16 votes

She was ‘white and hot’ in a racist video. Now she’s viral and unemployed.

Topic removed by site admin

14 comments

  1. [14]
    demifiend
    Link
    Susan Westwood is an asshole, and she deserves to be unemployed. She should also have her parental rights terminated.

    Susan Westwood is an asshole, and she deserves to be unemployed. She should also have her parental rights terminated.

    11 votes
    1. [14]
      Comment removed by site admin
      Link Parent
      1. [7]
        tnkflx
        Link Parent
        I hope not. I hope she learns her lesson and changes her ways.

        I hope this woman is destitute for the rest of her life for this crap.

        I hope not. I hope she learns her lesson and changes her ways.

        21 votes
        1. [4]
          Pilgrim
          Link Parent
          Right?! Everyone is so quick to dismiss someone completely for all time. Lots of people change.

          Right?! Everyone is so quick to dismiss someone completely for all time. Lots of people change.

          5 votes
          1. [3]
            stephen
            Link Parent
            I'm loving liberals in the post-Ferguson era where they have this high level awareness of the abusiveness and ineffectiveness of punitive justice in america and yet are constantly calling for...

            I'm loving liberals in the post-Ferguson era where they have this high level awareness of the abusiveness and ineffectiveness of punitive justice in america and yet are constantly calling for people to go to jail or suffer consequences rather than try to rehabilitate them in any way.

            8 votes
            1. [2]
              Gaywallet
              Link Parent
              I mean, I don't blame people for not having faith in people being able to change from seriously destructive behavior - our solution is to put them in jail, which is a system designed to make money...

              I mean, I don't blame people for not having faith in people being able to change from seriously destructive behavior - our solution is to put them in jail, which is a system designed to make money off their suffering and is incentivized to do the opposite of rehabilitation.

              Maybe if we had a chance to see a system where resources were put into rehabilitating people this sentiment wouldn't exist.

              4 votes
              1. stephen
                Link Parent
                That's exactly what I'm talking about!!

                That's exactly what I'm talking about!!

                3 votes
        2. [2]
          stephen
          Link Parent
          Just as a thought exercise, what do you think would cause this to happen?

          Just as a thought exercise, what do you think would cause this to happen?

          1 vote
          1. tnkflx
            Link Parent
            Her changing her ways or her racist ranting?

            Her changing her ways or her racist ranting?

            3 votes
      2. [6]
        stephen
        Link Parent
        I hope she comes to see the errors in her ways and dies of old age after decades of being an ally to the struggle to end black american oppression. Trying out positive mental attitude. Is it...

        I hope she comes to see the errors in her ways and dies of old age after decades of being an ally to the struggle to end black american oppression.

        Trying out positive mental attitude. Is it working?

        Anyway, Im curious what you think about people's lust for retribution - since i've seen you in lots of threads and you're pretty good with talking words. Like, do you think that " I love seeing them face actual consequences for their actions" is part of the problem? I totally get you on this - i share this feeling.

        I'm just wondering if this isn't some sort of toxic instinct we need to learn to overcome.

        7 votes
        1. [2]
          Pilgrim
          Link Parent
          Not OP but I think it's a topic worthy of it's own post.

          Not OP but I think it's a topic worthy of it's own post.

          4 votes
          1. stephen
            Link Parent
            Do you wanna post in talk or should I? I'm super down either way

            Do you wanna post in talk or should I? I'm super down either way

            1 vote
        2. Rocket_Man
          Link Parent
          I think it's certainly a toxic instinct although I don't think you'll ever be able to get people to overcome it. Some individuals sure, but groups will always have this demeanor. This is a result...

          I'm just wondering if this isn't some sort of toxic instinct we need to learn to overcome.

          I think it's certainly a toxic instinct although I don't think you'll ever be able to get people to overcome it. Some individuals sure, but groups will always have this demeanor. This is a result of people wanting a just world and is ingrained in us even as kids who seem to instinctively seek that things be "fair". With enough understanding and care I think this is one aspect of the human condition tanshumanism could help with.

          1 vote
        3. [3]
          Comment removed by site admin
          Link Parent
          1. stephen
            Link Parent
            This. This is why I brought up the criminal justice thing. Deterrents clearly don't work all that well. Now I'm wondering what are the characteristics of being "too far gone." Does it say more...

            I am happy that this racist lady lost her job and hopefully other bigots will see her story and keep their racism to themselves rather than harass minorities next time.

            This. This is why I brought up the criminal justice thing. Deterrents clearly don't work all that well.

            Now I'm wondering what are the characteristics of being "too far gone." Does it say more about them and their unwillingness to change? Or us and out unwillingness to help?

            It comes back to a conversation I was having about the ensuing world ending calamities. Even if disaster is inevitable isn't trying still worth it? Or is it a balancing act between impacts and the amount of work it takes to affect change?

            Of course there should be consequences. People should have to own up to their shitty behavior. Its just sad to consider a person who is so hateful that there's no level on which she can be reached. Gosh. What a world.

            4 votes
          2. uselessabstraction
            (edited )
            Link Parent
            On this particular subject, the past few years have truly refined my outlook on racism and society. My key realization was that there is an important difference between bigotry - which is a...

            My personal opinion is that I am not going to give someone the benefit of the doubt when they work to reinforce white supremacy in this country.

            On this particular subject, the past few years have truly refined my outlook on racism and society. My key realization was that there is an important difference between bigotry - which is a failure of character - and racism - which is a systemic ailment of society.

            The biggest takeaway is that you don't need to be bigoted to be a racist. You can still be a racist even if there is no prejudiced intent. Institutional racism is not defined by intent, but by the consequences of our choices as a society.

            So it is possible for society to make well intentioned mistakes with racist outcomes, but I am hard-pressed to accept it as anything less than malicious bigotry when society fails to act in light of those consequences.

            So, I care not about intent. I'm done arguing with people about intent. Hinging the debate on intent when it should be about consequences gives the bigots the benefit of the doubt. The bigots have lost their right to that benefit. They have been using that benefit as a shield ever since the civil rights era.

            You start out in 1954 by saying, “N----r, n----r, n----r.” By 1968 you can’t say “n----r”—that hurts you, backfires. So you say stuff like, uh, forced busing, states’ rights, and all that stuff, and you’re getting so abstract. Now, you’re talking about cutting taxes, and all these things you’re talking about are totally economic things and a byproduct of them is, blacks get hurt worse than whites.… “We want to cut this,” is much more abstract than even the busing thing, uh, and a hell of a lot more abstract than “N----r, n----r.”

            - Lee Atwater - former RNC chairman, Reagan/H.W.Bush political consultant

            2 votes