Double you tea eff.
I just saw the best wtf movie ever. Burn after reading. It was hilarious. I laughed so hard, I started crying.
Right before movie though, as I was walking into the theater in chinatown, there were two kids leaning against a column and I almost did a double take because I could've sworn I heard them direct some racial slurs at me as I walked past. I have never heard them spoken before. I thought that was the thing of the 40s and 50s or something. I was almost just semi-impressed that they even knew of the existence of these words which I thought to be extinct. Seriously, I don't think I have heard this word spoken in English since my history class in high school in an academic context. (Although I have heard it in Chinese a few times, doesn't have the same feet-stopping effect though). But I chocked it up to my imagination and just left. But about 3/4 of me wanted to stop and ask "Did you just say what I think you said?"
But, then again, words have power only because we give it power.
Or maybe I'm too lax with confronting this sort of thing, or perhaps guilty myself of participating in such racist mockery as well. When it comes from friends and family, to a certain extent, it seems to be jest and an act of "because we're so close, we can say that sh- and be ok". But maybe it shouldn't be ok. Maybe that only leads the rest of the world thinking it's ok to say these things and then one step further, to act upon the thoughts that these words may encourage.
This small incident also brought to mind another one that happened to me not long after I got to DC. In a GameStop. I was browsing some games and I could've sworn these little 12-year-olds or maybe even younger were muttering racial slurs/mockery directed at me. I had also just chocked it up to my imagination and ignored it. Maybe it was just me thinking that everyone's talking about me, when they are not. But still, the thought of such young kids in the 21st century in the capital of the US saying this sh- is despicable to say the least.
I mean, are these the things we are teaching to the next generation? That racial slurs directed at people of any race is no biggie? Am I making too big a deal out of this?
On top of all this, DC began a program of paying cash to students in middle school for going to school and behaving well. Up to $100 a month.
That is paying kids for doing what they are supposed to do? For avoiding doing bad things? We seriously have to pay people to do that?
Why don't we pay bank robbers to stop robbing banks? Offer sex to rapists so they don't go raping people?
I think this just exacerbates a growing mentality of insincerity. We're teaching the notion that you should be a good functional member of society, not because it's the right thing to do, not because it would advance and benefit your future, but because we will give you $100 a month.
But, on the other side of the fence, that's not unlike giving kids an allowance. You get it if you are good, not if you are bad. It's certainly a practical, business-like solution. But $100 a month is kind of a lot.
More wtf moments:
Today after the movie, I was approached by 3 different sets of people asking for directions. I'm glad that I appear trustworthy and responsible enough for people think that a) I actually am a "native" to the area b) I can give clear directions and c) I would be willing to impart said directions.
So I was happy that they approached me.
Now, if they only knew... how poor a sense of direction I have... I have actually pointed multiple people in the opposite direction from where they needed to go before... not to mess with them, but because I genuinely believed it to be the right way... (The funny thing was on at least 2 occasions, there was actually a rather large sign on the other side of the street with a huge arrow pointing to where they wanted to go... neither of us saw it...)
But yeh, they didn't know that I drove up into Virginia from central NC when I was trying to head due east to the Outer Banks...
Poor, misguided tourists. If only you had not judged my knowledge of the city by my appearance and knew that the only way I can get around these days is to look at the map on my iPhone...
Right before movie though, as I was walking into the theater in chinatown, there were two kids leaning against a column and I almost did a double take because I could've sworn I heard them direct some racial slurs at me as I walked past. I have never heard them spoken before. I thought that was the thing of the 40s and 50s or something. I was almost just semi-impressed that they even knew of the existence of these words which I thought to be extinct. Seriously, I don't think I have heard this word spoken in English since my history class in high school in an academic context. (Although I have heard it in Chinese a few times, doesn't have the same feet-stopping effect though). But I chocked it up to my imagination and just left. But about 3/4 of me wanted to stop and ask "Did you just say what I think you said?"
But, then again, words have power only because we give it power.
Or maybe I'm too lax with confronting this sort of thing, or perhaps guilty myself of participating in such racist mockery as well. When it comes from friends and family, to a certain extent, it seems to be jest and an act of "because we're so close, we can say that sh- and be ok". But maybe it shouldn't be ok. Maybe that only leads the rest of the world thinking it's ok to say these things and then one step further, to act upon the thoughts that these words may encourage.
This small incident also brought to mind another one that happened to me not long after I got to DC. In a GameStop. I was browsing some games and I could've sworn these little 12-year-olds or maybe even younger were muttering racial slurs/mockery directed at me. I had also just chocked it up to my imagination and ignored it. Maybe it was just me thinking that everyone's talking about me, when they are not. But still, the thought of such young kids in the 21st century in the capital of the US saying this sh- is despicable to say the least.
I mean, are these the things we are teaching to the next generation? That racial slurs directed at people of any race is no biggie? Am I making too big a deal out of this?
On top of all this, DC began a program of paying cash to students in middle school for going to school and behaving well. Up to $100 a month.
That is paying kids for doing what they are supposed to do? For avoiding doing bad things? We seriously have to pay people to do that?
Why don't we pay bank robbers to stop robbing banks? Offer sex to rapists so they don't go raping people?
I think this just exacerbates a growing mentality of insincerity. We're teaching the notion that you should be a good functional member of society, not because it's the right thing to do, not because it would advance and benefit your future, but because we will give you $100 a month.
But, on the other side of the fence, that's not unlike giving kids an allowance. You get it if you are good, not if you are bad. It's certainly a practical, business-like solution. But $100 a month is kind of a lot.
More wtf moments:
Today after the movie, I was approached by 3 different sets of people asking for directions. I'm glad that I appear trustworthy and responsible enough for people think that a) I actually am a "native" to the area b) I can give clear directions and c) I would be willing to impart said directions.
So I was happy that they approached me.
Now, if they only knew... how poor a sense of direction I have... I have actually pointed multiple people in the opposite direction from where they needed to go before... not to mess with them, but because I genuinely believed it to be the right way... (The funny thing was on at least 2 occasions, there was actually a rather large sign on the other side of the street with a huge arrow pointing to where they wanted to go... neither of us saw it...)
But yeh, they didn't know that I drove up into Virginia from central NC when I was trying to head due east to the Outer Banks...
Poor, misguided tourists. If only you had not judged my knowledge of the city by my appearance and knew that the only way I can get around these days is to look at the map on my iPhone...
posted by Rick at
10:24 PM
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