Why is it okay and not considered racist to call someone "white trash"?

[takoma]

At 16:01 I pointed out that the word is meaningless because it is used in so many diferent ways. I would like to thank those of you who followed for illustrating my point.

[Anonymous]

Racial-based dislike is racial-based dislike.

OTOH, since Whites have more power on aggregate than Blacks, White->Black racial-based dislike has more potential harm per unit of hate than Black->White racial-based dislike.

Of course, since the Wheel of Race now has some element of randomness (as opposed to the 99 of 100 spaces with "Whitey wins" that was the case in 1953), there's certainly enough people who've suffered from real quantifiable hurt via Black->White racial-based dislike.

[Anonymous]

Folks, I understand the point people are making about adding the qualifier "white" to "trash." It suggests that normally trash is non-white or you wouldn't have to give it the "white" qualifier. But I am more concerned about how this is used as a pejorative against poor rural whites than I am about whether it's racist against blacks. Seriously, black people already face many challenges fueled by structural racism that we should all be concerned about (eg Trayvon Martin)but I'm not going to lose sleep over the insult to them by using the word "white trash."

But if calling it racist will get liberal whites to stop sneering at poor white southerners maybe that's not so bad. As a white left-liberal I get so tired of supercilious liberals who think it's okay to talk dismissively of poor whites in a way they never would about blacks or Latinos.

[Anonymous]

I could be wrong, but I've never thought of it as racist since I only hear white people saying it. Same as when a black person refers to himself or others as the N word. In both cases, it can be funny coming from a comedian, or offensive otherwise. but not racist if it's coming from someone of the same race.

I don't agree with the argument that it's racist because it implies that "trash is usually black" because the term is not typically used in response to AA stereotypes. In fact, I'm from the middle of the country, and the term white trash is commonly applied to racists.

Just my opinion based on my own experience. I'm sure the term is used in different ways depending on the region.

"Trailer Trash" is unacceptable though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Folks, I understand the point people are making about adding the qualifier "white" to "trash." It suggests that normally trash is non-white or you wouldn't have to give it the "white" qualifier. But I am more concerned about how this is used as a pejorative against poor rural whites than I am about whether it's racist against blacks. Seriously, black people already face many challenges fueled by structural racism that we should all be concerned about (eg Trayvon Martin)but I'm not going to lose sleep over the insult to them by using the word "white trash."

But if calling it racist will get liberal whites to stop sneering at poor white southerners maybe that's not so bad. As a white left-liberal I get so tired of supercilious liberals who think it's okay to talk dismissively of poor whites in a way they never would about blacks or Latinos.

Sure, it has its practical uses. And you're right, classism is a problem--both on the left and right. But it's mostly driven by the political divide.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Folks, I understand the point people are making about adding the qualifier "white" to "trash." It suggests that normally trash is non-white or you wouldn't have to give it the "white" qualifier. But I am more concerned about how this is used as a pejorative against poor rural whites than I am about whether it's racist against blacks. Seriously, black people already face many challenges fueled by structural racism that we should all be concerned about (eg Trayvon Martin)but I'm not going to lose sleep over the insult to them by using the word "white trash."

But if calling it racist will get liberal whites to stop sneering at poor white southerners maybe that's not so bad. As a white left-liberal I get so tired of supercilious liberals who think it's okay to talk dismissively of poor whites in a way they never would about blacks or Latinos.

I agree that classism is bad but not everything bad is "racist". Categorizing "white trash" as racist devalues the term.

[Anonymous]

It's racist, it's classist, it's nasty. I would never use it, I have broken my husband of the habit, and I will not tolerate my children saying it. I don't worry about "devaluing" the term racist; I worry about treating everyone with respect and teaching my children to do the same. Next.

[Anonymous]

It's definitely classist but the racism argument is a real stretch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's racist, it's classist, it's nasty. I would never use it, I have broken my husband of the habit, and I will not tolerate my children saying it. I don't worry about "devaluing" the term racist; I worry about treating everyone with respect and teaching my children to do the same. Next.

Points for your passion. Negative points for your lack of an argument. Let's be precise with our language. "It's disrespectful therefore it's racist" doesn't really advance the case.

[Anonymous]

It's also anti-Semitic, because anti-Semitism is bad, too. And calling someone "white trash" is bad. Therefore "white trash" is anti-Semitic.

QED.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's racist, it's classist, it's nasty. I would never use it, I have broken my husband of the habit, and I will not tolerate my children saying it. I don't worry about "devaluing" the term racist; I worry about treating everyone with respect and teaching my children to do the same. Next.

Points for your passion. Negative points for your lack of an argument. Let's be precise with our language. "It's disrespectful therefore it's racist" doesn't really advance the case.

I am of the school that believes it is racist because of the "black trash" implications as outlined by me and several other posters. We are actually very much in favor of the precise use of language.

[Anonymous]

"white trash" is racist against blacks

[Anonymous]

If I have plates of 5 different colors in my cabinet--let's say black, white, red, yellow and brown--and I ask my husband for a white plate, how does that imply that all other plates are black?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If I have plates of 5 different colors in my cabinet--let's say black, white, red, yellow and brown--and I ask my husband for a white plate, how does that imply that all other plates are black?

I suppose if the history of the US was the history of the Josiah Wedgwood and Sons Company, you might have a point.

[Anonymous]

If I have four different piles of trash--let's say, plastic, tin, colored paper, and white paper--and I ask for the "white trash", how is that racist?