Baltimore City Councilman Carl Stokes (D) went on CNN yesterday and attacked President Obama and Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake (D) for referring to rioters in Baltimore as “thugs” saying, “just call them n*ggers”. It is a familiar controversy for readers of this blog. Last year, various commentators objected to my writing about the “thuggish” behavior of Seahawks’ cornerback Richard Sherman
as inherently racist — a position that I rejected. I have continued to use thug as both a noun and adjective. Now it appears that President Obama and Mayor Rawlings-Blake are being accused of the same use of racist code words by Councilman Stokes.
In the meantime, City Council President Bernard C. “Jack” Young apologized to rioters for calling them “thugs.”
“What we’re seeing today is not about Freddie Gray,” Young said. “It is about the pain, the hurt and the suffering of these young people. There’s no excuse for them to loot, riot and destroy our city. I made a comment out of frustration and anger when I called our children ‘thugs.’ They’re not thugs. They’re just misdirected. We need to direct them on a different path by creating opportunities for them.”
On CNN, Stokes objected to the use of the word when prompted by the host and said
“of course it’s not the right word to call our children thugs. These are children who have been set aside, marginalized, who have not been engaged by us. No, we don’t have to call them thugs . . . “calling them thugs — just call them n*ggers. Just call them n*ggers. No, we don’t have to call them by names such as that. We don’t have to do that. That is exactly what we have set them to. Now, when you say ‘come on,’ come on what? You wouldn’t call your child a thug if they should do something that would not be what you would expect them to do.”
He added that he supported the recent video of a mother slapping her son for participating in the riots, but insisted that it was the right thing to do (not because of his participation in riots) but to keep the police from killing him: “she was trying to save his life. It is clear that it’s better that she hit him than the police hit him and brutalize him and take his life from him.”
In my view, Stokes is wrong on the use of the “thug” as well as his criticism of the President and the Mayor. He views mirror an effort to bar the use of words deemed to be “codes” when used to criticize minorities. The same objections were heard earlier on this blog and other sites. Beanie Barnes was one of those calling out those who use the word: “Suddenly he was ‘classless,’ a ‘thug’ from Compton, and any manner of other negative terms that one can substitute for the N-word. Sherman was no longer human, but a racist caricature.”
I disagree with this view, which ascribes a racist rather than a descriptive element to the use of the noun. The word “thug” has been used widely on this blog to rather to people of different genders, races, and backgrounds. It is possible for blacks like whites to act like thugs. It is their behavior that is driving the use of the word like burning police cars and robbing people in the streets of Baltimore.
No, neither President Obama nor Mayor Rawlings-Blake are racists. These rioters are thugs.
DBQ, bettykath is an old timer. She is consumed by female, white guilt. She stormed away several times over racial issues, vowing she would never return again. That was over Trayvon. She often breaks that vow to try and guilt trip us. It’s sad more than maddening. Just some historical perspective. Use the information as your deem appropriate.
TJustice is the Kreskin of this blog. He can read peoples minds just as Kreskin. LOL! And, since TJustice can read our minds, he now will try and control our biased minds by controlling our speech. You do all realize that before the feminist movement, we used “sex” as the term to define our sex. Imagine that. Well, feminists, w/ all their sexual angst, were uncomfortable w/ the term “sex.” So, they made it non PC. They took a perfectly fine word and made it a “biased and threatening” word. Now, virtually everyone uses the term they deemed proper, “gender.” I still use the word “sex.” There are many other examples of this Orwellian nightmare. PC must be defeated by any means necessary.
“Negro is the Spanish word for black. ” The spelling is the same but there is a difference between pronouncing the word with a long e or a short e.
Really are you seriously going to go there? It is called having and accent and pronouncing a word that is not in your native tongue. Negro = black
/facepalm
http://i.imgur.com/NPDEvMm.jpg
some property which can be replaced. And Freddie Gray, how does he get his life back?
Since y’all want to go on about how “lives matter” I speculate that some matter more than others. It is what you DO with your life that matters. Not just the mere fact that you are breathing.
Those who created businesses that provided services to the community, provided jobs for others created something positive. Now their livelihoods and of those who worked for them are in ruins Some property and hard work of a lifetime cannot be replaced. THOSE lives matter. The did positive things and made the world a bit better.
Freddy Gray. Maybe not so much
Rap sheet for the sainted Mr. Gray.
March 20, 2015: Possession of a Controlled Dangerous Substance
March 13, 2015: Malicious destruction of property, second-degree assault
January 20, 2015: Fourth-degree burglary, trespassing
January 14, 2015: Possession of a controlled dangerous substance, possession of a controlled dangerous substance with intent to distribute
December 31, 2014: Possession of narcotics with intent to distribute
December 14, 2014: Possession of a controlled dangerous substance
August 31, 2014: Illegal gambling, trespassing
January 25, 2014: Possession of marijuana
September 28, 2013: Distribution of narcotics, unlawful possession of a controlled dangerous substance, second-degree assault, second-degree escape
April 13, 2012: Possession of a controlled dangerous substance with intent to distribute, unlawful possession of a controlled dangerous substance, violation of probation
July 16, 2008: Possession of a controlled dangerous substance, possession with intent to distribute
March 28, 2008: Unlawful possession of a controlled dangerous substance
March 14, 2008: Possession of a controlled dangerous substance with intent to manufacture and distribute
February 11, 2008: Unlawful possession of a controlled dangerous substance, possession of a controlled dangerous substance
August 29, 2007: Possession of a controlled dangerous substance with intent to distribute, violation of probation
August 28, 2007: Possession of marijuana
August 23, 2007: False statement to a peace officer, unlawful possession of a controlled dangerous substance
July 16, 2007: Possession of a controlled dangerous substance with intent to distribute, unlawful possession of a controlled dangerous substance (2 counts)
http://www.snopes.com/politics/crime/freddiegray.asp
Yep. Fine upstanding member of the community and a real reason to riot, burn, kill,destroy. (not)
If you want to have a hero……someone to wave around as a bloody shirt. (google it for those who are history challenged)…you can find many better examples. If you want MY sympathy, you need to pick better heroes.
