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Another racist incident at Fenway - the night after the Adam Jones thing

Update: Hennick has made his Facebook feed private, but the Globe report quotes more extensively from his original account.

Calvin Hennick reports on what happened when he took his son to his first Sox game, the day after Orioles player Adam Jones complained of racist taunting:

At the game, Jones got a small ovation from the crowd when he was introduced (and a much larger one before his first at-bat, when the stands had filled in). But after a young Kenyan woman finished singing the Star-Spangled Banner, the middle-aged white fan next to me leaned over and said, "It was too long, and she niggered it up."

I thought that surely I'd misheard him. This was the day after Fenway fans had made national headlines for racism, and the man could plainly see me sitting with my black father-in-law and half-black son. I asked him to repeat himself, and he said again, "She niggered it up."

He updates that the Red Sox have banned the guy from Fenway for life. The Globe has more.

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Comments

If you're anonymous and here to comment on how this is all cool and people shouldn't be offended because you hear black people on the subway calling each other the word, don't waste your time, because I won't approve your comment for publishing.

We had this discussion over in the Adam Jones thread already and you're basically looking for an excuse to loosen your belt and belch the word out and feel smug and morally superior about it. There are, I'm sure, plenty of other places where you can do that.

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Idiots don't understand the difference between denotation and connotation.

Or re-appropriation, as used by anthropologists.

Or maybe they're just concrete thinkers, who think that the offense is over the word itself.

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That moronic crusade has already been launched by the exact same registered regulars you'd have expected it from.

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And if so, does the name of the ejected asshole become public record?

I kind of hope so.

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Not that I doubt the father but I kinda hope someone else heard the comment and can confirm it was uttered.

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Why would they? Going by this man's account, no crime was committed. Fenway park certainly has the right to police the speech and conduct of persons on their property, and they have the right to ask people that they deem violate such rules of conduct to leave. While I believe the conduct described is reprehensible, the I also firmly believe that the individual in question should have the right to act in such a reprehensible way free from police persecution.

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The Hennick issue is just plain purposeful racial instigation.

Fair play for this guy not ripping the face off of the person who made the comment.

Speak up people. Call them out. Remind them that this is Boston, the way Boston should be, not knucklehead paradise.

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In Boston we like our racism silent and systemic, not overt and obvious,

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Sadly, it is true. I've taken multiculti soccer teams to Wilmington - truly amazing what people think is acceptable behavior, even in front of their kids and aimed at kids.

I also saw an elderly woman on the 77 Bus in Arlington start to pitch a fit because a black woman of similar age sat next to her. Needless to say, the racist woman's fellow passengers didn't support her belief that the world would end.

I have had similar things happen at odd times like a school recital, and found the best approach is to look disgusted and then quietly say "just because I'm white doesn't mean you can expect me to agree with your bigoted comment".

The more reminders that they get from their environment that other people of their "kind" don't tolerate their filth, the better.

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People of color on a bus? What's the world coming to?

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because you hear black people on the subway calling each other the word, don't waste your time, because I won't approve your comment for publishing.

Adam, the "N-word" is abominable but why the moral highground on what is a despicable situation for African-Americans? It is repulsive to listen to "music" performed by and directed to African-Americans who sing along to the "n-word" every few seconds. 94.5 FM silences the word but when you socialize with people who have their own "explicit" downloads, the top stars are saying "N" constantly. They are then honored with Grammys. It's sickening and the black community needs to lead by example.

That said, if these incidents are suddenly happening at Fenway, I would call on Commissioner Mousey Evans to deploy a Civil Rights or Community Disorders squad to the ballpark because it's destroying the city's reputation. We have many dedicated African-American officers. Put them in the stands as decoys and when/if there is a racist comment, cuff them up and put it on the news.

I agree with Michael above. Name this person who has been banned. John Henry owns the Globe, publish a "No Trespass" warning in the paper. Notice is required for a "no trespass" under Ch. 266, S.40, so why not a full page ad, with reporters chasing the guy down? The city's reputation is at stake.

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You listen to Country music but haven't noticed the lyrics to that lately.

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Give it a rest Swirly. I'm not a huge fan of country but you know very well that the N-word would never be tolerated. Conversely, give 94.5 FM a try and when the station goes silent every few seconds, that's the "N-word" that is being blocked. I have surrendered control of my radio and Bluetooth but the lyrics are shocking. If we want to eliminate that word (can we agree on that?) Rhianna, Jay-Z and others need to stop using it.

Swirly, you are quick to demand proof/links. Please advise of a country song that uses the N-word. Thanks.

