Please stop saying the K-Word

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh my. I was offended that my thread (with two pages of civil discussion last I checked) about woke parents was deleted. But censoring the K-word is beyond ridiculous. Never mind, let's go back to the multi-page threads spewing hatred against feds and 30+ pages of speculation about a private citizen's legal and marital issues.

Your thread was one of the most ignorant things I’ve ever seen posted here. I am giving you credit for being ignorant rather than simply racist.

I understand that it's because I identified myself as a black woman in that thread, and this forum has made it clear time and time again that the black POV is not welcome. But please, continue calling me ignorant. Not just ignorant, but one of the most ignorant things you've ever seen. I'll give you credit for just being selective about how you moderate your website, rather than simply being racist. Meanwhile, I'll focus my efforts on recommending sofas to people and try my best to ignore all the hatred that spews through this forum day in and day out that you think is a-okay.

Amen. Really disappointed in you Jeff.

If you are disappointed that I don't view all black people in DC as drug users and gang members, you are really going to hate me for the other things I believe,.

I'm not talking about whatever her post was, I'm talking about your censorship of something so stupid and comparatively innocuous to things you choose to let stand. But anything to p rd protect the honor of white womanhood, amirite?

Few, if any, of the white woman on this site need me to protect their honor. I blocked the K-word because it was played out beyond belief and the constant use of it made this look like the lamest site on the Internet. Do you think I want to be the owner of a site on which the users have just caught up with 2018 and think they are the coolest kids in school?

You're censoring things because they aren't "cool" enough? Really?

DCUM earned a reputation for having intelligent, educated, and witty posters. Then it devolved to repeating the same name over and over again in response to nearly every post. Call it "censorship" or call it nostalgia.

You redeemed yourself a bit with this self-deprecation. At first I was like, you think the overuse of the K-word is why DCUM is a mockery on the internet, particularly among other local blogs and forums? Then I saw your follow-up and was like, nah, you get this site is a joke. An oddly compelling joke, which keeps us coming back despite our best interests.

Anyway, since there's been much speculation about what I actually said in my original post of "A dilemma facing 'woke' DC parents" (thank goodness for Googie caching, anyone can find the original thread). Here's what I posted:

DC parents who are determined to rear their children in the city to expose them to diversity and all the benefits of city life are unintentionally creating the next generation of racists. Their children's earliest and most enduring perception of black people will be of the drug-addicted and mentally ill people living on the street, groups of youth committing petty crimes and being general nuisances, grown people who should know better displaying ratchet behavior in public, etc. This causes an unconscious bias that these children will carry for the remainder of their lives, even if they believe themselves to be anti-racist. Meanwhile, children growing up in the DC suburbs will have their earliest and most enduring exposure be to people of all races and ethnicities who value education, hard work, success, and good manners. It's these suburban children who will have a stronger grounding in diversity and inclusion, even if they don't explicitly consider that part of their identity.

Source: Me, a black woman who grew up surrounded by other UMC people of all colors, thus never learning that black people couldn't or shouldn't be just as successful as rich white folks, and who moved to DC some years ago. Me, a black woman who has realized with sadness that I now have an unconscious prejudice against my own skinfolk after years of dealing with all the nonsense that comes with living in a slowly gentrifying part of the city. If my perception of other black people can deteriorate so drastically after moving to DC as an adult, knowing that the behavior of a specific subset of people is in no way reflective of the race as a whole, what chance do white children in transitioning neighborhoods have at not having unconscious bias deeply ingrained during their formative years?

Jeff was right to delete the above post. You clearly have some deep issues. This is so offensive and ridiculous. - Signed a highly successful UMC AA woman born and raised in DC.

[Anonymous]

Moderator blocked a person's name?

As supposedly "offensive"??

How stupid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh my. I was offended that my thread (with two pages of civil discussion last I checked) about woke parents was deleted. But censoring the K-word is beyond ridiculous. Never mind, let's go back to the multi-page threads spewing hatred against feds and 30+ pages of speculation about a private citizen's legal and marital issues.

Your thread was one of the most ignorant things I’ve ever seen posted here. I am giving you credit for being ignorant rather than simply racist.

