DeSantis Uses Racist Dog Whistle...

[carpedm9587]

You're using a story in which you apparently undoubtedly offended somebody - not one in which it could easily have been taken a totally different way.

I'm using a joke that is usually pretty funny...unless you've lost someone. Apologizing was the decent thing to do. Desantis used a term that has racial overtones. A simple acknowledgment would have been the decent thing to do - and a lot more politically savvy. Don't get me wrong - I'm quite happy he's digging in and taking the "Trump road." We need to balance the Dem/Rep scales a bit, so one more Dem in a governor's mansion will help achieve that.

He has, apparently, "told a bit about himself" to those who choose to take his comment in a racist manner.

I thought you were married?!?!?!?

Oh I am... 31 years today.

That's just goofy - there are a lot of people - particularly married ones - who get badgered into making an apology just to get some peace and quiet.

The pinko commie leftist liberals who are badgering DeSantis wouldn't be placated with anything short of him admitting he was a racist.

No one can "badger" me into saying (or doing) anything. I'll listen to the request, respond if I think it's warranted, and not if I don't. If the person attempts to badger me, I ask them to stop. If they won't, I make myself scarce until they have something else to talk about. I'm not going to spout words I don't mean just to shut someone up. That's demeaning to them and doesn't leave me with much self-respect.

I have to admit that the "badger" thing was tried when we were first married. My wife fairly quickly learned that I just wasn't badger-able. So she stopped trying and now we talk. You might have noticed that philosophy here. There are lots of posters who just love to ridicule, mock, and make personal attacks instead of just focusing on the arguments and discussion points. I'll call them on it now and again, but mostly I just ignore it and focus on any rational points they may have made. Eventually, people realize it's pointless to use those tactics on me - they just don't work. No one can make me other than I am by their posts; they just reveal who they are.

[carpedm9587]

Ok, but suppose someone asks. "What did you do this weekend?" and you reply, "We went to the zoo to watch the monkeys," and the person's eyes grow wide, and they say, "That's a very offensive way to refer to black people!" Would you feel compelled to apologize for your "accidental racism"?

That word used in that context- absolutely not. But if I was watching a group of black children play on a jungle gym and said, "look at those little monkeys climb," and someone nearby took offense, I would apologize in that context. And if I was talking about a black colleague who "threw a monkey wrench into our plans" and someone took offense, I would apologize in that context. And if I used the term in a political speech that in any way referred to a black man who was my opposition, I would immediately make a public statement clarifying my meaning, point to my non-racist record, and apologize for any unintended insult taken. I would do that in the interests of both being civil - AND furthering my chances to win the election, taking a tool out of the hands of my opposition.

THAT is why I think DeSantis is being stupid. But hey, as I said to CP, I'd like to see a more even divide between Dem/Rep governors, so a Dem in the Florida governor's mansion is perfectly acceptable to me.

[Cow Poke]

No one can "badger" me into saying (or doing) anything.

You're not married.

[carpedm9587]

Insufficient context (or, more likely, insufficient sense) - what does "this" refer to? The election? The voters' choice of candidate? The post being contested? The economy of Florida? It's government? Florida itself?

"This" referred to the economic status of the state of Florida. And it would be "monkeyed up" by electing Gillum, who espouses some socialist views.

I have to admit that I find the entire rant against the great evil of socialism somewhat perplexing. Although socialism is considered pretty bad as a political theory (and the list of socialist countries affirms that), socialist principles are successfully used economically for specific aspects of almost every country. Even in the U.S., our highway system is implemented using a socialist model. Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid operate on that model. Most states that have adopted a socialist approach to healthcare have a statistically higher level of satisfaction (and lower cost) than we do in the U.S.

This "socialism bad" as an absolute is mystifying, to say the least.

[carpedm9587]

You're not married.

Maybe I'm just better at it than you...

[Cow Poke]

Maybe I'm just better at it than you...

Actually, as I finished reading your post, we're very similar in that regard, except I'm smarter and better looking.

[carpedm9587]

Actually, as I finished reading your post, we're very similar in that regard, except I'm smarter and better looking.

If you were smarter - you wouldn't be talking to me!







I think I may have hurt myself with that one...

