My first experience with racism

[festeringZit]

Ah the 60s. It was the time in my life that I went from being a juvenile delinquent
to being a man. Graduated high school with no clear plan of what I was going to do.

Then I got drafted.

Ended up in Nam. The platoon I was in had 35 swinging dicks. 30 of which were blacks
mostly from the South. They all called each other n!ggers and had no use for my white ass.

3rd day in we're out in the bush wondering around and I bump into 1 of them and you would
have thought I just killed his mom. I mean he went off on me like no one ever had.

Finally I'd had enough and said to him that my goal was to stay alive long to go home and
did he really want to looking over his shoulder for the next 12 months.
From that point on we were the best of buddies.

Once you realize the situation your in the color of someone's skin becomes irrelevant.
And it works both ways. There are lots and lots of assholes out there and they come in all
shapes and colors. The objective is to steer clear of as many of them as possible.

Glad you made it back, thank you for your service.

 

[Knightrofins]

I hope you sat your kids down and explained why that word isn't correct for them to use.

A very very simple explanation is this...if as a child you were ever picked on for whatever reason, glasses, lowest reading group, big nose, whatever...you might have a group of friends that had the same in common with you and you used the words back to each other that people outside your group teased you constantly about.

This wasn't to degrade your friend, as it was used by the people outside the group, but to help take the sting out of those words when used by others.

From just current reading here, Tate called Willie99 "his favorite racist" that occurs a laugh while if Mob called him the same thing that would occur a much different reaction.

My kids know better but yes, i've spoken to them about bullying, name calling, etc.

The funny thing is that i went to high school with people who didnt "look like me" and we all called each other names but we ONLY said it to each other b/c we were all friends.

Funny, i still talk to a few today and we still talk to each other and call each other the same "names" but only on text or on the phone. We also joke that if anyone on social media read our text threads, that they would be OUTRAGED

 

[VIEJODINOSAUR]

Ah the 60s. It was the time in my life that I went from being a juvenile delinquent
to being a man. Graduated high school with no clear plan of what I was going to do.

Then I got drafted.

Ended up in Nam. The platoon I was in had 35 swinging dicks. 30 of which were blacks
mostly from the South. They all called each other n!ggers and had no use for my white ass.

3rd day in we're out in the bush wondering around and I bump into 1 of them and you would
have thought I just killed his mom. I mean he went off on me like no one ever had.

Finally I'd had enough and said to him that my goal was to stay alive long to go home and
did he really want to looking over his shoulder for the next 12 months.
From that point on we were the best of buddies.

Once you realize the situation your in the color of someone's skin becomes irrelevant.
And it works both ways. There are lots and lots of assholes out there and they come in all
shapes and colors. The objective is to steer clear of as many of them as possible.

God bless you.....

 

[Willie99]

Shielding them from reality? What part of anything that i quoted or said had anything to do with that response?

"It's not our job to toughen our children up to face a cruel world"

Yes it is, it's our job to prepare them for the best and the worst, hence I can't disagree more

 

[Willie99]

Ah the 60s. It was the time in my life that I went from being a juvenile delinquent
to being a man. Graduated high school with no clear plan of what I was going to do.

Then I got drafted.

Ended up in Nam. The platoon I was in had 35 swinging dicks. 30 of which were blacks
mostly from the South. They all called each other n!ggers and had no use for my white ass.

3rd day in we're out in the bush wondering around and I bump into 1 of them and you would
have thought I just killed his mom. I mean he went off on me like no one ever had.

Finally I'd had enough and said to him that my goal was to stay alive long to go home and
did he really want to looking over his shoulder for the next 12 months.
From that point on we were the best of buddies.

Once you realize the situation your in the color of someone's skin becomes irrelevant.
And it works both ways. There are lots and lots of assholes out there and they come in all
shapes and colors. The objective is to steer clear of as many of them as possible.

Great story Dave, thanks for sharing

You stay in touch with any of them?

 

[Dave007inVegas]

Glad you made it back, thank you for your service.

Ancient history Zit. It was what it was.




P.S. I'm glad I made it back too.

 

[cgarn]

Ah the 60s. It was the time in my life that I went from being a juvenile delinquent
to being a man. Graduated high school with no clear plan of what I was going to do.

Then I got drafted.

Ended up in Nam. The platoon I was in had 35 swinging dicks. 30 of which were blacks
mostly from the South. They all called each other n!ggers and had no use for my white ass.

3rd day in we're out in the bush wondering around and I bump into 1 of them and you would
have thought I just killed his mom. I mean he went off on me like no one ever had.

Finally I'd had enough and said to him that my goal was to stay alive long to go home and
did he really want to looking over his shoulder for the next 12 months.
From that point on we were the best of buddies.

Once you realize the situation your in the color of someone's skin becomes irrelevant.
And it works both ways. There are lots and lots of assholes out there and they come in all
shapes and colors. The objective is to steer clear of as many of them as possible.

Definitely an amazing story. Thanks for sharing

 

[Dave007inVegas]

God bless you.....

