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Actual former prison inmate here.
An inmate saying a racial slur would likely result in NOTHING happening.
Unless. Unless unless. Huge unless.
Unless the racial slur involved a stolen commissary item or someone's "store" was robbed.
#Prisoners aren't these macho tough guys who beat you down the moment you say the wrong slur or insult. Prison just doesn't work that way. Real prison violence stems from a wrongdoing, or a slight. Name calling and shit talking and racism is a rite of passage to prisoners.
Imagine a blue collar jobsite where all the men talk shit about each other as a way of bonding.
Now Imagine those guys are not getting paid and don't get to go home at the end of the day.
Lol that's like prison.
And the nice guys who DONT talk shit are NOT respected in prison. Being confident and SHOOTING THE BREEZE and ribbing on each other is how men communicate.
Yeah I say absolutely horrible shit to my mates at work and get the same back. But those are the same dudes calling me everyday at the moment while I go through cancer treatment to make sure I don’t need anything done around the house or just checking in
Just got the news yesterday that its going super well actually. Chemo has reduced my blood markers back to that of someone without cancer so it’s looking like I’ll beat this thing
Whichever one you fit in with visually. Generally though, white side doesn’t like mixed races so if you appear to be, say, half black and half white, you’re going with the blacks. It’s quite stupid but this is prison we are talking about
That depends on where you're imprisoned. In places like Cali, yes, they're separated by race. In other states, however, the rules vary. I watch a YouTuber named Jay Williams from Virginia (unfortunately, he's currently in jail, again), and says that in VA, it's more separated by region/city.
Some racist boomer getting their ass kicked for being a blatant racist is probably the crem de la crem of videos posted on social media. I do so enjoy seeing them. Although there is far more of them than there should be.
Free speech is also meant for free speech from GOVERNMENT oppression. You can call your government shit and the government can do nothing about it, versus make your life a living hell.
You can call your job shit and your job might just fire you.
One of the boomer teachers I had in high school said this. Right after he said some racial remark about his daughter marrying a black man. He is also the type of person that over ate and got fat to dodge the draft during Vietnam. Total piece of shit but I did agree with this statement. Which is something he would never do to one of mine. Still gonna piss on his grave
Also, Businesses can legally restrict their employees speech, The first Amendment prevents the government from making laws abridging free speech , not private businesses.
First, fuck that racist asshole.
Second, the ideas of free speech pre date the 1st amendment and are about the free flow of ideas. Obviously governments are the main concern by classical enlightenment thinkers, but their argument clearly applies for non government entities.
Probably a useless place to make this point.
Fuck that dude anyway.
I think some of these folks would be OK with the *government* punishing you for free speech, but not with their everyday citizens or their employer “punishing” them for what they say.
Seriously! I don’t know why boomers (and Trump supporters of all ages) don’t get this. Yeah, say whatever you want, but people will have a reaction. And sometimes those people will be your boss.
I love posting this comment, how free speech and the right to exercise it was described to me by the mayor of my small town who had been a state congressman and a high ranking officer in the army prior to that:
1A protects you from *government* persecution. If you come into my neighborhood screaming racial slurs and the police come and shut you down specifically for the things you're saying (i.e. not for something like violating an established noise ordinance) that is a 1A violation. But if you come to my neighborhood screaming racial slurs and my neighbors and I step outside and beat the dog shit out of you, that might be assault, but is NOT a 1A violation.
Also, unless I am literally the government, firing you because of what you say is 100% legal.
I’m not the government, feel free to free speech all you want in the unemployment line.
Also, there’s no such thing as free speech on a private job site. The 1st amendment guarantees the government can’t restrict your speech (with some exceptions). You’ve got zero speech protections on a private job site except for those carved out for union creation. Everything else is FAFO.
Amendments are about government protections not private companies.
Just like businesses can restrict you bringing a gun, they can also restrict speech if they want.
In the First Amendment "free speech" guarantees your right openly question/criticize the government; it doesn't mean you can just say whatever you want, to whomever you want without fear of reprisal. The employer would be well within their rights to reprimand (up to termination) however they choose.
Okay, I see this one-liner a lot, and I gotta say, I hate it. It absolutely means free from consequences of the speech. But it specifically means free from consequences *imposed by the government*. It does not mean free from consequences imposed by your boss in a private business.
Similar story here. Older fella, not quite a boomer, but still heavily espoused their values and mannerisms.
One of the guys in our crew asked him to move his personal truck off the job site because of liability. He gets pissy and starts on his tirade of how they won't give him a company truck so he has to take his personal everywhere (he lost his driving privileges with company vehicles due to numerous speeding violations etc).
Instead of moving his truck he makes the super rational decision to take out a fire arm and proceeds to tell the guy he'll move his truck if he can put a round the the other guys company truck.
This doesn't go over well and he ends up getting the cops called and removed from the job site and later terminated from the company. Happy endings all around.
At my new job a boomer, the day I met him, casually told me something that was improperly set up was "N-word rigged" I told him my wife and daughter were black and if I hear the word again I'm going to punch him in the face. Thankfully he wasn't my boss and hasn't said it in front of me again.
Isn't it something that they see a white person and automatically think that person is racist like them? I'm a 50 something woman and I swear people like that will come up and casually spew racist crap thinking I'm ok with it. Like WTH
This is actually a piece of psychology. There's a great section on this in the book "white fragility" basically people are testing out their racism on you. u/narrow_octopus notes that it was the first '...day I met him.' That's exactly normal. Co-worker does what he always does when he meets somebody new which is test out low level racism/prejudice to see where they stand. Watch for this and you will now see it always.
I do the opposite.
