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

[iguana_tonante]

Do you study at a good dojo? That might be a good avenue to take.

Mr Miyagi: Fighting always last answer to problem. Karate for defense only.

Better quote from Miyagi:

Fighting not good. But if must fight, WIN!

You beat me to it: I was going to reply the same exact thing!

 

[RJDiogenes]

While I don't approve of violence, and I don't approve of you putting yourself in danger, I'm very proud of you for putting these throwbacks in their place. As someone who grew up in the Civil Rights Era, it boggles my mind and boils my blood that people like this still exist (which is why I belong to the Southern Poverty Law Center-- a place you might want to keep in mind if there is any legal fallout from this).

That family is going to remember you for the rest of their lives.

I applaud you for standing up for American values.

 

[Gryffindorian]

To quote Aunt May from Spider-man II:

I believe there's a hero in all of us, that keeps us honest, gives us strength, makes us noble, and finally allows us to die with pride, even though sometimes we have to be steady, and give up the thing we want the most. Even our dreams.

 

[propita]

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.

 

[Trekker4747]

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."

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

I agree that your geing violent is not the way to handle it. At least you could haveprovoked him into hitting first so you wouldn't be liable. In my store a violent customer, even if provoked, would have been facing charges.

I would strongly caution you against equating conservatism with this kind of crap. As a conservative I find racism sickening. I don't care who does it to who; it's wrong. I may disagree with every word out of Obama's mouth but I will speak and vote on principle, not race. If given a conservative black candidate, I will vote for said candidate with NO hesitation. I have done so in the past and will do so again. But agree or disagree, I do NOT tolerate racial attacks. It offends the God-given dignity of each human being and our individual righr to rise and fall on our decisions as free individuals rather than things that have no bearing on who we are as people.

So please do not confuse or conflate conservatism and bigotry.

I have several conservative friends so if I actually typed something that heavily suggested I equate conservatism with bigotry in general then I apologize.

Saying that Fox News watchers are racists or condone racism pretty much equates conservatism with bigotry.

It's the same as when people say that all disagreement with Obama is racism. I can have policy disagreements without being a racist asshole.

Anyway...the rest I will send by PM (some statistics) because I see no need to drag the thread off topic.

 

[BrotherBenny]

While I don't approve of violence, and I don't approve of you putting yourself in danger, I'm very proud of you for putting these throwbacks in their place. As someone who grew up in the Civil Rights Era, it boggles my mind and boils my blood that people like this still exist (which is why I belong to the Southern Poverty Law Center-- a place you might want to keep in mind if there is any legal fallout from this).

That family is going to remember you for the rest of their lives.

I applaud you for standing up for American values.

My church raises money for the SPLC, quite a bit sometimes.

I was once accosted by a Klansman who tried to tell me (a Jew) that the Holocaust was a hoax and yadda yadda. I didn't resort to violence on that occasion because I was in a really good mood but I did take great pleasure in telling him that if Jesus were a real person and not just an allegory, he would have been Middle Eastern and therefore darker skinned, not someone I would consider "white", debunking his beliefs. The people with me (the reason for my good mood) were stunned at my pleasant comeback and promptly laughed at the guy who then began throwing racial epithets. The manager (USMC ret.) promptly picked the guy up and tossed him out, daring him to try something.

I didn't lay a finger on the guy. The Klansman was a bonafide dumbass and tried to fight the former marine. I'll let you guys figure out who won that one.

 

[Captain_Nick]

I feel like I did the right thing. Violence might not be the answer but damn, did I feel like shoving that man and damn, did it feel good. I'm sorry to have failed you, Gandhi, but damn, did it feel good.

Don't get soft on yourself for that 'violence'; pushing somebody is nothing. Well done sir. Well done. I would be mighty proud of myself if I did what you did. People like you make the world better.

 

[Aragorn]

Are you worried about possible retaliation?

 

[Jax]

I think the OP deserves this for getting the asshole fired and telling him to basically shove his stone age views up his ass...

 

[Guitarded]

More importantly, how's the food at Biff's? Me and a friend are getting tired of Ferg's and need a new place for lunch meetups.

That asshole stole an almanac and killed George McFly; I sure as hell wouldn't eat one of his burgers.

 

[RJDiogenes]

My church raises money for the SPLC, quite a bit sometimes.

Good for you guys. It's a wonderful organization.

 

[Quinton O'Connor]

Regardless of his racist statements, the employee (ex-employee) can still make an assault case against you.

Yeah, me with the not so much caring.

Why do you say you don't care about the possibility of prosecution and imprisonment?

You know it would likely be an unpleasant experience for you, would be a disruption to your life/career, would cause stress for your family.

