Being Black in a Lecture...

It seems pretty over-the-top to call the cops regarding this student, particularly for something so seemingly innocuous although I'm not sure we know everything that transpired between them. I hardly think I would notice if one of my students put their feet up on an unoccupied chair (and probably did so myself in the past).

I did have a student this semester who was blatantly watching or playing games on his iphone during lecture (in a room of 24 students). The first time I noticed, I paused and said that we were all going to go back to see what it was that "Joe" was watching. So he put the phone away. The second time, different day, I went back and took the phone and made a fairly angry statement to the effect that I should not have to confiscate students' phones. I know that students are not always paying attention, but at least try to be discreet about it.

Fortunately, this student was white, so no one could cry racism, but it does make the point that I should carefully consider my actions. Mightn't that lead to letting some students get away with anything, in the name of not being pilloried in the court of public opinion, once one's action inevitably becomes a viral twitter phenom?
 
Information Analyst said:
Yeah, because all the non-US members are going to schlep over to Las Vegas...
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TAM had international visitors, I met some of the myself; but even allowing that TAM was a 100%-US-only event for the sake of argument, white people were still very much over-represented at those meetings. At one point it was observed that the skew was overwhelmingly white and male, too; but even the mere suggestion by a few dastardly provocateurs that maybe trying to attract more women and non-whites to TAMs and to the skeptic movement in general could be a worthwhile endeavor was enough to send certain people up the walls.
 
cullennz said:
It is obvious not a race thing if even the girl in question felt it wasn't.

Stupid as lecturer though should be fined for completely wasting the police's time

Side point.

Have no idea why they have put a random video of some dumb as, racist, off her face on who knows what, ranting, weirdo chick.

Unless that is supposed to get every ones outrage started before reading the boring class story
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Yeah, it's never "a race thing". Because "reasons".
 
Checkmite said:
TAM had international visitors, I met some of the myself; but even allowing that TAM was a 100%-US-only event for the sake of argument, white people were still very much over-represented at those meetings. At one point it was observed that the skew was overwhelmingly white and male, too; but even the mere suggestion by a few dastardly provocateurs that maybe trying to attract more women and non-whites to TAMs and to the skeptic movement in general could be a worthwhile endeavor was enough to send certain people up the walls.
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Perhaps it was the suggestion that those white people were somehow at fault for excluding other ethnicities that sent them 'up the wall'? Just a thought, because I doubt there are many members who are so racist that they would object to sharing space with people of different genders or ethnic origins (personally I couldn't imagine a gathering more stultifying than a room full of men but that's just me).

I would considered the following: That women and black people have minds of their own and they have made the choice not to to attend such events on account of having no interest in them.

The idea that all groups have similar interests and that a lack of diversity in a specific setting equates to persons being denied access or being made to feel unwelcome is one that is unfathomable to me, and likely also to the non-attendees themselves.
 
bluesjnr said:
Hey you! Don't let reality get in the way of virtue signalling!
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I cringe on behalf of the writer every time I see this shallow, vacuous insult bandied about.

Maybe you and baron are virtue signalers. I suppose I could presume that. I don't though, because I don't believe in interpreting the words of people I disagree with in the worst possible light when there exists plausible, alternate interpretations.
 
varwoche said:
I cringe on behalf of the writer every time I see this shallow, vacuous insult bandied about.
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You deny these people exist? That's peculiar, unless you believe people don't have egos. Which is also peculiar, obviously, and wrong.

varwoche said:
Maybe you and baron are virtue signalers. I suppose I could presume that. I don't though, because I don't believe in interpreting the words of people I disagree with in the worst possible light when there exists plausible, alternate interpretations.
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What virtue would I be signalling? If I'm drawing attention to myself here then it's on balance negative, and I know it. That would be the opposite of virtue signalling. Turpitude signalling.
 
baron said:
What virtue would I be signalling? If I'm drawing attention to myself here then it's on balance negative, and I know it. That would be the opposite of virtue signalling. Turpitude signalling.
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The alt right has its own version of virtue signaling, where the "virtue" being loudly signaled is being unfazed by the expectation of "political correctness".

I guess "turpitude signalling" is a pretty good way to describe it.
 
kellyb said:
The alt right has its own version of virtue signaling, where the "virtue" being loudly signaled is being unfazed by the expectation of "political correctness".
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True, but they tend to do it in their own company. They makes videos which they themselves consume and as such their opinions are lauded, not derided. They don't come to leftist forums and do it. They should, of course, and vice-versa. Echo chambers have not been instrumental in any beneficial change and never will be.
 
baron said:
True, but they tend to do it in their own company. They makes videos which they themselves consume and as such their opinions are lauded, not derided. They don't come to leftist forums and do it. They should, of course, and vice-versa. Echo chambers have not been instrumental in any beneficial change and never will be.
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I've seen both the left and the right do it in "mixed company" spaces online.

I totally agree with you about how people need to interface more with ideological diversity, tho. Echo chambers are indeed very bad.
 
varwoche said:
I cringe on behalf of the writer every time I see this shallow, vacuous insult bandied about.
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Thank you for taking the mantle of cringe-worthiness from me. I must say it suits you.

Maybe you and baron are virtue signalers. I suppose I could presume that. I don't though, because I don't believe in interpreting the words of people I disagree with in the worst possible light when there exists plausible, alternate interpretations.
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Look after your spine, you'll do yourself an injury what with all that posturing.
 
baron said:
Perhaps it was the suggestion that those white people were somehow at fault for excluding other ethnicities that sent them 'up the wall'?
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No, there was no blame element attached to the observation; just a suggestion that change could be good.
 
baron said:
You deny these people exist? That's peculiar, unless you believe people don't have egos. Which is also peculiar, obviously, and wrong.



What virtue would I be signalling? If I'm drawing attention to myself here then it's on balance negative, and I know it. That would be the opposite of virtue signalling. Turpitude signalling.
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You are constantly virtue signalling. It's in 90%+ of your posts.

But hey, keep telling yourself that you are not. At some point you might even believe it.
 
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Lambchops said:
You are constantly virtue signalling. It's in 90%+ of your posts.

But hey, keep telling yourself that you are not. At some point you might even believe it.
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Is there a chance of you backing up your assertions with an argument? I mean, even once?
 
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