I understand that it's because I identified myself as a black woman in that thread, and this forum has made it clear time and time again that the black POV is not welcome. But please, continue calling me ignorant. Not just ignorant, but one of the most ignorant things you've ever seen. I'll give you credit for just being selective about how you moderate your website, rather than simply being racist. Meanwhile, I'll focus my efforts on recommending sofas to people and try my best to ignore all the hatred that spews through this forum day in and day out that you think is a-okay.

Amen. Really disappointed in you Jeff.

If you are disappointed that I don't view all black people in DC as drug users and gang members, you are really going to hate me for the other things I believe,.

I'm not talking about whatever her post was, I'm talking about your censorship of something so stupid and comparatively innocuous to things you choose to let stand. But anything to p rd protect the honor of white womanhood, amirite?

Few, if any, of the white woman on this site need me to protect their honor. I blocked the K-word because it was played out beyond belief and the constant use of it made this look like the lamest site on the Internet. Do you think I want to be the owner of a site on which the users have just caught up with 2018 and think they are the coolest kids in school?

You're censoring things because they aren't "cool" enough? Really?

DCUM earned a reputation for having intelligent, educated, and witty posters. Then it devolved to repeating the same name over and over again in response to nearly every post. Call it "censorship" or call it nostalgia.

You redeemed yourself a bit with this self-deprecation. At first I was like, you think the overuse of the K-word is why DCUM is a mockery on the internet, particularly among other local blogs and forums? Then I saw your follow-up and was like, nah, you get this site is a joke. An oddly compelling joke, which keeps us coming back despite our best interests.

Anyway, since there's been much speculation about what I actually said in my original post of "A dilemma facing 'woke' DC parents" (thank goodness for Googie caching, anyone can find the original thread). Here's what I posted:

DC parents who are determined to rear their children in the city to expose them to diversity and all the benefits of city life are unintentionally creating the next generation of racists. Their children's earliest and most enduring perception of black people will be of the drug-addicted and mentally ill people living on the street, groups of youth committing petty crimes and being general nuisances, grown people who should know better displaying ratchet behavior in public, etc. This causes an unconscious bias that these children will carry for the remainder of their lives, even if they believe themselves to be anti-racist. Meanwhile, children growing up in the DC suburbs will have their earliest and most enduring exposure be to people of all races and ethnicities who value education, hard work, success, and good manners. It's these suburban children who will have a stronger grounding in diversity and inclusion, even if they don't explicitly consider that part of their identity.

Source: Me, a black woman who grew up surrounded by other UMC people of all colors, thus never learning that black people couldn't or shouldn't be just as successful as rich white folks, and who moved to DC some years ago. Me, a black woman who has realized with sadness that I now have an unconscious prejudice against my own skinfolk after years of dealing with all the nonsense that comes with living in a slowly gentrifying part of the city. If my perception of other black people can deteriorate so drastically after moving to DC as an adult, knowing that the behavior of a specific subset of people is in no way reflective of the race as a whole, what chance do white children in transitioning neighborhoods have at not having unconscious bias deeply ingrained during their formative years?

Jeff was right to delete the above post. You clearly have some deep issues. This is so offensive and ridiculous. - Signed a highly successful UMC AA woman born and raised in DC.

So you speak for all black women now? Get over yourself K-word.

[Anonymous]

I do not think that deleting the original post was a good idea. We struggle because we refuse to openly discuss certain class and race issues. The intent did not seem to be to disparage certain types of people but to talk about the potential impact on children's perceptions. I grew up in the suburbs of Atlanta and came to the District to attend Howard in the 90s. I experienced the culture shock that often results from initial exposure to an urban culture for the first time. Having grown up in a neighborhood replete with black professionals, I did not draw negative conclusions, but someone without a broader context very well could. If I could ask Jeff a question, as a longtime user of this site (13 years), I would want to know how to best open those discussions of controversial issues without being offensive. I understand his decision but feel that shutting down the dialogue deprives us of the chance to connect. One of the things that has kept me coming back to DCUM is the ability to exchange opinions with people I do not necessarily meet on a daily basis. I hope that all of us can work together to maximize the site's incredible social potential.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is so ridiculous. As a woman actually named K@ren, I find the defining of entitled individuals more concerned with their comfort than other's safety using my name annoying, but not offensive. The truth is K@rens are going to K@ren no matter what you call them.