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It is getting tired - time to put it to bed.

Sorry if people of color using the n-word offends your sense of superior white privilege (OMG those N-people get to use the N-word and I don't ... WAHHHHHHHH NOOOOOO FAAAAAIIIIIIRRRRR!), but we all have to grow up and learn new things sometimes. Like empathy.

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I think the only person with a superiority complex here is you, Swirly. I'm waiting to read that you played for the Red Sox and heard racist comments after riding your solar-powered bike to the game. Enjoy your sleep.

The onus is on Commissioner Evans to issue a statement and a plan. The top security people at Fenway are retired BPD, so it's interesting that BPD hasn't issued a statement, lodged charges or anything. The park is full of good cops, I find it interesting that nobody has been charged.

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Your privilege is showing.

Don't you have some more lies to make up about being a cop once?

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Your commentary rarely lets me down.... fascinating stuff per usual.

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On successive days two different white men use derogatory and hostile language about people of color at Fenway but here at UniversalHub another white man calls foul! and asks, Whatabout the black community? They are the real problem! It would be one thing if he showed the least bit of interest about shades of meaning, the difference between nigger and niggah but no, he's just here ...in the name of racial justice. Here's the thing about that appeal, it's incurious and ignorant, two sides of the same coin.

Adam, the "N-word" is abominable but why the moral highground on what is a despicable situation for African-Americans? It is repulsive to listen to "music" performed by and directed to African-Americans who sing along to the "n-word" every few seconds. 94.5 FM silences the word but when you socialize with people who have their own "explicit" downloads, the top stars are saying "N" constantly. They are then honored with Grammys. It's sickening and the black community needs to lead by example.

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Enjoyed reading your rant though.

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and white racism is still a huge problem here in Boston, and throughout the United States, but as far as using the N-word goes, it's disgusting and offensive, no matter who uses it, even as a joke.

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The previous poster isn't wrong to say that if it's used in the black culture, you can't then cry when its used when repeating song lyrics, etc. That's true. If Kanye and Jay Z make a song call N...In Paris, what do they expect? I think the context comes in when you realize there are people of all backgrounds who identify with what we'll call black culture. If any person, white or otherwise is raised and is of that culture, you can't get mad at them for using the words that are constantly around them. Now people who are NOT of the culture who choose to say it under the guise of 'well they do' that's just covert racism and or prejudiced view points.

For many generations, the word is just a word, again I've seen videos where little white boys, playing with their friends, call each other that. Obviously there's no racial mal-intent there.

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you seem to have a difficult time with this. Black folks singing and using the N word is not the same as white folks using it as a hate filled racial slur.

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Whats offensive about country music? Seriously,please provide some lyrics to a country song that pale in comparison to rap/hip-hop lyrics...

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Random question touching on this subject fishy. This has to do with the Sox wanting to enforce a lifetime ban at Fenway regarding racist remarks, So say I was ignorant and hurled the N word at an opposing player at fenway, and security wanted me removed and banned from the ballpark. Would I legally have to show ID to fenway staff or any police involved? Technically I don't believe I would have broken any laws if Fenway staff asked me to leave and I followed that command, would I not have to furnish ID in that situation?

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It is about that code of conduct you agree to when you buy your ticket.

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By law, if a person was notified not to trespass, they can be arrested without a warrant under Ch. 266, S.120. Most misdemeanors are not arrestable unless the officer witnesses it, but 266, 120 gives officers that right.

Mostly, the "no trespass" arrests are at Stop and Shop, Home Depot, Market Basket etc. with shoplifters who are recognized by loss prevention help.

I'm not sure how Fenway, with the different entrances and 33,000 plus streaming in at once, would enforce this, unless the person acted up again and their name was queried.

As I wrote earlier, with John Henry owning the Sox and the Globe and the city's reputation at stake, he should publish a full page ad (not a legal notice in small print) advising the person, by name, as required by law, that you are no longer allowed at Fenway under Ch. 266, 120. We have all seen reporters bang on a person's door for lesser crimes, so I think it would go a long way to preventing future incidents if this person exists and was shamed. The fact that the Red Sox aren't doing this (with great lawyers) and the BPD is saying very little makes me skeptical, that's all.

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The witness was on TV. He was at the game with his father in law (who is African American) and his son. There is a picture of them at the game.

Skeptical of what?

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Stevil, you are on the right track but I'm skeptical of the following:. We have two alleged victims and the Red Sox have announced a ban of an unidentified person but Mayor Walsh, Commissioner Evans and D.A. Conley have announced no prosecution. Trust, any cop would love to make a Civil Rights arrest. Meanwhile Boston is on the national news as a racist city as if these stories are 100% true, even caused by Trump!

