General Discussion

Smarmie Doofus

(14,498 posts)

35. It's a good question.

Reply to CheapShotArtist (Original post)

Fri Feb 28, 2014, 01:59 AM

Feb 2014

It ( 'POC') is an linguistic atrocity and anachronism that obscures and confuses more than it clarifies.

Are dark complected, curly haired Sicilian Italians "people of color"? "Of *course* not, silly. They're *Europeans*." ( As if that matters; Carribean- Brit's w. ancestry from Barbados are by definition "Europeans." Yet they are inarguably "people of color".

"Ah... but the Sicilians nerved suffered *discrimination.* "

Oh.... really? You sure about that? Maybe you should have known my Irish-American grandmother ( b. Circa 1875, died 1965.)

Let's let "people of color" go the way of "colored people." A well earned, ( Good intentions should count for something.) peaceful death from disuse and a dignified, full-honors burial at sea.

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Why is the term "people of color" still used? [View all] CheapShotArtist Feb 2014 OP

have you seen people in Minnesota? Pretzel_Warrior Feb 2014 #1

Hey! BainsBane Feb 2014 #5

lol. Minnesotans have been known to spontaneously combust when visiting tropics Pretzel_Warrior Feb 2014 #6

Actually there are a lot of Scandinavians here BainsBane Feb 2014 #7

You speak the truth. WatermelonRat Mar 2014 #163

I believe it originated back in the '60s or thereabouts. AverageJoe90 Feb 2014 #2

Might have also originated from the "Colored People" signs I used to see as a youth when RKP5637 Feb 2014 #105

No, it most certainly does not. redqueen Feb 2014 #119

Thanks! Yep, Frenchie Cat certainly did! n/t RKP5637 Feb 2014 #121

You should see my wife Gman Feb 2014 #3

When did it begin? El_Johns Feb 2014 #4

I just recently read that term (last night) libodem Feb 2014 #67

+1, n/t RKP5637 Feb 2014 #108

Means those folks who have a skin hue that .... FrenchieCat Feb 2014 #8

FrenchieCat! stevenleser Feb 2014 #44

Oooh! JustAnotherGen Feb 2014 #49

! LiberalAndProud Feb 2014 #86

The comic strip "Bloom County" did an hilarious take on this topic . . . Journeyman Feb 2014 #9

!!! (nt) enough Feb 2014 #13

Interesting... TeeYiYi Feb 2014 #28

I always thought it was an odd term, that it establishes "white" as the norm, and moves from there. Throd Feb 2014 #10

Sigh... M0rpheus Feb 2014 #11

LOL! them white folks telling black folks what words to use. kwassa Feb 2014 #12

Ugh... This sh... nevermind. M0rpheus Feb 2014 #15

I think will just have to go with clueless ... kwassa Feb 2014 #16

Yeah, but... no. Squinch Feb 2014 #18

Um...I'm Black. CheapShotArtist Feb 2014 #41

For real alcibiades_mystery Feb 2014 #37

I was hoping BainsBane Feb 2014 #38

Out gif'd again JustAnotherGen Feb 2014 #51

Ya gotta be up in the wee hours! M0rpheus Feb 2014 #59

Ha! JustAnotherGen Feb 2014 #65

I'm often up in the wee hours myself. Because I gotta wee... freshwest Mar 2014 #170

You forgot your wee hours Gif... M0rpheus Mar 2014 #171

Is it a twitter pic? I can't see those. Thanks anyway! nt freshwest Mar 2014 #172

Results of your Jury Service CreekDog Feb 2014 #89

LOL gollygee Feb 2014 #95

juror #6 is a real piece of work CreekDog Feb 2014 #143

:) M0rpheus Feb 2014 #148

GIFMan strikes again!! Number23 Feb 2014 #157

My first alert... And it's on this? M0rpheus Feb 2014 #98

. ScreamingMeemie Feb 2014 #106

A Toast for your accomplishment! JustAnotherGen Feb 2014 #120

Backatcha! M0rpheus Feb 2014 #130

oooh JustAnotherGen Feb 2014 #136

omg you crack me up. LiberalAndProud Feb 2014 #131

I'm sorry. I just love you so much!! Number23 Feb 2014 #158

No more GIFs. I promise. M0rpheus Feb 2014 #160

I blame The Wizard Of Oz pintobean Feb 2014 #14

I don't even know what this post means Number23 Feb 2014 #159

I have heard black folks use this term mostly Lex Feb 2014 #17

If you want to get technical, we shouldn't use the word "minority", either Blue_Tires Feb 2014 #19

Should we pretend that the differences don't affect people's lives? pnwmom Feb 2014 #20