[Mountain Man]

That word used in that context- absolutely not. But if I was watching a group of black children play on a jungle gym and said, "look at those little monkeys climb," and someone nearby took offense, I would apologize in that context. And if I was talking about a black colleague who "threw a monkey wrench into our plans" and someone took offense, I would apologize in that context. And if I used the term in a political speech that in any way referred to a black man who was my opposition, I would immediately make a public statement clarifying my meaning, point to my non-racist record, and apologize for any unintended insult taken. I would do that in the interests of both being civil - AND furthering my chances to win the election, taking a tool out of the hands of my opposition.

THAT is why I think DeSantis is being stupid. But hey, as I said to CP, I'd like to see a more even divide between Dem/Rep governors, so a Dem in the Florida governor's mansion is perfectly acceptable to me.

I bolded what I thought was the most interesting part. I hope you never run for public office, carpe, because you would be demolished with that mindset. If you think playing the game according to the ad hoc rules established by your opponents would take a tool out of their hands and increase your chances of winning then you're incredibly naive. On the contrary, any attempt to apologize for your "accidental racism" would simply be used against you as an admission of guilt, and it would be brought up as often as possible. "My opponent is clearly a racist because he was forced to apologize for referring to me with an offensive term!" And you would have to stand there and take every single rhetorical punch, because after all, you did apologize for what others falsely perceived to be intentionally racist language, and you would be left utterly defenseless, which is exactly what the left attempted with DeSantis, but he shrewdly refused to play into their hands.

In other news, it looks like Gillum his a monkey on his own back:

Source: FL Gubernatorial Race: Gillum Bungles Public Release of Receipts Related to FBI Investigation

https://www.breitbart.com/big-govern...investigation/

© Copyright Original Source

[lilpixieofterror]

I bolded what I thought was the most interesting part. I hope you never run for public office, carpe, because you would be demolished with that mindset. If you think playing the game according to the ad hoc rules established by your opponents would take a tool out of their hands and increase your chances of winning then you're incredibly naive. On the contrary, any attempt to apologize for your "accidental racism" would simply be used against you as an admission of guilt, and it would be brought up as often as possible. "My opponent is clearly a racist because he was forced to apologize for referring to me with an offensive term!" And you would have to stand there and take every single rhetorical punch, because after all, you did apologize for what others falsely perceived to be intentionally racist language, and you would be left utterly defenseless, which is exactly what the left attempted with DeSantis, but he shrewdly refused to play into their hands.

In other news, it looks like Gillum his a monkey on his own back:

Source: FL Gubernatorial Race: Gillum Bungles Public Release of Receipts Related to FBI Investigation

https://www.breitbart.com/big-govern...investigation/

© Copyright Original Source

[oxmixmudd]

If Gillum is quilty it would not make DeSantis phrase any less racist nor reduce his need to apologize.

As I have said over and over on these pages, sin by one person does not excuse or justify sin by another. This is morality 101 and it seems almost none of you get it. How it applies here is that the right thing should be done regardless of whether the receiver of the good deed deserves it or not.

The apology is the right thing to do in this instance. Regardless of whether Gillum is an angel or a devil.


Jim

[Mountain Man]

The apology is the right thing to do in this instance.

No it's not. I would suggest that it is perhaps immoral to apologize for a lie that is told against you.

[oxmixmudd]

No it's not. I would suggest that it is perhaps immoral to apologize for a lie that is told against you.

I would suggest you re-read my explanations on how the phrase more than lends itself to interpretation as a racial slur and you try to rebut that. Otherwise you are just being obstinate.


Jim

[lilpixieofterror]

If Gillum is quilty it would not make DeSantis phrase any less racist nor reduce his need to apologize.

As I have said over and over on these pages, sin by one person does not excuse or justify sin by another. This is morality 101 and it seems almost none of you get it. How it applies here is that the right thing should be done regardless of whether the receiver of the good deed deserves it or not.

The apology is the right thing to do in this instance. Regardless of whether Gillum is an angel or a devil.


Jim

[lilpixieofterror]

I would suggest you re-read my explanations on how the phrase more than lends itself to interpretation as a racial slur and you try to rebut that. Otherwise you are just being obstinate.


Jim

[NorrinRadd]

1) It literally never occurred to me that there might be anything racist about his remarks until all the loonies started running around screaming, "racism" with their little panties on fire.

2) Apologize when YOU know you've done something wrong. Don't apologize because of someone ELSE'S neuroticism.