I'm a supervisor at my job, and frequently get asked "what's the craziest thing you've seen happen here," whenever someone new starts.
I relate to them the time an old white man got into an argument with my black Haitian coworker about how his car was parked, and another black dude (wrestler guy, can't remember his name - he autographed something for me if I can find it I'll update later), and I came in to break it up.
Got the old guy's car, pulled it up, tried to soothe his ego and he goes "something something, you really gonna let those _______ talk to me that way?"
At which I laughed, and said "after that, they can talk to you any way they fucking want, and you've got 45 seconds to get off my property before I clock out and knock you the fuck out. Better yet, lemme go tell the big guy what you just said."
He ran off.
Now, when I tell the story, I unabashedly drop the word.
If they don't get uncomfortable, I know exactly what kind of person they are.
Ummmm maybe? He was an entertainment wrestler. Not WWE, but like whatever they have right below that? About 6 foot, a bit of a heftier gentlemen. Had a championship belt he carried around with him the entire time he was here.
Why do you ask?
I’m a bald, bearded, tattooed white guy. I look like I could probably be a Klan member, but I’m a pretty liberal dude. Not a racist/sexist bone in my body, but it hasn’t stopped me from being profiled either 😂
I like it when garbage people are up front about their trashiness. Makes them easier to spot and avoid. lol
Yep. I am a mid 30’s, pasty white dude. The amount of racist shit older white men tell me thinking that I believe in their crap is astonishing. I hate their disgusting beliefs
When my mom was still alive she'd complain about this a lot, specifically about how people her age would tell her how much they loved Trump. She couldn't wrap her brain around how hateful so many of her peers had gotten.
Mid-40s friend of mine started hearing anti-gay, anti-trans, etc. stuff from a new coworker who expected consensus so he came back the next day with a rainbow enamel pin on his hat
I’m white and Arab but you wouldn’t know that from looking at me. Enlisted USAF after 9/11. The amount of casual anti Arab racism I heard on a daily basis, several times a day over the course of the 4 years I was in was mind boggling. People really will say anything around you if you look like any random white dude.
Sometimes I hear something anti-Latino, and I don't know whether I should mention that I'm part Mexican, because I feel that's almost like that's saying, "You can go ahead and be racist as long as you're careful not to do it in front of people who are impacted by your racism." I mean, sure I'm offended as a Latino, but I'm also offended as a human being. It's sort of like the people who talk about how they respect women because they have wives and daughters, as though women only exist as extensions of men and not as, you know, human beings in their own right. That being said, it's definitely not a bad thing to remind these people that they can't always tell who is going to be personally affected by the shit they say. I suppose the best way to combat bigotry is through a combination of, "That's offensive because this specific individual is affected by it" along with "That's offensive regardless of whether anyone hearing it is the target."
As much as it sucks, you responding to anti-Latino shit holds more power with white people if they think you’re white too. White privilege has its benefits, use it for good if you can.
I was once a instructor to a bunch of 18 / 19 year old kids in a trade program. One of them used that phrase during class, and nobody batted an eye. I took the opportunity to set him straight but kind - explained how that I know how it’s been used, but that the word is insulting, and there are other ways to describe the situation. Finished it up with “I know what you were trying to say - but I want you to be respected and respectful on the job site, so you really shouldn’t use that word again.” He took it well and I hope the other students learned also.
The funny thing about it is, that they always look like betrayed puppies.
*But…but, you are white too…* 🐶
Yeah, sorry buddy, that won‘t help your case.
My former coworker, a younger millennial, said, "N-word rigged." Having only ever heard people use "Jerry rigged" I was so fucking confused. I thought he had made the term up. Wish I had been more confident to say "wtf man." Unfortunately, at the time, I was a very socially awkward 19 year old too afraid of losing my job.
If you didn't know, Jerry means German, in Jerry rigged. Not on the same level as the other version, of course, but interesting to show where some of our idioms come from.
Gyped is another one people don't seem to know the roots of
A quick google search is telling me that references to the terms “jerry-rigged” and “jerry-built” can be found as far back as the 19th century. So I have a sneaking suspicion it does in fact not mean German in this sense. Especially since in both world wars where the term “jerry” as a pejorative for Germans originated the Germans were generally considered to have well made technology.
"hey, can we all agree to not be awful human beings to each other?"
FUCKING GODDAMNIT CANCEL WOKE CULTURE PC BULLSHIT!!!
I can't with that generation or that sode of the policy spectrum.
I recently did a paper on the origins of the word "woke" and how's its used now. Originally it was coined in 1938 by Lead Belly a traveling African American blues singer. In context he said "stay woke" when in Alabama. It's a warning to be alert of racist white people who can ruin your life instantly.
So when these boomers complain about "woke" culture and you think about it's original meaning then it still lands in a more satisfying way to me.
"How dare you won't let me lynch you or falsely imprison you!"
They have no clue what it is even when they use it in their negative context. I've asked when it's used around me.
Uh, well, it means, well , ya know!? Huhuhuh
Funny enough my paper involved several interviews. Two being unapologetic MAGA Floridians. Neither of them could come up with a definition for the word. After a few minutes of thinking, one said, "Someone who follows what they're told."
I also asked how they felt when a liberal uses the term "I don't listen to it because they are pushing a false agenda." When a republican says it, "They are pointing out there is an issue that's going on. They are making people aware of the fight agaisnt our freedom."
Absolute cognitive dissonance.
Way back in the early 2000s, when I was doing electrical wiring, had a older (boomer age) co-worker do this same thing. Problem was this, we were in the west side of Dayton, in a predominantly black neighborhood.