Two grandparents used the term "colored" hunter Feb 2014 #21

term applies to everyone since we are all colored leftyohiolib Feb 2014 #22

No. Just no. M0rpheus Feb 2014 #29

Wow! onpatrol98 Feb 2014 #33

Nah... Not educating. Just stopping something before it gets started. M0rpheus Feb 2014 #34

Post removed Post removed Feb 2014 #42

so it's ok now to discriminate against me because im white ? just people is what it should be. leftyohiolib Feb 2014 #45

Are you serious? ScreamingMeemie Feb 2014 #46

i never liked the term person of color , like im invisible i dont care if it's a rw talking point leftyohiolib Feb 2014 #47

No you are not. End of discussion. You should really be apologizing ScreamingMeemie Feb 2014 #48

like i said im sorry it upsets you.end of discussion is correct leftyohiolib Feb 2014 #50

Upset? No. Flabbergasted as hell to see this come from the keyboard of ScreamingMeemie Feb 2014 #54

am i allowed to have a different opinion than yours even if it upsets u? leftyohiolib Feb 2014 #75

Am I not able to comment on your opinion? ScreamingMeemie Feb 2014 #78

yes u r but i'd say youve done more than just comment but that doesnt answer my question leftyohiolib Feb 2014 #80

You haven't answered mine. Have your posts been deleted? ScreamingMeemie Feb 2014 #81

i just updated the post to answer ur question now answer mine. quit bulling me leftyohiolib Feb 2014 #85

See: ScreamingMeemie Feb 2014 #87

i wont defend this anymore u dont like my opinion so your going to try to bully me in to accepting leftyohiolib Feb 2014 #88

Dear Sir and/or Ma'am ScreamingMeemie Feb 2014 #92

So let me get this straight... M0rpheus Feb 2014 #56

am i allowed to to have different opinion on this? leftyohiolib Feb 2014 #73

Absolutely. Regardless of how sub-literate, inaccurate, or petulant it may be. LanternWaste Feb 2014 #93

You are allowed your opinion just as I'm allowed to disagree. And I do... Vehemently. M0rpheus Feb 2014 #104

Ha! JustAnotherGen Feb 2014 #145

Love. redqueen Feb 2014 #122

Are you serious? gollygee Feb 2014 #57

am i Allowed to have an opinion that differs from yours? leftyohiolib Feb 2014 #74

um gollygee Feb 2014 #76

im not making light of any discrimination i just dont like the like the phrase leftyohiolib Feb 2014 #82

Just so you know. LiberalAndProud Feb 2014 #91

No one can prevent you from having an opinion. It is a foolish opinion, however. kwassa Feb 2014 #127

current linguistic fashion rustbeltvoice Feb 2014 #23

If by "current" you mean "since the 70's". nt redqueen Feb 2014 #124

maybe because Bombero1956 Feb 2014 #24

Probably, because Melanin is too hard to spell for the RC Feb 2014 #111

The consistency... redqueen Feb 2014 #125

Why? Because I am too obtuse to see the world as you do? RC Feb 2014 #129

I would never, ever speak for my own daughter. ScreamingMeemie Feb 2014 #133

I would. I raised them, I know them. I know what kind of women they are. RC Feb 2014 #135

You can ask her if I know her well. I sure as heck wouldn't speak for her. ScreamingMeemie Feb 2014 #138

Ahhh, the pile on begins. RC Feb 2014 #139

Pile on? I don't understand, or you've been taking inaccurate notes. ScreamingMeemie Feb 2014 #140

They why the big deal about me knowing my daughters well enough to know what they would think on RC Feb 2014 #141

The difference is I don't claim to know every thought or idea in my (or your) kids' heads. ScreamingMeemie Feb 2014 #142

I am not try to or changing the conversation. RC Feb 2014 #144

The gender of your children never came into my mind. ScreamingMeemie Feb 2014 #146

What is your problem. RC Feb 2014 #149

Let's see... I told you what I thought about you thinking you know everything your ScreamingMeemie Feb 2014 #150

Link? Link to where I said I think I know everything my kids would think/do. RC Feb 2014 #152

I "jumped in and acted" like something. That's a crazy statement. ScreamingMeemie Feb 2014 #153

Yeah, It increasingly seems BainsBane Mar 2014 #169

Wasn't "colored" the adjective used to designate things to be used by black people? FarCenter Feb 2014 #25

IIRC, "colored" in South Africa referred to people of white and Indian mix. Eleanors38 Feb 2014 #26

Yeah... see the strip linked in post 9. redqueen Feb 2014 #126

I don't think it's been in use that long NJCher Feb 2014 #27

Spanish speakers continue to be confounded... jberryhill Feb 2014 #30

"People of color" may have been started by academic race theorists a couple of decades ago FarCenter Feb 2014 #31

