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NickB79

(19,117 posts)
Fri Jul 3, 2020, 12:13 PM Jul 2020

The murder of George Floyd has shown me I work with a lot of racists [View all]

I've been at my job 16 years now. Blue-collar factory guys, Teamsters, mostly high school educated. I've always known most of them were conservative (which is ironic as we're unionized and would be making half the salary and benefits we make if we weren't). But for the most part, they always seemed like genuinely good-hearted people when you got past politics.

But since the protests and riots? My God, I've heard shit I never imagined from their mouths. The fact we're only 30 miles from Minneapolis and 95% of the plant is white, in an exurb/rural area doesn't help. But holy shit, are they triggered like I've never seen before.

"Floyd was a piece of shit felon who deserved to die."
"What was so bad about the Confederacy?"
"I toured a plantation on vacation and they treated their slaves good."
"Protesters are going to blow up Mt Rushmore!"
"A good machine gun would clear up this whole problem."
"If I was that black jogger chased and killed in Georgia by white guys with shotguns, I would have just sat down and waited for the cops. It's his own fault he got shot."

I could go on. The list is loooonnnggg.

The plantation quote set me off today. I got in a shouting match in the break room with the guy. My wife and daughter have ancestors who were slaves, and that was my last fucking straw. I wasn't going to stand by and let him sugarcoat the ownership of human beings like livestock.

Anyone else dealing with this shit? I've passed the point of biting my tongue. In a few short years my biracial daughter will be a young woman, on her own with people like them. I won't be able to use my whiteness to protect her anymore and it's tearing me up inside.

As Andrew Burke famously said "The only thing required for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing."

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While masks are being put on... Newest Reality Jul 2020 #1
Trump is unmasking the Evangelicals. Catholic church being unmasked by abuse scandal bobbieinok Jul 2020 #8
Yah, Wellstone ruled Jul 2020 #2
Me too, and not only that but I live in their neighborhood. onecaliberal Jul 2020 #3
My situation as well. Midnight Writer Jul 2020 #16
O8 primary fights at DU---had no idea so many 'progressives/liberals' were sexist or racist!! bobbieinok Jul 2020 #4
I heard more racist language when I lived and worked in Rochester, MN sinkingfeeling Jul 2020 #5
I have about 30 people banned on FB and most are because they are racists jerks. A lot of them Maraya1969 Jul 2020 #6
And here most of the people I've blocked are Trump and Jorgenson supporters sakabatou Jul 2020 #15
My husband works for a major airline that is unionized and works with guys like that high school kimbutgar Jul 2020 #7
The education part: groups like Turning Point live love laugh Jul 2020 #29
They're nothing wrong with trade schools kimbutgar Jul 2020 #30
Yes it's the discouragement towards higher education live love laugh Jul 2020 #31
Not sure why that's a bad thing. qwlauren35 Jul 2020 #39
Racism is foundational to the white trash culture dalton99a Jul 2020 #9
I just printed this off and am putting it on the fridge for my sister to see. Grey Jul 2020 #13
Mediocre white people. Their whiteness is the one thing they have "going" for them Dream Girl Jul 2020 #17
Lyndon Johnson of Texas said it best. Marcuse Jul 2020 #32
I have seen it...that is what makes many racists lose their minds Roc2020 Jul 2020 #19
thats the reality Locrian Jul 2020 #24
Perfect! Roc2020 Jul 2020 #36
Racism is foundational to the United States as a whole. WhiskeyGrinder Jul 2020 #26
You hit the nail on the head shanti Jul 2020 #28
You're going to be labeled LittleGirl Jul 2020 #10
Post removed Post removed Jul 2020 #11
I'm from rural Wyoming and have grown up around people who would never associate with Nazis Lanius Jul 2020 #12
majority of white people voted for trump JI7 Jul 2020 #14
I am an retired and live in the South PurgedVoter Jul 2020 #18
Hey. KentuckyWoman Jul 2020 #27
Message auto-removed Name removed Jul 2020 #35
A family member tried to convince me that any POC have Ilsa Jul 2020 #20
I used to have a boyfriend who was "trouble" - LeftInTX Jul 2020 #21
I've heard similar. KentuckyWoman Jul 2020 #22
Agree totally benld74 Jul 2020 #23
I have learned who are racist by Bev54 Jul 2020 #25
Strange place this country and even stranger people. safeinOhio Jul 2020 #33
Post removed Post removed Jul 2020 #34
I expect qwlauren35 Jul 2020 #37
Got singled out because I'm Black amongst White coworkers. djacq Jul 2020 #38
Keep it documented PurgedVoter Jul 2020 #40
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