As compensation for racism, minorities get to say words that make some white people uncomfortable.

[DanTex]

That's how it is. It's not nearly adequate compensation, in fact it's so minor and insignificant that even using the word "compensation" is a bit silly. But the reason that minorities get to use words like that whereas it is not acceptable for white people to use the n-word is because white people are advantaged, whereas black people and other minorities are institutionally discriminated against.

Dear white people: deal with it. It has zero effect on your life. You will almost certainly go your entire life without being called a "wypipo" to your face, and if it happens, you can just ignore it and you'll be just fine. You only heard about it because some racist on twitter got outraged. It's much more advantageous in our society to be a white person who is occasionally made uncomfortable by the term "wypipo", than a black person that gets to use "wypipo" to describe racism that they experience.

In fact, not only will you never be hurt by a black person using the word "wypipo", overall, even minorities will subconsciously treat you better than other minorities because everyone in our society, including minorities, is ingrained with implicit preferences towards white people (and men, and straight people, etc.). There is extensive research on this.

A black person using the word "wypipo" isn't personally insulting you or personally calling you a racist. Having said that, you are racist. Yes, you. Even if you don't object to "wypipo", you are still racist. You may not be aggressively or overtly or consciously racist, but you do exhibit racial biases that have been ingrained in you by society since you were an infant.

If reading the word "wypipo" makes you feel uncomfortable, boo-hoo. Instead of posting something furious on the internet about it, how about instead you examine your own implicit racial biases, which I guarantee you have. You're not going to get rid of them, but maybe you can be more aware of them and lessen their effect on your behavior. That would be a positive way of channeling your uncomfortableness.

[leftofcool]

1. Yes, thank you.

In other words, get the fuck over your white fragile fee fees.

[SoFlaDem]

2. My white sensitivities are devastated by the term "Wypipo"

I'm hurt, crushed and destroyed completely.



Jeez, just get over it fellow members of the oppressing class.

[Bok_Tukalo]

3. I understand that bigots are who they are.

All I can do is express my objections to their bigotry.

The use of a race based epithet is wrong.

[DanTex]

5. Why is it wrong? And "just because" isn't an answer.

The n-word is wrong because it perpetuates and reinforces the entrenched racism that black people already suffer from.

What harm does "wypipo" do?

[LanternWaste]

6. You can also support your premise with evidence to support it.

"All I can do is express my objections to their bigotry..."

You can also support your premise with evidence to support it as a valid hypothesis.

But I kinda get why you would consciously ignore that as a choice... once we create a vague implication large enough to cower behind (e.g., "I understand that bigots are who they are." ), defending it as such can become quite tedious.

[cyclonefence]

4. My god we white people are lucky

if this is all it takes to compensate for the centuries of privilege we and our ancestors have enjoyed, without even asking for it. But we certainly have been lucky through the centuries, haven't we?

I think the reluctance to accept the idea of institutionalized racism, racism that all white people benefit from even today, is based on a feeling of being attacked personally for being racist. You do not have to be a racist yourself to benefit from racism. We have advantages in life simply because our skin is a light color that the most industrious, intelligent, kind, best person of another skin tone is denied simply because of the accident of birth. And we go through our lives enjoying our, yes, white privilege, unaware for the most part, and getting defensive and pissed off if anybody points it out to us.

[cheyanne]

7. Once upon a time, a black man's life would depend on how he reacted to the n word

the community had no way to stop whites using that word as a provocation to blacks.

so the community used desensitivation.

by using the word among themselves they could be enured to its use. so it no longer caused a reaction that could end in violence.

blacks, once they were desensitized to it, used to word to promote solidarity within the group.

many of the traits of an oppressed culture seem inexplicable to the dominant caste, but they are understanding as societal reactions to oppression.

do you know the meaning of the low pants, no shoe lace ? once in jail the police take your belt and shoe laces. by appropriating this loss, young blacks are reacting to police racism that could put them behind bars.

[loyalsister]

14. Thank you for that

My aversion to the n-word has always made me very uncomfortable to hear it no matter who uses it. I had accepted in-group usage as valid, but hadn't learned the history behind it.

