View original postRace is a social construct. We've known that for ages. Do you really think taxi drivers looked at Obama and said "oh, he's biracial?" Do you think waitresses looked at him and thought "Oh, he's biracial. He's not like African-Americans, who don't leave tips, so I'll serve him well?"
View original postHis experience has been almost unilaterally that of a black man. Handwaving away the difficulties he's faced as an African-American man in the States by calling him "biracial" is pretty offensive.
Isn't that sort of what we're talking about? That someone of color is forced to be known simply as "black" or "African American" because he looks that way? And because a certain greater sympathy may exist for the group that was more willing to accept him?
He is biracial, because though he's felt the sting of this "shared history," many of his thoughts, reactions, personal historical notes, etc come from a white (for lack of a better term) background. And being of mixed race carries its own drama (some would argue that it can be worse than belonging solely to one group or the other), so how can you feel comfortable dismissing the actual life he's lived, and then tell me I'm "hand-waving away" anything?
This message last edited by nossy on 23/07/2013 at 07:34:21 PM
"Trayvon Martin could have been me." President Obama
- 19/07/2013 11:27:21 PM
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My interpretation is that he's being incredibly racist...against blacks
- 19/07/2013 11:52:37 PM
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From the litlle I heard on NPR I had a couple real problems with it
- 20/07/2013 12:53:40 AM
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Would he just shut up about it already? *pukes a little in mouth* *NM*
- 20/07/2013 04:20:07 AM
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Yeah. As someone who voted for Obama and would do so again, this is embarrassing.
- 20/07/2013 10:10:53 AM
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Does it matter now? Martin is still dead and Zimmerman will stay free. It's over.
- 20/07/2013 04:24:43 AM
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C'mon guys. It's sounding very "I'm not a racist, I swear!" in here.
- 20/07/2013 03:32:08 PM
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"I am not a racist I swear it" is what we are reduced for not agreeing on race
- 20/07/2013 04:44:52 PM
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No. As I'll say to Isaac in a minute, I'll apologize for lumping everyone in
- 20/07/2013 08:06:49 PM
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for me his about what will work not what is fair
- 22/07/2013 06:06:13 PM
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It has to be both. Period. Nobody will accept someone else trying to change them
- 22/07/2013 07:29:15 PM
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sorry I don't see where he says a change in behaviour is part of the solution
- 23/07/2013 06:29:16 PM
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A touch over the top don't you think?
- 20/07/2013 05:20:21 PM
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One comment, maybe. If anyone has taken offense
- 20/07/2013 09:09:45 PM
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I think he's wrong for continuing to talk about it, and doing so in this manner
- 21/07/2013 06:59:11 AM
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There are more important things for him to be focusing on, I think. That said, I think you're right. *NM*
- 21/07/2013 08:16:34 AM
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There will always be something "more important." *NM*
- 21/07/2013 10:25:46 AM
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I am of two minds on the issue. *edit*
- 21/07/2013 02:04:48 PM
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Well, that's good. I feel like I'm working on 3 or 4 at this point.
- 21/07/2013 05:41:21 PM
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People do forget that he's only half black - and more importantly, not "African American" at all.
- 21/07/2013 07:08:28 PM
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I'm one of those annoying people who corrects others with "biracial".
- 22/07/2013 08:03:10 PM
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That's not appropriate. Obama identifies as black. *NM*
- 23/07/2013 06:22:06 AM
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So do lots of white kids. 
- 23/07/2013 08:50:12 AM
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- 23/07/2013 08:50:12 AM
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It is the truth, though.
- 23/07/2013 06:30:53 PM
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I do not agree.
- 23/07/2013 07:06:33 PM
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Because he has publicly said that he has lived the life of a black man.
- 24/07/2013 06:12:27 AM
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I'm not saying he hasn't. In fact, I've said too many times in this thread that he has.
- 24/07/2013 08:21:04 AM
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Re: I'm not saying he hasn't. In fact, I've said too many times in this thread that he has.
- 24/07/2013 02:22:58 PM
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This is a complex issue.
- 23/07/2013 01:09:00 PM
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Because he looks black, he's been treated like a black person.
- 23/07/2013 06:28:41 PM
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Re: Because he looks black, he's been treated like a black person.
- 23/07/2013 11:31:03 PM
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Yes, Obama was raised by white people. Wikipedia says so, so it must be true! *NM*
- 24/07/2013 04:16:31 AM
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Perusing.
- 24/07/2013 04:02:53 AM
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That makes sense. Generally, though, one should go by whatever the person in question identifies as. *NM*
- 24/07/2013 06:13:28 AM
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I noticed the press wasn't aboard with idea when it came to Zimmerman
- 24/07/2013 12:49:00 PM
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Which is silly, because anyone can be racist. You are right, though. *NM*
- 24/07/2013 10:32:55 PM
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No, only white people can be racist. /sarcasm
- 25/07/2013 04:38:13 PM
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No, not really.
- 26/07/2013 07:40:45 AM
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I've thought about this a lot recently (prejudice + power = racism).
- 26/07/2013 10:36:16 AM
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so some liberal ivory tower racist redefined the word to mean they were no racist
- 26/07/2013 01:16:48 PM
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As always, the voice of reason when I am about to discount the US as fucking mental. *NM*
- 21/07/2013 03:17:15 PM
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That's not very nice.
- 21/07/2013 09:03:55 PM
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So Obama smoked weed, punched school bus drivers, and got arrested for theft?
- 21/07/2013 05:10:26 AM
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