Wild they said racism was fake and we are all playing the victim card - eviltoast
  • stoy@lemmy.zip
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    2 months ago

    I am allways fascinated by people who just have to do things that will cause them a lot of problems.

    I get that they lack empathy, that much is clear, but where is their sense of self preservation?

    Part of me is envious that they have so few problems that they deliberately make more for themselves.

    • Warl0k3@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      What, you’re trying to tell us that you were never so comfortable with your station in life that you uh… printed off scrabble tiles to make matching necklaces that spell out a racial slur as a teen??? Geeze what a tragically empty life you must have had.

      • stoy@lemmy.zip
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        2 months ago

        Compared to others, my teens were what they would call empty, but I had a good and calm time in my teens.

        • GooglyBoobs@mander.xyz
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          2 months ago

          I did some things as a teen that would absolutely humiliate me today if blasted on the internet. I even bullied people as a teen, so we’re talking real dirtbag stuff.

          Still. I never was even slightly tempted to take a pic with friends and a slur around my neck, so I guess I have that going for me.

    • hex@programming.dev
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      2 months ago

      I used to be a reckless teen. I just didn’t use my foresight. The payoff of doing the joke/dangerous thing is more worth it than self preservation when you’re a dumb kid.

    • Jiggle_Physics@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      They have been openly racist for a long time, and it has never mattered. Now that their racism is on the news, this is first time it has had consequences. So they never felt there was any self preservation to take into consideration.

  • niktemadur@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    Oklahoma the prototypical red state shithole.

    Where if the black community becomes peacefully prosperous, it’s too much for the numerous white inferiority-complex shitkickers to take, they boil and fester like an infection until one night they swarm like a biblical plague of locusts to burn and raze the black community to the ground.

    Hollow and ignorant, lazy and angry white madness is synonymous with republican-voting states.

    • TheRealKuni@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      Most of my experience in Oklahoma was in Norman, a fantastic college town. When I would go outside of the Norman/Moore/OKC area to visit the families of my fellow students, it was surprising how much and how quickly things changed.

      I mean, I know the dichotomy between rural and urban is everywhere in this nation, but it seemed more stark somehow.

  • sudoer777@lemmy.ml
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    2 months ago

    My high school from a red state was like 99% white and also 99% conservative and had this attitude of racism is bad but also racism doesn’t exist anymore then proceeds to make racist jokes and support racist politics (including students who were very academically focused), although it never evolved to anything as stupid as taking a group photo holding up a racial slur. There was a lot of stuff from there though that seemed normal at the time then after I left realized how fucked it was, and I know of other people who think the same thing.

    • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      although it never evolved to anything as stupid as taking a group photo holding up a racial slur

      The fundamental difference between the Conservative Citizens Councils and the Klu Klux Klan was the veneer of political correctness the former utilized to make the violence they doled out via the police appear legitimate.

      There was a lot of stuff from there though that seemed normal at the time then after I left realized how fucked it was, and I know of other people who think the same thing.

      Lots of code words and turns of phrase, intended to alienate certain kinds of people and entitle others. Dog whistles are very popular in conservative communities.

      We recently had a high school marching band get selected to perform at the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans. After the students raised $15k to pay for the trip, the Superintendent shut it down on the grounds that “New Orleans isn’t a safe place for teenagers”. Why was our city safe but the majority African American city dangerous? Who can say?

      • sudoer777@lemmy.ml
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        2 months ago

        The main problem at my high school was that people, both students and faculty, were constantly parroting shit they heard from Fox News (which is constantly promoting stuff under a racist agenda) and weren’t in an environment that made them think about how their actions impact other people (which means the education system obviously failed at its job), so they would believe stuff like actual racism doesn’t exist anymore and black people are oppressing white people and speech doesn’t hurt anybody, and the extreme lack of diversity didn’t help either. However, if you were to have a serious conversation with them most of them would say that racism is bad, so I think that if people actually had an understanding of the world beyond Fox News propaganda a lot of the edgy racist stuff would die off. With queerphobia there was the opposite problem, where people would bring up queer stuff in jokes to look edgy but in a serious context they would say that queerness is morally wrong.

