Another Racially Insensitive MLK Day Weekend at "SeN"

[_Doctor Scratch]

It sounds like Dr. Peterson values invective and insult over keeping his word. I can't say that I'm surprised.

[_Gadianton]

I think there's room for multiple perspectives here. On the one hand, perhaps accusations are strained at times, although I'm not sure I specifically saw a charge of "racism" but rather racial "insensitivity". Of course I don't read every line of every post anyway, so maybe I missed something. On the other hand, the burden of sensitivity is generally assumed to increase with age, experience, education, and position. When a person who should know better slips, the slips tend to be magnified under that expectation. When slips are frequent; well, you get the picture -- multiple perspectives will arise as to explain the phenomena.

If a person has 12 degrees and constantly name drops the important people he regularly interacts with in life, that person should stop and think about what it will look like if he writes that post complaining about the grammar of a fast-food worker of a lower social economic class.

Of course, one particular interpretation of the data, the one I'm partial to, is that those things generally are often considered, and trolling for an (over)reaction is the goal. But again, most people weigh what's said against the status of the person saying it, and a higher bar is expected for a guy who is routinely advertised as a spokesman for the faith, and say, ldsfaqs.

[_Shulem]

It sounds like Dr. Peterson values invective and insult over keeping his word. I can't say that I'm surprised.

I wonder if Dan will become a son of perdition?

What do you say, Dan, are you willing to take orders from Cain?

Dan & Cain -- peas in a pod.

[_Doctor Scratch]

It's interesting: suppose that I offered to change the title of this thread, or delete the OP, or something of that nature, in exchange for a gesture of good faith on the part of the Mopologists. Given what Dr. Moore has said, it seems like that would be an exercise in futility, because the Mopologists would just renege and flip me off for being stupid enough to believe that they would ever act in good faith. And since this is what *they* do, they themselves will never, ever be the ones to extend the olive branch: they assume that since *they* will automatically screw over anyone "dumb" enough to try to sincerely offer up a gesture of peace, this is how they'll be treated in return. You wonder if the notion of forgiveness even exists in their worldview.

[_Dr Moore]

Perhaps so, professor. From our brief months of interactions, I have come to appreciate your insights as a gentleman and a scholar. I may err on the side of generosity too much, but if that’s what they say at my funeral then I’ll be thrilled to look anyone’s God in the eyes with confidence. The right thing to do usually stands out on its own, and isn’t reciprocal. I for one would embrace any adjustment you may feel to make in adopting a subject header change, whether more factually grounded or less inflammatory.

Respectfully,
Your junior colleague,
Dr Moore

[_Kishkumen]

I love the movie, “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”. Being a dopey college student who loved Coen Brothers films, I wanted to watch it with a new friend. He was an African American fellow whose wife worked at my university. As an obtuse Mormon white guy, I had no clue that anything in this movie could be offensive until I watched it with my new friend. He did not need to say anything for me to understand quite quickly what an idiot I was. Because I was ignorant, I did not recognize how the movie might make him feel before I turned it on. What an education at the cost of a new friendship.

I have grown up in a racist environment. It is a tricky thing and difficult to understand truly. If you are too close to something, it can be hard to see it clearly. Racism is treated as an insult, but it is a pervasive ideology. It skews everything. It steals from many and gives to a few. The way it alienates people from each other is a tragedy of global proportions.

The effort and dedication required to change hearts and minds to an anti-racist perspective are no small thing. Maybe this thread doesn’t help us come to terms with our common struggle against racism. If we were to conclude, upon sincere and careful reflection, that this does not help, what then should we do?

[_Doctor Scratch]

I think there's room for multiple perspectives here. On the one hand, perhaps accusations are strained at times, although I'm not sure I specifically saw a charge of "racism" but rather racial "insensitivity". Of course I don't read every line of every post anyway, so maybe I missed something. On the other hand, the burden of sensitivity is generally assumed to increase with age, experience, education, and position. When a person who should know better slips, the slips tend to be magnified under that expectation. When slips are frequent; well, you get the picture -- multiple perspectives will arise as to explain the phenomena.

If a person has 12 degrees and constantly name drops the important people he regularly interacts with in life, that person should stop and think about what it will look like if he writes that post complaining about the grammar of a fast-food worker of a lower social economic class.

I won't be intimidated by overzealous and self-righteous political correctness, let alone by disingenuous posing. I won't plead for forgiveness when I've committed no offense.

[_Doctor Scratch]

SeN is disgusting. Daniel C. Peterson has a long and well-documented record of racism. Here are just a few examples:

--DCP has published lynching photos with "amusing" commentary. DCP was forced to retract the photos and issue a public apology.

--DCP has publicly stated that slavery was a blessing because the descendants of slaves now get to live in the United States.

--DCP has publicly criticized Martin Luther King on several occasions.

--DCP has publicly mocked Jewish wedding ceremonies.

As to the last item on this list: didn't that take place on this same trip? (Where he also allegedly "water-bombed" a cat?)

[_Everybody Wang Chung]

Not content with only making fun of the Palestinians and their culture, young DCP fondly recalls the time he called a group of Israeli soldiers “fascists.”

Young DCP certainly was the stereotypical ugly American tourist. Folks, you can’t make this stuff up.

“I distinctly recall visiting the Palestinian city of Hebron (חֶבְרוֹן; Arabic الْخَلِيل‎ al-Khalīl) in the southern portion of the occupied West Bank and being so revolted by the omnipresent signs of a deeply resented military occupation that, at one point, walking past a sandbagged Israeli machine gun emplacement, I rather loudly muttered something about “fascists.” Fortunately, the Israeli soldiers didn’t seem to hear me, or else, if they did, they ignored me.“

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/danpeters ... salem.html

[_Dr Moore]

I dunno, strolling past soldier representatives in a militarily-occupied regime and noting them as fascists seems pretty reasonable to me. In my unlearned youth, having not read much beyond Jack London and Isaac Asimov, witnessing such a thing first hand, an unwanted authoritarian military presence, I wouldn’t have been smart enough to say fascists, under my breath or otherwise. But I might have mumbled something like assholes, who knows. Maybe I’m too ignorant of the subtleties to appreciate what y’all see here.