I read the comments. They’re in the post! How dense is that question, Volmagic? “That boy’s finger” is not anything close to “boy, am I glad to see you”. Use your brain, please.

I don’t know of a single black man who heard that statement from a white man who would not immediately associate it with a racist attitude, and for good, historical reasons. Denying that is just silly and obtuse.

Ed Morrissey on April 14, 2008 at 10:21 PM

Sorry, Ed. You may be correct in noting that lots of blacks will take this personally, but you’re wrong about the person saying it.

I lived in Mobile, AL, for a decade, and in the south, “that boy” is a perfectly ordinary, comfortable indicative that’s used all the bloody time to refer to friends, neighbors, politicians, really anybody. It’s the same “boy” as in “good ol’ boy.” This is an instance where blacks take something as a slur that is completely innocent — like occurred with “niggardly” a few years ago.

I wrote about this a little yesterday on my blog site, if you’d like to hear a slightly longer exposition.

Here, -I’ll let my cat explain it:

If he served in the military, it is almost beyond impossible that he would have been naive enough to have not known full well what he was saying and what it meant. I guess he probably just thought that “The Mikes” weren’t on. Well they were.

MB4 on April 15, 2008 at 9:17 PM

You are so full of it…. Tell me. Truly… Your eyes HAVE to be brown… right?

and served in the military.

rockmom on April 15, 2008 at 2:27 PM

If he served in the military, it is almost beyond impossible that he would have been naive enough to have not known full well what he was saying and what it meant. I guess he probably just thought that “The Mikes” weren’t on. Well they were.

Anyway, I came away with a bloody nose and a new definition of the word “boy”. I’m giving Davis the benefit of the doubt even though he is not a college freshman. That term, “boy”, is not racist to me but I’m certainly careful how I use it, now. He will be, too. Just, don’t try to tell me that there’s a long, hard “A” in Appalachia. You might get your nose busted.

rockmom on April 15, 2008 at 2:27 PM

Excellent dispatch.

If Obama wants to jump on gaffes like this he had better be ready for more jumping on him about his “bitter” comments. Sauce for the goose………

Bravo. Your logic and pragmatism are much appreciated.

But it wouldn’t totally suprise me that Davis was playing to the crowd a little with his remark. I think he is smart enough to know this was a dumb thing to say and I would be confident in saying this is not a normal part of his coversation, as much as it might be in many parts of his district.

If Obama wants to jump on gaffes like this he had better be ready for more jumping on him about his “bitter” comments. Sauce for the goose………

McCain already said that he hated gooks.

Uhhm. “thus always will be”? In addition to reading minds, you can predict the future?
You obviously haven’t even read the thread, or you wouldn’t make vast generalizations, you’d respond to specific arguments. Don’t tell me, let me guess: you didn’t have to read the thread, you read our minds.
And yeah, I know you folks on the Left think political correctness is good, but I’m going to have to disagree. And the fact that you call it politically correct means you KNOW it’s a load of crap.
Shoo, fly.
misterpeasea on April 15, 2008 at 1:29 AM

Yeah, always will be. It’s as out of touch as “colored people”, “negro”, etc.
As I stated, if you’d read my post thoroughly, it doesn’t necessarily make him a racist. I have no idea what’s in his heart. He may have meant it to be innocuous.
But it’s antiquated and will be viewed by most, not representative of this thread but by most of the general population, as an epithet.
I hate PC and forced apologies as much as anyone on this board, but you just can’t change reality.
BTW, I left the Left a looong time ago.

and even I know you don’t say that to/about a Black man.

When does the orwellian drift stop?

It doesn’t.

That faux victim mentality is too absurd, removing words from usage:

Gay was stolen by the PC-Marxist homosexuals who now determine who may use the word and in what context the word may appear.

Monkey was stolen by the PC-Marxist black supremacist terrorists who determined that the word may NEVER be used. So where are the rights of the Indian-Americans who worship the monkey god? In all fairness, anyway, Africa boasts fewer jungles or monkey populations than India, Indonesia or South America.

Negro, French for “Black” may not be used, either, regardless that it honorably refers to past generations of African-Americans whose descendents keep changing their mind what name they prefer being called. They refuse to be “American” along with the Americans. Though they have been accepted, THEY won’t accept the rest of us.

Hate crimes were legislated in order to prevent Americans from preserving civil rights for all equally under the law.

http://imustimes.wordpress.com/2008/04/14/mccain-in-bust-a-move-moment-lays-it-out-for-imus/

The man has written two memoirs. Two. For no other reason than people think he’s just so wonderful; not that he’s actually done anything other than get shoehorned into fame and notoriety for simply showing up, dialing in and being pretty. He’s never done anything extraordinary, nothing to deserve the accolades and fawning worship thrown at his feet.

The more I get to know about this hollow wraith of a man, the less I like him.

I just listened to an audio clip of Davis’ remarks. I change my position. His use of the word “boy” in the context in which he used it, was uncomfortable and unfortunate. Given he used the word “man” shortly after using “boy” I have to attach negative intentions to his use.

Stupid and inappropriate. Don’t care that he apologized. It seemed premeditated to me. Now the voters will need to decide.

You got a problem with that?!

I wonder if that would make my cousins kid feel “out of place”, like “hey gramps how come you call everyone else boy and not me?”

It merely makes you look like you have no substantive arguments to back up your position. Like most liberals.

misterpeasea on April 15, 2008 at 2:22 AM

Go back to start and begin again. Look for what is right in front of you. It is all in simple English.

And your position is like a table without any legs. Even worse than most liberals.

Nobody, that I can see, is defending it

misterpeasea on April 15, 2008 at 2:22 AM

Holy Guacamole!

Add defending to the list.

It all depends on what the meaning of sex is and what the meaning of boy is and what the meaning of defending is and what the meaning of is, is.

Move over Bill!!!

Probably worse, but you are not being helpful by defending Geoff Davis’ calling a Black man, “Boy!”. Not at all.

MB4 on April 15, 2008 at 1:38 AM

Nobody, that I can see, is defending it. Everyone, that I can see, says it was stupid. I’m pretty sure nobody would advise him to do it again.

All I’m saying is, he isn’t automatically a racist for calling Bambi a “boy.” And neither you, nor Ed, nor Southern Dem, nor any other mind reader can say with certainty that he is, based merely on that one quote. He might be a racist, but calling Bambi “boy,” without more, doesn’t prove it.

Intent matters, and you cannot know his intent. I have a hard time believing he intended to be racist in public. Whether he’s racist or not.

And, I’m not being a victim. I’m trying to point out that insulting folks does not do a thing to convince them, or make you look smart, or help you win the argument.

It merely makes you look like you have no substantive arguments to back up your position. Like most liberals.

That is racism! Fact.

MB4 is not human. It is a very advanced, highly classified Artificial Intelligence computer program designed to provoke readers into posting comments, hitting the refresh button, and posting more comments.

rockhauler on April 15, 2008 at 2:08 AM

There is nothing more deceptive than an obvious fact.