      • hector@sh.itjust.works
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        2 months ago

        I want to go in New Orleans someday to see the hometown of Suicideboys and get to know the people there…

        It looks so interesting culturally and socially

  • Nuke_the_whales@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    Imagine this photo popping up whenever any one of these idiots tries to get a job.

    That long haired kid looks like he means it the most

    • BigBenis@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      Not to defend racists or imply this is acceptable in any way but everybody does stupid shit when they’re a teenager and something like this shouldn’t haunt them for the rest of their working lives provided they mature into well-adjusted adults.

      The bigger problem is the poorly-adjusted adults in the communities that raise these kids and teach them to be hateful towards people with harmless differences.

      • abbadon420@lemm.ee
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        2 months ago

        The letters they are holding were provided by the school for some kind of event. It seems like these kids thought they could be funny by spelling out a no no word. To any rational thinking human, this isn’t funny, but teenagers aren’t rational think humans. That’s pretty much the definition of puberty.

        But it’s 2024 and kids post everything online, so now it’s gone viral and everyone judges them as racist scum that deserve to never get a job in their lives. Off of a single photo.

  • Draghetta@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    Guy 1 and 3 fucked up big time, now their display of love for Christmas spices is ruined. What were they thinking

    • Red_October@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      Oh I absolutely see how it happened. It’s rooted in that love of “Technically correct.” I can absolutely see one of them saying “All I did was have a picture of a scrabble tile with the letter G on it. Is having a single scrabble tile illegal? You can’t simply keep us from associating with each other, the first amendment protects the right to peaceably assemble!” All the while they know very obviously what they did, it’s just that they thought they could technically get away with it. They figured that if no one of them openly used the whole word, they couldn’t possibly face any consequences.

      • zalgotext@sh.itjust.works
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        2 months ago

        I was definitely a dumb high school student. At no point did I think it was ever ok to use the n-word though.

        • sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works
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          2 months ago

          Sure, but did you grow up in a community with a healthy population of minorities? If so, then you probably don’t really have the same experience as these kids.

          When you don’t actually know anyone a slur references, it’s pretty easy to not take it seriously. A lot of my friends in school make “gay” jokes, until we made friends with a gay kid, at which point we stopped because we suddenly had a personal experience with it. That’s how a lot of these types of things go.

          Edit: not -> so (first paragraph made no sense)

          • CleoTheWizard@lemmy.world
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            2 months ago

            Yes but also racism and homophobia deserve derision and to be laughed and joked about in ways that don’t hurt people. Hear me out. It’s a weird situation because the people who are offended by it deserve to be and are valid but so are the people that say stuff like “telling people that you can’t say that word gives it power” because it absolutely does.

            It’s why myself and my gay partner will jokingly use slurs in private. Because it’s funny and we’re mocking the people that hate us. And by using their words as a joke, we take the sting out of them. Because it’s absurd theyre used seriously in the first place.

            So we exist in this weird spot where we’ve said “yes the gays can reclaim their slurs. And yes the minorities can reclaim their words. But no one else can say them” and it’s like sure but then other people aren’t able to properly take the sting out of the words.

            Not saying there’s a right answer, I’m just saying that we have weird standards that may not be serving our goals.

            • Rekorse@sh.itjust.works
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              2 months ago

              If your goal is to make yourself and your partner feel better than I think that makes sense. The other poster is talking about how to effect change in people like those in this picture though, which requires a different approach.

              • CleoTheWizard@lemmy.world
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                2 months ago

                That’s sort of what I was getting at. Obviously we shouldn’t be using those words in public if they’re going to hurt people, but it almost seems like we’ve regressed and given slurs more power by not saying them as jokes like I do at home occasionally. Specifically the word in the photo is a huge no no and for good reason but it’s power isn’t decaying is the point.