God I hope so. I need all the help I can get.

 

[Dave007inVegas]

Great story Dave, thanks for sharing

You stay in touch with any of them?

Nope. Hell it's been over 50 years. I don't even remember any names.
It was a time in my life I'd just as soon forget completely.

 

[Dave007inVegas]

Definitely an amazing story. Thanks for sharing

Amazing? Nah. I could tell you some stories that would make your toes curl.
Lets just say it was definitely a waste of 14 months of my life.

 

[crudebar]

Ah the 60s. It was the time in my life that I went from being a juvenile delinquent
to being a man. Graduated high school with no clear plan of what I was going to do.

Then I got drafted.

Ended up in Nam. The platoon I was in had 35 swinging dicks. 30 of which were blacks
mostly from the South. They all called each other n!ggers and had no use for my white ass.

3rd day in we're out in the bush wondering around and I bump into 1 of them and you would
have thought I just killed his mom. I mean he went off on me like no one ever had.

Finally I'd had enough and said to him that my goal was to stay alive long to go home and
did he really want to looking over his shoulder for the next 12 months.
From that point on we were the best of buddies.

Once you realize the situation your in the color of someone's skin becomes irrelevant.
And it works both ways. There are lots and lots of assholes out there and they come in all
shapes and colors. The objective is to steer clear of as many of them as possible.

Yep. When you show others compassion, understanding, a common goal its amazing how things change. If you were just to label them "assholes" and treated them back exactly the way they had initially treated you, who knows, you might not be alive today to post on this forum, and god forbid that happened.

I have yet to meet a person that would label themselves an "asshole" it is just perception that someone else has of another, normally people have a foundation of why they are who they are, and if you find that foundation you will have more in common then you think...the whole "lets grab a beer and talk"

 

[Dave007inVegas]

Yep. When you show others compassion, understanding, a common goal its amazing how things change. If you were just to label them "assholes" and treated them back exactly the way they had initially treated you, who knows, you might not be alive today to post on this forum, and god forbid that happened.

I have yet to meet a person that would label themselves an "asshole" it is just perception that someone else has of another, normally people have a foundation of why they are who they are, and if you find that foundation you will have more in common then you think...the whole "lets grab a beer and talk"

It's kind of a knack. When I meet someone for the first time I can tell within a minute
if they're an asshole. If they are I find a way to excuse myself. Even if it takes just
no replying and walking away.

I'm a grumpy old fart who doesn't like people all that much to begin with. I'm also a bigot
in the sense that if you don't agree with me you're automatically an asshole.

That is why I have very few friends and acquaintances.

The whole "lets grab a beer and talk" thingy is silly. If I already think someone is an asshole
ingesting alcohol isn't going to help. In fact it would probably just make it worse.

I'm an easy guy to get along with. I can take a ribbing with the best of em.
Just ask any of the posters here that I have met outside of the forum.

Thing is none of them are assholes.

 

[Michelangelo]

It's kind of a knack. When I meet someone for the first time I can tell within a minute
if they're an asshole. If they are I find a way to excuse myself. Even if it takes just
no replying and walking away.

I'm a grumpy old fart who doesn't like people all that much to begin with. I'm also a bigot
in the sense that if you don't agree with me you're automatically an asshole.

That is why I have very few friends and acquaintances.

The whole "lets grab a beer and talk" thingy is silly. If I already think someone is an asshole
ingesting alcohol isn't going to help. In fact it would probably just make it worse.

I'm an easy guy to get along with. I can take a ribbing with the best of em.
Just ask any of the posters here that I have met outside of the forum.

Thing is none of them are assholes.

Can this please be transferred to the "Quote of the day" thread.

We need some positive quotes in there.

 

[phdinsports]

Ah the 60s. It was the time in my life that I went from being a juvenile delinquent
to being a man. Graduated high school with no clear plan of what I was going to do.

Then I got drafted.

Ended up in Nam. The platoon I was in had 35 swinging dicks. 30 of which were blacks
mostly from the South. They all called each other n!ggers and had no use for my white ass.

3rd day in we're out in the bush wondering around and I bump into 1 of them and you would
have thought I just killed his mom. I mean he went off on me like no one ever had.

Finally I'd had enough and said to him that my goal was to stay alive long to go home and
did he really want to looking over his shoulder for the next 12 months.
From that point on we were the best of buddies.

Once you realize the situation your in the color of someone's skin becomes irrelevant.
And it works both ways. There are lots and lots of assholes out there and they come in all
shapes and colors. The objective is to steer clear of as many of them as possible.

You're a brave soul... God Bless.

 

[Mobdeeper7239]

This thread is very telling though. A white guys first encounter with racism is himself saying the N word. Comical. My point pretty much proven everytime you guys open your mouths you just don’t realize it. Too stupid. Too ignorant

 

[Michelangelo]

This thread is very telling though. A white guys first encounter with racism is himself saying the N word. Comical. My point pretty much proven everytime you guys open your mouths you just don’t realize it. Too stupid. Too ignorant

What was your first encounter with racism, Mob?