This pains me, but Michelle Malkin is right, and this is the dumbest damned thing I have heard in a long, long time:
A special meeting about Dallas County traffic tickets turned tense and bizarre this afternoon.
County commissioners were discussing problems with the central collections office that is used to process traffic ticket payments and handle other paperwork normally done by the JP Courts.
Commissioner Kenneth Mayfield, who is white, said it seemed that central collections “has become a black hole” because paperwork reportedly has become lost in the office.
Commissioner John Wiley Price, who is black, interrupted him with a loud “Excuse me!” He then corrected his colleague, saying the office has become a “white hole.”
That prompted Judge Thomas Jones, who is black, to demand an apology from Mayfield for his racially insensitive analogy.
This is dumber even than the niggardly affair a few years back.
frogspawn
Remedial Astrophysics 101, anyone?
Geeno
This is why people should be forced to learn English when they move here… Wait…. what?
joe
I’d need to hear the tape to make up my mind.
Once upon a time, I had a job in a warehouse, and we played Pitch during breaks. Whenever somebody stumbled over their bid – three, no, two – someone else always told the same joke: Are you a renegger?
I ain’t no re-negger.
har har har, renegger. I get to say something that sounds like “nigger.” Get it? Get it?
Now, there’s nothing wrong with the word “renegger.” If someone renegs, that’s what they are. Still, what they were doing there was seizing on an opportunity, as in “here’s my chance, woo hoo, and nobody can say squat!”
I’d have to hear how the commissioner said it. If the officein question was majority black, I could see somebody thinking they just scored what seems to be the holy grail of some people – the ability to say something racist and get away with it.
Then again, it’s also possible Price and Jones are being uptight morons. Tough to tell.
Apsaras
Ah well,
Stopped clock, twice daily. Yes, as Michelle Malkin herself should remind us, idiots come in every color of the rainbow. But ol’ Michelle pointing derisively at some fool who went into full outrage mode over a perceived slight ginned up by his own foolishness? I do believe this is a case of the pot calling the kettle black OH HEAVENS WHAT HAVE I SAID
El Cid
I agree that it’s dumb, but it isn’t a fraction of the dumb of what you printed from Jonah Goldberg yesterday.
EnderWiggin
Hehe. I had a friend like that, always looking for any comment that he could pretend was racist so he could pretend to be outraged.
However, Our Lady of Perpetual Outrage is hardly in a position to call anyone on this type of behavior.
Dennis - SGMM
“Black Tuesday” must be renamed!
The Rolling Stones must immediately reject and denounce their song “Paint it Black” and retroactively rename it “Paint it White.”
The phrase “dark days” must be scrubbed from every speech and history book.
The film “The Dark at Noon” to be removed from shelves and renamed. Likewise, “Dark Victory,” and “Donnie Darko.”
garyb50
This is actually pretty mild for John Wiley Price. He’s been crazy in Dallas for over 20 years now.
Joe
…wow.
the kicker is the black dude who called it a “white hole” went and made it extremely racist by making up his own phrase.
sorry i’m a physics geek, but a black hole is a legit term for something that sucks things in endlessly…even light, so they’re “black”. I seriously seriously hope the judge here has to eat crow on this one.
Grumpy Code Monkey
It wouldn’t surprise me. After all, I remember a story from several years ago about a state employee (I think this was in California) who got all hot and bothered about the “master” and “slave” designations for IDE drives.
The Other Steve
Back in black, I hit the sack,
I’ve been too long, I’m glad to be back
Yes I’m let loose from the noose,
That’s kept me hangin’ about
I been livin like a star ’cause it’s gettin’ me high,
Forget the hearse, ’cause I never die
I got nine lives, cat’s eyes
abusing every one of them and running wild
[Chorus]
‘Cause I’m back! Yes, I’m back!
Well, I’m back! Yes, I’m back!
Well, I’m baaack, baaack…
Well, I’m back in black,
Yes, I’m back in black!
