Racist at El Paso Gun Show

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I have jokingly told some friend/acquaintances that "I want your woman" (in my best Hispanic- Pancho Villa accent), but it wasn't for yard work. To make a comment like was made to you is WAY off, and the guy got off lucky with just a loss of business. You probably could have lodged a complaint to people running the show, and this guy would have probably escalated his attitude with the show manager when approached, and gotten himself ousted.
 
Good job. I would have not been nearly so nice. I'm pretty sure I would have been thrown out of the show. What the gentleman earlier said about that type of behavior making us all look bad is absolutely true. And, as a true capitalist and the only color I care about is the green of your money, and those that use their biased attitudes/beliefs/whatever to make business decisions give us capitalist a bad reputation also. So by all means work your boycott on him. I hope you drive him out of business so he's the one mowing lawns for a living!
 
The man was a bigot, not a racist.

Bigotry:
A bigot is a person obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices, especially one exhibiting intolerance, and animosity toward those of differing beliefs. The predominant usage in modern English refers to persons hostile to those of differing race, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, various mental disorders, or religion.


Racism:
Racism is the belief that the genetic factors which constitute race, ethnicity, or nationality are a primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that ethnic differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race.
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I've seen many definitions of bigotry and racism over the years. Some I've agreed with, others not. But based on these two defintions, he is both. He is a racist because he believes in an "inherent superiority of a particular race." In other words, Hispanics are only suited to serve as gardeners and servants.
 
You, Rocketmedic, are a better man than I, because I do not think I would've been able to refrain from giving him my opinion in the crudest form possible. You did the right thing. What a scumbag!
 
Spanky went out of his way at a gun show to deliberately insult and provoke a person. Give it a bit of thought as to what the fella did and where he was when it was done.

In America if you insult a woman in front of her old man you insult not only the woman but the man. It is a direct challenge to both and the person doing the insulting is looking to provoke a fight from one or the other or both.

There are also some insults in the U.S. that can pretty much guarantee a fight. A good many people gave their lives so that a person can walk down the street and not be called a racially derogatory term by anyone who cares to. It was a part of the small revolution that was the civil rights movement.

At a minumum the folks running the show would have to explain to me why they let a a fella openly insult and provoke fist fights in the show by using racial slurs against a woman and on top of that in the presence of her man.

An apology was in order from the man.

Whether the fella got his behind kicked is a tactical question of the relationship of forces. No point in a man and woman being arrested for assaulting a racist/bigot who insulted them. But a fella could have stood by his table and calmly explained to all who passed by what the man had said and why they could withhold their business from his enterprise.

I won't second guess the op here. He did right and did not let the fella provoke a fight which is what the man was doing.

Make no mistake, this was not a man exercising his free speech. This was a fella insulting a woman and man with a serious insult. It's not something you play with. I have no right to walk up to someone and say that I want to have sex with their child, or that their mother is ugly, or any number of other serious provocative and insulting remarks without there being a response. No law need be involved.

tipoc
 
I've seen many definitions of bigotry and racism over the years. Some I've agreed with, others not. But based on these two defintions, he is both. He is a racist because he believes in an "inherent superiority of a particular race." In other words, Hispanics are only suited to serve as gardeners and servants.
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No, the man is a bigot, not a racist.

"Hispanic" is not a race.
Neither is "latino".
Nor is "mulatto".

All three terms only refer to those "mixed" persons descended from both Europeans and native peoples of the Americas.
 
Hispanic just refers to people who speak Spanish, from Mexico southwards.

Mixed has nothing to do with it. Americans may find it hard to believe, but there are black Hispanics, "mixed" Hispanics, and white Hispanics.
 
I would have said :

She charges $100 an hour for yardwork and you don't look like you can afford it.

On the other hand, I will kick your ass for fee. Let's go outside.
 
I feel that everyone has the right to their opinion, and I believe that business owners have the right to refuse service to anyone they choose for any reason... just like you have the right to not give that lousy guy your hard earned dollars for belittling you and your girl. That is the beauty of capitalism. Everyone has the freedom to make a choice.
 
That truly enrages me. I wish the worst on that awful person and his business.

He does more harm to the second amendment than any gun control legislation.
 
So by all means work your boycott on him. I hope you drive him out of business so he's the one mowing lawns for a living!
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I like this. Maybe you should have told him if he keeps making comments like that he'll be the one mowing lawns for a living.
 
