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Saguaro
Member
06-21-2005
| Saturday, July 30, 2011 - 11:39 am
Words are words, but many of the words have a long history associated with hate. You don't know who you are talking to, and how they feel about certain words. Are they wrong to assume you are prejudice just because you used those words, yes. However, that doesn't mean some people don't still use the words in a hateful way. It is best to know someone a little bit before using questionable words. Someone mentioned tattoos. I have had this discussion with some friends of mine. I've never been a fan of tattoos, and I have found over the years the people who get them (and I'm not talking about the single small tattoo somewhere, but those with two or more) are personalities that usually engage in things I'm not into. I have done this test with many friend and asked them of all the people who they know with multiple tattoos which of them don't do X, and Y. They are always hard pressed to come up with an an answer. Is that prejudice, maybe, but certain behavior fits certain personalities and over many years my test has always been accurate.
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Oliviamimi
Member
05-30-2009
| Saturday, July 30, 2011 - 11:44 am
Good for you Sheilaree! My great grandfather was from Scotland. I am also Iroquis black and Spanish. So quite a mix. I must say my friends are always envious of my tan 
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Jezzedout
Member
09-07-2006
| Saturday, July 30, 2011 - 11:52 am
Wow, fascinating thread. I'll stay away from the Obama discussion and redirect back to the point of the original post. I'm not watching live feeds so have no idea what tone or context Jeff used the word "sister" when speaking to Kailia. That said... I doubt Jeff has ever referred to Jordan or Rachel or Dani using that word. In my lifetime, I've heard the terms "brother" and "sister" used by African Americans and in reference to African Americans. Not that they can't be used in reference to caucasians, but they seem to be somewhat of an ethnic or cultural reference used by an ethnic population or when referring to a particular ethnic population, ie, African Americans. So, with that said, Jeff referring to Kalia using the word "sister" strikes me not so much as prejudiced, but as him using a slang that references her blackness (blackness, is that a word?). While I doubt Jeff meant it offensively, I can see where Kalia might have taken it offensively. And, no, I'm not black. I've just always thought it a little strange when people from one cultural group start using slangs when in the presence of a different cultural group. Don't know if that will make any sense to anyone else, but that's my take on it, for what it's worth. Now back to your regularly scheduled programming...

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Dogdoc
Member
09-29-2001
| Saturday, July 30, 2011 - 12:03 pm
As long as we have 'culture groups' we will never have true integration.
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Earthmother
Member
07-13-2002
| Saturday, July 30, 2011 - 12:09 pm
My dad called women "sister" all the time. He was a sailor and that's just the way they talked. He would say to me "listen Sister, I don't know how grown you think you are, but you're not that grown"...I have male black students who I have corrected many times with "boy, you need to get your act together"..never once thinking I was referring to them in a racist way, nor have they. I think there is pure unadulterated, evil, racism in this country to be sure,and much of it is used against our President, but to think because someone says the word "sister" when talking to you reveals that evil is rather silly. Kalia is using a real problem to move your own personal agenda by trying to make Jeff look bad. I don't believe for one minute that she really thinks Jeff is racist. I've known students who play the race card every time they get themselves in trouble and it tires me. Everything in this world does not have to be black and white.
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Lazylu
Member
04-09-2010
| Saturday, July 30, 2011 - 12:17 pm
I said I was done posting on this subject, but I just have to say it is rather silly to think "sister" and "brother" refers to only one race.
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Dogdoc
Member
09-29-2001
| Saturday, July 30, 2011 - 12:27 pm
I use 'boy' 'wow' and 'gee' interchangeably.
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Jag2000
Member
07-01-2009
| Saturday, July 30, 2011 - 12:38 pm
Hope this lightens this discussion..Jimmies are also the largest hard shells (blue crabs) that you can buy and the most expensive. If you find anything prejudice about these jimmies..Bring it on.