This.

[Anonymous]

This thread is laughable. The most uncool/hip people trying to call something else uncool/hip. Newsflash, it’s still widely popular and no one cares if K-words are offended by being called out for their behavior. Oh and DCUM is full of K-words which is clearly why the name was blocked and hit a nerve.

[Anonymous]

What about Katherine?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh my. I was offended that my thread (with two pages of civil discussion last I checked) about woke parents was deleted. But censoring the K-word is beyond ridiculous. Never mind, let's go back to the multi-page threads spewing hatred against feds and 30+ pages of speculation about a private citizen's legal and marital issues.

Your thread was one of the most ignorant things I’ve ever seen posted here. I am giving you credit for being ignorant rather than simply racist.

I understand that it's because I identified myself as a black woman in that thread, and this forum has made it clear time and time again that the black POV is not welcome. But please, continue calling me ignorant. Not just ignorant, but one of the most ignorant things you've ever seen. I'll give you credit for just being selective about how you moderate your website, rather than simply being racist. Meanwhile, I'll focus my efforts on recommending sofas to people and try my best to ignore all the hatred that spews through this forum day in and day out that you think is a-okay.

Amen. Really disappointed in you Jeff.

If you are disappointed that I don't view all black people in DC as drug users and gang members, you are really going to hate me for the other things I believe,.

I'm not talking about whatever her post was, I'm talking about your censorship of something so stupid and comparatively innocuous to things you choose to let stand. But anything to p rd protect the honor of white womanhood, amirite?

Few, if any, of the white woman on this site need me to protect their honor. I blocked the K-word because it was played out beyond belief and the constant use of it made this look like the lamest site on the Internet. Do you think I want to be the owner of a site on which the users have just caught up with 2018 and think they are the coolest kids in school?

You're censoring things because they aren't "cool" enough? Really?

DCUM earned a reputation for having intelligent, educated, and witty posters. Then it devolved to repeating the same name over and over again in response to nearly every post. Call it "censorship" or call it nostalgia.

You redeemed yourself a bit with this self-deprecation. At first I was like, you think the overuse of the K-word is why DCUM is a mockery on the internet, particularly among other local blogs and forums? Then I saw your follow-up and was like, nah, you get this site is a joke. An oddly compelling joke, which keeps us coming back despite our best interests.

Anyway, since there's been much speculation about what I actually said in my original post of "A dilemma facing 'woke' DC parents" (thank goodness for Googie caching, anyone can find the original thread). Here's what I posted:

DC parents who are determined to rear their children in the city to expose them to diversity and all the benefits of city life are unintentionally creating the next generation of racists. Their children's earliest and most enduring perception of black people will be of the drug-addicted and mentally ill people living on the street, groups of youth committing petty crimes and being general nuisances, grown people who should know better displaying ratchet behavior in public, etc. This causes an unconscious bias that these children will carry for the remainder of their lives, even if they believe themselves to be anti-racist. Meanwhile, children growing up in the DC suburbs will have their earliest and most enduring exposure be to people of all races and ethnicities who value education, hard work, success, and good manners. It's these suburban children who will have a stronger grounding in diversity and inclusion, even if they don't explicitly consider that part of their identity.

Source: Me, a black woman who grew up surrounded by other UMC people of all colors, thus never learning that black people couldn't or shouldn't be just as successful as rich white folks, and who moved to DC some years ago. Me, a black woman who has realized with sadness that I now have an unconscious prejudice against my own skinfolk after years of dealing with all the nonsense that comes with living in a slowly gentrifying part of the city. If my perception of other black people can deteriorate so drastically after moving to DC as an adult, knowing that the behavior of a specific subset of people is in no way reflective of the race as a whole, what chance do white children in transitioning neighborhoods have at not having unconscious bias deeply ingrained during their formative years?

Jeff was right to delete the above post. You clearly have some deep issues. This is so offensive and ridiculous. - Signed a highly successful UMC AA woman born and raised in DC.

