[bpt3]

That's part of the problem, there is no silver bullet. I implement it by not being racist (or sexist or any other -ist) personally and refusing to support anyone who is.

That's largely all anyone can do (and I have a lot more ability to do something about it as a business owner than the average progressive), which I'm sure feels inadequate and leads to roving bands of thought police members looking for perceived transgressions to attack.

[theossuary]

And how do you decide whether someone you're considering supporting is or isn't racist? Do you, by chance, use the way they talk about black people or other minorities (man that's a mouthful, maybe just shorten it to BIPOC) as a way to gauge it?

For example, if someone said the N word in front of you, or made an uncomfortable joke about a Mexican, would you decide not to support them? If so, then does that make you one of those roving thought police? You'd obviously be censoring free speech if you decided how you treat them based on what they say!

On the other hand, people are clever, they know not to be too obvious or it may cause them social issues. So, as long as they don't do something too untoward right in front of you, does that mean they gain your full support?

Of course, I won't be surprised if those proponents of free speech decide to censor me by downvoting instead of engaging speech with speech

[bpt3]

> And how do you decide whether someone you're considering supporting is or isn't racist? Do you, by chance, use the way they talk about black people or other minorities (man that's a mouthful, maybe just shorten it to BIPOC) as a way to gauge it?

The same way I determine anyone's beliefs on any other topic, which is watching their actions over time, including what they say.

> For example, if someone said the N word in front of you, or made an uncomfortable joke about a Mexican, would you decide not to support them?

Probably, but context matters.

> If so, then does that make you one of those roving thought police? You'd obviously be censoring free speech if you decided how you treat them based on what they say!

And here we go. I'm not censoring anyone by not continuing to associate with someone I don't agree with. I'm also not digitally screaming to ostracize someone I disagree with over terminology, as is the case with cancel culture advocates.

> On the other hand, people are clever, they know not to be too obvious or it may cause them social issues. So, as long as they don't do something too untoward right in front of you, does that mean they gain your full support?

See what I said above about how I assess people. But if someone is a closet racist and I know nothing about it, what am I supposed to do?

> Of course, I won't be surprised if those proponents of free speech decide to censor me by downvoting instead of engaging speech with speech

Knock it off.

[theossuary]

If my using the same rhetorical devices as you annoys you, maybe consider how you come across to others? Phrases like "roving bands of thought police" make you sound like a child, and makes it easy to dismiss your opinion out of hand.

[bpt3]

You aren't using the same rhetorical devices, you're assuming a lot and pretending to be helpless.

Exactly what term would you use for the groups of terminally online people who dig through decades of social media posts looking for something like a mildly offensive tweet to blow out of proportion?

[wormlord]

> That's largely all anyone can do

When you don't have an understanding of racism as a systemic issue, this ends up being the conclusion. Which is why "woke" people (the ones who aren't just adopting the aesthetics and being annoying) typically discuss social issues in systemic terms (prison, policing, discrimination, etc). Which requires not just individual actions but collective action.

The inability to understand this concept is really just a lack of imagination that comes from internalizing the status quo for too long. Not to the fault of anyone, it's only natural. But I think this is why "woke" looks like a bunch of nonsense from the outside.

For example: the US has 2M people in prison more than any other country. An insane number, but to live in the US is to accept that number as normal.