There's usually at least three sides to a crime story. Victim's side, suspect's side and the truth, not to mention independent witnesses who are often unreliable or see and hear different things.

Why wouldn't John Henry say, last night, obligated to notify the suspect under 266, 120, we have banned this person (name/picture) from Fenway for racist comments and if you do the same, we will ban you and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law? I will remain skeptical until I see that. I'm sorry.

On your other point, keep in mind that BPD Area-D can't often fill the Fenway detail, so you frequently have officers from other sections of the city working the park. Maybe an officer from Brighton, Eastie, Southie or Dorchester or the gun range, boats or bomb squad. How are they supposed to recognize a guy who was banned on May 2, 2017? Put the person's name in the paper if he/she exists and put that person's picture and name at every entrance to the park, it would help the officers to keep him/her away from the game.

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Commissioner Evans and D.A. Conley have announced no prosecution.

Prosecution for what?

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Not African America. Same difference maybe but just for the sake of facts

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Fish, using my account now. My question related to when you're in fact asked to leave the stadium, not upon re-entry. If im asked to leave and not return by fenway staff, would I have to furnish ID to fenway security to prove who I was upon reentry?

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It's private property. If you are there you are trespassing. May not stop the guy, but I'm guessing the Sox and half the Mass legal system would make a supreme example of what can happen if you are an ignorant pig and show up at a game.

I just wish they'd out the jackasses that do this and post their names and pics on social media.

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It's private property. If you are there you are trespassing.

Not exactly. The man had secured permission to be on the property (in this case, with a ticket). At some point, the owner or manager of the parcel revoked that permission. At that point, and only at that point, was it a trespass, and only to the extent that he didn't gather his belongings and leave in a direct, safe manner.

P.S. Scarlet Letters punishment is a bad idea. For every 99 people who would use that information in a neutral or positive way, there's 1 jackass who will cause additional harm. It starts to trend toward cruel and unusual. There's a balance between public process/public information and not feeding the mob.

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Anytime a cop gets involved, you are legally obligated to identify yourself if detained and under investigation.

The second the someone refuses to leave the park, even just arguing with the usher, they are trespassing and the cops can be involved.

Now, things might go down more low key. Or they could even escalate to an arrest.

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Anytime a cop gets involved, you are legally obligated to identify yourself if detained and under investigation.

Slightly tangential, but worth noting IMO: "Identify yourself" means, in most jurisdictions, stating your name and address. It does not, in most jurisdictions, mean producing any documents.

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I'm pretty sure (but not certain) that your first sentence is not accurate, at least in Massachusetts. Could you direct us to any authority on the topic?

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"N-word" is abominable

No it's not.

It's just a word.

It's racist contempt and disparagement that are abominable.

Obviously to anyone who thinks about it, musicians who use it, or fans who sing along with it, are not using it to display contempt or to disparage anyone.

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for the 1,000th time, obnoxious white dude, you DO NOT GET A SAY in dictating what's proper for black people to use in their art and beyond.

Deal with your resentment for hip-hop elsewhere

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I think I get as much (or as little) say as anybody else, regardless of my race, in what I like and don't like in art or public discourse or anything else, regardless of the race of the artist or other party.

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if these incidents are suddenly happening at Fenway

They're not "suddenly happening". They're nothing new. I'd tell you to wake up, but clearly that's not what you want.

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on issues of race is like dragging a fat, white-bellied cod onto the shore in an attempt to teach it to walk.

It's going to flop around a whole lot, make all kinds of comical gyrations, but eventually will die gasping without having taken so much as a baby step.

It's way too far down the evolutionary scale. You will never get it to stand upright on its little fins.

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During Tuesday night's Red Sox-Orioles game, it was reported to Red Sox security that a racial slur was used in a comment from one fan to another fan. The offending individual was promptly ejected from the ballpark, and has since been notified they are no longer welcome at Fenway Park.

The Red Sox organization will not tolerate the use of racial slurs at Fenway Park, and we have apologized to those affected. There is no place for racial epithets at Fenway Park, in baseball, or in our society. The Red Sox have turned the matter over to the Boston Police Department, who will further investigate with their civil rights unit and determine whether it merits further action.

Via.

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How many times will Nelly use the racial epithet at his Fenway concert next month?

