General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Tim Wise: Race-Talk is a Language White Folks Need to Learn [View all]Decoy of Fenris
(1,954 posts)"When I say (N-Word), I don't mean THAT kind of Black"
That's the takeaway I got from this particular piece; "Well we don't mean THAT kind of 'White'".
As pointed out elsewhere, it's easy to say "Well not X, I mean Y". It's a sentiment of race-based bigotry that applies, with a broad brush, "Everyone who I disapprove of until I say otherwise".
While I agree with the sentiment, I can also understand the pushback. If a random white person said "I hate it when (Racial stereotype of any minority)", they'd be accused of racism, and rightly; Saying "White people" or "Wypipo" or whatever race-based childish bigotry someone's trying to cover for, it should be rightly trashed as racist and bigoted. This sort of thing brought up by Mr. Wise only hinders race relations across the board, and indeed encourages said bigotry and hate.
Like I said, I understand the principle and it's sound in spirit, but it can also cause/enable FAR more problems than it solves. When I was growing up, as recently as the 90s/00s, I heard "Not THAT type of black person, this kind (Insert Stereotype)" to justify the N-word, and that was in relatively liberal upstate New York. Not worth it, IMO, and if you're talking about racists, one should simply say "racists", not the all-encompassing broad brush of "White People"