Being racist right in front of me

[Bright_Star]

So I'm at work today & I'm working with 2 other people. They're having a conversation & it quickly becomes clear that it's racist in nature. Every other word seemed to be either "blacks are this" or "blacks are that" & I get a few sprinkles of the infamous "N" word. Then they realize that I'm listening to them & I get this from the both of them------>
They tell me.."it's nothing personal" "No offense!"
I just look at them & say..."whatever" & walk away from them before I say something I might regret. My "brain to mouth filter" was disabled...lol.
I'm Puerto Rican & have some black in me too. I could have made a big deal about what they were saying but I decided to take the high road & not lower myself to down to their level. I'm in my 40's & have heard so much racial bullshit all my life that I've learned not to take it personally.
Now...had that been my aunt who had listened to that then both of their butts would have been kicked...lol.
It goes to show you that you have to be carefull of saying certain things cause you never know who's listening.

[Argabarga]

I get that at work a lot too (not race, but religion/ethnicity within being "white") kind of jokes from people who are a bit, shall we say, rough around the edges.

Sometimes they'll try to make it "ok" by prefacing it with "You aren't Jewish/Irish/whateverish are you?"

My standard response, "Tell a joke and find out" in my "supervisor deadpan" voice.

[Boozy]

Sometimes they'll try to make it "ok" by prefacing it with "You aren't Jewish/Irish/whateverish are you?"

My standard response, "Tell a joke and find out" in my "supervisor deadpan" voice.

I like your response.

You don't have to be a member of a certain race to be offended by jokes like that. Racism is offensive to all humanity.

[unclejampuff]

You don't have to be a member of a certain race to be offended by jokes like that. Racism is offensive to all humanity.

I hate it when people assume I'm also white/straight/Christian/dancing bear, and will not be offended by their jokes. Just because I look like a WASP does not mean I'm not offended by duragatory jokes. And it's just plain funny to see their faces twist when inform them that I am not, in fact, white/straight/Christian/dancing bear. Maybe I'm going to hell for supporting gay people... did anyone ever think that God may not like hateful jokes?

[marasbaras]

Some people are just horrible and clueless.

And, speaking of jokes, here's one of my favorite black jokes ...

What do you call twenty white guys with clubs chasing a black man?

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The PGA tour.

[Chazzie]

"It's nothing personal"?

Sure sounds like it to me. =/

[ArcticChicken]

There is a simple way to tell if a joke is over the line. It's the joke your friends of that race/religion/sexual preference etc. won't laugh at. Preferably, it's one they themselves have told you.

[RetailWorkhorse]

Just because I look like a WASP<snip>

So.....you look like a bug?

Some people are just horrible and clueless.

And, speaking of jokes, here's one of my favorite black jokes ...

What do you call twenty guys with clubs chasing a black man?

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The PGA tour.

[Anriana]

There is a simple way to tell if a joke is over the line. It's the joke your friends of that race/religion/sexual preference etc. won't laugh at. Preferably, it's one they themselves have told you.

That's probably not a good way to make that determination. People of a particular race/religion/etc are not one homogenous group. What doesn't offend one person might offend another, and the jokes your friends/family/etc laugh at with you aren't necessarily appropriate coming from a stranger or coworker.

[marasbaras]

The real test is: is your joke derisive to another set of people? If so, it's probably not good.

Now, if that set of people includes yourself, that's an exception. As a short, fat, middle-aged white man, I can make fun of quite a few groups of people with some leeway.

My PGA joke above (obvious Tiger Woods reference) ... puts the black (OK, Asian/black/etc) person in a GOOD light. So, it's OK. Anyone who has an issue with that joke is just a turd who needs to score a sense of humor at the local Stop-n-Go.

[Bagga]

What do you call 20 white men in cars chasing a black man?

The Formula 1 World Championship.

[Ree]

Just a reminder that we do have a "Jokes" forum, and it's moderated for a reason.

Please do not continue to post any more jokes in this thread.

It's not about the actual jokes.
It's more about the people who think it's hilarious to tell racist jokes, regardless of the situation.

[greensinestro]

You know what I do to play it safe at work? Talk about other things other than making racial jokes. If one has to ask a question such as "Are you Jewish/from New York/Martian, etc." before telling the joke, then it's probably a good idea not to tell the joke. Just like if you question the clothes you're about to wear to work, it's better not to wear them.

I had this issue years ago when I was working for Bellsouth. This lady, who was black, and I were going to Burger King for lunch when this nice, new, shiny Cadillac drove by with two black guys in it. These guys looked like car thieves and not the owners of the car. I looked at this lady and said, "I'll bet they stole that car", I immediately regretted what I said. (No need to elaborate here) This lady became enraged and tried to tell everyone in our office that I was a racist, and it did not matter that my comment was based on an observation, not on a racial joke. Thankfully, the co-workers saw it my way, but this woman refused to talk to me for months afterward, if at all.

[Fawn]

I really don't understand people. Its as if all the hate from back then was passed down to there children. I don't understand why people have the need to be selfish pricks.

[depechemodefan]

I have a co-worker who's from Boston. He would tell me that people would look down at the Italians, esp. the ones from the south of Italy. Then I had a co-worker who married an italian because of he was Italian (I imagine they married in Texas). So the first co-worker gets offended by comments on the Mario brothers, and the second co-worker gets the higher ups asking if her son, the astronaut, could come in for programs.