-- The Red Sox organization will not tolerate the use of racial slurs at Fenway Park, and we have apologized to those affected. There is no place for racial epithets at Fenway Park, in baseball, or in our society. --

What will the Red Sox do for each use? (One of his songs uses the n-word 24 times). Am I allowed to sing along? Should I substitute a rhyming word instead when singing along? ("Me and my Tiggers gettin high, Yo if you look up in the sky, You might see us floating by." - ******* Getting High )

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MHkfoKJtso

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How many times will Nelly use the racial epithet

Do you seriously believe that when Nelly uses it, it's a racial epithet?

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It's obviously an epithet - a word/phrase describing a characteristic aspect of some person or thing - and it's clearly racial.

Question is, is it hurtful when Nelly et al use it? Probably not conciously intended to be. But it's basic meaning, even in the modern 'hiphop' context is dissmissive and diminishing. So does its use still evoke or reinforce negative images in most people's minds (even those who dig the music)? I think it does.

And I'm not just talking about white minds here - I very much doubt that anyone old enough to remember the march in Selma will ever consider the n-word as a gently affectionate identifier. And I doubt anyone, of any color, would really believe that it'd be unoffensive to use it to refer to a person of that generation - or to a young child, or to any person in a position of respect or authority.

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You should go to the concert, and sing along, and see what happens. Maybe you'll have a great time!

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is the clear message in Nelly's lyrics. In fact, I now know what a tip drill is.

The question is, would I like his misogynistic message enough to pay to hear it.

Answer: I would pay for it if I could see the faces of random ugly feminists while they listen to the lyrics. Heck, I would love to the see the facial expression of any random person walking by the stadium when Nelly is blasting the n-word 24 times in a row.

https://www.google.com/#q=nelly+lyrics+hos

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My triggered.

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Hey, obnoxious white person, in the context of black music it's an entirely different thing. Why are you itching to get permission to use this word so much? In your mouth its completely different.

Signed, POC

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When you continue to repeat this question in various forms, you sound like you must be one of two things:

1) An exceptionally stupid person whose mental and moral development is on the simplistic level of a young child, just old enough to grasp the concept of rules but not old enough to understand the reasons behind them, OR
2) A bigot who thinks that everyone else is exceptionally stupid and who believes that disingenuous pseudo-argumentation of this sort will give you a "get out of jail free" card to continue using racist language because a black person once did it.

Either way, you need to wise up and grow up.

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As your run of the mill white dude, I'm pretty sick of the lean in racist comments you hear. This is pretty fucking normal shit you hear in and around Boston when it's a couple of white people and they just assume you are down. It's like those 80's and 90's drug commercials. Same tone and everything. It's like these scum think you must be down because of your skin tone.

It's normally justified with "I have a black friend" or some other shit. Jesus Christ, Bostonians, crack a history book (any local paper) and see why it's not ok.

As a programmer friend I know said "I lived in the south and I lived up here. I never been called the n-bomb until I lived here."

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I'd love to know where you are frequently hearing these N-bombs in Boston? My hearing is great and I frequent both high-end and dive, but haven't heard it or seen it reported. I will be rebuked for mentioning "black friends" but my white and Asian friends would also take immediate action on hearing such racist things. Are you reporting to police or just posting later to UHub? Please call 911, the BPD does a great job and has a special unit for race crimes.

Capecoddah wins the day. How is the Globe and John Henry going to handle the "N" word when it's used in every song in the lyrics at the park? I challenge John Henry to bleep it, or address why not? The players who complained about racist comments should also address this. The Globe should also be getting the other side of the story from the person allegedly banned from the park, since their owner must know the name.

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I'll admit it, I didn't think Boston was a very racist city.

Then I went for a drink at the Irish Village.

If you don't hear it, you are either lying to yourself or your filters are set to All White = All Right.

Capecoddah wins the day.

Only if you're an exceptionally stupid child or an old white racist.

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.

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and calling somebody a nigger are the same thing to you

ok then

is the band Anal Cunt the same thing as expressing my belief that your mother is a cunt?

the difference being that one of them spawned something that has marginal value in the world, of course

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-- so a song lyric and calling somebody a nigger are the same thing to you --

When the song lyric labels someone a nigger, yes. Most song lyrics use the word to call people exactly that. Very few lyrics use the word for anything else. Pay attention before you post. I mean, if the lyrics were not intended to call people niggers then the lyric could just substitute the word "people" or "person" or "homie" or "homeslice" or "homeslizzie" unless it was a necessary rhyming thing.

Red Sox management states that racial epithets are not allowed in Fenway park then they hire Nelly to sing racial epithets and tell us all about how women are ho's.

What I have learned today: Unruly fans with a desire to label and degrade anyone should sing their epithets for a free pass. Point and wave three fingers down when singing also - that looks so legit.