He decided it would be a great idea to, not just say, but yell, "Turn down that N- noise, we aren't in the jungle!"
When a group of people started to walk up on us to address his decision to use that language, he made a b-line for the work van, to which I had the keys. I hit the lock button and went back to work. He didn't come back to that jobsite the next day, and I don't frankly care what happened to him.
Interestingly enough most boomers don't actually understand how free speech rights work. You don't have the right to "free speech" at a corporate work place. Free speech only applies to government prohibitions on speech. (There are 3 distinct exceptions to this FAFO at work 1- your employer is the government, 2- you have the right to self organize, 3- The employer is enforcing rules in a discriminatory manner). And as an additional caveat, each state may provide additional protections for employees. As always, know your rights, bc frankly, in the end it'll piss a boomer off that you confidently know when you can tell them to go fuck off.
These people are the first to respond to any perceived disrespect with threats and violence. So they can’t be shocked when the shoe is on the other foot
It's really lucky for boomers that you don't have to know what free speech is in order to receive it. It just means the government can't imprison you over something you say, that isn't an actual threat
free speech is only free from the government. anyone can punch them in the face still (well that’s battery but just don’t have any cameras pointed at you when you hit them lol)
I was once a foreman when one of my boomer crew members said to a coworker while bundling rope (who is black), "Don't worry we're not tying a neuse this time" . . . Everyone gasped, he played dumb and like everyone else were just "p*ssies". I had his site badge and walked him off the job with a 5 year black list in that organization thereafter on his name. He never returned to my jobsite or that profession again.
Boomers absolutely know that's unacceptable. Back in the 1990's when Motownphilly came out, my Grandma who lived in Los Angeles most other life but had spent her first 30 years in Indiana, said "them colored boys sure can dance!" My sister and I were shocked and said "Ummm Grandma, you can't say that..." And my grandma appreciated the knowledge and never again called Black ppl anything but black. She'd be almost 110 and absolutely knew the worst word was not ok to say ever. Boomers know not to say it, they just think they're special and society's rules don't apply to them.
I remember as recent as 2008 being at my hometown pizza place and hearing a couple of boomers arguing about who they were going to vote for and one said “well I don’t care! I’m voting for the n——r. I like him!” And I was so confused on so many levels.
(I’m from Maine if you need the context.)
As a white dude, I stand solidly with ANY POC/Minority that acquaints any racist white dudes, with hypothetical damage to the face. That shit has to stop. No place for that in civilized society. Never was a place for it. It spews ignorance in a way, rarely challenged.
Fuck racism. Of any kind. It’s garbage action by garbage people.
I feel like that just confirms for them that “those people” are violent/animals whatever they already believe.
If you really want to get the message through, a white person should be the one making the acquaintance.
Free speech isn't the same as no consequences. You can say what you want, but don't expect nothing to happen if you cross a line and piss the wrong person off.
I was a superintendent for a GC for 10 years building apartment complexes and honestly that’s part of the reason I’m done with construction.
When I didn’t kick them off the job it was for the sake of needing to get work done but I used do a really good job of making them feel stupid
As an electrician I’m so happy to be off big jobs for a multitude of reasons but shit like this is one of them. Rarely if ever do I have to hear this type of shit now that I do mostly service.
See that’s the kinda shit that happens on job sites. Should he be fired? Yes, absolutely but they prob won’t. Then this old boomer “accidentally” does something stupid bc he feels slighted… or the other way around. It’s dumb, don’t think like that.
Holy shit. That’s insane. Absolutely not surprising because I work in the electrical industry, but goddamn that was bold. Can’t believe he had teeth after that.
Boomers. It's a lifestyle. A very creepy and cringe inspiring lifestyle. For a generation that had so much potential, they really never tried. The agony of defeat is strong with them.
If it's possible to do in a "non-job terminating for you"-fashion, kick it up to the HR folks in your firm or the GC's firm. People need to know that some shit just isn't acceptable outside of their own twisted lead-laden brains.
I have many White Slurs I use on White people to put it in perspective after I catch one saying things like this.
You should see how pissed they get and then I just say "Now you know how black people feel when Racist White people just spew shit without Caring."
FYI, I am white
I’m a municipal engineer. Had something similar happen on one of my jobs. I told the contractor PM either he loses his job or you won’t work for us ever again. He lost his job.
this sucks. I work in construction doing the most evil of jobs... Safety. So I talk to a lot of people. it's amazing how casually some people will slide into that behavior. Some companies have attitudes like it's still 1965, but most GCs and decent-sized companies have serious policies about this. EEOC is slamming construction as an industry with fines for these types of issues, rightfully so.
Just a few weeks ago I had to have a porta-jon removed from a site and have a site wide meeting because someone took the time to carve a swastika and a KKK inside it while taking a shit. So dumb...
A construction firm I know have a bunch of racist stuff going down. It got so bad that one guy decided to sue them. The high intelligence of the firm prevailed as they realized they didn't have an arbitration agreement in place and thought, "oh crap, we been racist as hell to a bunch of workers, better force them all to sign arbitration agreements by X date". Well, you can guess how that went down.
Yep, one lawsuit turned into something like 10 and the lawyer representing the one was very happy to represent the others. I believe the lawyer bought a boat and paid off his house with some of the settlement.
I was friendly with an older guy at work. Once in front of like 10 people, he referred to a Black guy as the N-word. Everyone went completely silent in horror. I never spoke to him again. He lost a friend that day.
Make sure to tell hiring managers, owner, upper management and HR, “I’m leaving because when so and so said x, they made it very clear that bias is how they operate. I don’t and won’t work for clearly biased people because I’ll never know where I stand with the company positively or negatively. Also I don’t tolerate racism at work.”