Back in a band,i got Cadillac,
Number one with a bullet, I’m a power pack
Yes I’m in a band with a gang,
they gotta catch me if they want me to hang
‘Cause I’m back on the track and I’m beatin’ the flack,
Nobody’s gonna get me on another rap
So look at me now, I’m just a makin’ my pay,
Don’t try to push your luck, just get outta my way
MH
[devil’s advocate]
If the paperwork is being lost because it’s being buried under piles of OTHER paperwork the office keeps spewing out, “white hole” might be appropriate.
Mary
Joe, a crow is a black bird. Are you trying to suggest the judge is some sort of savage cannibal?
Seriously, there are dumbass local pols everywhere. I hate seeing Malkin’s ego fed even a bit with this.
Let me threadjack: here’s Lance Mannion on FISA and Obama. That should calm things down a bit around here.
/runs away
pinola
Malkin lives for stuff like this. I’m just sorry for her sake that she has to seek out such idiocies in such mundane venues as Dallas County Commissioner traffic ticket meetings. YAWN.
Daniel Munz
Would “hole of color” be acceptable?
Michael D.
In my organization, we’re not allowed to use the following words:
Blackboard (it’s chalkboard)
Whiteboard (it’s a dry erase board)
Flipchart (it’s an Easelchart)
I’m serious, and it drives me fucking crazy.
Pretty soon, the cleaners will be asked to find something other than Spic & Span to clean the floors with.
ThymeZone
When will I be interested in anything that Michelle Malkin talks about?
When pigs skydive.
Michael D.
Oh, and it’s not because anyone leveled a charge of racism about those words. It was because a couple of the white trainers thought that maybe, somehow, in some parallel universe, some minority might get offended. It started with Flipchart (might offend Filipinos) and cascaded from there.
Zifnab
I don’t want to make any rash judgments until we’ve assessed everyone’s counter tops.
But in all seriousness, fuck Michelle Malkin. She has all the credibility of the KKK on issues of racial sensitivity.
“Oh! Oh! Look at the reverse racism! This proves that all black people are stupid, incompetent, and unfit for elected office.”
Eural Joiner
OK – you lost me on that one. Who exactly does the term “flipchart” offend?
pinola
Michael D: Of course, you have me intrigued about where you work. But, I have to ask. What’s wrong with flipchart??
Ben Richards
What a timely thread! I have workplace diversity and conduct training this afternoon at 1PM. No joke.
Michael D.
“Flip” is a derogatory term used to describe Filipinos. I know. I know. I’m embarrassed about it too.
jake
What Apsaras said.
The world would be a much better place if all the Outrage Fetishists hopped on the same bus and drove off a cliff.
pinola
Got it, Michael D. Ironically, Malkin is Filipino.
jrg
This has to be the dumbest thing I have read in a while. Even if “white hole” did refer to a collapsed star where matter enters but never leaves, how on earth would it be any less offensive to use the term “white hole” vs. “black hole”?
Who in their right mind would ever believe that a “black hole” has anything to do with “black people”? “black” is a f*cking adjective.
If anything, “white hole” is more offensive, because the term has no meaning beyond Mr. Price’s desire to associate a destructive interstellar phenomenon with white people. What is it about municipal administrative positions that attracts these morons?
Teh Stoopid, it burns!
The Grand Panjandrum
*Yawns* Is it really THAT slow out in “news” land?
Focality
No, pinola, Malkin is Murikin.
jake
Surprise Level – Zero. I mean it’s nice that people are that concerned and all but in my experience these are the same people who will eventually (ahem) flip out and claim that all minorities are SOOOO easily offended and ingrates to boot.
I beg you to have fun with this. Tell them seemingly inoffensive words are, or sound like, terms that give great offense to certain groups. I mean, if you tell them “chair,” sounds like the Romanian word for a woman of loose morals, would they check?
libarbarian
See how rich white men are constantly being oppressed!
Now do you see?!!!!
Martin
Yes, idiotic, but if 20% of the country wasn’t still holding onto their Jesse Helms attitude, then minorities wouldn’t be nearly so sensitive about this crap to get it wrong. You think a black man in Texas doesn’t still hear ‘nigger’ on a semi-regular basis?
