And Beyond the Slur...
Given the deplorable racial slur invoked by Boston cop Justin Barrett, it is understandable that he’s been removed from his job and his national guard post for using “racially insensitive language.” But Mr. Barrett objects that “people are making it about race, it is not about race,” and that “the words were being used to characterize behavior, not describe anyone . . . I didn’t mean it in a racist way. I treat everyone with dignity and respect.’’
Obviously that is an unconvincing defense. Even absent the obvious, casual racism in his letter, however, Mr. Barrett is unfit to be a police officer, having written of Professor Gates that “if I was the officer he verbally assaulted like a banana-eating jungle monkey I would have sprayed him in the face with OC deserving of his belligerent non-compliance.”
In our zeal to condemn the slur “banana-eating jungle monkey” — and condemn it we must — let’s also be sure to note that this idiot is brazenly advocating the unnecessary use of force against an unarmed citizen merely for talking back to the police. This is why libertarians are reluctant to afford police officers discretion to “keep public order” in extra-legal ways: the existence of cops like Justin Barrett, and the attitude toward using force that he expresses so casually.
Absolutely.
— pc · Jul 30, 06:35 PM · #
Not to mention his earlier comment about how to treat a Suspect and how Gates was still a Suspect as far as he was concerned.
When I first read the email I htought it had to be a spoof, someone’s cariacture of the worst stereotype of a cop. That a real guy wrote that and had no fear attaching his name to it is really scary; he seemed to think the majority of his superiors reading it wasn’t a concern?
— Eric K · Jul 30, 06:43 PM · #
I think we are seeing a broad return to dogwhistle racebaiting as a GOP tactic.
Tactically, sure, it will work…strategically?
nope.
cauc % of the electorate is falling…the tipping point is 2023 when the majority becomes…errr….non-white and hispanic white.
— matoko_chan · Jul 30, 06:44 PM · #
And you missed this, Bourgie Conservative Conor…..
“this idiot[Barret] is brazenly advocating the unnecessary use of force against an unarmed citizen merely for talking back to the police AND BEING BLACK.”
Do you think officer barret would be advocating unnecessary force against A WHITE MAN?
You are so naive.
you are tolerating this. Malkin says O is a racial opportunist and Beck says O hates white people.
Schwenkler dicks around with a 100 comment post on the giving tree while you pretend your party isn’t loaded with dogwhistle racebaiters, bigots and haters.
/spit
— matoko_chan · Jul 30, 07:03 PM · #
Matoko,
Do you realize why comments like that make you appear utterly unreasonable to everyone else on this site?
— Conor Friedersdorf · Jul 30, 07:15 PM · #
Matoko, I really don’t think you’re being reasonable. Barret is an asshole cop who would indeed advocate violence against a white man. He just might not have quite as much of an erection sans pigmentation. Conor’s not saying that Barret’s not a racist — he’s pointing out that let’s not forget the guy’s casually advocating violence to compel compliance from someone, which is really the single most important issue in law enforcement today.
— Erik Vanderhoff · Jul 30, 08:00 PM · #
But…I AM unreasonable.
…and i’m not sorry….and it won’t stop. —samara osorio, The Ring
And you, sir, are bourgie to the bone.
— matoko_chan · Jul 30, 08:46 PM · #
“And you, sir, are bourgie to the bone.”
On what planet is someone who studies mathematics (I do seem to recall you saying that is your vocation, yes?), writes in an absurd Japanese-fetish grammarian manner, and has all the time in the world to post self-admittedly unreasonable and petulantly childish comments to blogs throughout the day NOT a member of the bourgeoisie? Goddammit, Matoko, if you’re a member of the First World, you are a member of the bourgeoisie. Grow up, get serious, and pull your head out of your behind. You’re smart enough to make real contributions; act like it.
— Erik Vanderhoff · Jul 30, 09:26 PM · #
Except that she has a pretty substantial point. The reason that conservativism is failing is not because your ideas aren’t packaged in a pretty enough box, or because you guys don’t believe them strongly enough, or because you haven’t reached out to the right demographics, or whatever.
It’s because you’ve yoked your movement to a pretty substantial undercurrent of ignorance and white privilege and systemic racism against minorities and sexism against women, and a black president for whatever reason seems to be making all that implode on itself in a very visible way.
And around here your only response seems to be Reihan’s ridiculous book and Schwenkler’s literary pretensions and Manzi’s pseudoscientific logic-chopping. Peter’s ridiculous love life with his ridiculous fiance. And, of course, Conor bravely assaulting the clown shoes of only the most infantile radio trolls like Levinson.