Also. this is about discussing Fenway policy. I do not desire to change the world.

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The jerkoff dropped the bomb IN FRONT OF THE GUY'S BLACK FAMILY ABOUT A LADY SINGING THE (EXPLETIVE) NATIONAL ANTHEM AT A BASEBALL GAME.

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remember when you said black people weren't civilized and shouldnt be let into bars in boston until they learn how to behave

i do

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not a fan of wee willie la T, but are you making ad hominem shit up again, or can you actually link to a comment where he says that? Hard to imagine adam would let such explicit hate speech stand.

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http://www.universalhub.com/2016/police-raging-men-didnt-let-presence-co...

Adam did a great service of letting everyone know Will LaTulippe is a hateful white supremacist.

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so because las vegas allows boxing i guess punching people in the face at random is ok too

because context means zero

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-- i guess punching people in the face at random is ok too --

The racial epithet is not allowed at all in Fenway Park by Red Sox rules for Fenway Park. Fenway neglected to add in a context clause so people could sing epithets. Las Vegas *does* have assault laws and boxing laws (Edit - Nevada has the laws, more likely) to separate the two types of punches.

Just because the context is jovial or familiar does not mean an epithet is not an epithet. F--- is swear even if I use it in a funny or endearing way. Hoebag is a misogynist word even if I am discussing the etymology of it to my grandmother in the most clinical of fashion.

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I happen to like to have a selection of hoes for different weeding/clod-busting tasks, and I keep them in a bag?

I asked my bitch about it, and she said that was rough. That's what she usually says, but she's too smart by arf.

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if you really have a dog to hang with you while you garden

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I mean Remy gets to sit in the booth and talk about HRs as "bombs" but I say ONE TIME that I planted a bomb under the RF bleachers and everyone acts all crazy and I get a lifetime ban! I mean, WTF, right?

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after review it ended up just being half of a hot dog

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Hyde Park. West Roxbury. Dedham. South Shore.

My anecdotal evidence comes from growing up in Hyde Park. I'm glad you didn't have to end up coming into contact with some of the people I have in my life.

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This is nonsense. Thinking that black people are treated better in the South is insane. Boston has had its share of troubled history, but most of it is 40-plus years ago with busing, poor treatment of Bill Russell, etc. But the Celtics had the first black player and the first black coach. The Braves had a black superstar in 1950. The Bruins had the first black hockey player. It's not as though this city is any more or less racist than other cities. Racism exists everywhere. It makes it harder to find a solution to it when you deny that it exists in the South. I've been to a ballgame in Cincinnati where a white guy was calling his black friend n---er the whole game. Not n---a.
Nobody was being hung on tree branches here 50 years ago.

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As my old granddad used to say, "This is not a competition to see who's the worst." Sounds like it's time for Boston to do better.

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Assuming you live here, why do you live here?

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Clearly you're not inclined to give Bostonians any credit.

Maybe you can explain to me what I would be "giving credit" for. For most people most of the time acting mostly civilized? Listen, even if you are a full-time fully civilized human being, I'm not gonna stand up and cheer for you -- treating other human beings decently and refraining from racist behavior should be a baseline expectation, not cause for celebration.

I give plenty of props to people who have actually done the hard work of trying to cure ugly ills like racism. I give them my respect even when -- perhaps especially when -- they are fighting a losing battle. But the truth is, I just don't see the average person doing that hard work. If you're white in America, racism does not have to be your problem - you can ignore it, or mouth false-equivalence platitudes about "there are jerks in all groups" and the like, or maintain an uncomfortable silence when a white person tells a racist joke in a group of all white people. We have that option, and very few of us ever step up to do more. So no, I'm not inclined to "give credit" without any evidence of effort or action. Do you think I should be?

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Yeah, we absolutely need to do better. But what I'm saying is there's a lot of nonsense stories about how Boston is the most racist city in America for sports. And that's an incorrect view. It's hyperbole and done for page views.

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I'm not so sure that there are "a lot" of such stories; it seems to me that a single story becomes a huge deal around here. And I'll grant you that some of them may be "nonsense" -- or at least, contain sweeping statements and hyperbole. OTOH, I've read some articles that still contain useful content even if they make one or two blanket statements about "Boston" or 'white people" or whatever. My sense, which is subjective as is yours, is that many people are fixing on one point or controversial statement in such an article and not making an effort to understand the article as a whole. Often it seems to me that these controversial statements furnish a convenient excuse for people to shut down and not engage in the subject. So, that's a choice you make: you can dismiss whatever's being said as "nonsense", or you can grit your teeth, take a deep breath, let the hyperbole slide and try to see if there is any sense in what you're reading. I think it's important to make the effort. At the least, we need to be honest if we're holding these "stories" to a strict standard where we would expect (or hope for) a more lenient and forgiving interpretation of our own communications.

