To the guy who gave me the finger at Valley and Jefferson (corrected)

I know that you felt that you were entitled to pull out onto Valley, but you did not have the right of way.  Just because you are an old white guy in a Tesla who has partially pulled out onto Valley does not mean that traffic has to stop for you.  You have a stop sign, you have to wait.  If you want to turn left onto Valley you might try a safer and more logical approach and drive to an intersection with a stoplight.

The only driver who had the right to give someone the finger in this interaction was me . . . but I didn't.

What's with the racism? If he was black, would you have written "black guy." Hispanic guy? If he wore a Kippah, Jewish guy? Muslim guy? 

My guess is maybe it's a tongue in cheek reference to the entire thread about old white guys?

Perhaps, a perpetual thread can be created to specifically address the "Rudeness, Missteps, Crimes and Misdemeanors of Old-White-Guys."

Harriet said:

You have a stop sign, you have to wait.  If you want to turn left onto Valley you might try a safer and more logical approach and drive to an intersection with a stoplight.

The intersection of Valley and Parker (from the thread title) does have a stoplight. 

sprout said:

Harriet said:

You have a stop sign, you have to wait.  If you want to turn left onto Valley you might try a safer and more logical approach and drive to an intersection with a stoplight.

The intersection of Valley and Parker (from the thread title) does have a stoplight. 

I had the same comment.

yahooyahoo said:

sprout said:

Harriet said:

You have a stop sign, you have to wait.  If you want to turn left onto Valley you might try a safer and more logical approach and drive to an intersection with a stoplight.

The intersection of Valley and Parker (from the thread title) does have a stoplight. 

I had the same comment.

 Me too. Maybe Harriet meant Valley and Jefferson? I hate trying to turn left from Jefferson.

Oops - I was thinking he would be better off making a left at the light at Parker.  The incident was at Jefferson and Valley.

proeasdf said:

Perhaps, a perpetual thread can be created to specifically address the "Rudeness, Missteps, Crimes and Misdemeanors of Old-White-Guys."

 That would be great. Follow me around and I can provide material for about 10 posts every day. Someone can put them in a journal. We can publish it. It will them be picked up as a film, "Grumpy Old Man."

Me, and somebody will be rich.

Speaking as an old white guy, the world would generally be a more pleasant place if there were fewer old white guys. 

ml1 said:

Speaking as an old white guy, the world would generally be a more pleasant place if there were fewer old white guys. 

 Hate to disabuse you, but you ain't old. Maybe gettin' closer, but you still gotta ways to go.

Dennis_Seelbach said:

 Hate to disabuse you, but you ain't old. Maybe gettin' closer, but you still gotta ways to go.

 there is nobody whiter though. 

ml1 said:

Dennis_Seelbach said:

 Hate to disabuse you, but you ain't old. Maybe gettin' closer, but you still gotta ways to go.

 there is nobody whiter though. 

 I'll compare, any day! Irish is white, but so is German/Scot. And I'm way older.

One of the funny stories my kids (now in their 50s) tell about their mother concerns the day when I had had enough! They were in the rear of our block-long Mercury station wagon when another driver did something that upset me. I truly don’t recall what had provoked me so. Anyway, I rolled down my window and gave the driver the finger!

Afterward, the kids began  laughing and rolling around the car. Wrong finger! I had used my index finger. As young as they were, they knew. No idea what the other driver thought.

mtierney said:

One of the funny stories my kids (now in their 50s) tell about their mother concerns the day when I had had enough! They were in the rear of our block-long Mercury station wagon when another driver did something that upset me. I truly don’t recall what had provoked me so. Anyway, I rolled down my window and gave the driver the finger!

Afterward, the kids began  laughing and rolling around the car. Wrong finger! I had used my index finger. As young as they were, they knew. No idea what the other driver thought.

 we're number 1!

ml1 said:

Speaking as an old white guy, the world would generally be a more pleasant place if there were fewer old white guys. 

 Change begins with you!

BG9 said:

What's with the racism? If he was black, would you have written "black guy." Hispanic guy? If he wore a Kippah, Jewish guy? Muslim guy? 

I think you need to refresh your understanding of the concept of racism.  Calling an old white guy in a tesla an old white guy in a tesla is not and cannot be racist by any definition of the word.  Citing a list of groups that can be oppressed and calling for equivalency for the dominant cultural group in society however just might qualify.

max_weisenfeld said:

BG9 said:

What's with the racism? If he was black, would you have written "black guy." Hispanic guy? If he wore a Kippah, Jewish guy? Muslim guy? 

