speak up when people make racist remarks

I’m getting better at calling bullshit on people. It’s kind of fun. People only say racist crap because they think they’ll get away with it, so I enjoy telling them that they’re being stupid, illogical, etc.

I’m so bad with confrontation that I have no idea how to do this, but it’s something that’s been really bothering me lately. I’ve been thinking about how when we don’t say anything when people exhibit racist behavior, we condone it. We perpetuate a society where racism is acceptable. Is it enough to say “That’s disgusting” or “How could you say that?” I want to say more, and make people realize what they’re doing when they speak about a human being is such a way – but racism is illogical, so why would they listen to logic?
And what if you work with the person? My husband just tries to ignore the racism and sexism at his workplace, and I understand why. It’s really hard to know what to say to someone you work with for 8 hours every weekday without causing a lot of crap to happen.
I really need to think about this, because the next time it happens, I’m just going to say what I think, which probably won’t go over well.

the less tolerance we have for racist comments, the more we will develop into intelligent/openmided and free spirited beings. Tell someone when they support ideologies that make war possible – no one has the right to believe they are better than anyone else.

and who cares if you sound like an asshole – its no like eating all the cake is it? you cant go wrong!!

I have a hard time not doing this.

I am a “minority” race when in fact really there are more of my race in the world than most others.
But I live in a country where I am a minority and for about 30 years have had to put up with ignorant comments.
I’ve confronted quite a few supposedly intelligent people who make really ignorant remarks because it shocks me more than say if the grand wizard came out with something.

yesterday i held back out of respect for someone…and i am kicking myself. When it comes to racism, it is black and white. No pun intended.
You’re either racist or you’re not.
There’s no such thing as “I’m not racist but…”

In not speaking out this person thinks that I agree with him and I am full of anger, frustration and feel disempowered.
It could have been so easy if I”d just said, “Well you’re wrong because”....

All I can say now is this guy smells like poo because he smokes too much dope and gives liberal people a really bad name.

I don’t know how well I did, but…

I had lunch with a good friend today, and at one point she mentioned something that a mutual friend, G., said she had done, something that was pretty unsanitary. Then my friend said, “What ‘G.’ did reminded me of those movies about black people spitting in food.” Well! I was a little taken aback, but thought that perhaps I ought not to let the comment pass unchallenged, even though that was my first impulse. So I asked her some more questions, said that I didn’t think that kind of thing (food servers spitting in food) had anything to do with race. Turns out the footage she was referring to depicted African-American slaves spitting in food prepared for white slave holders. Oh, okay. That’s not the same thing as implying that African-Americans or other people of color behave in unsanitary ways, is it?

When someone tells an ethnic joke or makes a racist comment, I usually don’t say anything, because, get this—I don’t want to make them feel bad! Well, that and I hate conflict. But if I keep silent, I am tacitly condoning behavior I don’t agree with. So, I’d like to find the courage to speak up when someone makes a racist remark in my presence. Any tips?