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That was 1989 rather than 40+ years ago, yet when he blamed "a black guy" for the murder of his wife the police, news reporters, and public bought the act for a while.

(Also, 40 years ago Bostonians weren't hanging people from tree branches for their skin color, just trying to hit them with a flagpole.)

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I mean, said by a non-black person -- the offensive sense of the term.

I believe that some people are saying it, but I am wondering whether the who can be characterized.

I've heard it from homeless street people, and I heard some dude-bros on the street one club night yell it at a passing taxi driver, just for laughs.

I spend most of my time around the snooty universities and high-tech companies, where I think almost everyone wouldn't be caught dead saying that word. Some of that could be fear of firing or social ostracizing, but I think a lot of people would be disturbed if they heard the word coming out of their own mouth.

Are people hearing that word among any demographics of college students? Other groups? How widespread is it among Fenway attendees, and can we narrow that down?

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Well I've been called an N-lover by my neighbor. My wife heard him mumble it as I left for work one morning. The same neighbor who held the door for us and greeted us daily. I guess he had some underlying hate for an interracial lesbian couple. Still kinda blows my mind though.

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I've heard it from homeless street people, and I heard some dude-bros on the street one club night yell it at a passing taxi driver, just for laughs.

Oh wait I guess you do hear it. Only it's from homeless street people or dude-bros. So all right then.

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But you're latching onto that, and ignoring my question.

WHO is doing it? Is it just homeless people and a small number of drunk 20-something douchebags? Is it some of my colleagues? Is it half the people who live on my street?

When people nearby hear it at Fenway, do they think it's OK?

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That's why.

They rarely yell it out loud - they generally mumble it at someone, whisper it to someone that they think agrees with them or shares their rotted out soul, or will say it such that only a black person can hear it - often a child.

They know it is wrong but they do it anyway just to bully people.

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This isn't the opinion of most u-hubbers, but I call BS Adam... you tend to take unverified postings like from a random twitter perosn and spin it to be an official repeort. Good site but my goodness it is not great. This is a way for you to vent your prejudice on the non left and it's silly. Get a grip kid. You can be better

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They're the ones who banned the racist, not me.

I won't even ask if you've complained to the Globe, which actually broke the story.

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these comments are embarrassing

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I still feel nauseous for FISH agreeing with me in public. I may have to abandon the Internet and spend the day getting some fresh air

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That racist comment by the fan from a legit non racist, rather RACIAL and ETHNIC, white dude with a B.A. in Sociology who has lived in some rough minority filled area's point of view...A)Not something you say to a random white person you know cuz it IS pretty shiity and you never know who is gonna drop a dime on you (See Calvin Hennick). B) something you would only say to another good white friend who would laugh C)If dude said it KNOWING it was a low blow toward the bi racial family, that is BEYOND shitty D)BPD Civil Rights? Overreaction but a statement, like a Chris Sale 95 mph heater behind Machado E) Can't wait to see Michael Che shit on Boston again on SNL smh F)I love when ppl say "Never been called the n word til.I came up north." Really? Go the fahk back to Alabama then. Black man's paradise right? Christ, Im not even white enough to be accepted down there...If my post oozes white privilege and sarcasm, maybe. We are a region where we always ask questions about each other's race and ethnicity. I use ethnic "slurs" talking to friends all the time (ie "shaddup ya friggin Mick bastid.") Oh and this Calvin dude, def NOT someone who sounds chill to grab a cold one with...I just have a prob with snitches. I probably offended ppl but i really dont gaf. I think this is just another "black" eye for the city.

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I use ethnic "slurs" talking to friends all the time (ie "shaddup ya friggin Mick bastid.")

Thanks for letting us know we can discount your opinion as completely worthless, even before you said a bunch of worthless things.

Oh and this Calvin dude, def NOT someone who sounds chill to grab a cold one with...

How fortunate that he hasn't offered to have one with you.

I just have a prob with snitches.

He told the usher about it, rather than take matters into his own hands. If it were me with my six-year-old being called racist slurs, I'd've broken the other dude's jaw, so I'd say he did pretty well.

I probably offended ppl

Only with your inability to spell or form a coherent argument, buttercup.

but i really dont gaf.

Well, on this one thing I guess we agree.

