is a term/acronym/target like "POC" inherently racist?

[reddread]

Last edited Thu Sep 24, 2015, 06:36 PM - Edit history (1)

or is it just racist to toss "them" around like a football?

perhaps if concerned supporters could point to something they have done to
serve and solve the problems of racism (besides outsourcing and trade deals)*
impacting US citizens, this question would be moot?


*forgive me, I left out packing prisons disproportionately and inordinately.
Privatizing same and raking in contributions.

I'll leave space here for more as they reoccur to me

[oberliner]

1. Is there some larger context here?

What has inspired this question?

[leftofcool]

2. Try posting this to the AA Group.

I guarantee responses.

[djean111]

3. I was thinking that the AA group is where I saw the first used. n/t

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

4. The people I first learned the expression/acronym from were

'people with higher melanin levels' themselves. And they certainly didn't think it was racist, and they were the ones who got the rest of us over at DK using it.

Who's decided it's racist here at DU?

[Octafish]

5. Agree.

When it is used, often by people with good intent, it serves to divide some from others -- one-up, one-down style.

ALL people are flesh-colored. It's way past time to keep dividing people on the basis of pigmentation.

[el_bryanto]

10. Except that people of color are treated differently in our society and have specific

concerns that they need addressed. We aren't a color-blind society, not yet. Black people and other people of color have to put up with problems the rest of us don't. Removing pigmentation from the discussion robs us of the context in which to discuss these issues.

Bryant

[reddread]

15. so they need a voice and deserve fairness and consideration, not gaming

as we all do.

[liberal N proud]

6. Depends on what POC means - or what context it is used

If I say this car is a POC, then am I racist against the car?

What is POC?

Piece of Crap
People of Color
Pope on Car
Point of Care

Acronyms are tricky.

Today the term AA is being thrown around could mean Alcoholics Anonymous. Context!

[lpbk2713]

16. I was an AA for a few months when I was in the Navy.

[Fla_Democrat]

18. Army Ants?

[Nye Bevan]

7. "POC" seems a bit lazy and demeaning.

How often is "white people" abbreviated to WP?

[Fred Sanders]

8. It is lazy to use the term, or AA, on the intertubes. Visible minorities. How hard is that to type?

Or just black or African-American? It is just plain lazy and reducing entire groups to acronyms is divisive, intentional or not.

PoNC need to stop being so lazy.

[Bluenorthwest]

12. Well then please stop typing LGBT and type Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender each time.

Use terms that people ask you to use to describe them. It's simple. It is not your job to name others, it is you job to ask their names and use them.

[gollygee]

9. What?

The people I see most often using POC are people of color. I don't understand why it would be racist to use that.

[reddread]

13. I believe I mean a slightly different useage

not people of color, so much as "the POC vote"
I find that sort of football is demeaning, not to mention dishonest when
past experiences including welfare reform and NAFTA were not very helpful
for POC in the USA.
the POC vote is used as a football in some supposedly serious statistical fulcrum
because it apparently offers someone an advantage.
its all moot.
the first lowbrow strategy has blown up in their faces and
the real results will manifest quicky enough.
enjoy the show.

[kwassa]

11. What is funny about this thread is that I predicted ...

in my mind which DUers would agree with this point of view, and two of them responded right on cue.

[JI7]

14. you concerned about racism ?

[reddread]

17. is that a joke?