First I was very happy to see that NASCAR had indefinitely suspended a Nationwide Series crew chief who used an undisclosed racial slur against driver Marc Davis, who is black. Then I read the comments on the article on the Charlotte Observer's Web site, and I got very sad. And frustrated. And angry.
NASCAR fans spend so much time trying to convince non-fans that we're NOT all closet KKK members with Daisy Dukes and three teeth. I can't tell you how relieved I was to see NASCAR come down so hard on this crew chief, especially after it waffled on the harassment lawsuit by a former track official who is a black woman. Finally they get it, I thought. Calling someone a "n-word" is never appropriate, even if the guy did just wreck your driver. Call him other names, challenge him to a shoving match if you must - but using the person's unprivileged status to insult him is hate-speech, pure and simple.
Some of the people who left comments on that post are frakking delusional, no two ways about it. White people are oppressed, really? Why, because it's no longer socially acceptable for us to exert our privilege over others? Because now we have the burden of considering our speech and actions, as others have always had to do for us (lest we lynch them)? Aw, poor us. I think I'm going to go back to my low-interest mortgaged house and pout about it.
Sorry, idiot racist commenters. If I called one of my work colleagues a racist or sexist slur, you'd better believe I'd be out of a job. Why should this case be any different?
I promise that we're not all like this - not all people in the South, in North Carolina, or all racing fans. People like this crew chief and the commenters who defend him are an evil, vocal and - thank goodness - shrinking faction. That's exactly why they're so angry.
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