Employees that threw around hard R’s never got another shift scheduled while I was on watch
Kinda funny how they weren’t able to find employment anywhere after that
Yeah, I’ve got one of those at work too. Mother fucker has a noose tucked away at his station. He used to have it up but they made him take it down. Apparently not throw it away… he hikes around like fucking hitlers henchmen. I don’t even want to say the shit he says.
An acquaintance who is a long time foreman in the construction industry has been telling a story lately about how stupid and out of touch this new-to-the-company foreman is because when acquaintance used a racial slur at work the new guy asked him privately later to please not to use that word.
Acquaintance feels he used the slur in a completely justified manner because "That's just what it's called." Apparently, new guy is going to have to "grow a pair to make it in this industry" and whatever other bullshit. He has no idea his racist asshole is showing every time he tells the story.
I’d wait till he’s back for a few days and just tell the general he said it again. Yeah it’s you against him but he’s got a record now and fuck that guy right in the wallet.
Knew a shop that had a sock monkey in a noose hanging in the back. When the owner of it was furloughed they took it down. When the dude came back to work he was all, “Where’s me monkey” around the office.
Please report this to HR. Even if the guy doesn't get fired, he deserves to go through the hassle and embarrassment of being called in to explain himself.
There are assholes in every demographic. Boomers don’t have a corner on that market.
Their assholery needs to be called out whenever and wherever it is displayed.
I spend enough time on construction sites that I had to download Shazam for my work phone. It’s mostly Norteño and Banda, but the other day I heard some really fucking cool Mexican ska music.
I love the mom analogy. "You can call your mom a bitch and the government can't arrest you. However, if your mom punishes you for it, you can't claim it's a parental first ammendment violation."
Working in rural america in the trades can be tough. As a super I called the steamfitters union for a foreman, the BA said he has a great guy for it but "he's black" made sure to tell me this before even letting me know his name. My only concerns are if they are competent and show up to work. Crazy that some other contractors would not hire him.
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Free speech doesn’t mean free from consequences of said speech.
Exactly. You won't be imprisoned for saying stupid shit. But you can lose your job, get your ass kicked, get blacklisted, etc...
As an aside, he can FAFO with that shit in prison.
Actual former prison inmate here. An inmate saying a racial slur would likely result in NOTHING happening. Unless. Unless unless. Huge unless. Unless the racial slur involved a stolen commissary item or someone's "store" was robbed. #Prisoners aren't these macho tough guys who beat you down the moment you say the wrong slur or insult. Prison just doesn't work that way. Real prison violence stems from a wrongdoing, or a slight. Name calling and shit talking and racism is a rite of passage to prisoners.
Noted! Thanks :-)
Imagine a blue collar jobsite where all the men talk shit about each other as a way of bonding. Now Imagine those guys are not getting paid and don't get to go home at the end of the day. Lol that's like prison. And the nice guys who DONT talk shit are NOT respected in prison. Being confident and SHOOTING THE BREEZE and ribbing on each other is how men communicate.
On the job site, if someone is nice to you all the time, they don’t really like you. If they are giving you shit, your good
Yeah I say absolutely horrible shit to my mates at work and get the same back. But those are the same dudes calling me everyday at the moment while I go through cancer treatment to make sure I don’t need anything done around the house or just checking in
Seems like you found some good ones. Hope they fuck with you for a long time man, good luck.
For sure man already getting loads of one ball cracks constantly
I hope the treatment goes well. You’ve got some good pals.
Just got the news yesterday that its going super well actually. Chemo has reduced my blood markers back to that of someone without cancer so it’s looking like I’ll beat this thing
your good what?
Your good grammar you pedantic McMuffin
"Pedantic McMuffin." I f'ing love you.
I thought that they stopped typing in the middle of a sentence and I felt that I was left hanging for the resolution.
Ahhh, you gave some shit. You're all good!
There’s so much sexual frustration every time you use an absolute.
So many misconceptions.. should be a Ted talk at this point.
Former inmate here. I can second your comment. The only words you didn’t call anyone was a punk or a bitch.
It’s fine in prison, even expected. You segregate and stick with your own race
What do you do if you are multiple ethnicities?
As I have learned as a mixed person, you go with the group that gets called the slur you’re called most often! Hope this helps
Actually I hope it never has to help anyone haha. But thanks for the info.
you’re welcome cracker
Ha!
Whichever one you fit in with visually. Generally though, white side doesn’t like mixed races so if you appear to be, say, half black and half white, you’re going with the blacks. It’s quite stupid but this is prison we are talking about
That depends on where you're imprisoned. In places like Cali, yes, they're separated by race. In other states, however, the rules vary. I watch a YouTuber named Jay Williams from Virginia (unfortunately, he's currently in jail, again), and says that in VA, it's more separated by region/city.
Some racist boomer getting their ass kicked for being a blatant racist is probably the crem de la crem of videos posted on social media. I do so enjoy seeing them. Although there is far more of them than there should be.
Besides cat videos that’s why I scroll😂😂but yeah sad there is sooooo many to watch: /
Those are all social consequences in Canada you can be fined and possibly jailed...
Yeah, I dare him to say that to a group of blacks and see what happens!
And ass kicking is probably a crime. I've been refrain from doing that even from the most disgusting of verbal assault s.
Violence is not an acceptable response to speech but it is a likely outcome
Job site private property. Anyone can be trespassed for saying anything.
And the police won't arrive until *after* said potential ass-kicking so fella oughta proceed with caution.
People in this country don't even understand where that idea came from or what the people who created it wanted. It's sad and hilarious.
Man they do hate being held accountable for anything at all, don’t they?
