It's a real surprise to hear that folk/folks is racist. As recently as Friday morning, in a meeting with the Executive Director and the Education Director, both very educated, "creative folks" and "happy folk" were referenced in the course of normal conversation. Neither comment was intended in a way that could even remotely be considered racist.

Thinking through the difference between the usage of folks vs folk, every instance that comes to mind uses the pural for a specific group ("creative folks" was referencing the artists we were discussing) and folk seems to be used as a more generic reference to an unknown group ("happy folk" was a reference to people we hope are drawn in by the creative folks planned graphics) or a larger general group. I have no idea if that is a general-usage rule or just the common usage I'm familiar with. It could be a regional distinction without a difference.

On the other hand, y'all is NEVER used in the singular, and it is NOT spelled ya'll.

Absolutely the case. And it has the distinction of having a super-inclusive plural form, too: All y'all.

Just emphasizing what I actually said.

White Folks, Black Folks, Them Folks, Us Folks. This isn't racist, at least where I live. It's, well, Folksy. You-uns. We-uns. They-uns. Y'all and my favorite, All y'all.

Check out the January 2012 issue of Smithsonian Magazine... page 19

Article Title My Kind of Town Series - Austin TX
"Keeping it Weird"
By ZZ Packer

On page 19....



Contemporary Literature from one of the finer American Institutions

Get a thicker skin guys.

Whether it is utter by racists or not.....Do you get pissed when Afro-Americans/Black etc say BLACK FOLK or Hispanics saying BROWN FOLK??

Even in that context the word in and of itself is not racist or has racist roots. It accurately describes a group of folks who happen to be white....like black folk describes a group of folks who happen to be black???

President Obama says "folks" all the time.

It never offends me although I wish he sounded more like FDR than Bill Clinton.

Strangely, I don't mind the familiarity of "folks" from people I have a connection to. It bugs the hell out of me from a complete stranger seeking my political support. (read: Republicans)

Unfortunately it can be a disadvantage to speak like a Harvard-educated lawyer when you're trying to communicate and appeal to the average person in this country today. Some people sound phony, but Pres Obama is lucky to be able to quite naturally "walk with kings - nor lose the common touch."

"Ohhhh...the white folk, hate the black folk, and the black folk, hate the white folk, to hate all but the right folk? It's an old, established Rule."

--Tom Lehrer, National Brotherhood Week.

My first car, as a young hippie with hair out to here, was a Volkswagen bus. I don't know how I'll ever eradicate the stain ...

Some pure-d TX crazy right there.

And Joe the Dumber jumps into the act.

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/08/14/j ... he-border/

No wonder other countries hate us. WE have inmates running the jail. How can the world look up to us when our representatives live in the sewer.

I smell some form of Aryan mythology.

PORTLAND, Ore.—A couple accused in a three-state Northwest killing spree last fall now face federal hate crime charges alleging they killed four people as part of a white supremacist campaign.

Amanda Marshall, the U.S. attorney for Oregon, said Friday that a federal grand jury has indicted 32-year-old David "Joey" Pedersen and 25-year-old Holly Ann Grigsby on racketeering charges.

She says they're accused of going on their rampage to promote a movement that would purify and preserve the white race.
http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_2133 ... ate-crimes

Press release:

http://www.flashalertnewswire.net/image ... ent%29.pdf

“The indictment in this case alleges horrendous crimes were committed as part of
defendants’ white-supremacist campaign to kidnap and murder targets on the basis of race, color,
religion, and perceived “degenerate” conduct,” said U.S. Attorney Amanda Marshall. “These
crimes victimize not only individuals and their families, but entire communities. This indictment
shows that we will work tirelessly with our federal and state partners to pursue allegations of
bigotry and prejudice in order to protect all of our citizens from hate and violence. No one
should live in fear of being attacked because of their race, religion, ethnicity, nationality, gender,
sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability. We hope this indictment brings the victims’
families one step closer to justice.”

The indictment charges that Pedersen and Grigsby were members of a criminal enterprise
whose members and associates engaged in acts of violence and other criminal activity to promote
a white supremacist movement to “purify” and “preserve” the white race. They are further
charged with targeting Jewish leaders, members of prominent Jewish organizations, and other
“Zionists,” and using the media to publicize their movement in an attempt to spark a revolution.
It is alleged that, among other things, Pedersen and Grigsby robbed victims in order to finance
the enterprise and obtain cars for transportation, and that they murdered victims to eliminate
witnesses and avoid apprehension and prosecution.

Well when you realize the swastika, a beautiful symbol later co-opted by evil people, originated in Vedic times, you realize he must be a secret Neo-Nazi. Religious freedom my ass!
Now every nut is trying to hide behind the religious freedom veil.
What is not clear here is whether he refused to leave the store when he was told he was banned and now is filing a false unlawful restraint complaint.
It would serve Thomas right if this is the only grocery store in town and he now has to drive 50 miles each way for groceries.

Coming to a state fair near you:
From TPM



How is it possible that something as blatantly political as this is part of a state fair?

They have Republican days and Democrat days at state fairs. Every state and federal candidates show up for their days. Williams is a moron who is cashing in on Dad's talent.

ORYR comments:

But this article is awesome:
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/arc ... /309064/1/

(Go read the article-- it's long, and there is no way on earth that I could excerpt any 4 paragraphs to do it justice.)

A link from CB's article above:

The Talk: Nonblack Version



http://takimag.com/article/the_talk_non ... z1rC3fsLMv

John Derbyshire is pond scum. Why a magazine that presents itself as Libertarian would host him (and some others) is a puzzle, as racism is not inherently part of Libertarianism as classically understood.

Yet, despite this, they often seem to be closely affiliated with Libertarians such as Ron Paul, whose newsletter featured openly racist materials from which Paul refused to distance himself. I think a lot of Libertarians (any present company emphatically excluded) simply view Libertarianism as an excuse to be a nasty, id-ridden asshole.