(old fat dumb white guy) in El Paso, TX, is a poor-mannered bigot
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and now after posting that comment, you've prooven yourself to be no better.

He didn't say what he said because he was old, nor because he was fat, nor because of the color of his skin. He said it because (as you correcty noted) he was a bigoted and poor-mannered.

Frankly, I'm old, fat, white and some might even say dumb (I had a room mate who was a Rhodes Scholar and compared to him, I certainly am)....

You've just successfully insulted me, in the exact same manner that he insulted your girl.

Congratulations! Now you're a loser too.
 
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SSN Vet, did you consider he may be enraged and not thinking in the fairest terms after having his girlfriend insulted?
 
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considering el paso is like 85% hispanic the guy is gonna get it at some point lol.

but thats a pretty f'ed up thing to just say to someone, id have been very angry...
 
Not sure how I would have handled it. I likely would have knocked him out (or at least tried). I am sorry but that was a complete snub at the wife, he may as well called her a Wh**e. Completely uncalled for and really just deserving of a smack in the mouth.

That being said, OP, you showed a great amount of restraint and I commend you for it. There is not reason for someone to just out right insult your wife like that. You may want to chat with the guys running the gun show too. Those types degrade the whole show and can cut down on attendance.
 
Ya know, there was a day not long ago in Texas that if you insulted a man's wife in his presence you'd get a knot or two raised on your head.
 
doc thats not just in texas, i can handle a little rudenees but if you insult my wife or kids your on thin ice!
 
@SSN Vet

A description of the man, 'old,fat,dumb white guy' was pertinent to the story. Gives a mental image for the reader. Saying basically Mexican women are only good for yard work has no bearing in a gun transaction. Thus the outrage. I see no contradiction. He never said all white people act that way so there lies the difference. I feel you are being hyper-sensitive, and we all know name calling is very low-road. Irony.
 
i strongly believe you acted with more coolness than many of us would have.

Me included.

with enough witnesses i would have been pleased for my woman
to slap him in the face. Guns are empty. He would have been famous
for being the on the idiot end of the incident.

Someone with this little self control to keep the communication end
of his simple mind shut - should not be allowed to own ... or sell guns.

---

@SSN i´m getting older, fatter, and whiter, too. But i´m not starting fights.
He who starts a stupid argument is the idiot ... and his appearance can be described :)
 
Looking at other people's responses here, I began to wonder... would something like what the OP describes qualify under the legal definition of "fighting words"? I.e. words that are designed to provoke the person they are being addressed to into fighting. I feel like it would. I don't know, and don't think, that that's grounds for any legal actioni, but I don't know enough about the way the law works, especially in Texas. Anybody more knowledgeable know anything about it?
 
OP:
....At least an older Hispanic gentleman who'd been about to buy a few ARs and things heard it and walked away.
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Hmm, with the current situation south of the border I think I might be more worried about this guy!

And that vendor is a dirtbag, I hope his business goes under this year and he has to make fries at McDonald's to make a living.

I happen to be latino, and ran across some racist gun store clerks myself. When I took my all-matching German Kar 98K to a gun shop to see what I could get in trade, they quoted me $75 on the basis that nothing matched. I could clearly see '1814' on all metal parts all over the rifle. But he must think I'm a fool and didn't know what matching numbers were or know how much to expect (because I don't look like I know anything about firearms). So I said thank you and politely left, even though they insisted I take the $75 because it wasn't even worth that. My ass it isn't. So a week later I gave my wife the rifle (my wife is Mexican but speaks clear English and has light skin) and had her go in there to see what it's worth in trade and she was offered $600. Same Kar 98K mind you. Needless to say, I kept the rifle and that store isn't getting another dime from me. My wife's been with me when I've bought guns multiple times and most of the time they think she's the one buying for me! I can say I was born in Texas and whip out my active duty military ID faster than they can ask 'are you a citizen.' But there's some store I've been to that haven't given me the slightest feeling of being watched or looked down one, the type of places where if your money is green you are welcome to shop. I like those places.

I just don't care for gun stores or gun shows any more. If I'm looking, I won't talk to anyone or ask questions and if I'm buying I grab what I need and leave. The OP is exactly why, because there's still some real A-holes out there that are still racist. It's the year 2011 for crying out loud. Perhaps it's just me but the gun owner crowd seems less divers than any other hobby I've had (don't take that the wrong way, it's just an observation on my part).
 
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