The problems with racism and hyper sensitivity.

Note: My views have changed slightly and this is no longer up to date.

This is a copy-paste from a response that I made on Facebook about a week ago. This has it's holes but I wanted to put it here, as a sort of note to self for now, until I can fill in those holes. It also touches on a lot of concepts that I haven't associated any terms with. I would like to give it terms only because it would be a reference point that would make it easier to keep everyone's feel on the same level when arguing. It would also be nice to have a glossary of those terms in once place.

There was a discussion going on about this video. There were some jokes made about going into the business of stealing bikes as they were white and they wouldn't be bothered. Here is my response.

I dislike the censorship of anything. Jokes or otherwise. I also dislike so many of the population's hyper sensitivity; so quick to feel oppressed or offended.

If we think about racism we can clearly see that it is in-and-of-itself patently absurd. It's hating something on the basis of a born trait that one has absolutely no control over. So making racist jokes are hilarious to me because jokes should have a foundation of wackiness. How completely wacky is hating something that makes absolutely no sense? 

I'm bothered when someone feels that they should be offended in my favor and it took me years to understand why. Well, years of on and off of thought. It wasn't until I read "The Second Sex" that I came to know of the term of The Other. When someone gets offended for me they, perhaps unaware, are telling me how to think because I can't think for myself. Lets not go down that route. If it bothers you then yes say something but don't think or feel for me.

As for making those jokes of going into the business of stealing bikes? Nothing wrong with that unless you're a humorless human being. I would ranter, and always prefer, a discussion over it instead of asking me "Hey, Andric, is this offensive?". When you ask the question you're asking to remove all of the heavy lifting of thinking and just looking for a simple provocation for when to get offended in the future. Even still, lets not get offended. You're letting stupid little jokes gain power instead of tackling the problem.

There are many thoughts there which we can discuss in depth but I think it would be best for in person.

So feel free to make the jokes. The video shows us the problem but your upset feelings should be placed in how to fix not in being bothered. That gets us no where. 

The topics that I touch on here that I plan to further discuss are:

• The other
• Hyper sensitivity
• Privilege
• Offensive jokes
• Triggers (Not really a trigger in here but there are people that are professionally oppressed and this makes me think of that).
• Thought crime (seems like a stretch, because it is, but I will get into it deeper later).