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So now, if someone next to me is annoying me, can I report that the person said the n-word and get them thrown out of Fenway? Can someone do that to me even if I didn't say the word? How do Fenway officials know for a fact that the person said that word aside from that one person who says he heard it? It seems strange that a person would make that comment to a total stranger next to them who is obviously with two black people. If it is true, then that person must have a screw loose.

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You assume the Red Sox didn't investigate the claim?

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a long and angry reply to anon here (Calvin is a good friend of mine, and if he's making this up then I'm the Queen Mother), but I will instead replace it with: as soon as there's an epidemic of white people being falsely accused of racism, we'll deal with it. Meanwhile, how about we listen to the vast swaths of people of color who report being the target of racism, without requiring them to wear body cameras before we believe them?

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the following never happened:
The Holocaust
Sandy Hook
The Moon Landing
The Kennedy asasination

So the denial of the Fenway incident isn't unusual.

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How is it stupid to question in order to get at the truth? I don't know the person who said the offending word and I don't know the person who reported it. I don't just believe something because someone said it. I try to dig a little deeper to find out more so I can make an informed judgement. All I have been able to find on this incident is news stories where one person accuses another person of saying an offending word and the accused person denying it. Since you know the whole story - how did the Red Sox investigate and come to their conclusion?

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The report said they did investigate AND he admitted saying it.

Listen to the witness-he even asked the guy to repeat it and he did.

And - they put a sign up with a number to call if anyone is misbehaving at every game.

Folks - I do not want to hear the N word or the C word anywhere, EVER. Call me old fashioned, but i gag on those words even when you say them. Just don't. Not even in private.

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Where did you read this report? Everything I've read said the guy denied saying it. I wasn't there so I don't know if he said it or not. Can anyone else corroborate what was actually said or do we just believe whatever anyone says without question?

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You can be kicked out of Fenway for any reason the ballclub wants. It's their club.

Seeing as you're an asshole with asshole train of thoughts, you'll find a way. Don't worry your pretty head about the above.

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number one on air program, neither incident happened. So they don't tolerate this stuff in the ball park. Hey when advertisers pay big money through the radio deal and you make big money off of the radio deal racism isn't happening.

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Are Kirk and Callahan still demanding proof? They're skeptical of the truthfulness of both the player of color and (how could they not) the fan. If they were sincere and had any substantive reason to be skeptical I'd give them some credit. I don't.

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Kirk and Callahan are a couple of shit-stain bigots who want everyone to believe that they're honest, fair and unbiased. They are the dudebro's dudebros. I'd say that it will be a good day when they're finally kicked to the curb, but given that they're still on the air, I shudder to think about what they'd have to do to get fired.

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students to explain.

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The worm has turned at Fox News. What's driving the purge is not a concerted effort to create a healthy (not hostile) workplace but purging media talent associated with demeaning behavior toward women and women of color. It's more about reputation than liability or good management practices. When Ailes got the hook (huge buyout) and none of the other dominoes fell, it was only a matter of time for drip drip drip to entangle other talent that under Ailes got a pass.

The accumulation of former hostile workplace reports, $13m in payouts for the same over the years, pressure by O;Reilly's dinner date, the psychiatrist, plus the office worker who reported O'Reilly called her 'hot chocolate' and their lawyer Lisa Bloom is why O'Reilly, their golden goose, was kicked one year's pay in hand, and his jackass producer Jesse Watters is on "vacation" I don't know if that'll stem the clean-up on Ailes cesspool or if there's more.

Women have been fighting back at Rush since he went after Sandra Fluke when Federal government was crafting Affordable Care Act. They did a good job of getting sponsors to end their relationships with his show because of his uncivil, derogatory and ultimately irresponsible speech. But they haven't gotten him kicked.

Now would be a good time to pressure Red Sox management to rethink Kirk and Callahan or go after their advertising revenue if you thought their speech contributed to a hostile environment toward women or people of color or any other group they blame for shit. They're broadcast on public airways. You can pressure their advertisers. The Red Sox are motivated to cleanup their reputation. Strike.

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Of course, they promptly buried the lede:

"When confronted by security, the fan denied saying it."

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Quoting from the Globe report: "Now Hennick, who has lived in the Boston area with his wife for the past decade and not faced harassment, wonders if he and his family have just been fortunate."

This is absurd. Yes, there are racists in Boston. Yes, there are racists everywhere. Unfortunately, Mr. Hennick happened to be sitting next to one. But thanks to this incident and the one the night before, all these old Boston stereotypes are dredged up. This interracial family lives here for 10 years without incident, but one comment from one idiot is enough for Mr. Herrick to put all that aside and jump on the Boston-is-Racist train.

