No I don't think he intends on provoking. I think he is just stating his opinion. It's an extremely narrow-minded. But he doesn't understand how hurtful and denegrating it is.

Your giving him far too much credit if you think he's doing this as a joke.

>You don't think he intends to provoke people the way he does? You're kidding, right? I think it's one of his main goals frankly. It's the main reason why I joust with him without flaming.
>
>>Once again you have to frame all your arguments with liberal vs. conservative. I don't think you intend to provoke people the way you do. But your comments come across as extremely small minded, in case you can't tell by your replies.
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>>>>>>If I read 10 articles that say one thing and one article that says the opposite, my tendency is not to dismiss the 10 articles as propaganda while accepting only the one article. I don't think I'm alone in that.
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>>>>>>Yes, I have my biases just like everyone else, but I try very hard not to make inflammatory remarks about races of people based on that one fringe article, and I try very hard to honestly assess the source of all 11 before telling the world that 10 of them are merely propaganda. By "honestly assess the source", I do not mean taking that one article on faith and making it the context of my life.
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>>>>>>I'd still like to know how you define racism though. If context doesn't matter, and only the words do, then again I ask, how do you recognise racism?
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>>>>>I typically try to separate fact from fiction, then use a little deduction, applying some common sense (granted it's an uncommon entity).
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>>>>>We are having a "black mayors conference" in Memphis this week. Five hundred mayors who will be meeting to try to figure out how to ruin all the other cities in America. There isn't one major city that is run by a black mayor that has anything to be proud of. If we were to hold a White mayor's conference, Jessie, Al, and the rest would be in the streets. The liberal media gives the blacks a pass. What gives blacks the right to have a Miss Black America, black this or black that.
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>>>>John, IMO that was a horribly racist post. I am saying that on my own, not as a disciple of any POV or someone pursuing an agenda. It just basically sucked. Our views are opposed but I have always respected what you say. I didn't respect this one.
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>>>>It absolutely boggles my mind that skin color is an issue for anyone any more. How shallow.
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>>>>Let me ask you a question, one that may be too uncomfortable to answer. Are/were your parents racist?
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>>>Sorry to disappoint you Mike, nope none of my family are racists. How is it a racist statement? I believe you are a typical knee jerk liberal. Why don't you think it's racist for a group of mayors who happen to be black to specifically exclude any other mayors of any other race? That is TOTALLY RACIST! Just like giving students preference for having been born one color or another is racist. What would the "so called" black leadership say if there were a "white mayors conference"? They would scream bloody murder, and rightfully so. You need to check your attitude. Political correctness is a disease.