Racial hypocricies

[inferiare]

I never thought I'd be making my own posts in here. How wrong I was.

Anyway.

Today, while at work, I found out something interesting. Before I get into it, I'll explain the basics for those who don't live in the states, or even for those who live in the states and have never heard of it.

Here in the US, we have a program called WIC. It stands for "Women, Infants, and Children". What it is in a nutshell: food stamps.

The long version: It's for mothers/families that are low income and have small children up to age 5 that are in danger of bad nutrition. Depending on how many children (I think, it's been a while since I've done any cashiering) and their ages, you get a monthly allotment of what you can buy. For example, for a month with an infant and a small child will net you on your WIC account so many ounces of Similac baby formula, three gallons of milk, some frozen vegetables, cheese, and three containers of frozen juice. Two of our checkstands are equipped with the WIC scanners which also inform checkers if what the customer has is available through the WIC program (the wrong brand, too many ounces of cheese, whatever.)

It also comes in two different flavours: a card (similar to a credit card) or a check. A card you have to check your balance of what you have available to you that month, and the check has the items listed on it. Cards are only usable at the checkstands that have the card readers/scanners at, and checks can be used at any register. Either sort of transaction that is done, however, MUST have "WIC" written across the receipt to prevent the stores getting ripped off (aka, someone who pretty much just got stuff for free, bringing the $12 baby formula back for a refund with the receipt and getting free money).

Now that I've sort of explained the process, I can get on with it.

I was in line getting my lunch through one of our newly promoted cashiers. The other cashier that has been helping him asks him to keep his drawer open and to take out the WIC check that he had just processed for the lady in front of me. He does so, and gets the check out of the drawer, and shows it to the other checker, who tells him something that I missed most of. Because I missed part of it, I asked her as she was walking off (because it's been a stupidly long time since I've done cashier work, and they just updated the WIC process. ...that and I was curious.)

I was told that if the check says "Intertribal WIC" or some such, that we're not allowed, for any reason, to write WIC on their receipt. The reason why? It's RACIST if we do.

For those who don't live in Nevada (like, all of you), the Intertribal stuff are the Indians from the reservations that we have out here.

Note, that this rule ONLY works in regard to those who are involved with that program. Why is this so hypocritical? Because we still have to write WIC on every receipt for those who are white, black, hispanic, asian, Plutonian, Mooninite, and so on. I fail to see how that is considered racism when everyone gets the same treatment on the WIC program. In all honesty, it's more racist for us to say "Oh, well, we won't write it on your receipt because you're intertribal, but you, the next person in line? Sorry, you don't get the special treatment because you're not Indian!"

To me, it's almost (ALMOST) on par with "You're not black, so you can't drop the N word to refer to your black friends, and if you do, you're a racist and a member of the KKK and you're going to hell!"

My own thoughts on this matter: why is anyone getting special treatment? Everyone clamors for equality, and then they pull something like this. Special treatment over the other races of the world does not equal, in any circumstance, equality. If you want equality, suck it up and deal with it, even if you don't like it. While I realize that, if you're not white here in America, you're a minority, but that shouldn't mean jack. Yes, it's fine to be of a certain heritage, and you can celebrate that to your heart's content (every Saint Patrick's Day, I celebrate being an Irishman, of course ), but don't start demanding that you get equality and special privileges and special treatment. The rest of us don't get that unless we're celebrities, so stop your damn whining, sit your ass down, and be thankful you're even alive and having the government and the rest of the working society paying for your health and benefits.

And now that I've ranted/started a debate, your thoughts on the matter?

[Freedan]

Ah, the joys of double standards.

It happens all too often. Minorities ask for equal treatment, which is fine... but often do so with a very skewed definition of 'equal'.

Someone being entitled to extra food stamps solely because they're Indian is not equality. If anything, it's more 'racist' to allow this... only racist against the vast majority of non-Indians.

