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Is the term "Uncle Tom" racist? [W:56]

Is the term "Uncle Tom" racist?

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re: Is the term "Uncle Tom" racist? [W:56]


He's a traitor because Davis was black. You said it already, if Davis had been white, Thomas would not be a traitor. Race is the deciding factor. I'm not at all sure why you can't admit that which you've already said. Now, are you saying that any judge that presides over a court in which a black defendant gets the death penalty is an Uncle Tom?
 
re: Is the term "Uncle Tom" racist? [W:56]

MaggieD said:
Absolutely, Black people have been holding down their own by giving other black people the Uncle Tom label for generations.
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This is an incredibly un-politically correct opinion, but I believe it is factually correct. Unfortunately, too many people want to bury their head in the sand and pretend otherwise.
 
re: Is the term "Uncle Tom" racist? [W:56]

X Factor said:
Dude, how can someone be a traitor to their race unless it's based on race?
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X...to gain personal advantages, circumvent oppressive treatment or abusive treatment, to turn on one's own race in order to look more favorable to another race....yadda, yadda, yadda.

But in the original story, "Uncle Tom's Cabin"...Uncle Tom didn't do any of the aforementioned. There was a movie made that it's maker's turned the character into a villain, a traitor of sorts by selling out his allegiance to his black community for personal gains, which in the real story...he died for.
 
re: Is the term "Uncle Tom" racist? [W:56]

No, in no way do I consider it racist. For me, to be racist, a comment has to indicate superiority or inferiority of a race. Slurs and derogatory comments towards an individual do not necessarily indicate inferiority of a race. In the Clarence Thomas comment, as vile as it was, it did not indicate that he was less than others due to race.

To my way of thinking, we do a disservice by overuse of the word "racist/racism". It should be a big one. As there are a number of examples in this thread, it is used far to often in a petty manner to score political points. I find it embarrassing that racial issues in this country are seen more as politics and less as something to overcome. It's all about pointing fingers at the other guy. It is pathetic, it is sad, and it is holding us back.
 
re: Is the term "Uncle Tom" racist? [W:56]

De
radcen said:
This is an incredibly un-politically correct opinion, but I believe it is factually correct. Unfortunately, too many people want to bury their head in the sand and pretend otherwise.
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I've just realized I don't have to be politically correct on Debate Politics.
 
re: Is the term "Uncle Tom" racist? [W:56]

Moderator's Warning:
Address the topic instead of attacking other posters.
 

Well, there's a clear and concise difference between racist and bigot. And I've seen both terms used incorrectly when arguments are made.

But in this case...I think USVIKING on post #16 has come as close to the core of what the "term Uncle Tom" usage does in terms of how it impacts blacks and other races. He posted:
 
It's one black saying to another, "You're not black enough. You're blackness is inferior to mine. You're not like me. I'm better than you. You must be like me to gain approval.", hence it's still a racial pejorative in that it is intended to detract and degrade based on race and/or racial idealism.
 

I disagree with that, an insult is not in itself racist. In this case, calling Clarance Thomas an Uncle Tom is not suggesting he is inferior because of his race, so it is not racist.
 

Yeah, kind of...but the history behind the name is the telling story...and the changing of the story...is the guts of the issue, which does make Uncle Tom a traitor of sorts, that he placates to whites for favors or personal gain.

As I mentioned in a prior post, in the original story of Uncle Tom's Cabin. Uncle Tom was a hero...and died protecting his home, culture, etc. and was far from a traitor or sell-out, if you prefer.
 
Redress said:
I disagree with that, an insult is not in itself racist. In this case, calling Clarance Thomas an Uncle Tom is not suggesting he is inferior because of his race, so it is not racist.
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It is saying that he is wrong to rule or even think a certain way because of the race he is.
 
I don't dispute that, but I'm not so sure today's common usage reflects that. As language is wont to do over time, I think the term has evolved away from that.
 
Redress said:
I disagree with that, an insult is not in itself racist. In this case, calling Clarance Thomas an Uncle Tom is not suggesting he is inferior because of his race, so it is not racist.
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I love watching Liberals defend this.
 
RACE IS NOT A SCIENTIFIC TERM BUT A SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION HISTORICALLY COMMON PEOPLE ARE TRICKED INTO THE IDEAS OF RACE BY THE RULING CLASS. Although people are all just human and equal however people off different colors and ethnicity have had different experiences of life which must be respected so by history a cultures are differnent and racism must be showed no tolerance however something must of made people racist media, peers and remember although wrong racist people are still human
 
Redress said:
I disagree with that, an insult is not in itself racist. In this case, calling Clarance Thomas an Uncle Tom is not suggesting he is inferior because of his race, so it is not racist.
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I didn't say such regarding Clarence Thomas.

Calling CT "Uncle Tom" was another way of saying that he's a sell-out to his own race, that he's placating to the ideas of "whitey"...and for some personal gain, whatever that might be???

So I assume that blacks who consider CT an Uncle Tom...isn't making a racist comment, but saying that he's abandoned his culture or race. But whether or not one would include the word "racist" or "bigot"...would be entirely based on their person perception of C.T.'s motives for siding with the majority.

I can't say....because I don't know. I don't live inside of Clarence Thomas' head...
 
radcen said:
I don't dispute that, but I'm not so sure today's common usage reflects that. As language is wont to do over time, I think the term has evolved away from that.
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I would agree that the "term" Uncle Tom...is derogatory...no doubt about it. And I think I can agree in part with your previous post.

But I think my point is that most people, black or white don't understand the history of how the term came into being.
 
There is no biological support that people are separated races in that are biology is in fact the same are brain is the same ect were all just human
 

Clarence Thomas has been referred to as an Uncle Tom since the day he was nominated as a Supreme Court judge and it's entirely because of his race. White judges, regardless of political affiliation are not called Uncle Toms.
 
X Factor said:
It is saying that he is wrong to rule or even think a certain way because of the race he is.
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Which is racial, but not racist by how I define racism.
 
X Factor said:
Clarence Thomas has been referred to as an Uncle Tom since the day he was nominated as a Supreme Court judge and it's entirely because of his race. White judges, regardless of political affiliation are not called Uncle Toms.
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X...okay.

Uncle Tom is simply a term used to imply or state that a black person has defected and or abandoned the black culture...in context to the story...in which the term is derived from.

If you choose to call it "race related"..so be it...

And no...white judges aren't going to be considered uncle toms because the term...didn't derive from a story about a "white" uncle tom...who became a turn-coat of sorts against whites.

It might behove you to read "Uncle Tom's Cabin" to grasp the differences in who he was in the book verse how he as completely recreated to make a movie.
 
apdst said:
I love watching Liberals defend this.
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I did not defend the comment. In fact I was very clear that it was a vile comment. Not being racist does not make it ok. I love watching conservatives try and make things about what they are not.
 
It is certainly racist as far as the term racist goes it is targeting someone because of there color often. Often people of different colors are targeted when in a potions of power think jay z and the so called Illuminati thing think how many american bands sing about the devil but when a ethnic minority does look at the reaction
 
No, it is one black saying "your attitude is not appropriate for a black person.
Your attitude is inferior to mine."

Also race is at least partially a physical characteristic whereas idealism is not a
physical attribute. therefore the two should not be conflated. You cannot possibly
say that one is inferior because of his race without being a racist. It is possible
to say that one's ideas are inferior without being a racist.
 
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