Tim Wise Responds to the "Some-of-my-best-friends-are black" Defense

whitelikememovi...
To help us make sense of the Zimmerman verdict and the conversations surrounding it, we looked to Tim Wise for some answers. Here he reacts to the assertions made by defenders of Zimmerman suggesting he couldn't possibly be influenced by race because he has black friends, dated an African American girl and mentored black children.
For more discussion of the Zimmerman verdict, check out MEF's blog: www.mediaed.org...

[@Kingstyles05]

Wise is truthful. Hate, slander, and twisting words won't change the facts he presents. Listening to more of his works and reading his books would cure all doubts.

[@MrEzMs]

Being nice to someone doesn't mean it's from your heart ...

[@cabalofdemons]

Tim Wise is dropping serious knowledge.

[@NSASurveillanceSubjectAZ]

Just think ... If George Zimmerman had died that night, no one would have ever heard a word about it.

[@jamsng]

that's a damn lie!!

[@jcast39atmsn]

If George Zimmerman had died nobody would have heard a word about it because Martin would have been promptly arrested held in jail for weeks without bail and then denied the defense of stand your ground.

[@cjasewell]

I have a mother, sister, female friends, girlfriends, therefore I cannot be misogynous. Right? This brand of 'thought' is why logic and reasoning must be taught in grade school.

[@diddyfitzgerald9354]

Similarly, many men marry women but still believe themselves to be superior. Ev3en though they might never do anything to contribute to the household, the woman does all the cooking and cleaning, but men dont seem to do electrical, carpentry or painting or gardening.

[@Wickedmadman366]

Except for his friend, who said he was almost home but went back to " whoopass".

[@annjellobrewno4768]

You can't call me racist, because none of my best-friends are black.

[@foogledroogle3859]

So don’t even bother helping/associating with black people because I am still a racist? OK got it… Wow Tim you are so smart. Keep on the good work. Your loving words of wisdom & facts will soon bring blacks & whites together.

[@erikweinstein550]

He mentions that story about George Zimmerman calling the cops on an 8 year old black kid a lot. That's been reported on. He called nine-one-one on that black kid because the kid was walking around unsupervised and he was concerned for his safety. At least that's the reason he gave to the dispatcher. There's no evidence that he called the cops on an 8 year old black kid because he thought the kid was suspicious and was up to no good

[@jonathangluchowski7046]

I love how all of Tim Wise's detractors unknowingly validate Tim's points.

[@myfriend280]

"Just because you have black friends it doesn't mean you're not a racist." The problem with this trope is that you never established that the accused is a racist in the first place. Like all accusations of racism, this trope relies entirely on treating assumption as fact.

[@jcast39atmsn]

myfriend280 Except that statement doesn't say you are a racist either. The point is that having black friends is not an insulating factor from being a racist.

[@PhdMusic03]

Father forgive them for they know not what they do...all of these anti- Semitic comments are completely out of line, and you need Jesus and His love to fill your hearts.

[@slittlejohnjr]

Tim Wise is one of the most intelligent speakers and writers on the subject of race.

[@valhalla7408]

This is not even a valid analogy. If you don't mistreat your mother because she is a woman, don't devalue your female friends on account of their sex, and don't abuse your girlfriend because she is female, then your actions are inconsistent with misogyny. Imputing "misogynistic bias" to you under such circumstances is sophistry and serves no legitimate purpose other than to trap you in a "damned if you do damned if you don't" conundrum. Actions speak louder than words. "Racist bias" ... pffft.

[@joebaseball17]

Here's a news flash for Tim Wise... Everyone has biases and prejudices formed by their life experiences... It's called human nature.

[@nightflight83]

For progressives, it doesn't matter how a person actually lives their life; what's important is having correct political beliefs. Orthodoxy trumps orthopraxy.

[@siradon2000]

Other than the location where the fight took place. Either way Zimmerman ended up with all of the injuries aside from a single fatal gunshot wound. If Zimmerman were the aggressor, why didn't Martin have any injuries aside from the gunshot wound. There is nothing to suggest that Zimmerman's account is false, and he passed 2 lie detector tests the day following the incident to back it up.

[@DogtownCompany]

That is all well and good, but that doesn't explain why they refered to him as a white man.

[@Sbmeb]

Well said Mr Wise!!!

[@Foxtrot1580]

How does that make him a hypocrite?

[@michaelmason6023]

Just out of curiosity, why might it be that the more diverse neighborhoods are the most troublesome ones?

[@Tehutihung]

This is about black & white, not culture.

[@James-Campbell]

There's a video on you tube, ive forgot the name but it's of a black woman with her long time white boyfriend. She secretly recorded him whilst they were having an argument and that's when his inner stereotypical mindset of black people was revealed, very strong racist views and left me wondering did that relationship continue after!

[@UnknownUnknown-tu3be]

So basically since my best friend is black, the jury is still out as to if I am a racist. In other words, only someone who has the "qualifications" such as an Al Sharpton will be able to make that judgment? What if my friend pronounces that I am not a racist? Am I still a racist Tim Wise? Everything he is talking about here is stuff that is in a person's mind. Tim Wise are you a mind reader? This is crazy to me when another human being claims to be able to read your mind. There is no doubt that Tim Wise is an intellectually gifted person, but he only focuses on the cons of white America. He doesn't discuss the pros that have come about. That is not being intellectually honest. I don't understand why the black community got worse after the Civil Rights Act of 1964? All of a sudden the racism got worse?

[@sudaev]

All of my wife's best bulls are Black.

[@ahmadmizrahy6793]

Tim wise is the savior of white people....listen and learn.