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Weezer
Member
08-13-2009
| Saturday, July 30, 2011 - 12:39 pm
This has been a interesting topic. Different religious groups refer to each other all the time as sister or brother. In my experience it has nothing to do with what race someone is. Key words being in my experience. One other comment. There was a picture of President George Bush and a chimpanzee being compared to each other. Went everywhere in emails. Is this racist? It is almost the exact same thing. Dang!! The chimp should of played the race card. I'm kidding.. But it is interesting that in one instance it was called racist and in the other it was humor.
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Biloxibelle
Member
12-21-2001
| Saturday, July 30, 2011 - 12:48 pm
Unfortunately for those of us with beautiful tattoo work, tattoos are considered trashy. This very sadly true. Racism and Prejudge doesn't just effect people of race and cultures. It can also include personal tastes and expressions. I have a student that always calls me, Mrs. Ma'am. He is absolutely adorable. Anyway he told me one day he saw me at the store. I asked why he didn't come up and say hi. He said, you don't want someone like me with these tats and rings coming up to you in public. I was shocked! I told him to never ever think that. Don't ever think you are not worthy of speaking to someone. I would be proud for anyone in that store to know I knew this fine young man. Sad he has been made to think that way. Yes, I look like your typical average middle age woman on the outside, but I am anything but typical and average on the inside. So when you see me if you were judge me as a mainstream average middle age woman, you would be very wrong. My own family is a celebration of all kinds of wonderful things. Some are visible such as tats, snake bites, industrial piercing, hair color, race and nationality. Others are not visible such as sexuality. Each and every person in my family is amazing and if someone doesn't want to know them for any one of the above mentioned things, their loss, not ours.
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Shenanagon
Member
07-28-2009
| Saturday, July 30, 2011 - 12:50 pm
I wouldn't send a card or joke to anyone with anything on it that could insult them. A monkey depiction to any race is very different than a monkey depiction of someone of a race in which this has been used to insult or compare to them. Perhaps folks will read this thread and learn something. I've learned about Jimmie's had no clue.
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Qchele
Member
07-29-2007
| Saturday, July 30, 2011 - 12:53 pm
Here are my 2 cents if anyone cares. As an Afro-American female I understand where Mummy is coming from concerning Kalia. In my opinion Kalia seems to be the one with racial/prejudice issues. It seems to be a hang-up of hers and I do not like that she keeps playing that card. Watching the feeds late one night Kalia became offended when Dominic called her skin color black. She stressed the fact that her skin is brown. Within the Afro-American community (and I am sure the same is true for other cultures...maybe) there are distinction between skin tone for some, a sort of self-hate, if you will. Also, Kalia's defining of Lawon and Keith's speech dialect as being from their slave ancestor's brought up a red flag for me. I will end this to say that I have observed what Mummy was feeling, and it is there with Kalia constantly bringing it up.
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Sabbatia
Member
08-15-2005
| Saturday, July 30, 2011 - 12:58 pm
Earthmother....the guy that started everyone calling me sister at work was an ex-marine...hmmm Uppity isn't a word that I would consider iffy when talking to people I don't know. It's always meant snobby in my world. It would only be offensive to the person being referred to, because the others in that catagory would NEVER believe you were talking about THEM. I just spent two hrs with my gay buddy. He is trying to find a lawyer for his partner. Seems his partner has three children and two live with them.....and HE is the one paying child support. I can agree with the back CS, but he certaily doesn't need to be paying on the two he has. We are looking for a gay friendly lawyer. It ain't that easy in this part of TX. Of course his sexual preferences should have NO influence in this matter....ya know it will!! I'm not going to get into the Obama discussion...except to point out that some just say Obama, and some say President Obama. Just something I've noticed.
