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Today I shoved a racist to the floor in a crowded restaurant.

Not to be argumentative, but I think if you note the details of every reply in this thread, you'll find most of them already cover each other and are redundant.
 
While you could've been up for criminal assault and battery charges, I'm proud of you for standing up for a family who understandably did not feel that they could stand up for themselves.

Oh, while "fighting words" are not unconditionally constitutionally protected as free speech, they're also not usually considered sufficient provocation for assault and battery.

Good for you for standing up for the rights of others, which is indirectly the rights of us all.

Doesn't the "provocative action" (standing up and coming at threatening manner) taken by the employee clear the OP of the push? And how far would the push make it through the courts before a judge tells the guy, "You got your racist ass pushed down to the floor, you weren't harmed, so get over yourself."

A “provocative stance” would likely be found insufficient, and “mere insults” are also insufficient as grounds for self-defense. Makes sense in most cases, when you think about it.

If charges were pending, he could argue “defense of others,” where the father could have seen the provocative stance coupled with the insulting words as an imminent physical threat to the safety of himself and his family, making defense allowed. And the OP’s stepping in on the father’s behalf puts him in the father’s shoes, with the same rights of the father to protect the family. A stretch, but good-hearted jurors would have something to hand their hat on--and that’s all that’s needed.

Still, “damn proud of you, boy."
 
Not to be argumentative, but I think if you note the details of every reply in this thread, you'll find most of them already cover each other and are redundant.

I see your point. It's just that that was all I really had to say in response; I thought it summed things up pretty well.

You're right -- bringing a network into the fold has nothing to do with anything. I'm not going to keep my disdain for Glenn Beck and O'Reilly a secret, though; I loathe a great deal of what they in particular have to say and I disagree with them fervently. That said, it has nothing to do with what was going on and it was immature and irrational of me to bring their station up as though it was in any way connected.

Not to be argumentative, but I think if you note the details of every reply in this thread, you'll find most of them already cover each other and are redundant.
Yeah, someone said that already.

You're being redundant, you know!
 
You win an e-cookie. You can't eat it though.


I've never shoved anyone or slugged anyone. I have had some unkind words. Even in lesser situations.

I remember working with this young guy once, at a job. He was something like 21. He starts mentioning all this aweful music and whether I listen to any of it. A regular guy could have said "No", oh ... but not I.
Doing my Doctor Cox: "No, I don't listen to craaap."

So help his young MTV-addled mind, he thought it was hilarious. I was serious.
 
Crazy 21-year-olds, I'll tell ya. Them 21-year-olds, all of 'em. Right up there with the entirety of Fox News and all its viewers! *shakes fist*
 
The law may still catch up with you, Jeff. We may never know if it does.
Admittedly, I posted that while 'high' on the whole ordeal (as in, not literally high, of course) and sort of misread the statement. You're right -- I should care and I do care.

Well if they do, it was nice of you to type up your whole confession for them :p

Google St Petersburg + Biff Burger, click "latest", now hope you didn't hit a clever racist ;)
 
The law may still catch up with you, Jeff. We may never know if it does.
Admittedly, I posted that while 'high' on the whole ordeal (as in, not literally high, of course) and sort of misread the statement. You're right -- I should care and I do care.

Well if they do, it was nice of you to type up your whole confession for them :p

Touche, although I wouldn't have denied anything anyway so yeah.

Google St Petersburg + Biff Burger, click "latest", now hope you didn't hit a clever racist ;)

So far, so good. ;)
 
Good for you. *uck all those southern redneck racist scum.
Just pointing out that there are plenty of racist scum all over. It's not just a "Southern" phenomenon.

Nor are they all rednecks. Actually, the description "southern redneck racist scum" sounds pretty racist itself.

Bingo. There's a reason Archie Bunker was portrayed from the area that he was from, in All in the Family: because there are racists ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. And until people face up to the fact and quit pointing to just ONE part of the country (which has had to face its problems openly, unlike some areas), we are not going to get any better.
 
You're being redundant, you know!
I'm from the Redundancy Ministry of Redundancy.
I've transferred across the hall to the Department of Redundancy Department.

As for racist throwbacks being all over the country, it's very true. I'll once again reference Southern Poverty Law Center; they have a very informative and depressing map. I'm always horrified to see how many groups we have in Massachusetts.
 
I can believe that. I have lived in Rhode Island, and I saw how bad it was there--the kinds of insults children thought nothing of, AND the way some friends of my parents were treated.
 
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