Surprised he's not defending their actions right now!

They always have been

Tribalism at its worst!

One of the defining traits of our species is a social nature...which equates to tribalism. There is no scientific proof of ''race." It's a social construct, designed to support our tribalism. We all originated from one family and we're still one family.

@LucyLoohoo Well put, our "differences" in the end are all tribal. Yjis has been going on for thousands of years and will continue until everybody realizes that we are all the same except for cosmetics.

Interesting, isn't it? My daughter (the geneologist) lives in the South, where my father's people settled in the 1600s. She's found fascinating records of the family...some were abolitionists, a very few owned slaves, most were just poor, subsistence farmers. A few were killed while serving in the Confederate army. Some of those disappeared at Antietam, lost in the smoke of that battle and never seen again.
I can't call them ''traitors,'' because they fought for a concept of ''country" and ''honor.''

I know that we can't judge them by today's standards and I know that we'd be mistaken to feel in any way superior to them, simply because we live in very different times, with different technologies, scientific understandings and education.

(Well...MOST of us, anyhow! The bastards desecrating Emmet Till's grave are a lot more primitive.)

@Sealybobo I didn't say you "should" have said anything.
I was specifically speaking about people who live down here and know others
who believe in that bullshit.
I was pretty clear about that.

I heard as much of that word when I lived up north. Generally I say nothing, or I might make a mild objection. That is because I know there is way more to the person that is good and kind, and that words are often shallow and mean little.

IF I see actual harm or abuse I’ll consider shooting.

@WilliamFleming That's just it, though. Words DO matter.
If no one believed that before 2016, they sure ought to believe it now.
Allowing people to use racists speech emboldens them to move from just
talking about it, to actually taking action in support of their racism.

I grew up in NJ. I heard that word all the time, and from my family.
I started calling them out on it as soon as I realized what it meant, and
that they were racists.
Another reason I left home at a really early age.

@KKGator You can call out your family without fear of being beat to a bloody pulp. A couple days ago I was talking with a neighbor and he made a mildly racist remark. It had happened before about ten years ago. At that time I was not going to have anything more to do with him until I learned that he is much loved by the Blacks in our neighborhood. He talks to them and gives them stuff—even money for beer.

The guy weighs about 250 lbs and can ride up a hill on his bicycle in high gear. I don’t think I’ll be getting onto his ass about a few words. You’re not that far away. You come give him a lecture.

@WilliamFleming Excuses, excuses. Everyone has them. If it makes keeping your mouth shut more comfortable for you, have at it.

@KKGator If I made a harsh verbal attack on the guy we might become enemies, and that would be a bad thing in such a small community. I would lose whatever influence I have with him. Best to just set an example and maintain good relations. After all, he already knows my opinion.

I like Dr. King’s advice:

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

@WilliamFleming You do you.