[YessirAtsaFact]

8. Another divisive nonsense thread

Yes, these issues matter, but we have a war to win, midterms 2018.

Maybe we could put our differences on hold long enough to win an election?

[EffieBlack]

10. How is this "divisive?" What or who did it divide?

Did it divide YOU from someone? We're you on someone's side until this post but now you're on a different side? Who?

[Caliman73]

11. Do you really think that people are going to not vote over one word?

If you think about it for one minute, you have to realize how silly that sounds.

White Person: I'm not voting Democratic because those mean people of color used a word that offends me.

Person of Color: I'm not voting Democratic because the internet people don't like a word used to describe a tiny subset of White people.

People don't vote because they don't think that it matters, because they don't see any change from day to day or year to year. They don't not vote in a huff because of a word.

In Alabama, Black women were the deciding factor in the election of a Democratic candidate to the Senate. Black people have been dependable votes for the Democratic Party even though many of their issues have been put on hold because... "for the sake of not being divisive".

If you want to win in 2018, get all of the people you know to go out on election day and vote for the Democratic candidate. We can have disagreements and discussions and still vote for the best candidate at the same time.

[Empowerer]

16. THIS!

[EffieBlack]

9. Great point!

We didn't get our 40 acres and a mule.

We haven't gotten reparations.

We were decades late getting Social Security, VA and other housing loans.

The least we can get is some room to say "Wypipo" without being attacked.

[Tipperary]

12. Another lecture.

[DanTex]

13. Another opinion you disagree with. It happens.

[Empowerer]

17. If they don't agree with it, it's a "lecture"

[oberliner]

19. No, a lecture is like a video by a white woman explaining "White Fragility"

Or a screed from Michael Harriot explaining what some made-up term really and truly means - as if he is the authority.

[EffieBlack]

21. No, Boo - but nice try.

I gotta admire your persistence.

[mythology]

15. It doesn't make me uncomfortable

It's just childish name calling that makes me dismiss whatever point they were trying to make. When I was a child I threw one temper tantrum because my mom not only didn't give in to it, she continued with her shopping. I eventually got up and found her again. I don't reward that sort of behavior by treating it seriously.

It's laughable to claim that it's an attempt to make up for racism. It literally does nothing to create change.

[EffieBlack]

20. Your reasoning skills are so cramped that you can only consider information from people with whom

you agree 100 percent, who never say anything that offends you or you think is "childish," otherwise, you are unable to discern anything valuable they say from anything you don't like about how they express themselves? You just walk away from everything they have to say?

Wow. But that sure explains a lot. Among other things, it demonstrates that any "divisiveness" caused by the topic emanates from you, not the person raising it.

[oberliner]

18. And white people are permitted to say that they think it's stupid

Or no?

[EffieBlack]

22. You can say whatever you like

But if you whine like a little baby if someone challenges you after you say it, don't be surprised if you get laughed at.

[Caliman73]

23. Yes of course!

White people are allowed to basically say or do anything with relatively few consequences. There are maybe a VERY few words that White people can't say or opinions they can't hold without social consequence.

They can walk on a college campus with an AR-15 without being shot and killed. They can walk down the street with an AR-15, be stopped, questioned in a very friendly manner, then be sent on their way, while a Black man walking down the very same street is put on his stomach at gunpoint.

Hell they can shoot and kill people in a school and leave the scene alive. They can go into a Walmart, take a pellet gun and shoot at customers and get arrested, where a Black man holding an unloaded pellet gun in a Walmart gets killed, an unarmed Black man selling cigarettes gets killed, a 12 year old Black boy playing with a toy gun in a park is killed within 30 seconds that he police arrive, where as a 60 year old drunk White guy with a loaded AR-15 is talked down over an hour, leaves, then gets his gun back.

So YES, White people are permitted to say that a term that is used between people of color when sharing their experience of systemic oppression... is stupid.

Guess you've reached that mountain top, free at last!!

[MineralMan]

24. Up to a point, yes.

But, one has to ask what the point is in attacking a poster for making a case for something.

Words like "stupid" are often interpreted as personal attacks. Enough of those can lead to a withdrawal of permission to say things.

Your anger appears to be showing. Why you're angry, I don't know, but take good care...