And about the person you attacked -- it's unlikely that you've changed their feelings at all.

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.

While I don't approve of violence, and I don't approve of you putting yourself in danger, I'm very proud of you for putting these throwbacks in their place. As someone who grew up in the Civil Rights Era, it boggles my mind and boils my blood that people like this still exist (which is why I belong to the Southern Poverty Law Center-- a place you might want to keep in mind if there is any legal fallout from this).

That family is going to remember you for the rest of their lives.

I applaud you for standing up for American values.

Heh, thanks. Southern Poverty Law Center, eh? I think I might need to do some investigating. Sounds cool.

I feel like I did the right thing. Violence might not be the answer but damn, did I feel like shoving that man and damn, did it feel good. I'm sorry to have failed you, Gandhi, but damn, did it feel good.

Don't get soft on yourself for that 'violence'; pushing somebody is nothing. Well done sir. Well done. I would be mighty proud of myself if I did what you did. People like you make the world better.

Aw, gee, that's a bit of an exaggeration. I'm really not all that cool. I just did something I'm really, really proud of yesterday...

Are you worried about possible retaliation?

Will you, Aragorn, pledge your sword in my defense?

But seriously, eh, I'm trying not to think about it much.

 

[Mary Ann]

It's already been said many times, butI'll say it anyway: though I dislike violence I applaud you for standing up to this throwback. Well done.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

More importantly, how's the food at Biff's? Me and a friend are getting tired of Ferg's and need a new place for lunch meetups.

That asshole stole an almanac and killed George McFly; I sure as hell wouldn't eat one of his burgers.

You mean we're living in the alternate universe?

 

[siskokid888]

Good for you. *uck all those southern redneck racist scum. It's time we start taking our country back from the ignorant masses, and if all they understand is a punch in the mouth, then that's what they should get. They're all cowards anyway. Come up to 130th St and Lenox Ave and spout that shit. Let's see how that goes.

 

[Misfit Toy]

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.

 

[Tora Ziyal]

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.

 

[Gryffindorian]

That's true. Not all Southerners are rednecks or racist, nor a lot of rednecks I know are racist and from the South; they just happen to be Conservatives.

 

[tharpdevenport]

I decide to sit down so I can enjoy a refill. I'm surrounded by two small groups. One group is a black family. A man, a woman and a child. The child, by the way, is no older than ten. The other group is two older white men. One of them is wearing the uniform of the restaurant.

The two older men start off by talking about harmless diversions. The Discovery Channel, something about a rifle (damned if I had any idea what the man was saying)... then they move to the often-proposed light rail system for the state of Florida and how 'stupid' it is and how 'they'd just have Mexicans build it anyway so there wouldn't even be any jobs made from it'. This offends me but I hold my tongue. I'm just stopping by for sweet tea. I'm in a place called Biff Burger; no offense to anyone intended, and I'm sure there are a great many wonderful regulars there, but I should expect this from a few patrons.

Yeah, at this point they were doing nothing more than being jackasses. Borderline rascist, but really just jackasses.

Then it gets my blood boiling. The men aren't content to leave things there. They start talking about 'self-righteous [censored; starts with an 'n'] trying to get more than they deserve', saying 'if you give them [censored] an inch, they ask for the whole [censored] country' and 'that [censored] president should go back to cotton-picking'. All of this is occurring two tables away from a black family and their fucking child. Yeah, I'm going to censor them but not me. Because fuck them.

I applaud the idea, the thought and you certainly had the moral high ground, but violence isn't the answer. Taking the [moral] law into your own hands, isn't the answer. Deciding you are the one to judge what speech is acceptable, and then pass punishment, isn't the answer, either.

If we went down this road, it wouldn't be rule of just, but mob rule. We wouldn't be a Republic, we'd be a Democracy.

Now, if you ever get really old and find yourself upon a Farmer's Market full of KKK members, and you plow into it, taking a few with you, and claim you couldn't stop the car ... well, I may not feel so bad.

I couldn't stand it. This is the point where a lot of people would walk away. This is the point where part of me was begging myself to just walk away. But I shoved that part of me in a dark chasm where it belongs, because dammit, that was not right. I got up, pointed at the two bastards and gave them a piece of my mind.

And that's the path I would have taken, with some clear colorful metaphors.

People like that are part of what's wrong with this country.

I told them if they wanted to continue with their stone-age opinions they were welcome to do so within the comfort of their homes and when surrounded by none but those who agreed with them, like at a bar in Downtown Tampa or on Fox News.

FOX News had nothing to do with what happened there, and what you said was wrong. At this point you're now walking along the same line they were.