Yes, it’s dumb, but I can’t fault the guy too much.
Grand Moff Texan
Creationist astronomy!
.
libarbarian
I hope the guy doesn’t get blackballed over this.
Grand Moff Texan
Hell, he can hear that word in Alaska, too, especially if he’s a fan of rap music.
.
Incertus
Yup.
handy
Ahhh, it seems someone just got hooked by the latest installment of Rightwing Outrage Of The Day™
Shinobi
…..Wasn’t there something recently… about a scarf? Seriously this woman has no right to call these guys on their idiocy. In fact, they should all be shipped off to the “We are idiots” community, so the rest of us no longer have to suffer.
Doug H. (Fausto no more)
Why isn’t John blogging about The Death of the Foruth Amendment, The Constitution, The Republic, Mom, and Apple Pie? This is the Worstest Day Evar!!!!!1!!!!1!1!!
Meanwhile, I can count the recommended diaries about asset forfeiture and the War on (Some) Drugs on one hand. I wonder if Radley Balko is +3 by now.
Thom
so she’s right about a one-off scrap of a story she found to be outraged about. So? Why give her publicity for it. FOX fired, so should the blogworld.
D. Mason
So the speculation that he hears the word nigger on a semi-regular basis is an excuse for him to lash out racially in a county commissioners meeting? Forget about racism. What about professionalism? I can fault him for being unqualified to hold any public position because he apparently has the mentality of a child.
David Hunt
Dennis Miller once said (before he went stupid and unfunny) that, “A local politician is simply a politician whose darkest secret prevents him from seeking higher office.”
b-psycho
Besides, “black” people aren’t black anyway. The description is just shorthand for opposite of “white” — a racial category that is a falsehood, since its definition constantly changes. Used to be the Irish & Jews were filed under not-white.
If this shows up multiple times, someone replace the hamster powering the server.
seeker6079
I’m with joe who’d want to hear the tape, and I’d want to see the video.
On one side: I’ve seen assholes using plausible deniability excuse offensive language. (We’d be hearing this differently, for example, if the councillor in question had a history of disliking minority hires and, say, made eye contact with a black council opponent when saying “black hole” while talking about a largely black-staffed office.)
On another side: Did the councilor who spoke of white holes, say, tap the pile of paper when saying so? Smile and so indicate a joke? I don’t know.
I’m not saying that either is the case, but only that these things are often way textured than we realize, especially at a local level. Transcripts can be very deceptive things, leaving out layers of nuance that seeing an event and omitting important things that only hearing the inflections and observing the body language can tell us.
jlo
And some more words that sound like other words that are nasty. Let’s throw them all on the burn pile.
Puck, Runt, Pick, Magina (just kidding), sea men, Hoar… this is fun. Maybe I won’t do any work today.
Martin
That’s nigga, not nigger.
The Thinking Man's Mel Torme
So, my cats are all bl*ck and wh*te. Do I now have to say they’re “chalk and dryerase?” Use race-neutral Pantone color numbers?
The Moar You Know
Dumber than attacks on Barack because of his minister? Dumber than the “Tigress of Tuzla” incident? Dumber than anything coming out of McCain’s mouth or campaign on any given day?
Not even close.
Sorry, John.
Malkin’s just managed to push one of your buttons again by supplying a heavily-edited anecdote, one without subtext or history, and like a starving fish, you bit.
Righties love these kinds of shit stories because they can use them to feed their perpetual victimization complex. Let’s do the math – for even one idiot city council retard insisting that the term “black hole” is racist, how many black folks were called “nigger” in that county alone that day?
More than one.
What gets the press?
I know you’re starting to figure out that the press does not, in fact, have a liberal bias – but you’ve got a long way to go.
(The appropriate comeback for anyone insisting the term “white hole” be used instead of “black hole” is to then immediately slam them for being sexist – Pyhrric victory, bitches! Sadly, the only reasonable person in the room wasn’t thinking on his feet.)