Stereotypes die hard, but they have to die sometime.

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Stereotypes about black people have been around and doing damage for hundreds of years. Stereotypes about racist white Bostonians are much more recent, and have a basis in actual behavior, as we've seen in these incidents -- and yet, white folks don't want to deal with the discomfort of that stereotype. I understand that it's uncomfortable. It's natural that if you're a white person and you're not a racist, or you believe you aren't, or you don't want to be called one, you'd be uncomfortable with a broad brush that says that white Bostonians are racists. But why should we get to jump to the head of the line in having our discomfort alleviated, when black people have been putting up with racist shit for a whole lot longer? In other words, if you're eager for stereotypes about racist Bostonians to die, doesn't it make more sense for you to do something about racism than for you to try and get people to stop talking about racism so you can be more comfortable?

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My point was that there is racism everywhere. It's a problem everywhere. It had been getting better in most places, I think, until racism got a sympathetic ear in the White House.

Is Boston perfect on race relations? Of course not. Is Boston the worst, as Michael Che opined? Well, he's entitled to his opinion. Has Boston made huge leaps since the bad old days? You tell me.

I'm just sick of the whole city being maligned for the attitudes and actions of a rapidly (though not rapidly enough) dwindling faction who still infect all corners of this country, not just Boston.

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I'm just sick of the whole city being maligned for the attitudes and actions of a rapidly (though not rapidly enough) dwindling faction who still infect all corners of this country, not just Boston.

I'm sure you are. But you probably feel less sick than a black person at Fenway Park who hears the n word. They didn't do anything to deserve it either. In a sick situation, it's not really reasonable to expect to feel comfortable, even if you did nothing wrong.

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Boston sucks. Everyone is racist. Fenway baseball games are Klan rallies. We teach the n-word in schools. Thanks for your input.

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hes not really saying that, even implicitly

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North shore, Roxbury, South Boston are all the same in the eyes of the national news media-- it's Boston. That's the way it works.

On successive nights at Fenway Park, racism raised it's ugly heard.... Red Sox Fans.

Here's the thing, no one is calling you racist, they're saying that's shit's still happening at Red Sox games, Red Sox fans are still doing that shit.

It is a social phenomenon. I think it makes a difference in the social climate when our head of govt exhibits racial categorical thinking front and center for a year.

I hope Marty Walsh reports back on his meeting with Che.

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Where does one find this police report? I haven't been able to find it.

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Well, I was just trying to make a point, and that is that it's the suppression of the word that gives it the power, the violence, the viciousness. Dig: if President Kennedy would just go on television, and say, "I would like to introduce you to all the niggers in my cabinet," and if he'd just say "nigger nigger nigger nigger nigger" to every nigger he saw, "boogie boogie boogie boogie boogie," "nigger nigger nigger nigger nigger" 'til nigger didn't mean anything anymore, then you could never make some six-year-old black kid cry because somebody called him a nigger at school.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfNhiRGQ-js

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I hope you know that would never work until Black people have equal rights. How tone deaf to think that's what's appropriate for a response.

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If you know anything of the history of where this particular monologue came from or of what Lenny Bruce was trying to accomplish, equal rights were absolutely front and center. Lenny Bruce would have wanted to cut the balls right off that racist jackass at Fenway Park.

If I had posted this as a general comment on the incident at Fenway, then yes, you're right, it would have been mighty tone deaf. But I didn't. I posted it in response to the shallow, unwilling-to-deal-with-abstraction folks who seem to think that it's the word itself that's the problem, and not the underlying racism.

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another 1.
There's absolutely no proof on the 1st one. 35000 people and nobody has seen or heard, no video in this day and age. BS people. Not 1 fan has come forward to say I saw that person.
This is the same player that called baseball a white mans game when asked his opinion on Kapernicks refusal to stand for National Anthem last year.

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this WGBH interview.

Didn't happen because you've never heard it? GFY. That's like saying you don't believe the earth is round because you've never circumnavigated it personally.

If you're still skeptical after hearing this man, you have issues nobody on uHub can fix. Get help: you are a hateful shitbag, a broken human being.

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I mentioned upthread that Calvin is a friend of mine; I've spent a lot of time with him and his family, and it's 100% in character that his now-six-year-old-son would react the way he did ("Can the man go back to the ballpark if he apologizes?"). I still have no idea how he kept his cool long enough to go find an usher to get this shitbag thrown out of the park; in his position, I would have never been able to keep it together, even for my kids' sake.

The scars run deep in this city. I'm glad we're at least talking about it, rather than letting the chorus of "there's no racism at Fenway" carry.

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