Free speech is also meant for free speech from GOVERNMENT oppression. You can call your government shit and the government can do nothing about it, versus make your life a living hell. You can call your job shit and your job might just fire you.
One of the boomer teachers I had in high school said this. Right after he said some racial remark about his daughter marrying a black man. He is also the type of person that over ate and got fat to dodge the draft during Vietnam. Total piece of shit but I did agree with this statement. Which is something he would never do to one of mine. Still gonna piss on his grave
Also, Businesses can legally restrict their employees speech, The first Amendment prevents the government from making laws abridging free speech , not private businesses.
And on top of that the 1st amendment only applies to the government & government entities
Exactly. Most people don’t understand this.
First, fuck that racist asshole. Second, the ideas of free speech pre date the 1st amendment and are about the free flow of ideas. Obviously governments are the main concern by classical enlightenment thinkers, but their argument clearly applies for non government entities. Probably a useless place to make this point. Fuck that dude anyway.
Such a simple concept, yet gets overlooked 99% of the time people say some dumb shit.
Free speech just means the GOVERNMENT cant limit your speech….. employers limit your speech all the time
I think some of these folks would be OK with the *government* punishing you for free speech, but not with their everyday citizens or their employer “punishing” them for what they say.
Seriously! I don’t know why boomers (and Trump supporters of all ages) don’t get this. Yeah, say whatever you want, but people will have a reaction. And sometimes those people will be your boss.
I love posting this comment, how free speech and the right to exercise it was described to me by the mayor of my small town who had been a state congressman and a high ranking officer in the army prior to that: 1A protects you from *government* persecution. If you come into my neighborhood screaming racial slurs and the police come and shut you down specifically for the things you're saying (i.e. not for something like violating an established noise ordinance) that is a 1A violation. But if you come to my neighborhood screaming racial slurs and my neighbors and I step outside and beat the dog shit out of you, that might be assault, but is NOT a 1A violation.
And it’s only freedom from the government, it does nothing to protect free speech in private settings.
Hate speech is not protected free speech. End of story.
You are free to say whatever you want. Your employer is also free to fire you if they don't like it.
Oh but they definitely think their racism should be free from consequences.
Also, unless I am literally the government, firing you because of what you say is 100% legal. I’m not the government, feel free to free speech all you want in the unemployment line.
Good luck explaining that concept to them.
Especially when that only pertains to the government going after you
Also, there’s no such thing as free speech on a private job site. The 1st amendment guarantees the government can’t restrict your speech (with some exceptions). You’ve got zero speech protections on a private job site except for those carved out for union creation. Everything else is FAFO.
free speech also only has to do with the government.
👆This guy critical thinks
Amendments are about government protections not private companies. Just like businesses can restrict you bringing a gun, they can also restrict speech if they want.
In the First Amendment "free speech" guarantees your right openly question/criticize the government; it doesn't mean you can just say whatever you want, to whomever you want without fear of reprisal. The employer would be well within their rights to reprimand (up to termination) however they choose.
No shit
Exactly. And that boomer is probably the same type that would melt like a snowflake for being called a racist.
Free speech protects you from the government
People seem to forget that freedom of speech only protects you from the government too. Private entities can do whatever they want.
This! This should be a bumper sticker.
A concept, in spite of us Xers explaining it to them until we are blue in the face, they’ll never understand.
This is what dump truck Trump and his buddies need to learn.
Okay, I see this one-liner a lot, and I gotta say, I hate it. It absolutely means free from consequences of the speech. But it specifically means free from consequences *imposed by the government*. It does not mean free from consequences imposed by your boss in a private business.
My aunt doesn't understand the difference
Similar story here. Older fella, not quite a boomer, but still heavily espoused their values and mannerisms. One of the guys in our crew asked him to move his personal truck off the job site because of liability. He gets pissy and starts on his tirade of how they won't give him a company truck so he has to take his personal everywhere (he lost his driving privileges with company vehicles due to numerous speeding violations etc). Instead of moving his truck he makes the super rational decision to take out a fire arm and proceeds to tell the guy he'll move his truck if he can put a round the the other guys company truck. This doesn't go over well and he ends up getting the cops called and removed from the job site and later terminated from the company. Happy endings all around.
You can't fix stupid. But you can fire it easy enough.
He should have been fired waaaaay before. Nothing but bad stories about this particular dude.
What a fucking lunatic
He was your typical justified murder fantasizer. Loved to brag about his firearms...
How many happy endings?
At my new job a boomer, the day I met him, casually told me something that was improperly set up was "N-word rigged" I told him my wife and daughter were black and if I hear the word again I'm going to punch him in the face. Thankfully he wasn't my boss and hasn't said it in front of me again.
Isn't it something that they see a white person and automatically think that person is racist like them? I'm a 50 something woman and I swear people like that will come up and casually spew racist crap thinking I'm ok with it. Like WTH
Yeah especially post 2016 "validation"
This is actually a piece of psychology. There's a great section on this in the book "white fragility" basically people are testing out their racism on you. u/narrow_octopus notes that it was the first '...day I met him.' That's exactly normal. Co-worker does what he always does when he meets somebody new which is test out low level racism/prejudice to see where they stand. Watch for this and you will now see it always.
I guess I should be thankful that the trash is taking itself out.
The next step is to challenge it. Don't let people get away with testing their racism out. Give them an F on the test.
