Talking in a non-dickish way about the AC Transit fight

this whole story is like a sad cliff's note version of how america's military-industrial complex and years of institutionalized racism produce incredibly fucked up people; and the elite get to laugh at them all day from a safe distance

oh, americapaws

when you say the elite do you mean bloggers

youtube comments people

The e-l33t

time to look at those invisible backpacks, d00ds

do you mean that as a metaphor for life a la "up in the air"

my homeboys's fb update from two minutes ago.

..just rode the bus home with Epic Beard Man. He is officially, a ghetto celebrity. A full bus in which me and Epic Beard Man were the only white folks - cheered loudly and long for the man of the hour. He took many pictures with folks and gave out candy bars. I cannot maek this up.

xxx.Are you serious?

response: Yes. It was kind of beautiful. The working class loves their new Santa Claus. I'll put up the photographic proof in a sec.

this started in tears, it's continuing in tears, it'll end in tears

this though, this is the real next level insanity to me
http://amberlamps.co.cc/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jw8lQaqdOfE

on AC transit yesterday there was this dude rolling the hugest joint it was unreal

when is obama gonna invite these two over for a beer

here's interviews with both guys and neither of their stories really match up

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4I1r3dhMUO4

rashomon: ac transit

Seemed likely to me to begin with that Tom had started shit with him. I guess we can never really know, but 1) Tom's story never made sense to me and 2) in interviews Tom has significantly embellished the story, adding a knife, a friend "Bob" who is not visible in the story, 3) a criminal record (for Michael) that he couldn't possible know about, etc.

when is amappy girl coming forward?

I should know better than to look at youtube comments here but I do and it's so depressing and I'm like...seriously. long-term strategies because obviously nothing as ingrained as American racism is gonna get an ABC Afterschool Special-type cure, but is there anything to be done? is the answer just "lots and lots of people are assholes and that's always going to be true" & there's no way to, like, fix it so fewer people grow up racist?

serious q., dumb one too I know, not news that as far as practical shit goes I am a child but this shit has been buggin me since I was very young and I get all despairing abt it.

integrated schools, positive images of people of color in the media, strong social welfare programs

waiting for a fresh start on the moon myself

aren't most youtube commenters 15 year-olds looking to get a rise out of people on the internet? admittedly yeah there are still loads of racist shits out there but it strikes me that youtube is a format that panders towards anonymous show-off idiocy

integrated schools, positive images of people of color in the media, strong social welfare programs

― max, Thursday, February 25, 2010 9:41 AM (3 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

also a time machine to use to prevent slavery

also a time machine to use to prevent slavery

I can't tell if your other comment is just making fun of classic liberal strategies for this but I mean...the way people are saluting this fuckin beardo dude on the street does make me think "we are fucked" which I guess I already know but sometimes I just can't stand it

is the answer just "lots and lots of people are assholes and that's always going to be true

to an extent, yeah- i think desensitising yrself (and others if possible) to the behaviour of assholes is a big step.

someone tell the democrats this, btw, it would ba a BIG help towards channeling their energies in the right way

See, I don't know if that is the answer. Because desensitizing yourself to assholes means not standing up to them and letting them run rampant with their negative bullshit opinions, which can be pretty dangerous too.

virus with shoes etc. etc.

yeah jon, but it also means not paying attention or letting it change your behaviour, which is more positive and more productive in the long run.

I think I see what you mean, and I do agree. I think I was coming more from a place of being around people who don't even bother to respond to someone that spouts racist bullshit. I don't think shutting up and ignoring them is always the best approach.

I can't tell if your other comment is just making fun of classic liberal strategies for this but I mean...the way people are saluting this fuckin beardo dude on the street does make me think "we are fucked" which I guess I already know but sometimes I just can't stand it

― Lee Dorrian Gray (J0hn D.), Thursday, February 25, 2010 9:50 AM (23 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

no i was being 100% serious. i think those three things should be the cornerstone of any attempt to deal with racism in this country.

not shutting up and ignoring them in a passive way, just not concentrating on them full stop. there's times and places to challenge people like that (as individuals and groups) but not constantly, because that's when 'asshole as a spoiler tactic' becomes a success.

Oh exactly, I was referring to people who just kind of shut down and ALWAYS prefer to ignore it and let it go. There are appropriate times where racists assholes should and need to be challenged. But you are correct, there are times where that does more harm than good.

http://www.indiemerchstore.com/drxmclothing/item/7759/

"Be an American hero just like the EPIC BEARD MAN!"

*vomits in mouth a little*

i do like how the racist asshole army has chosen powder blue though

prussian blue