What are you guys doing around here? It’s like you’re in touch with everything except conservatism. You’re exactly like Alan Jacobs and all the university theologians who know everything about christianity except what people actually believe. Except with Republicans.
— Chet · Jul 30, 10:10 PM · #
Chet,
If that is your estimation of this site, the better question is what are you doing here?
— Conor Friedersdorf · Jul 30, 10:26 PM · #
Watching the utter implosion of a modern political movement. This seemed like the least stinky, refuse-strewn place to park the lawn chair.
— Chet · Jul 30, 11:10 PM · #
Dude, I’m not a conservative.
— Erik Vanderhoff · Jul 31, 12:57 AM · #
bourgie defn adj
Urban Dictionary
1. Bourgie 34 up, 6 down
Trunication of bourgeoisie. Pronounced “boo-zhee”
adj. To be pretentious in matters of taste or dismissive of other tastes, in a manner that follows a particular middle class mode of thinking. Generally derogatory.
“Is it more bourgie to be a scotch snob or a beer snob?”
2. bourgie 72 up, 150 down
Stemming from the French word bourgeoisie. Pronounced “boo-zhee”
Someone who is class-conscious, with educated and discerning tastes, and interested in enjoying the finer things in life. It is definitely not high-class, aristoratic, snooty, or snobbish. “Bourgie” is as much an idea, and a state of mind, as it is an attitude towards enjoying good food, good friends, and good conversation, everyday. It evokes a mood of simple elegance, casual yet sophisticated—modern.
“Check out old girl in the Mercedes. Isn’t she from 82nd and International (Oakland)? Oh I guess she’s bourgie now!”
3. ghetto bourgie
Tatting up the crib with a new couch and a big screen, while still having the same crappy address and lowclass crackhead tenents.
— matoko_chan · Jul 31, 01:59 AM · #
Being in touch with everything except movement conservatism! Caring more about culture and bigger-picture issues than Republican silliness! Indulging our literary pretensions! And pissing off folks like Chet, evidently … it’s really sort of fun.
— John Schwenkler · Jul 31, 03:16 AM · #
I like the cut of Chet’s jib. Snarkily substantive.
But in The American Scene’s defense: If one did, for whatever reason, feel called to the more abstract underpinnings of conservatism (less government, more guns, whatever) but weren’t down with the dominant mode of conservative expression (Jim Crow laws and exhuming Vince Foster), what would one do? You could try to save it by presenting an attractive alternative, or you could get in slap-fights all day with Republicans hoping to change their ways. (Although in that case you’d have to sanctimoniously refer to Oakshott at least 4 or 5 times a day to prove you aren’t among the liberals who are also slap-fighting Republicans all day).
— sidereal · Jul 31, 03:20 AM · #
Yup, bourgie to the bone.
— matoko_chan · Jul 31, 03:21 AM · #
Oh, and on topic: My favorite part of the letter was where he suggested that the reporter should instead be delivering him coffee and donuts. Because, you know, that’s what women are best at.
— sidereal · Jul 31, 03:28 AM · #
wat he [sidereal] said.
Memes are competitive.
for a meme to command the attention of a human brain it must do so at the expense of rival memes
I hang around here hoping[unreasonably] the bourgie conservatives MIGHT come up with some competitve memes.
that and revenge. conservatives stole my political virginity with lies.
i might be easy but im not cheap. so you pay. ;)
OTOH praps you could occasionally call out the poseurs that are scamming the base out of their votes.
jus sayin.
— matoko_chan · Jul 31, 03:29 AM · #
Being in touch with everything except movement conservatism!
so, yeah.
How are you a conservative at all Schwenkler if you don’t give a shit about the conservative base?
— matoko_chan · Jul 31, 03:33 AM · #
By being a socially conservative limited government Burkean traditionalist type who opposes reckless foreign wars and the growth of the surveillance state.
— John Schwenkler · Jul 31, 03:50 AM · #
so….what you are saying is that you are basically a decarian Math, preserving core conservative memes in your swell ivory tower, and having contact with the ‘slines (baselines) only at election time? If then?
aren’t you supposed to care about your base?
— matoko_chan · Jul 31, 03:55 AM · #
Yes, I guess that’s what I’m saying. Just waiting for the base to come around, really.
— John Schwenkler · Jul 31, 03:58 AM · #
And you don’t have any….duty or honor that requires calling out the poseurs that are exploiting them?
Or any responsiblity to engineer competitve memes or [shockant!] educate the base?
— matoko_chan · Jul 31, 04:18 AM · #