                So the question I’m poking at is: how do you get rid of the power of slurs without offending people? It seems impossible because I almost think that as a community we should all be able to share in reclaiming language to some extent. Otherwise it can divide us.

                Last thing, the word here in this photo is something that is often fine for black people to say but not others. Again I get why. But doesn’t that inherently enforce a divide? Like sorry I actually cannot share in your reclamation culture because I am racially barred from doing so. From my perspective (which could be wrong) I’d rather let people and friends outside my community use those words with me in a casual and inoffensive manner than dividing us by enforcing language rules against them. Just a thought.

                • sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works
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                  2 months ago

                  I’d rather let people and friends outside my community use those words with me in a casual and inoffensive manner than dividing us by enforcing language rules against them

                  If that’s what you want, tell them. If you came to me and asked me to use certain slurs with you in a joking way, I’d try my best to do so, but only in private and only with you. It would probably take me some time to get over my barrier to using them, but it’s something I’m willing to do if a friend asks.

                  But that’s not going to really help the next person. Slurs only have power because we give them power. The solution here isn’t to normalize using particular words, the solution is to educate people about the people who those slurs target. I live in a very conservative area and have very conservative parents, and my neighbors and parents have both softened their anti-homosexual stance due to actually meeting and interacting with LGBT people. In fact, there’s a trans woman at my library, and she seems to be very accepted. This works because people are exposed to real people and understand that using those slurs hurts real people.

                  Normalizing the terms won’t do anything, bigots will just come up with new slurs. The real solution is greater exposure so people can get past the discomfort and arrive at understanding. That’s what’s likely missing for the boys in this picture, and it’s what we desperately need if we want more acceptance.

            • TheHarpyEagle@pawb.social
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              2 months ago

              The most compelling case I’ve seen for keeping them is to protect against exploitation and commodification. For example, there’s a long history of AAVE/BVE words and phrases that have been considered vulgar and uneducated until co-opted by white communities. “Woke” is a particularly topical example: A word meant to evoke unity and self-awareness in the black community has been co-opted by (mostly) white conservatives to rally against progressive and inclusive policies. Reclaiming the n-word means using its taboo nature as a shield, saying “this is our word, and you can’t have it.” You can’t go on the campaign trail and complain about n*ggers, but you also can’t forget where it came from and what it meant. It’s a living word that carries its history forward into the modern age so we don’t forget the crimes of the past.

              I’ve likewise seen use of the f-slur as a rebellion against rainbow capitalism. Companies will take pride flags and symbols and words and sell them on t-shirts and use them in commercials. These are things that were all made with intention and symbolism by the queer* community and flown in the face of danger, but companies really don’t give a shit about that because well-meaning people will give them their money to support a cause. Come July first, though, do you see them selling that merch, donating to LGBTQ+ causes, or supporting their queer employees? Of course not, if anything that all gets thrown under the bus for whatever financial issue the company is having. The f-slur is again saying “this is our word, and you can’t have it.” It’s often used jokingly or even affectionately by the queer community, but you’re not going to see it printed on a mass produced shirt or said in an ad. It belongs to them and them only, maintaining the history of its creation and reclamation without being diluted by commodification.

              It’s also important to remember that the words have not lost their sting for many people, especially those who still often hear it said with malice towards the targeted group. We should acknowledge they they are not at a point where they cannot hear the word without those strong, negative feelings, and we can do so by respecting requests not to use it in certain spaces and calling out others who are not as sensitive.

              • As a side note, “queer” is a slur that is slowly working its way back into common parlance. It may be that these other slurs go that way eventually, though it’ll take longer for some of the more severe ones.
              • CleoTheWizard@lemmy.world
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                2 months ago

                I think that’s a fair point. I can definitely see that angle because it does seem that when used within the community it can have an almost positive aspect that can be taken away. Interesting way of thinking about it.

                • TheHarpyEagle@pawb.social
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                  2 months ago

                  ??? I was explaining the rationale behind reclaiming slurs while making them still exclusive to the targeted group.