NOTE: this is not an excuse for the Cops to kill or be brutal either. They are just as guilty and should be punished, ONCE WE KNOW THE FACTS…that is.
“Negro is the Spanish word for black. ” The spelling is the same but there is a difference between pronouncing the word with a long e or a short e.
Mr. Schulte,
Let me guess: it’s a he, he is young, and he doesn’t conform to norms that you find great…?? Am I close??
And what’s your bright line standard for identifying thugs? Otherwise, indeed a judgement on a persons conduct without knowing that persons particular circumstance is superficial.
TJustice – 1) No 2) I do not need to know a rapist’s background to know they are a rapist.
“Squeek/DBQ, that’s not what is asked, what is asked is to use thugs the same, for all groups.”
How do you know it isn’t being used the same for all groups. Thug or thugisness, thugish……. behavior is the operative word.
It isn’t OUR fault that the thugish behaviour is prominently on display by blacks right now and the “Thug Life” has been embraced by the black culture, thanks Snoop Dogg. When I see a bunch of shirtless rednecks rampaging through the community, burning down businesses, throwing rocks at the cops and firefighters, I will have no hesitation calling them thugs. (and other things)
I’m with Squeeky. It isn’t any of YOUR business what I call people or what words I use.
Negro is the Spanish word for black. Kids learning Spanish are offended and are demanding that the word for Black be changed. /facepalm.
PC crappola dun one amok 🙂
Bettykath
Great illustration and point. It’s civil liberties for some on here.
People here fail to even mention the associated actions with this movement against police militiriazation and brutal overreach.
There have been marches in the past 6 months across the county on this issue. From east to west & north to south. This issue isn’t isolated.
Most here immediately fear monger about needing more law enforcement and praise those who “protect” our communities. When the evidence and even the Supreme Court says that isn’t their main objective.
tweet from Baltimore police: A group of criminals have just started a fire outside the library located at Pennsylvania Ave and North Ave.
tweet from Jon Swine: Fire beside Pratt library was not caused by Molotov cocktail. The teargas grenade landed on trash and its sparks set the fire. Watched it.
10,000 marched peacefully and all you can talk about are high school kids (prevented from using the bus to get home b/c the police shut the buses down) who destroyed some property which can be replaced. And Freddie Gray, how does he get his life back?
bettykath – destruction of either personal or public property is a crime. The fact that it can be replaced has nothing to do with it. Would it be a different crime if they destroyed Michelangelo’s David?
The level of irrational nationalism on this blog is such that most (including JT) would find it difficult to call Henry Kissinger a war criminal or thug after reading basic documents from the gov.
There is something representative about how thug is used here. It simply represents superficial biases people aren’t willing to admit.
TJustice – I don’t use the word thug loosely. I have a particular type of individual in mind. There is nothing superficial about it.
I dealt w/ some of the original Crips out of LA when I worked @ Leavenworth. They are evil men.
@Pogo
Not only have they not been “engaged by us”, they ain’t been “engaged” by nobody, cause if they get married they might lose some benefits.
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
The Crips and Bloods are murderous, rapist, felonious, thugs.
New folks who have been here only a year or so. You are getting just a taste of what it used to be like here vis a vis PC. It is much more free speech now.
@Pogo
Well of course they’ve been set aside. Baby Daddy ain’t there because he’s busy knocking up another one, and then he’s got some blunts to stuff, and a few 44’s to go through. After which, he’s got to polish his rims, get a new tat, and shine up his gold tooth. Then, practice his rap skills, because he’s an aspiring rapper. Then he’s got to hot foot over to another Baby Momma because she got her check today, and he needs some money.
Meanwhile, the various Baby Mommas are getting hair extensions, and their nails done. . .
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
“who have not been engaged by us”
That makes me laugh every time I read it.
Sounds like edu-speak.
Does it have any inherent meaning at all, or is it just air?
“Thugee which is a clan or organized group of assassins. The term has been around since the 1200s”
None of the protesters assassinated anyone. Our current president does though. And they aren’t particulalry organized.
Why doesn’t JT call him a thug if the principle is about description?
And people should realize being called a thug by our system gives rise to less suspicion about your character than people respected and praised by the system.
Bettykath
Doesn’t surprise me. You have a link??
If this is to be true, than that’s thuggish behavior
The most hilarious part of this brouhaha was Stokes’ quote:
Children?
Marginalized?
Set aside?
Typical leftist university Postmodern BS, redefining those words into meaninglessness.
Unfounded rumors that the black gangs — the Bloods and the Crips — were en route to Baltimore to stoke violence and kill Baltimore police were found to have originated from social media messages from FOP officials in Baltimore, Maryland, and New Jersey.