great oddities of the South that they are both unfailingly polite in public yet can harbor some fairly racist attitudes in closed company.

[RedKing]

As RedKing pointed out; having all-white company in the South is actually quite a rarity. There are even a few regions in the South where there are more black people than white people.

Well, yes and no. Having an all-white workforce or lunchroom is rare. Having an all-white gathering is pretty common. Even in the absence of legal segregation, there's de facto self-segregation. Church congregations tend to be very racially homogenous. White people go to "white churches" (typically Catholic, Presbyterian, Methodist, Lutheran, Southern Baptist), black people go to "black churches" (typically A.M.E. or some obscure evangelical sect like Church of God of Prophecy).

Also, neighborhoods (especially outside major urban areas) will be pretty heavily homogenous.

One of the real melting pot areas is food. A good barbecue joint will have a racially and socio-economically mixed clientele. You can go to Clyde Cooper's in downtown Raleigh, and find elderly black women dining next to white corporate managers. And that's been true for decades. Even back when there were segregated lunch counters, they were still going to the same restaurants.

[Owlbread]

I think if anything, it's just that we're more....comfortable (for lack of a better word) with racism here. It's worth noting that the South also has the largest (by percentage) African-American populations. Which, IMHO, creates two different kinds of racism.

In the South, it's a "familiarity breeds contempt" sort of thing. Racism tends to be generated out of all the little petty squabbles and inter-community competition for resources, and race is an easy target. Point of example: my late grandfather, while a saint of a man, was also a product of his upbringing. If a white guy cut him off in traffic, that was a "dum-dum". If a black guy cut him off, that was a "dirty n****r". He wasn't particularly any more incensed than he was with the white guy, it was just easier (and ingrained) to denigrate their skin color than their actions. But at the same time, I feel like it's a mile wide and only a few inches deep. Put five black college kids in Carolina blue basketball uniforms and put them on the court, and those rednecks will be cheering them on like they were their own children. There's almost no job here (other than maybe corporate executive) where you're not going to have at least one black co-worker. And chances are, they're going to be a pretty decent person. Which is why you get a lot of cognitive dissonance like "Some of my best friends are black" and "There's black people and then there's n*****s".

Meanwhile, you have places like Idaho, New Hampshire, Montana and Arizona that are hotbeds of violent, strident white supremacy and have almost no African-American population. In the absence of living, breathing black people to remind you on a daily basis that they're just like everyone else, it allows those supremacists to demonize and dehumanize and caricature minorities to the point that they can self-justify radical violence. The racism there (where it exists) is narrow but deep.

Those are some excellent points. I see that all the time among the young people up here in the Scottish Highlands, namely the farming guys. They'll do exactly the same thing as you've described - when they have a problem with a black fellow or a south asian or whatever, they'll instantly go for insulting his skin colour/race i.e. "that n****" or "p*ki bastard". Although, the problem is that it blends with the second type you describe. The Scottish Highlands must be one of the most ethnically homogynous places in the whole of the UK - white as can be. As a result, there is a lot of racism simmering under the surface, but it's not quite as violent or... well, extreme as you're describing. It's quite casual. It never comes to anything, and it's more about ignorance than anything else. They just don't know or understand these people, so they'll say stupid stuff, make racist jokes etc. The interesting thing is though, when they meet a black person or an indian or whatever, they're uncomfortable - not because they don't like the person, they just don't really know how to act. More often than not though, they become very accepting over time. I'm glad it hasn't led to any really radical or extreme levels of racism cropping up.

[RedKing]

To re-rail somewhat (while continuing in the "Rick Santorum is a Vile Excuse For A Human Being" trend), I found this story that I hadn't heard much of, about how during a campaign stop at a bowling alley in Wisconsin, Santorum stopped a kid from using a pink bowling ball. With the comment, "You're not going to use the pink bowling ball. We're not gonna let you do that. Not on camera." He later added, "Friends don't let friends use pink balls."

Perhaps like Green Lantern, Super Santorum's weakness is color-based. Pink is his kryptonite. Or perhaps, he's just an utter douchebag who thinks using a pink ball will make the kid gay, and that being seen anywhere in the vicinity of someone who even hints at being gay might spread TEH GAY COOTIES to him and alienate his base.

Maybe the kid likes pink. Maybe the ball was the only 6lb he could find, and thanks to Slick Rick, he was bullied into using a manly black ball twice its weight.

Maybe Santorum just likes big, heavy black balls more than he does pink ones. (Yes, that's meant with all the entendre it can muster.)


My son likes pink. And just the other day, apropros of nothing, he announced, "I LIKE BALLS!". Am I afraid he's going to turn gay? No. For one thing, it's not something to 'fear'. Two, he's two. 

[PTTG??]

I really want Santorum to win. No better way to end a nation than with a ruler having a conniption fit over ball color.

[nenjin]

Real men aren't afraid of wearing pink.

[jester]

Real men aren't afraid of wearing pink.

They are if it clashes with the green hotpants.  Its called style.

[Sirus]

I really want Santorum to win. No better way to end a nation than with a ruler having a conniption fit over ball color.

I'd rather the nation not end, thank you very much.

[Aqizzar]

So, earlier this week, in a not-at-all surprising repeat of a few months ago (and a few months before that), Newt Gingrich fired his campaign manager and half the staff.  Yesterday, rumors started abounding that Sheldon Adelson would be turning off the spigot to Gingrich's SuperPAC (twenty million dollars on a losing campaign, for those who get the reference).  Today, the Washington Times (a storied news source, to say the least) insists that Gingrich and Romney held a secret meeting over the weekend, possibly discussing a deal for Gingrich to drop out of the race.

Just in case, y'know, you didn't already think Gingrich's goose was cooked.

Gingrich says he expects Romney to be the nominee, and basically just wants to hang around to make sure he gets some attention before the general election starts.  I have this crazy notion that Gingrich might even be a factor in Romney's campaign, both of them denying until they're blue in the face all the nasty things they said about each other.

Now it's just a matter of how long before Santorum climbs aboard, and whether Paul will host his own convention across town again.

[RedKing]

So, earlier this week, in a not-at-all surprising repeat of a few months ago (and a few months before that), Newt Gingrich fired his campaign manager and half the staff.  Yesterday, rumors started abounding that Sheldon Adelson would be turning off the spigot to Gingrich's SuperPAC (twenty million dollars on a losing campaign, for those who get the reference).  Today, the Washington Times (a storied news source, to say the least) insists that Gingrich and Romney held a secret meeting over the weekend, possibly discussing a deal for Gingrich to drop out of the race.

Just in case, y'know, you didn't already think Gingrich's goose was cooked.

Gingrich says he expects Romney to be the nominee, and basically just wants to hang around to make sure he gets some attention before the general election starts.  I have this crazy notion that Gingrich might even be a factor in Romney's campaign, both of them denying until they're blue in the face all the nasty things they said about each other.

Now it's just a matter of how long before Santorum climbs aboard, and whether Paul will host his own convention across town again.

Romney/Gingrich 2012? That'd be a lark. He'd inherit all the negative ratings that Gingrich brings without a lot of upside.

Maybe Gingrich is just negotiating for the position of Ambassador to Jose Cuervo Island. It's about time for him to hunt for an upgrade wife.

[Twi]

Real men aren't afraid of wearing pink.

They are if it clashes with the green hotpants.  Its called style.

You overestimate the world's fashion sense.