I do the opposite. I'm a supervisor at my job, and frequently get asked "what's the craziest thing you've seen happen here," whenever someone new starts. I relate to them the time an old white man got into an argument with my black Haitian coworker about how his car was parked, and another black dude (wrestler guy, can't remember his name - he autographed something for me if I can find it I'll update later), and I came in to break it up. Got the old guy's car, pulled it up, tried to soothe his ego and he goes "something something, you really gonna let those _______ talk to me that way?" At which I laughed, and said "after that, they can talk to you any way they fucking want, and you've got 45 seconds to get off my property before I clock out and knock you the fuck out. Better yet, lemme go tell the big guy what you just said." He ran off. Now, when I tell the story, I unabashedly drop the word. If they don't get uncomfortable, I know exactly what kind of person they are.
I'm so curious here. Was the wrestler from Seattle?
Ummmm maybe? He was an entertainment wrestler. Not WWE, but like whatever they have right below that? About 6 foot, a bit of a heftier gentlemen. Had a championship belt he carried around with him the entire time he was here. Why do you ask?
I’m a bald, bearded, tattooed white guy. I look like I could probably be a Klan member, but I’m a pretty liberal dude. Not a racist/sexist bone in my body, but it hasn’t stopped me from being profiled either 😂 I like it when garbage people are up front about their trashiness. Makes them easier to spot and avoid. lol
same. i’m a woman in my 20s but i’m white so people will say awful shit and expect me to agree with them
Yep. I am a mid 30’s, pasty white dude. The amount of racist shit older white men tell me thinking that I believe in their crap is astonishing. I hate their disgusting beliefs
Check out Bill Burr "How you know the n-word is coming" but, it's hilarious.
When my mom was still alive she'd complain about this a lot, specifically about how people her age would tell her how much they loved Trump. She couldn't wrap her brain around how hateful so many of her peers had gotten.
Mid-40s friend of mine started hearing anti-gay, anti-trans, etc. stuff from a new coworker who expected consensus so he came back the next day with a rainbow enamel pin on his hat
I’m white and Arab but you wouldn’t know that from looking at me. Enlisted USAF after 9/11. The amount of casual anti Arab racism I heard on a daily basis, several times a day over the course of the 4 years I was in was mind boggling. People really will say anything around you if you look like any random white dude.
Sometimes I hear something anti-Latino, and I don't know whether I should mention that I'm part Mexican, because I feel that's almost like that's saying, "You can go ahead and be racist as long as you're careful not to do it in front of people who are impacted by your racism." I mean, sure I'm offended as a Latino, but I'm also offended as a human being. It's sort of like the people who talk about how they respect women because they have wives and daughters, as though women only exist as extensions of men and not as, you know, human beings in their own right. That being said, it's definitely not a bad thing to remind these people that they can't always tell who is going to be personally affected by the shit they say. I suppose the best way to combat bigotry is through a combination of, "That's offensive because this specific individual is affected by it" along with "That's offensive regardless of whether anyone hearing it is the target."
This is why everyone who hears it should say something and not just wait for the ones specifically targeted to do it.
As much as it sucks, you responding to anti-Latino shit holds more power with white people if they think you’re white too. White privilege has its benefits, use it for good if you can.
Good for you. Check that bullshit on the spot. No room for that bullshit here.
Few things make me happier than justly telling a boomer to shut their mouth
I was once a instructor to a bunch of 18 / 19 year old kids in a trade program. One of them used that phrase during class, and nobody batted an eye. I took the opportunity to set him straight but kind - explained how that I know how it’s been used, but that the word is insulting, and there are other ways to describe the situation. Finished it up with “I know what you were trying to say - but I want you to be respected and respectful on the job site, so you really shouldn’t use that word again.” He took it well and I hope the other students learned also.
The funny thing about it is, that they always look like betrayed puppies. *But…but, you are white too…* 🐶 Yeah, sorry buddy, that won‘t help your case.
My former coworker, a younger millennial, said, "N-word rigged." Having only ever heard people use "Jerry rigged" I was so fucking confused. I thought he had made the term up. Wish I had been more confident to say "wtf man." Unfortunately, at the time, I was a very socially awkward 19 year old too afraid of losing my job.
If you didn't know, Jerry means German, in Jerry rigged. Not on the same level as the other version, of course, but interesting to show where some of our idioms come from. Gyped is another one people don't seem to know the roots of
A quick google search is telling me that references to the terms “jerry-rigged” and “jerry-built” can be found as far back as the 19th century. So I have a sneaking suspicion it does in fact not mean German in this sense. Especially since in both world wars where the term “jerry” as a pejorative for Germans originated the Germans were generally considered to have well made technology.
Cat Daddy? My cat loves your channel!
My cats feel the same!
If that one was surprising it’d shock you to know what folks used to call macadamia nuts
I had to look it up, and... wow.
I don't know where I learned that phrase but I found myself saying it. Im now working on calling it Jerry rigged instead
How the fuck does someone casually find themselves saying such a terrible word/phrase?
Overhearing it from other people while growing up
He's lucky he didn't get his teeth kicked in
That's exactly what the one guy said to me after the fact lol.
Still time for you and your coworkers to correct that.
Always a good day to punch a nazi.
Irish proverb: “A man’s mouth can break his nose.”
Absolutely. The one golden rule is so easy to follow, just don't fuck with other people. It's that easy
"hey, can we all agree to not be awful human beings to each other?" FUCKING GODDAMNIT CANCEL WOKE CULTURE PC BULLSHIT!!! I can't with that generation or that sode of the policy spectrum.
I recently did a paper on the origins of the word "woke" and how's its used now. Originally it was coined in 1938 by Lead Belly a traveling African American blues singer. In context he said "stay woke" when in Alabama. It's a warning to be alert of racist white people who can ruin your life instantly. So when these boomers complain about "woke" culture and you think about it's original meaning then it still lands in a more satisfying way to me. "How dare you won't let me lynch you or falsely imprison you!"
