Tea Parties: Whats really going on?

[Sqrl]

theprof00 said:

Man, you actually don't get it. You base your percentage off your friends. Not nearly anything remotely like a random sample, but yet you can base your judgements off of it without second thought.

This is what I mean, when I kind of agree with Garofolo where you really just don't understand.

My point has nothing to do with racism btw and I know you read the OP. It is about the message of the original tea party being no taxation without representation. I just thought it was interesting to follow that thought through into these tea parties. It would mean they are protesting the taxes, and the person who was taxing them. MY point does not reside on 20% of the people being racist. But yours strongly relies on the fact that your friends accurately reflect the entire population. I'll let you think about that for a minute.

 

Actually I think you missed the idea that I was deliberately acknowledging my source as anecdotal.  My point is that anecdotes are better than no source at all.

Where I'm mixed up is that my acknowledgment of my anecdotal evidence is less meaningful for you than your lack of any evidence?  How, can you say that I am the one who doesn't get it then? Sorry, not to be rude, but that seems pretty backwards.  Do you have anything more concrete than what I've put forward to support your 20% number?  After all I think the default assumption here has to be that they aren't racist and that it would be up to you to show that they are....I hope that isn't a controversial position to take because throwing around the racism word without very good cause to do so is pretty dangerous and harmful imo (I think you would agree honestly).

As for your point having nothing to do with racism...then why try to say 20% of these folks are probably racists?  If I'm being honest it sounds like you're backing away from the statement to me.  Which is fine..if you meant that 20% were subconciously racists I'll take your word for it but at that point I think the obvious question is "Is that any different from the normal population anyways?".

I think the danger is that you say racism one way, people hear it another, and the effect is unfair marganlization.