      • JackbyDev@programming.dev
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        2 months ago

        As dumb and as racist as the kids at my high school were, I don’t think any of them even came close to this level.

        • sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works
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          2 months ago

          Did your high school have a meaningful number of POC? (i.e. more than the token black kid)

          If not, I don’t think your high school experience is directly comparable here. Not having faces to place next to slurs can make the slurs seem funny instead of actually hurtful.

          • JackbyDev@programming.dev
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            2 months ago

            It did, actually. I think it was more due to being just a few years before the smart phone craze really took off. I graduated in 2010. It was still extremely common for kids to not have any phone at all or just a very basic phone. We had social media, but not the constant access to HD cameras and ability to post whenever.

            Ironically this probably saved a lot of them from stupid shit. It takes a certain combination of hatred and stupidity to do this.

            • sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works
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              2 months ago

              I honestly don’t know these boys, but I can honestly see this as not involving any form of hatred. I’ve been to a fair amount of small towns, and they really don’t have any kind of conception of what these words actually mean to people. They certainly understand that it’s hurtful, but I think it is closer to curse words (i.e. “taboo” and “edgy”) than an actual intent to cause harm to someone.

              If you see it from that perspective, I think it’s unfair to hold these boys accountable for it for the rest of their lives. It’s a dumb move, but they’ll hopefully get some exposure to POC and change their ways. I would honestly be pretty surprised if these kids actually hate black people, I think they’re just doing it for attention, and this kind of “shock” is an effective way to get attention.

              • JackbyDev@programming.dev
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                2 months ago

                I think it’s unfair to hold these boys accountable for it for the rest of their lives.

                Not sure where that came from.

                • sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works
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                  2 months ago

                  Look at the other comments in this thread, where people seem to be claiming this is unconscionable and that these boys are irredeemable racists, or something like that.

                  I’m explaining that I doubt these boys have the actual life experience needed to appreciate the impact of their actions. That’s all.

      • apt8@sh.itjust.works
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        2 months ago

        I couldn’t imagine doing this though. I’m imagining they somehow expected social benefit for this, and that blows me mind SpongeBob

        • sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works
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          2 months ago

          Nah, I’m pretty sure they were just going for shock factor, that’s it. Kids these age acting out like this are generally just looking for attention.

        • JackbyDev@programming.dev
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          2 months ago

          The picture is someone taking a picture of another phone. I haven’t used it in years but it sort of looks like Snapchat. It’s possible they did this thinking it’s merely an edgy joke and sent it to friends on Snapchat rather than being so bold as to directly post it to media.

  • Case@lemmynsfw.com
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    2 months ago

    As a Texan, in a purple area, this doesn’t surprise me from Oklahoma.

    I had the displeasure of driving through OK to get to my late father in law’s hospital bed before he passed.

    I ended up blowing through a toll entry because they didn’t accept paper money or cards. Just coins. I went to the little building to try to pay my way, and it appeared to be abandoned.

    Mother fuckers, I can buy a legal variant of weed with my fucking watch. Coins? Join this century please.

    • Bronzefish@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      There’s only two things I hate in this world. People who are intolerant of other people’s cultures and the Dutch.

      -Michael Caine

  • Glytch@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    The punishment fit the crime. Let the picture follow them forever and let their fellow students take out the frustration of losing homecoming on them.

  • ZILtoid1991@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    Because they want to normalize the use of racial slurs yet again, separating it from “real racism”.

    • arefx@lemmy.ml
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      2 months ago

      Schools usually punish the person who gets bullied while protecting the bully so of course they don’t know how to handle this.

    • jim_v@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      They might have been forced to forfeit the game for having too few players. There isn’t a game to watch if nobody is playing.

    • Oni_eyes@sh.itjust.works
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      2 months ago

      Probably out of some sense of getting the rest of the school to learn a lesson, and creating anger at the racists. Probably misguided.

  • nemonic187@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    That long haired guy thinks he’s the hard G. They should cancel the entire season or kick those dudes off the team. Their choice.