Xanthippas
Price is well known for his faux-outrage and mock indignities around these parts. I’m only surprised it’s taken this long for blogs to catch up to him, though to be fair he’s slowed down since as he’s aged.
limbaugh's pilonidal cyst
Ummmm…..
Frist!
Duros Hussein 62
“A local politician is simply a politician whose darkest secret prevents him from seeking higher office.”
Frakkin’ racist.
Is it racially insensitive to order coffee with no cream or sugar?
Also, yes, yes a broken clock is right twice a day, but it’s still wrong all the rest of the time.
D-Chance.
For those on the national level, John Price is Dallas’ answer to Al Sharpton… albeit a low-rent version of him. He’s considered the Official Town Clown, even among many in his own community. Few take him seriously, other than to publicly point and laugh when necessary… like today.
Ken
This doesn’t surprise me in the least – there are oversensitive professional victims and outrage mongers on the left as well as the right. I have a friend who recounts the story of giving a presentation at the office. When someone asked about a specific portion of the process and how it worked, he replied that it didn’t matter, as long as the same input always produces the same output- “it’s a black box”.
This generated an immediate, loud and very self righteous complaint that this was “racist” from an ill educated woman in attendance. So he spent the remainder of the meeting using the phrase “blue box” to a room full of engineers and phone network analysts.
Some people will see offense in anything. reminds me of a Saturday night Live skit
b. hussein canuckistani
“White Man chastized by Black Man for using misunderstood term in traffic court”
Call me a race traitor, but my outrage meter just isn’t twitching that much.
Scott H
The silliness of the affair doesn’t in any way make that sad, shrill creature “right.” If she’s found some micro-incident screech-worthy in her limited forte, so what? I am older than you, John Cole, and these Bedtime Tales for Bigots were old before you were born. I can imagine the First Edition came out during Reconstruction.
Duros Hussein 62
Would “hole of color” be acceptable?
That would be sexist. I think.
Dreggas
Ok when someone says “it’s become a black hole” it’s pretty clear that race has nothing to do with it. Everyone knows what a black hole is, hell my parents used to say my closet was like a black hole. This is pretty stupid, but then again I didn’t get the latte-sipping elitist liberal do it yourself kit that came with the “see racism in every comment” add-on.
Martin
It depends. I always ask the barista to make the coffee match the mean aggregate skin tone of the patrons plus employees, just to make sure there’s no offense. In my case there’s always some cream since I’m distractingly white, but there’d be plenty of situations where no cream, no sugar would be appropriate.
JR
The 4th Amendment is being ripped from the Consitution today, and the CEO’s are drooling at being “ordered” to break laws by our Supreme Leader. Fascism delivered on a plate.
And on this here well-sponsored bloggie John Cole plucks a black outrage story on this day of days and takes a moment to fluff Malkin.
You know what?
Screw you Cole go back to your Party–you caused less damage to America as a “con” Republican. Bilge Juice. You have no vision, which is what accounts for your former actions, and for your continued discounting of those with some vision you deserve exactly what is coming. Choke on your faux-spittle you fraud.
RH Potfry
Ah, sweet, sweet JR. Your childlike rage is amusing.
Lushboi
This is what happens when you mix PC and teh stupid.
The Moar You Know
While I agree that there are much more newsworthy, outrageous, or just plain stupid things going on – and further agree with you that the FISA outrage ought to be front and center as our national shame – your outrage at Mr. Cole is both a little over-the-top and unwarranted.
Unless you’re trying to turn the Dems into a lockstep party of purity at the expense of winning elections. If that’s the case you’re doing a great job.
You might also just be an asshole-in-training. If that’s the case, well, good job. Go forth and put your newfound social skills to good use. Give us a posting from the hospital and let us know how it went.
D. Mason
Apparently you missed the 400+ comment FISA posts. I imagine our host realizes that nothing new would be said in a new FISA post. Also, what is faux-spittle? Inquiring minds
wantneed to know!rachel
It’s where malingerers go for their doctor’s notes.
LanceThruster
Must be tough to be an electrician these days.
Neutral, hot, and ground should not be separated by the color of their sheaths but by the content of their character.