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Sunshyne4u
Member
06-16-2003
| Saturday, July 30, 2011 - 1:00 pm
No one cared when all those disrespectful GW Bush pics/ cartoons/ goofy pc generated clips were online. I think the only reason people are upset is that it "could indicate" overt racism. BUT OBama does have sticky out ears...that has NOTHING to do with his race. Bringing it back to BigBrother, I've seen Dani referred to as Monkeyface or Monkey like. I took this to be just an observance. She often sits hunched up, perched on the edge of the couch or ON a table.....and she reminds me a bit of Curious George when she makes certain Facial expressions. To be prejudiced is to prejudge. It isn't only about race, religion, sex, etc. Many people prejudge those who have tattoos, believing them to be gang members, criminals, drug addicts, for example. Or those who are obese, assuming they are lazy, stupid, selfish or whatever Best Post of the thread it IS about using Bias. We all have Bias. It is NOT based on hate because bias is much more complex than that. i often think its about Comfort level/ knowledge as well. Earthmother's post is a great example. Many men from Male Oriented jobs or Old school guys do use the word Sister and its pretty obvious from the example that the Intent is to put us women in our places. this line is a reprimand, a put down. "listen Sister, I don't know how grown you think you are, but you're not that grown" I'm sure that SINCE it was your dad it was completely acceptable since he is in the role of Guiding you. IF this was a stranger, or JEFF saying to Kalia, " HEY sister, I dont know what you think you are doing in the game but I dont like it." then its a put down. i've found in my life that guy who work in Exclusively male oriented jobs often are awkward when having to Interact with women. Thats how stuff like "hey Sister" gets blurted out either way, I didnt catch Jeff saying anythign bad to kalia. I must not have had that feed on. As usual, an interesting Side Tangent to Our Big Brother Viewing Experience 
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Jimmer
Moderator
08-30-2000
| Saturday, July 30, 2011 - 1:05 pm
I can't read much into that. I've seen President Bush referred to only by his last name many times.
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Keldogg
Member
08-12-2005
| Saturday, July 30, 2011 - 1:12 pm
When someone uses a word, I think you have to look at who is using it, and how they are using it. I had a Great-Aunt who used the word colored. She called herself that and she called others that. However, she was in her 80's, she was from the South, and this was a word that she had used all of her life. We didn't think anything of it, and we sure didn't try to correct her. If we had, we would have had to face our parents for disrespecting her, and none of us wanted that. Shoot, considering what she had to endure growing up, she could use any dang word she wanted to. Because of our ancestors, both white and black, we are way ahead of that time. Not saying it's perfect, but I sure wouldn't want to go back.
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Maineiac
Member
08-24-2009
| Saturday, July 30, 2011 - 1:26 pm
It is best to know someone a little bit before using questionable words. Should Pippin not have used the word jimmies when asking for sprinkles. Why should everyone walk on egg shells about what words might offend someone? This is part of the problem. Too many want to use words against people just because they can. Would Kalia be offended if Lawon called her sister? I had never heard the term boy, sister or brother used until I moved to the South. I was at a funeral in a Baptist church when an African American man referred to me as 'sister'. I was sitting at a soccer game once when a white man called his son 'boy'.
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Cricket
Member
08-05-2002
| Saturday, July 30, 2011 - 1:31 pm
As an Afro-American female I understand where Mummy is coming from concerning Kalia. In my opinion Kalia seems to be the one with racial/prejudice issues. It seems to be a hang-up of hers and I do not like that she keeps playing that card. Bingo! You hit it on the head, Qchel. No one is going after Kalia because of her race, but SHE is making things a race issue. She is on the weak side of the house (so/so) and the others are being jerks...yes...but it's not because of her race. It's because in their pea brains, she shouldn't be friendly towards Dani. First Jeff and now Brendon don't want her talking to the peeps they don't like. Insane, but again, nothing to do with race. I wish she'd get tough and just tell them off. She's smarter than most of the players...don't play the race card...use your brain. That would destroy them. I wish someone would just nicely tell her she talks too much, so she is more aware and realize it's her personality, not her race, that is making her feel left out in the house.
