*takes a deep breath*
Dear people I generally like,
I'm writing this here because it's been a while since you did these things, but it's been bothering me, and I need to let it out somewhere, if only to remind myself to actually fucking respond the next time you do something like this. Politely, because I like you, I know you're not bad people, and I don't want you thinking I'm calling you horrible. I'm just not going to stay silent.
When you drew your character wearing a swastika necklace, it wasn't cool or edgy or funny. When you changed your laptop background to a swastika, it wasn't funny or cute or for the lulz. It was fucking obnoxious. The racist comments you and your brother made also weren't funny. I know, given comments you've made at other times, that you think that the racially homogenous school we attended together for three years was fucking creepy, but I'm still not happy about some of these "jokes" you've made.
"Everyone's a Little Bit Racist" does not contain enlightening life philosophy about how we all need to admit that we're racist and then GO ON MAKING RACIST JOKES. I don't care if you like the song, but bringing it up in serious discussion on racism is ignorant. I like you a lot, but you have made racially insensitive comments before, some that lead me to believe you use comedy about racism to justify making racist remarks. That really bothers me.
Saying you got gypped is not okay. "Used as a term to describe when one has received less than they paid for. Most people do not realize it's a racist term that stems from nomadic 'gypsies' who are stereotyped as theiving criminals." From Urban Dictionary, and yes, it's true, it's racist. I'm not calling you a horrible person, just, don't say it, okay? I understand why you probably wouldn't know that, but I know if you knew the connotation you wouldn't want to say it, so, please don't.
Dear two boyfriends of friends,
-I am willing to accept that you might be a nice guy, but drawing swastikas is, again, not cool. Your girlfriend is a wonderful person. Please try not to do things like that again, because she deserves better.
-Fuck you, asshole, fuck you and your racist jokes and your racist comments to your own fucking girlfriend and your sexism and your attempt to make crude sexual comments to me on the phone and about your girlfriend's sister. She deserved so much better than you and I am so thankful that you two are no longer involved. I have reason to believe her new guy is homophobic, too, and that also pisses me off.
Dear anyone who might be reading this,
If you think I wrote this about you, or one of these anecdotes sounds like something you've done or said, please take a deep breath yourself before commenting. I'm not trying to insult you. Unless you are one of the boyfriends I mentioned, I probably like you very much. I'm just...sick of not saying anything? And kind of annoyed? I want to rant about these incidents, even though they are long past, and I don't want to hurt you by bringing up something you did years ago. If I do confront you about something you do, please don't assume you are a horrible person. YOU AREN'T. You are human. I've made mistakes too. And on that note....
Dear younger me,
Showing your friend that Catherine Tate sketch was a bad idea. It doesn't matter that Lauren Cooper is completely out of line when she makes those transphobic and homophobic comments. It's a better idea to sit back and question if that's really just an excuse to make those comments. If we're supposed to be laughing at Lauren or with Lauren. Just...don't do that. Your friend was right, Lauren was being fucking mean in that skit, and it wasn't funny.
Dear me a month or so ago,
Think before telling that amusing story of your friend's sign language blunders. You may have been thinking the sentence "I want a chocolate donut" changing to "I want a chocolate whore" was amusing and about a literal prostitute made of chocolate. But I'm pretty sure the whole fucking room thought it was about race. Also, the word whore isn't cool anyway. Why the fuck did you tell that story?
Dear room of people,
I am sorry. Very sorry. I fucked up, bad, and I wish I could have said something about it then.
*sighs*
*relaxes*
*feels better now*
I'm writing this here because it's been a while since you did these things, but it's been bothering me, and I need to let it out somewhere, if only to remind myself to actually fucking respond the next time you do something like this. Politely, because I like you, I know you're not bad people, and I don't want you thinking I'm calling you horrible. I'm just not going to stay silent.
When you drew your character wearing a swastika necklace, it wasn't cool or edgy or funny. When you changed your laptop background to a swastika, it wasn't funny or cute or for the lulz. It was fucking obnoxious. The racist comments you and your brother made also weren't funny. I know, given comments you've made at other times, that you think that the racially homogenous school we attended together for three years was fucking creepy, but I'm still not happy about some of these "jokes" you've made.
"Everyone's a Little Bit Racist" does not contain enlightening life philosophy about how we all need to admit that we're racist and then GO ON MAKING RACIST JOKES. I don't care if you like the song, but bringing it up in serious discussion on racism is ignorant. I like you a lot, but you have made racially insensitive comments before, some that lead me to believe you use comedy about racism to justify making racist remarks. That really bothers me.
Saying you got gypped is not okay. "Used as a term to describe when one has received less than they paid for. Most people do not realize it's a racist term that stems from nomadic 'gypsies' who are stereotyped as theiving criminals." From Urban Dictionary, and yes, it's true, it's racist. I'm not calling you a horrible person, just, don't say it, okay? I understand why you probably wouldn't know that, but I know if you knew the connotation you wouldn't want to say it, so, please don't.
Dear two boyfriends of friends,
-I am willing to accept that you might be a nice guy, but drawing swastikas is, again, not cool. Your girlfriend is a wonderful person. Please try not to do things like that again, because she deserves better.
-Fuck you, asshole, fuck you and your racist jokes and your racist comments to your own fucking girlfriend and your sexism and your attempt to make crude sexual comments to me on the phone and about your girlfriend's sister. She deserved so much better than you and I am so thankful that you two are no longer involved. I have reason to believe her new guy is homophobic, too, and that also pisses me off.
Dear anyone who might be reading this,
If you think I wrote this about you, or one of these anecdotes sounds like something you've done or said, please take a deep breath yourself before commenting. I'm not trying to insult you. Unless you are one of the boyfriends I mentioned, I probably like you very much. I'm just...sick of not saying anything? And kind of annoyed? I want to rant about these incidents, even though they are long past, and I don't want to hurt you by bringing up something you did years ago. If I do confront you about something you do, please don't assume you are a horrible person. YOU AREN'T. You are human. I've made mistakes too. And on that note....
Dear younger me,
Showing your friend that Catherine Tate sketch was a bad idea. It doesn't matter that Lauren Cooper is completely out of line when she makes those transphobic and homophobic comments. It's a better idea to sit back and question if that's really just an excuse to make those comments. If we're supposed to be laughing at Lauren or with Lauren. Just...don't do that. Your friend was right, Lauren was being fucking mean in that skit, and it wasn't funny.
Dear me a month or so ago,
Think before telling that amusing story of your friend's sign language blunders. You may have been thinking the sentence "I want a chocolate donut" changing to "I want a chocolate whore" was amusing and about a literal prostitute made of chocolate. But I'm pretty sure the whole fucking room thought it was about race. Also, the word whore isn't cool anyway. Why the fuck did you tell that story?
Dear room of people,
I am sorry. Very sorry. I fucked up, bad, and I wish I could have said something about it then.
*sighs*
*relaxes*
*feels better now*