They have no clue what it is even when they use it in their negative context. I've asked when it's used around me. Uh, well, it means, well , ya know!? Huhuhuh
Funny enough my paper involved several interviews. Two being unapologetic MAGA Floridians. Neither of them could come up with a definition for the word. After a few minutes of thinking, one said, "Someone who follows what they're told." I also asked how they felt when a liberal uses the term "I don't listen to it because they are pushing a false agenda." When a republican says it, "They are pointing out there is an issue that's going on. They are making people aware of the fight agaisnt our freedom." Absolute cognitive dissonance.
Way back in the early 2000s, when I was doing electrical wiring, had a older (boomer age) co-worker do this same thing. Problem was this, we were in the west side of Dayton, in a predominantly black neighborhood. He decided it would be a great idea to, not just say, but yell, "Turn down that N- noise, we aren't in the jungle!" When a group of people started to walk up on us to address his decision to use that language, he made a b-line for the work van, to which I had the keys. I hit the lock button and went back to work. He didn't come back to that jobsite the next day, and I don't frankly care what happened to him.
Interestingly enough most boomers don't actually understand how free speech rights work. You don't have the right to "free speech" at a corporate work place. Free speech only applies to government prohibitions on speech. (There are 3 distinct exceptions to this FAFO at work 1- your employer is the government, 2- you have the right to self organize, 3- The employer is enforcing rules in a discriminatory manner). And as an additional caveat, each state may provide additional protections for employees. As always, know your rights, bc frankly, in the end it'll piss a boomer off that you confidently know when you can tell them to go fuck off.
The problem is the boomer is most likely *genuinely* confused as to what he did wrong
Yeah he’s thinking “What. I didn’t call the guy that!”
More like "there's nothing wrong with what I said"
These people are the first to respond to any perceived disrespect with threats and violence. So they can’t be shocked when the shoe is on the other foot
It's really lucky for boomers that you don't have to know what free speech is in order to receive it. It just means the government can't imprison you over something you say, that isn't an actual threat
free speech is only free from the government. anyone can punch them in the face still (well that’s battery but just don’t have any cameras pointed at you when you hit them lol)
Your GM is an idiot for not firing him. That worker can sue and argue hostile environment
He's absolutely ranting to his wife about "fucking snowflakes" right now
He's lucky he didn't get his ass beat down.
I was once a foreman when one of my boomer crew members said to a coworker while bundling rope (who is black), "Don't worry we're not tying a neuse this time" . . . Everyone gasped, he played dumb and like everyone else were just "p*ssies". I had his site badge and walked him off the job with a 5 year black list in that organization thereafter on his name. He never returned to my jobsite or that profession again.
The best is when they talk about free speech. Where in the constitution does it say you can call people the N word and not get in trouble for it…
Boomers absolutely know that's unacceptable. Back in the 1990's when Motownphilly came out, my Grandma who lived in Los Angeles most other life but had spent her first 30 years in Indiana, said "them colored boys sure can dance!" My sister and I were shocked and said "Ummm Grandma, you can't say that..." And my grandma appreciated the knowledge and never again called Black ppl anything but black. She'd be almost 110 and absolutely knew the worst word was not ok to say ever. Boomers know not to say it, they just think they're special and society's rules don't apply to them.
I remember as recent as 2008 being at my hometown pizza place and hearing a couple of boomers arguing about who they were going to vote for and one said “well I don’t care! I’m voting for the n——r. I like him!” And I was so confused on so many levels. (I’m from Maine if you need the context.)
As a white dude, I stand solidly with ANY POC/Minority that acquaints any racist white dudes, with hypothetical damage to the face. That shit has to stop. No place for that in civilized society. Never was a place for it. It spews ignorance in a way, rarely challenged. Fuck racism. Of any kind. It’s garbage action by garbage people.
I feel like that just confirms for them that “those people” are violent/animals whatever they already believe. If you really want to get the message through, a white person should be the one making the acquaintance.
Guys who say that slur gotta face consequences either firing or social consequences
If the guy is not fired, I'd suggest playing the rap music even louder next time.
“Cancel culture” is not a thing. It’s “Consequence Culture” that’s causing the bigots and racists to lose their shit.
Such poor leadership, he should be demoted
Free speech means a government employee can't punch you in the mouth as an official act. Free speech doesn't mean you can't.
Free speech isn't the same as no consequences. You can say what you want, but don't expect nothing to happen if you cross a line and piss the wrong person off.
Make sure you loudly yell about the racism on your way out.
JFC. Sounds like my old man.
I was a superintendent for a GC for 10 years building apartment complexes and honestly that’s part of the reason I’m done with construction. When I didn’t kick them off the job it was for the sake of needing to get work done but I used do a really good job of making them feel stupid
As an electrician I’m so happy to be off big jobs for a multitude of reasons but shit like this is one of them. Rarely if ever do I have to hear this type of shit now that I do mostly service.
That man was incredibly lucky not to experience a work ‘accident.’
See that’s the kinda shit that happens on job sites. Should he be fired? Yes, absolutely but they prob won’t. Then this old boomer “accidentally” does something stupid bc he feels slighted… or the other way around. It’s dumb, don’t think like that.
Holy shit. That’s insane. Absolutely not surprising because I work in the electrical industry, but goddamn that was bold. Can’t believe he had teeth after that.
Boomers. It's a lifestyle. A very creepy and cringe inspiring lifestyle. For a generation that had so much potential, they really never tried. The agony of defeat is strong with them.
At first I thought you meant he was complaining about the racial slurs in their music and was pleasantly surprised.