I have a hard time accepting it as this "equal treatment" people want when an Indian person with one child is entitled to more than anyone else with 3 children for such a superficial reason.

[inferiare]

Freedan, the Dark Knight wrote:

Ah, the joys of double standards. It happens all too often. Minorities ask for equal treatment, which is fine... but often do so with a very skewed definition of 'equal'. Someone being entitled to extra food stamps solely because they're Indian is not equality. If anything, it's more 'racist' to allow this... only racist against the vast majority of non-Indians. I have a hard time accepting it as this "equal treatment" people want when an Indian person with one child is entitled to more than anyone else with 3 children for such a superficial reason.

It's not quite getting extra food stamps; I should have been clearer. We're not allowed to write that the transaction was a WIC transaction on the receipt, like we have to do for everyone else.

[Freedan]

So it just doesn't show up as a WIC transaction? What the hell does that accomplish then?

And wasn't the whole point of writing it there to make sure the store doesn't get ripped off?

[thefencemaster]

So if I'm understanding this correctly, it seems to be just another example of how far away we still are as a world from reaching equality. I personally don't think that as a society it is possible for us to even reach that level. As silly and stupid as it is, we will always try to group ourselves and others into specific classes, Its just a matter of what creative way we find to do it.

[inferiare]

Freedan, the Dark Knight wrote:

So it just doesn't show up as a WIC transaction? What the hell does that accomplish then? And wasn't the whole point of writing it there to make sure the store doesn't get ripped off?

It does in our system, but if they were to bring in their receipt to "return" their items, it wouldn't say it was a WIC transaction that it was classified under, essentially.

So yeah, that's the whole point of it, but it's totally racist for us to do that to those classified under the Intertribal thing.

thefencemaster wrote:

So if I'm understanding this correctly, it seems to be just another example of how far away we still are as a world from reaching equality. I personally don't think that as a society it is possible for us to even reach that level. As silly and stupid as it is, we will always try to group ourselves and others into specific classes, Its just a matter of what creative way we find to do it.

You got it right, yes. Though I can see your point, because I agree. For as much of a cry of "GIVE US EQUALITY!" there is from everyone, there's always the bigger cry for "WE WANT SPECIAL TREATMENT" from everyone as well. I swear, it's like high school only worldwide. :/

[EverPhoenix]

wow.. that whole procedure is racist. its not racial discrimination, but its still explicit to members of one race.

why are they so special that they dont have to get the WIC label on their receipt? so they can come back with what they dont use, and refund it for some extra cash?

personally i think that the whole 'intertribal' crap should be scrapped. just because they are a minority doesnt mean they should benefit from any special personal treatment. sure, they might have been persecuted as a race some decades ago, but how many of those individuals who were involved are the ones getting the WIC thing? didnt think thered be many.

//end rant.

overall, i think its stupid.

[Jason Tandro]

Ironically, PC morons getting bent out of shape over anything that could potentially be considered racist just serves to more clearly define the differences between the races.

For instance, it bothers me when black people drop the N-bomb constantly but get up in arms when a white person says it casually (with no racist or derogatory intent).

Also just the simple fact that if a white person dares to disagree with anything a person of another race says, they are instantly labeled racist. And the media jumps on that shit like sharks in the water. Subscribers to UFO know what I'm talking about .

And of course the ultimate laugh: If you dissaprove of Obama, you're a racist.

Oh! And this story brings my p-i-s-s to a boil. Student says "nigga" every chance he gets, and finally the teacher snaps and says it back. OMFG you can't do that! You're white!

Watch the story here.

[psychokind]

I think the same as raini. no disadvantages because of your race and also no advantages!

but keep in mind: many racial privileges are the result of the racial associations and lobbyism. like the jews in germany: they know they are treated equal, but they also know how to exploit the cruelties of the nazis even today for their own benefit.

it's capitalism. everybody tries to make greatest profit for himself, even if one has to make use of racism.