Stephen Colbert: Now, I don’t see color. People tell me I’m white and I believe them because police officers call me “sir”.
Ed Drone
Now, now, don’t be flippant!
Ed
nightjar
I guess this means we can no longer have “black humor” — from now on it has to be either white humor or colorless jokes..
slippytoad
Black holes suck things in. In some theories, they are connected to white holes which spit them back out.
But, they’re called black because no light escapes from them.
I’m really, dumbfounded at the poutrage. And I’m depressed that this many people in America are that stupid. Sometimes I just want to lock myself in my basement with all of my Star Trek DVD’s and pretend the world is populated by mostly-rational people who at least fucking agree on what reality is.
In some ways that show scarred me for life because I grew up thinking that people who analyzed things rationally and acted in the interests of the common good were, you know, adults. I’ve been very disappointed to realize that I’m still surrounded by the same shrieking elementary-school dolts I was thirty years ago. They’ve just gotten into positions of authority now.
SamFromUtah
Would “hole of color” be acceptable?
LOL!
nightjar
jibeaux
It’s astonishingly stupid. You did see McCain’s economic plan, though, didn’t you?
Also, I’d like to point out that I once went about ten rounds defending the Magical Unity Pony from charges of racism on this very blog. The Magical Unity Pony drinks your milkshake from your fridge that it nuked and it is aware of all internet traditions.
bago
See, this is just Dumb dumb.
The Jonah article was Dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb.
liberatemeiexinfernis
Not to defend what Price said, but I don’t think we should look at this episode in a vacuum. It is entirely possible that Price, having worked with people like Mayfield and other white police officers may have heard them make racially insensitive comments or jokes in the past, and so Price blew up when he heard what he perceived to be a racially insensitive word. I his mind, this is part of a series of racist things he thinks Mayfield is getting away with. Maybe Mayfield in the past while arresting black drivers may have made some hurtful comments as a joke.
Again this is just speculation as to why Price may have reacted so angrily to something to trivial, and we dont know the whole story. Mayfield may be a great officer and Price and the judge may be people who overreact a little too much
Notorious P.A.T.
I will never refer to a successful, money-making business as “in the black” again.
Michael
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0462538/quotes
Mayor Quimby: I hereby declare a state of emergency: Code Black.
Lenny: Black? That’s the worst color there is.
[Lenny turns to Carl, his black friend]
Lenny: No offense there, Carl.
Carl: I get it all the time.
Punchy
If you listen to the transcript, he actually says “Black Cole” instead.
John should be concerned.
Crusty Dem
The only proper response to the “Excuse me!!” is “I’m very sorry, the office has become an African-American hole”.
This is much worse than the “niggardly” affair, because the level of ignorance needed to be offended by “black hole” is so much higher than the relatively uncommon term, niggardly.
Crusty Dem
OK, about 3 hours late to steal a joke from Daniel Munz. Damn.
Sarcastro
White hole. Spewing time. Engines dead. Air supply low. Advise please.
J. Michael Neal
They don’t do it because they’re white, and they don’t do it because they’re concerned. They do it because they work in Human Resources. That means that, if they weren’t doing something stupid, they wouldn’t be doing anything at all. These are the people who told me that they wouldn’t hire me because I was planning on taking the actuarial exams, and they were afraid that I would leave, when I was applying for a job at an insurance company. These are the same people who can’t explain your benefits to you.
Of course they’re morons. They were trained to be morons, and probably selected for the jobs because they’re morons.
Joshua Norton
Even a blind squirrel will find an occasional acorn.
Joshua Norton
One of the biggest lies is that HR is there to aid the employee. Their only job is to cover the company’s ass. It amazes me how many people will go running to them for tea and sympathy, expecting the HR drone to take their side as they hand them a box of Kleenex to dry their tears.
Wrong! They just want to keep you from freaking out and suing the company. And you’ve started a paper trail as a testimony to your “instability” when they decide to can you.
b. hussein canuckistani
How come Michelle never tells us about stupid things white people say?
AdrianLesher
This does sound ridiculous.