It refers to people who were discriminated against all over the nation but especially in the South JDPriestly Feb 2014 #40

A lot longer than five years ago. antiquie Feb 2014 #52

It is a term in popular vernacular used to describe those who are not caucasian. Gravitycollapse Feb 2014 #32

It's a good question. Smarmie Doofus Feb 2014 #35

Oh fer fucks sake alcibiades_mystery Feb 2014 #36

Post removed Post removed Feb 2014 #43

Would you prefer the term, non-Europeans, or maybe non-white? JDPriestly Feb 2014 #39

Only a Group of DU'ers are using "white privilege", not DU as a whole. RC Feb 2014 #118

We could just call people "not privileged straight white males" The Straight Story Feb 2014 #53

Why Not Drop the 'of color" Wolf Frankula Feb 2014 #55

Colorblind ideology is a kind of racism gollygee Feb 2014 #58

Everything is racism to the perennially offended. Wolf Frankula Mar 2014 #166

well........ NM_Birder Feb 2014 #60

It's based on how language has been used gollygee Feb 2014 #61

well ........ NM_Birder Feb 2014 #62

The names were created when those words were used gollygee Feb 2014 #63

What group decided that "black" is wrong, African American is correct. NM_Birder Feb 2014 #64

What difference does it make to you? gollygee Feb 2014 #68

How is in NOT relevant ? NM_Birder Feb 2014 #103

I'm not sure what your issue is gollygee Feb 2014 #113

So? I'm called Caucasian even tho' I'm not from the Caucasus region. Lex Feb 2014 #70

When did you decide race baiting was the proper way to conduct a discussion in GD? ScreamingMeemie Feb 2014 #71

You don't get to decide what's offensive to others. Lex Feb 2014 #66

That is an excellent way to put it in easy-to-understand terms for the terminally obtuse. ScreamingMeemie Feb 2014 #69

If Bob is black, from Illinois, why does society call him an Afican American. NM_Birder Feb 2014 #101

Who's the common denominator here in the comprehension Olympics? ScreamingMeemie Feb 2014 #102

"comprehension olympics"....very clever, now NM_Birder Feb 2014 #107

You were already given a straight answer ScreamingMeemie Feb 2014 #109

"broken down in an easy to understand way" NM_Birder Feb 2014 #110

Once more, with feeling... ScreamingMeemie Feb 2014 #112

If bob is black, and born in Illinois, NM_Birder Feb 2014 #100

Why am I called "Caucasian" if I'm not from the Caucasus region? Lex Feb 2014 #114

the whole point was, why aren't you just called a "person" NM_Birder Mar 2014 #161

Oh yes, YOU are the first person to ever think of that! Lex Mar 2014 #164

LOL......... NM_Birder Mar 2014 #168

African American isn't a synonym for black. chrisa Feb 2014 #77

You described my question. NM_Birder Feb 2014 #97

In the 50 's it was polite libodem Feb 2014 #72

A good point treestar Feb 2014 #79

These are various "people of color" at least according to the definitions of some Americans AZ Progressive Feb 2014 #83

That's to call them, OTHER. Plain and simple. It's not rocket science. n/t Cleita Feb 2014 #84

I think the OP has a point. Jamaal510 Feb 2014 #90

No one was paying attention to anthropology when the original card was dealt. M0rpheus Feb 2014 #147

That's true. Jamaal510 Feb 2014 #151

It's all a work in progress. There is much to learn, yet. M0rpheus Feb 2014 #156

Also, pictures of people from Spain AZ Progressive Feb 2014 #94

welcome back CreekDog Feb 2014 #96

I'm guessing this one has had troubles here before? Lex Feb 2014 #115

i'm not sure CreekDog Feb 2014 #116

Because "non - white" implies white as default and language can be clumsy. TheKentuckian Feb 2014 #99

why are you calling people "black"? CreekDog Feb 2014 #117

because we can't say naggers? Puzzledtraveller Feb 2014 #123

OMFG is it REALLY that hard to tell the difference between the words "of color" and "colored"?! redqueen Feb 2014 #128

One is a prepositional phrase modifying a noun and the other is an adjective modifying a noun? FarCenter Feb 2014 #132

1988 redqueen Feb 2014 #134

I know, but overloading syntax with semantic meaning is bad language design FarCenter Feb 2014 #137

Thank you. johnp3907 Feb 2014 #155

When I was a kid "colored" was polite. Nye Bevan Feb 2014 #154

So did I but this is now, not 1950. CTyankee Mar 2014 #162

Of all the shit in the world to worry about Travelman Mar 2014 #165

Message auto-removed Name removed Mar 2014 #167