I think you need to refresh your understanding of the concept of racism.  Calling an old white guy in a tesla an old white guy in a tesla is not and cannot be racist by any definition of the word.  Citing a list of groups that can be oppressed and calling for equivalency for the dominant cultural group in society however just might qualify.

 https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/racism

Guess Webster qualifies then.

ml1 said:

Speaking as an old white guy, the world would generally be a more pleasant place if there were fewer old white guys. 

 And how do you propose to accomplish your goal (namely, fewer old white guys)?

Dennis_Seelbach said:

ml1 said:

Dennis_Seelbach said:

 Hate to disabuse you, but you ain't old. Maybe gettin' closer, but you still gotta ways to go.

 there is nobody whiter though. 

 I'll compare, any day! Irish is white, but so is German/Scot. And I'm way older.

 What is your haplotype?

See a map of Europe drawn based on dominant haplotypes:  https://brilliantmaps.com/europe-dna-borders/

Here's a fish for you Smeagol.....

proeasdf said:

ml1 said:

Speaking as an old white guy, the world would generally be a more pleasant place if there were fewer old white guys. 

 And how do you propose to accomplish your goal (namely, fewer old white guys)?

My son, when he gets to be an old man, will be a couple shades tanner than his old man.  I can't say this was my intention when I married his mother but it is the way the world is moving.

proeasdf said:

 And how do you propose to accomplish your goal (namely, fewer old white guys)?

 I'm surprised you need to ask this. It's not my "goal", but time waits for no one. 

Jackson_Fusion said:

max_weisenfeld said:

BG9 said:

What's with the racism? If he was black, would you have written "black guy." Hispanic guy? If he wore a Kippah, Jewish guy? Muslim guy? 

I think you need to refresh your understanding of the concept of racism.  Calling an old white guy in a tesla an old white guy in a tesla is not and cannot be racist by any definition of the word.  Citing a list of groups that can be oppressed and calling for equivalency for the dominant cultural group in society however just might qualify.

 https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/racism

Guess Webster qualifies then.

 Even by Webster what was said is not racist.  By posting that, though, I think you might qualify as one of these: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/troll

max_weisenfeld said:

max_weisenfeld said:

Jackson_Fusion said:

max_weisenfeld said:

BG9 said:

What's with the racism? If he was black, would you have written "black guy." Hispanic guy? If he wore a Kippah, Jewish guy? Muslim guy? 

I think you need to refresh your understanding of the concept of racism.  Calling an old white guy in a tesla an old white guy in a tesla is not and cannot be racist by any definition of the word.  Citing a list of groups that can be oppressed and calling for equivalency for the dominant cultural group in society however just might qualify.

 https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/racism

Guess Webster qualifies then.

 Even by Webster what was said is not racist.  By posting that, though, I think you might qualify as one of these: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/troll

No no you misunderstand me! I’m more focused on YOUR definition. The one where you suggest:

That people not from a “dominant cultural group” who exhibit negative beliefs or actions against a “dominant cultural group” cannot be racist and

that asking if showing potential bias towards a “dominant cultural group” may in fact be racist.

I just want to understand. The word “racist” cannot be used when racial antipathy is shown towards a “dominant cultural group”? If you are taking the word “racist” away, can you please tell me what I should replace it with? It’s important that this is defined so people don’t make mistakes.

Also, can you help me understand how questioning a statement’s intent can in fact be racist itself? That would be great, thank you.

And finally... what is a “dominant cultural group”? Is that a race-categorizing term? Like people of certain colors can’t be a part of the broader “dominant culture?” I never really knew that certain behaviors and beliefs, when rolled up into culture, became exclusionary based on... I guess race? At what point? Can you give me some examples of “dominant cultural group” beliefs and behaviors for a “dominant cultural group”?

Thanks in advance. Super helpful. Obviously the Webster definition is SUPER wrong and needs updating. 

Why racist? Why not ageist, or sexist? 

To me it read like a list of some reasons why people might think they're entitled. 

Old : check

White : check

Guy : check

Tesla driver : check 

I fit three (well, almost three) out of the four, and I don't take offense. 

tom said:

Why racist? Why not ageist, or sexist? 

To me it read like a list of some reasons why people might think they're entitled. 

Old : check

White : check

Guy : check

Tesla driver : check 

I fit three (well, almost three) out of the four, and I don't take offense. 

 Almost white?

Old white lady?  Is that one legit too?  

geez, some old white guys are such snowflakes.

ml1 said:

Speaking as an old white guy, the world would generally be a more pleasant place if there were fewer old white guys. 

 Nonsense

STANV said:

 Nonsense

 no seriously, I'm an old white guy.