However, the use of the word “niggardly” these days seems confined to those who are oblivious to the fact that it sounds so much like the n-word, and to those who get a secret thrill out of using the word because it does sound so much like that word.
AdrianLesher
This does sound ridiculous.
However, the use of the word “niggardly” these days seems confined to those who are oblivious to the fact that it sounds so much like the n-word, and to those who get a secret thrill out of using the word because it does sound so much like that word.
HeartlandLiberal
There are clearly no rocket scientists or astronomers in this group. Let along people capable of speaking and comprehending the simplest idioms of the English language.
God forbid they had to meet and chat with Stephen Hawkins about black holes.
Actually, I am sure his command of speaking would have put theirs to shame.
What total, pathetic idiots.
J. Michael Neal
Of course, the one time I actually did have a nervous breakdown on the job, HR was very helpful. That’s probably because their (and my) boss was very helpful and sympathetic.
stew
My grandfather was a musician. He was playing a gig with another musician (a black guy) who was notorious for not practicing. At the gig, my grandfather messed up a little and the black guy said, “Didn’t you practice at all?”
My grandfather said , “Isn’t that the pot calling the kettle black.” Well the black guy got all upset and tried to say my pop was a rascist.
Funkula
John Wiley Price is a tool, as most anyone from Dallas can attest. This is not news. I agree with the upthread comment describing him as a low-rent Al Sharpton wannabe.
LanceThruster
Regarding HR; I went in to inquire about filing a grievance one time and got transferred to another department almost immediately afterword. It was unnerving to know that my inquiry was not kept confidential but it fortunately worked out for the best.
Phoenician in a time of Romans
Commissioner John Wiley Price, who is black, interrupted him with a loud “Excuse me!” He then corrected his colleague, saying the office has become a “white hole.”
Meanwhile any Commissioners who happened to grow up Russian were sniggering childishly. “Black hole” in Russian is slang for – well, I’m pretty certain you can guess.
grumpy realist
Also, a “white hole” actually has been postulated to exist in astrophysics.
Someone hit this idiot over the head with a copy of Gravitation….
Nancy Irving
I’d say, no, white dwarf, but that’ll get me in trouble too… :)
jvill
Um, yeah, there are idiots everywhere.
This is news because…?
Look, the issue is not that idiots don’t exist. It’s the nakedly unfair practice of comparing obscure dipshits like Professor Ward Churchill (or the white hole bozo) to incredibly influential haters like Pat Robertson and somehow claiming A=B. Our loons are truly on the fringe. Their loons have George Bush’s cell phone number.
OK, seriously, that joke doesn’t work if George Bush doesn’t have a cell phone. Does he? I have no idea. Probably smarter to assume not.
Ian
Imagine the fury if Mayfield had commented that central collections was like a brown dwarf in that they failed to bring together enough paperwork for the office to function.
Bedlam UK
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7497097.stm
We have it over here too, but this time at least it was an old term that is now WAYYYY racist
Bedlam UK
P.S, I have no idea what a ‘nigger in the woodpile’ even means?!
Anyone able to educate me?
Craig
For those clinging to the need for visual context, the clip is available on the local Dallas news websites. Mayfield clearly uses the term “Black Hole” in a very matter-of-fact manner. When Price interjects his “excuse me” and “white hole” comment, its obvious that Mayfield initially assumes that Price is joking because Mayfield chuckles and then says “Okay, pink hole”. It becomes very clear though that Price is very agitated. The judge very solemnly gives his rebuke to Mayfield and taps his finger on the table while speaking to emphasis his seriousness. Mayfield looks truly shocked and a bit indignant, and then explains that it is a scientific term. Outside the courtroom Price rants to a reporter about angel food cake versus devils food cake and bargaining with someone versus “jewing” them down.
Lulu
They do it because they work in Human Resources….
Exactly right. All Human Resources departments are Satanic, except the one at my office, which is Satan. Proof: they just changed their name to Human Capital Management.
They think if it has “Management” in the name that people will respect them more … when the reality is that calling their employees “human capital” is the most offensive, insulting misuse of the English language since “War Is Peace.”