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Me_poster
Member
03-02-2010
| Saturday, July 30, 2011 - 1:36 pm
in a baptist church brother and sister is very often used when greeting other members of the congregation, as we are all brothers and sisters in christ. i had no idea that jimmies was a controversial term, i too thought they were sprinkles, so i would have used it anyways not knowing it was an offensive term.
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Biloxibelle
Member
12-21-2001
| Saturday, July 30, 2011 - 1:39 pm
Is that prejudice, maybe, but certain behavior fits certain personalities and over many years my test has always been accurate. My oldest has what I think now is at least 5 tattoos. He has held the same job for the past 10 years, in which he has advanced quite well. He is a homeowner, custodial parent to his daughters, leads many charity events for our community. Is a Free Mason and Shiner. He is an amazing husband, father and step father. Occasional social drinker, non smoker, never been arrested and has never tried or abused drugs. His wife who sports her own tats has a high level banking job. She too is involved in many charities. Especially Relay for Life and Buddy Walk. She is Puerto Rican which make her bilingual, thus making her valuable to her company. If either one of them happens to pop into my job all my co-workers make a point of coming out to see them. I wonder what part of that personality and behavior test would make them undesirable people? Unless, it would make the tester feel inadequate about themselves.
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Maineiac
Member
08-24-2009
| Saturday, July 30, 2011 - 1:39 pm
Jimmy, I've seen President Bush referred to a lot more names than just his last name.LOL
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Gemma120in2002
Member
07-05-2003
| Saturday, July 30, 2011 - 1:39 pm
When I was 5 years old, I was in my front yard playing and a group of black teens from the neighborhood walked by and one of them said "Hey Cracker!" I was very confused so I went into the house and asked my mother why he called me cracker. She told me it was because of the color of my skin. That's all she said about it. The next time I was ready with a response, and when he walked by and said hey cracker again, I responded with "Hey Rye Bread!" and I was smiling because I was playing the game. He became very upset and started yelling at me. My mother came running out of the house with an iron in her hand, and she said you called her what? And you're upset about her calling you that? This Homegirl is about to teach you what racism is all about! This was during the period when we had race riots, and freedom marches and teens were fighting the establishment etc. They looked at my white mother, and ran like crazy. My mother was raised in a children's home, and they always referred to themselves as homeboys and homegirls. This happened in the mid 60's in Clovis New Mexico. I played with every color and race in the military neighborhoods, and my house had black, white, asian, and hispanic people in and out of it all the time. When my father left the military, I was shocked when we moved to rural Ohio, and discovered that my world was not the norm, and that there were only white faces in my school, in my neighborhood and in my town. My mother was a homegirl in the 30s and 40s. It had nothing to do with race, just being an orphan.
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Shenanagon
Member
07-28-2009
| Saturday, July 30, 2011 - 2:53 pm
What about prejudice towards pit bulls. I have one and he's docile, loving and a big part of my family. But if he lived in several states he'd be euthanized simply because of his breed. Now I don't expect folks to care, but I care, I love him. I think that's when prejudices break down. When you form relationships and learn to love someone or something different than you, it could be a friend or lover or coworker or a dog.

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Nala63
Member
09-20-2005
| Saturday, July 30, 2011 - 2:55 pm
i am sick of wordss that are spoiled for us. gay means happy. rainbows are beautiful. but if u usee these words or symbles and MANY others you are biased or worse.
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Lilfair
Member
07-09-2003
| Saturday, July 30, 2011 - 3:00 pm
A few words I always keep close to my heart and have passed on to my children 1. Martin Luther King, Jr. made a fantastic statement in his “I Have a Dream” speech when he said that a person should be judged by his character not the color of his skin. 2.This is always on my mind as I make my way through the world- First they came for the communists, and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a communist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me. I never try to pre judge or assume what type a person someone is until I get to know them and I will always speak out and up when I hear someone denigrating an entire group of people and as a matter of fact when someone spouts a positive about an entire group of people I also chime in. It's all about the individual, dagnabit! ;)
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