I’m AA. You don’t speak for all black people. I thought the post was fine and that more discussions like this should be taking place here. I just ran through the “what can’t black people do“ thread and there are several white people who are sayin “who cares about this”. We have to hear about a million K-words who freak out about this virus day in and day out, such as bitching about someone not wearing a mask to walk their dog or go to a store, but when someone black gets racially profiled for wearing a mask, it’s ignored.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This thread is laughable. The most uncool/hip people trying to call something else uncool/hip. Newsflash, it’s still widely popular and no one cares if K-words are offended by being called out for their behavior. Oh and DCUM is full of K-words which is clearly why the name was blocked and hit a nerve.

This is true. It was banned because even if the original tweet is a joke, clearly the name is hitting some nerves here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This thread is laughable. The most uncool/hip people trying to call something else uncool/hip. Newsflash, it’s still widely popular and no one cares if K-words are offended by being called out for their behavior. Oh and DCUM is full of K-words which is clearly why the name was blocked and hit a nerve.

Pretty sure DCUM is full of C-words.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:I do not think that deleting the original post was a good idea. We struggle because we refuse to openly discuss certain class and race issues. The intent did not seem to be to disparage certain types of people but to talk about the potential impact on children's perceptions. I grew up in the suburbs of Atlanta and came to the District to attend Howard in the 90s. I experienced the culture shock that often results from initial exposure to an urban culture for the first time. Having grown up in a neighborhood replete with black professionals, I did not draw negative conclusions, but someone without a broader context very well could. If I could ask Jeff a question, as a longtime user of this site (13 years), I would want to know how to best open those discussions of controversial issues without being offensive. I understand his decision but feel that shutting down the dialogue deprives us of the chance to connect. One of the things that has kept me coming back to DCUM is the ability to exchange opinions with people I do not necessarily meet on a daily basis. I hope that all of us can work together to maximize the site's incredible social potential.

I don't think that it is ever a good idea to reduce any community to its most troubled members. The very clear impression left by that poster was that white children in DC would only be exposed to black people who were using drugs or involved with crime. This is factually wrong. Indeed, even if the white children in the poster's neighborhood never left their block, they would at least be exposed to her (a professional black woman) and she would provide a counter-example to the drug-addicted criminals. DC has such a diverse black community that it would be almost impossible to live in such a hermetically-sealed environment such that drug addicts and criminals were the only black individuals with whom you ever came into contact.

The poster presented her post as a sort of warning to white people -- "be careful, you are unintentionally raising racists." But, if she has children, aren't they exposed to the same drug-users and ruffians? Are her children also internalizing these negative stereotypes? Is she concerned that she might be raising self-haters?

Even if we assumed that everything the poster stated was correct and white children in DC are unintentionally being raised as racists (an absurd notion on the face of it given that generations of non-racist white children have been raised here), what is her proposed solution? Should all white people leave the city, relocating to the suburbs in order to avoid poor black people? Does that sound like a logical way to combat racism?

I agree that issues of race and class should be discussed. But starting the discussion based on false premises, especially false premises that directly promote racist stereotypes, is not a good idea. It is worth discussing the overlap of race and class in DC and how professional black families are often caught in the middle of these divisions. But the way this poster addressed the topic was more likely to increase those divisions than to provide any enlightenment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What about Katherine?

I prefer Catherine.

[Anonymous]

I love that Jeff has such strong feelings about the so called K word. It makes him seem more real to me, if that makes sense.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:
I’m AA. You don’t speak for all black people. I thought the post was fine and that more discussions like this should be taking place here. I just ran through the “what can’t black people do“ thread and there are several white people who are sayin “who cares about this”. We have to hear about a million K-words who freak out about this virus day in and day out, such as bitching about someone not wearing a mask to walk their dog or go to a store, but when someone black gets racially profiled for wearing a mask, it’s ignored.

It shouldn't have to be said, but the solution for combatting negative stereotypes of black people is not negative stereotypes of white people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I love that Jeff has such strong feelings about the so called K word. It makes him seem more real to me, if that makes sense.

It seems like he relates to them, which is fine. Just stop pretending it’s for some greater good of DCUM.