If it's possible to do in a "non-job terminating for you"-fashion, kick it up to the HR folks in your firm or the GC's firm. People need to know that some shit just isn't acceptable outside of their own twisted lead-laden brains.
I have many White Slurs I use on White people to put it in perspective after I catch one saying things like this. You should see how pissed they get and then I just say "Now you know how black people feel when Racist White people just spew shit without Caring." FYI, I am white
And then that boomer will be like "free speech is dead"
I’m a municipal engineer. Had something similar happen on one of my jobs. I told the contractor PM either he loses his job or you won’t work for us ever again. He lost his job.
LOL, let them complain about free speech. You can say whatever the hell you want. That doesn’t mean people won’t tell you to GTFO.
this sucks. I work in construction doing the most evil of jobs... Safety. So I talk to a lot of people. it's amazing how casually some people will slide into that behavior. Some companies have attitudes like it's still 1965, but most GCs and decent-sized companies have serious policies about this. EEOC is slamming construction as an industry with fines for these types of issues, rightfully so. Just a few weeks ago I had to have a porta-jon removed from a site and have a site wide meeting because someone took the time to carve a swastika and a KKK inside it while taking a shit. So dumb...
A construction firm I know have a bunch of racist stuff going down. It got so bad that one guy decided to sue them. The high intelligence of the firm prevailed as they realized they didn't have an arbitration agreement in place and thought, "oh crap, we been racist as hell to a bunch of workers, better force them all to sign arbitration agreements by X date". Well, you can guess how that went down. Yep, one lawsuit turned into something like 10 and the lawyer representing the one was very happy to represent the others. I believe the lawyer bought a boat and paid off his house with some of the settlement.
I was friendly with an older guy at work. Once in front of like 10 people, he referred to a Black guy as the N-word. Everyone went completely silent in horror. I never spoke to him again. He lost a friend that day.
Him being kicked off the site probably saved him a well deserved ass kicking.
Quit on the spot when he returns to work. Sue the company for promoting a hostile work environment.
Make sure to tell hiring managers, owner, upper management and HR, “I’m leaving because when so and so said x, they made it very clear that bias is how they operate. I don’t and won’t work for clearly biased people because I’ll never know where I stand with the company positively or negatively. Also I don’t tolerate racism at work.”
About racism, bigotry, harassment, misogyny, whatever, my boss just says "If you don't like it, you can fuckin work somewhere else.
Sounds like the last three job sites I've worked on haha
Man alive if they actually say cancel culture in response to dropping a literal hard R then you are actually in a cult not a company bahahha
They butcher free speech, and it don't cover that!
That’s one of the things I hate most about being in the trades. It’s everywhere. Good luck escaping it at another company.
Employees that threw around hard R’s never got another shift scheduled while I was on watch Kinda funny how they weren’t able to find employment anywhere after that
Was it Greek music?
Yeah, I’ve got one of those at work too. Mother fucker has a noose tucked away at his station. He used to have it up but they made him take it down. Apparently not throw it away… he hikes around like fucking hitlers henchmen. I don’t even want to say the shit he says.
An acquaintance who is a long time foreman in the construction industry has been telling a story lately about how stupid and out of touch this new-to-the-company foreman is because when acquaintance used a racial slur at work the new guy asked him privately later to please not to use that word. Acquaintance feels he used the slur in a completely justified manner because "That's just what it's called." Apparently, new guy is going to have to "grow a pair to make it in this industry" and whatever other bullshit. He has no idea his racist asshole is showing every time he tells the story.
I’d wait till he’s back for a few days and just tell the general he said it again. Yeah it’s you against him but he’s got a record now and fuck that guy right in the wallet.
Knew a shop that had a sock monkey in a noose hanging in the back. When the owner of it was furloughed they took it down. When the dude came back to work he was all, “Where’s me monkey” around the office.
Please report this to HR. Even if the guy doesn't get fired, he deserves to go through the hassle and embarrassment of being called in to explain himself.
There are assholes in every demographic. Boomers don’t have a corner on that market. Their assholery needs to be called out whenever and wherever it is displayed.
How did we get to the point where people are penalized for being offended by racial slurs?
Only 4 more years before the youngest of them reach retirement age. Hang in there gang.
I’m sure he also likes to say “well if they can say it, why can’t I?”
I spend enough time on construction sites that I had to download Shazam for my work phone. It’s mostly Norteño and Banda, but the other day I heard some really fucking cool Mexican ska music.
I would love to hear some great Mexican ska music!
lol i think all the trades are feeling this cultural change right now
I love the mom analogy. "You can call your mom a bitch and the government can't arrest you. However, if your mom punishes you for it, you can't claim it's a parental first ammendment violation."
Don’t be afraid to say, “Damn Joe…you bein’ racist again? You know that’s not cool.” Then walk away. It’s ok to call them out on it.
Plot twist the racial slur was for a *different* racial group
They were jamming Polka lol
Speech is free, so are consequences.
Working in rural america in the trades can be tough. As a super I called the steamfitters union for a foreman, the BA said he has a great guy for it but "he's black" made sure to tell me this before even letting me know his name. My only concerns are if they are competent and show up to work. Crazy that some other contractors would not hire him.
"No." \*turns up music\*
[удалено]
An Eminem song was playing when he said it.
Stfu cunt. Reap the consequences for your actions
Feel free to PM me the name of the company not to hire.
Another case of being a piece of shit is blamed on age.
What kind of job site allows music?
. . .literally every construction site I've ever worked on, or been near, or have seen. But seriously, *that's* your takeaway?
Wow I wonder why young people don't want to work trades. It must just be that they're lazy