Posted by Ted (205.188.197.32) on November 30, 2000 at 12:32:51:
In Reply to: Thanks Charlie, but.... posted by Riccardo on November 30, 2000 at 02:11:41:
"Real white" isn't a bad term. It wouldn't cross anyone's mind that a deragatory remark was involved if you said something like "The snow was really white," or "The paint wasn't off-white but real white." It's the term "real(ly) white of you" or the one I usually hear "mighty white of you" that changes the context. It's the "of you" that puts it in a whole other meaning. When it's said with the added words there is no misconstruing the real meaning, whether the user of the term is aware of it or not. There it is saying "what you did was good (generous, kind, over and above the call of duty, etc...) and we know a non-white (usually only implying blacks though) would never be expected to do something like that. *wink wink*"
That said, I believe in some, a very few, cases in this country it may not be realized that that's what's being said but just being mimicked from hearing others use that term. OK. I don't fully believe that but I'm trying to give the benefit of the doubt. But if that's true that it's not understood by some of its users what that term they use really means, I'd assume it would be from Charlie's generation who would hear it regularly on radio programs from the days of Amos and Andy where blacks were stereotypical jokes. It was also a day when the term "boy" was used as a term of disrespect for black men. Although not all who used that term meant disrespect. Some just thought it was a term that was used and figured it was a harmless part of their lexicon. But that's a whole other subject.
And now, Charlie. I can see you are remorseful for using the phrase. I hold nothing against every single person with racism inside of them or else I'd have to have a grudge against most of the world's population, including me I'm sure. The ones I do not have any respect for are those not willing to learn. Only you will know if you're racist or not. And only you can examine it and try to do something about it. Your follow-up posts say you are willing to do just that. If that's so it makes you someone who is willing to be open to learning where and why you err. And if it's so, in my eyes that makes you not only a person for having flaws, but a decent one for being willing to work on them when you recognize that they may be harmful to others.
Sorry for this long blah-blah session. I've seen first hand too many friends hurt by racism in this country and it's always been something I've tried to fight against.