What do you do when someone makes a racist comment, or some sort of <span title="racist/biggoted/predjudiced">racist/biggoted/predjudic...</span> gesture?

Question

I go up to that person and tell them to stop, but what about you?

Do you burn inside with rage?

Confront them?

Talk to someone who holds an authority position over them?

I'm interested to know how other people react to these types of things.

Answer 1

I think to ignore it is cowardly. However, I also think that we should calm down and not go overboard. Yesterday someone made a Polish joke to me. I had asked if he was keeping cool and he said he had a Polish airconditioner and then indicated he meant a fan. I didn&#039;t laugh outright and he said: &quot;You&#039;re not Polish, are you?&quot; and I said no. Then I said that I had never heard that one and that it was funny in a politically-incorrect way. It was a pretty mild joke and because it didn&#039;t really put down the intelligence of a Polish person, I didn&#039;t think it was all that bad. I would ask the person who made the statement to explain himself and/or just refute the information. Just reacting is no good. It doesn&#039;t solve a thing and is heavy-handed. Better to reason with these fools.

Answer 2

It depends on the situation, my relationship to that person, and etc.

I don&#039;t think it&#039;s usually helpful to tell someone to stop.  I have found it to be more effective to tell them, bluntly, that they are being a bigot, or to laugh at them.  If this is in a business setting, then, yes, discussing the matter with someone higher up is usually helpful.

Answer 3

Unless it has something to do with me I don&#039;t care.  You can&#039;t die on every mountain.

Answer 4

I ignore people like that in general.  Their comments are too ignorant to acknowledge.  Besides, even if I don&#039;t like what they are saying, this is America...you&#039;re allowed to say anything you want here, even if it is wrong.

Of course, if the person is doing something threatening I&#039;d report them to the police.

Answer 5

If it is someone I do not know, I ignore them -if they are in the group that I am with, I tell them that is not funny and he/she is speading hate.  I never confront someone I don&#039;t know - even though I would like to, it could be dangerous.