[@future4you]

Tim Wise basically what your saying is you are damned if you do and damned it you don't. Basically your just plain damned. All the more reason why segregation works. End of story.

[@goolag6536]

***** You had this in the 60's, you had your own school's even your own water fountain's as I recall it was black civil right's leader's who didn't want segregation.

[@ptbwf]

***** It is easy to say that race doesn't matter when your group continues to acquire power and influence. You are apparently too stupid to understand that you just disproved the existence of "white privilege".

[@future4you]

***** Don't worry I stay as far away as possible.

[@1eyedowl78]

Are we judging people by the content of their character...or their skin? I think you know the answer.

[@goodjohn12able]

How do you know that?

[@geckoninja]

Well, so, you're arguing that Zimmerman was a racist. But that wasn't what he was charged with. He wasn't acquitted because he was proved not to be a racist. You haven't helped make sense of the verdict at all.

[@meghanmcdonaldcarlson2706]

I think the point is that racism is systemic, so it is undergirded and perpetuated by many things. Individual feelings here and there do not challenge the system of white privilege that is engrained in us social psychologically.

[@Foxtrot1580]

Lol well technically I never said more troublesome, just the quality isn't as good.

[@burt2245]

(y) We love you Tim Wise!!!

[@Sbmeb]

Who gives a dam about reviews,how many in a circle or how many videos one has. These are people whom has boring sad lives who're hungry for notoriety and attention. This statement goes out to those and the person that mentioned someone only having only 2 people in a circle. With me. It's about making a statement or commenting and or scrutinizing those who say obnoxious shit against black people.

[@GodlessXVIII]

What does that even mean?

[@TravelWright22]

ive been saying this too. awesome

[@brandonblack9678]

Tim is white. His dad is Jewish but his mom isn't.

[@8301TheJMan]

How is he stereotyping whites? I usually despise hyperbole, but wen it comes to race and the basic acknowledgement of racial bias in society and by all individuals white or black-if you can't even bring yourself to admit the reality of bias, profiling, and discrimination: than you are harboring some major issues with people of opposite race-it's as simple as that. If you were upset by Tim's blatantly unbiased opinion, than u literally have some overt or repressed hatred and anger for non-whites!

[@MySignatureSoul]

Yes we do!!!

[@Rosa5311]

Tim Wise is a g

[@jimisroomtv]

Thanks for explaining this. Helps to know that many police get pressure from above to fulfill arrest and court appearance quotas...which has also led to unfair profiling. Check out Adrian Schoolcrafts story in the Village Voice.

[@tywinky37]

Once again keeping it 100!!! Love you Tim!

[@uncleruckus2800]

send him a generous donation and say 5 hail Barry's..........

[@luvitluvitbaby]

Tim Wise, Dylann Roof has black friends!!! Oh wait.... o_O

[@emojefferyisagaylord]

He's also not white.

[@larryhopehum721]

you don't have to like him but did ya'get the msg folks?!

[@massmokey]

well tim wise of course probably does because his special is racial diversity. not DNA and if you watch his debate aganst jared taylor one of the leaders of the white nationlist group he does debate over DNA and ultimately wins that sector of the debate.

[@emojefferyisagaylord]

Agreed.

[@joeblack390]

Tim "not so" Wise

[@my81lowrider]

Ronn, put away the sheet and hood

[@dhannah15]

Truth!

[@TravelWright22]

ding!

[@justindraeger334]

seems to be a bit of a pointless rant if you ask me. What is your point? How the hell do you propose we fix it? Thirdly, is Tim wise totally not prejudice himself? The answer is he is. He assumes all White people are all intended towards minorities is to some extent or another. This whole rant was pointless. Trying to get everyone, rather living in a homogenous or heterogenous not to pre judge others for whatever reason on a large or unanimous scale is pretty much impossible. It is as absurd as thinking communism can work or that a multicultural society in the millions can all unanimously agree to get along with eachother. I think these social issues are just a diversion from the reality that our country is falling apart because of our 19trillion dollar deficit and that our immigration system and beauracracies are going to make us self destruct because we can't afford them. If I have Black friends, if I believe in equality among all races, then I am not a racist. Period.

[@Irocker89]

Hahaha a lying Jew telling a black man just what he wants to hear!

[@8301TheJMan]

The same goes for the morons attacking Tim wise, who by the way is completely brilliant in his analysis of both this incident but also of racism and race relations as a whole. People of KZbin and shit just cannot help themselves. The racists will immediately come on here and rant and rave about what... about how Tim is somehow the one being racist. That somehow Tim is being "anti-white", which hilariously sounds like a quote right out of a KKK or Neo-Nazi rulebook!

[@kyleredfourteen6079]

Like how he minimized Zimmermans work in the black community down to helping an old black lady across the street. This guy is atrocious.

[@elohimsoldier3028]

Smh

[@Foxtrot1580]

Well, his neighborhood may not be diverse but he cant help that its not his fault, plus you have to be honest the best neighborhoods are majority white, while neighborhoods that are more diverse typically aren't as good. But does in fact spend plenty of time with colored people. Where do you think he gets his info from? He gets it from the lives and experiences from colored people and backs it up with statistics and research he has done for himself.

[@Tehutihung]

LOL....Me too!!!

[@michaelmason6023]

Because he constantly vexes the people in this country who prefer racially homogeneous environments, but doesn't even live in a diverse environment himself.

[@ErikID142]

FUCKING LOL.

[@ubermensch826]

LOLO

[@BenDover318]

racial profiling to true and happens all of the time, and having racial bias is normal in america/ especial in the white community... He is not using emotion, his opinion is based on common knowledge.... Read people aren't complaining for no reason