Warning: This post includes references to and an image of racist phrases that might be hurtful to some of you.
Mitchell Buck says he didn’t mean to offend anyone when he wrote “Thanks, China” and referred to the coronavirus as the “Kung Flu” on his shop’s chalkboard. Buck is the owner of Dirty Fingers Bikes, a well-known Hood River bike shop that opened in 2007.
Reached at his shop this morning, Buck said, “We’re kind of free speech folks. I post things I agree with, I post things I don’t agree with. Sometimes they’re provocative, sometimes they’re not.” He said the phrases he used on the board just happened to be things he’d heard on the news that day, and he was surprised by the reaction. “I had almost completely forgotten about it.” he said.
Buck uploaded an image of the board — which posts upcoming events, trail condition notices, and other news of the day — to the shop’s Instagram account on Thursday. It was quickly criticized. On Sunday, BikePortland reader Howard Draper shared it with me.
“Dirty Fingers’ post is stoking xenophobia and uses inflammatory rhetoric that can help encourage violence against Asians during the pandemic,” he said. “As a biracial Asian, and one of the few Asians that I see at bike events, I would feel unsafe and uncomfortable walking into Dirty Fingers after their post.”
Buck maintains he intended “no ill will” and that his shop has customers, “from all different walks of life.” “I’m just completely sorry that folks were so offended,” he said.
“The most important part of free speech is the stuff you don’t agree with.”
— Mitchell Buck, Dirty Fingers Bikes
Advertisement
Asked if he felt what he wrote was racist, Buck said, “To be honest, on all the news stations at the time, it [the virus] was still referred to with its country of origin. I don’t agree with those things; but one of those phrases was in a press conference that same day.”
“I think we all need to stop sitting idly by while rhetoric like this becomes further normalized than it already is, especially in the bike industry.”
— Matt Danielson
“The most important part of free speech is the stuff you don’t agree with,” Buck said. “So sometimes I put that up. Then all hell broke loose.” Several people called and emailed Dirty Fingers sharing their concerns and threatening to boycott his business.
Buck ultimately took down the post, telling me, “Of course we took it down. We didn’t want people to be offended or upset.”
Duncan Hwang is associate director of Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon (APANO), a nonprofit advocacy group. Reached today for comment, he said “Using language like this, even jokingly, normalizes xenophobia and discrimination against Asians; linking a global pandemic that impacts all of us to a single country and race continues a long tradition of scapegoating communities of color in times of crisis. We can do better.”
“As transportation justice advocates,” he continued, “we should not tolerate the kind of references shared in the post.” Hwang says as anti-Asian hate crimes increase with the spread of Covid-19 it’s important for our community to speak up and discuss with friends and family why actions like this are problematic.
Draper said even if the sign wasn’t overtly racist, “It normalizes blame and ridicule of China, and that can validate a need for retribution.”
Advertisement
As of today, Buck hasn’t posted on Instagram about the situation. “I’m going back and forth on that. I don’t quite know how to respond. I’m getting threats and I haven’t figured out how to deal with it. We’re just incredibly sorry.”
The offensive post was deleted on Sunday evening, but Portlander Matt Danielson took a screenshot of it and re-posted it to his Instagram account. Danielson urged his followers to boycott the store.
“I think we all need to stop sitting idly by while rhetoric like this becomes further normalized than it already is, especially in the bike industry,” Danielson shared in an email to BikePortland today. “I decided to use strong language to make it very clear that I felt their actions were unacceptable. I asked that people never set foot in the Dirty Fingers shop again. How could my Asian American friends possibly feel safe in that shop? Again, people are being beaten in the streets, and the exact language from the sign made by Dirty Fingers is being used to justify it.”
Danielson and many other were disturbed that the post was “liked” by Filmed by Bike.
Filmed by Bike is a popular film festival and its founder Ayleen Crotty quickly found herself in the crosshairs of the controversy. Dirty Fingers is a supporter of Filmed by Bike and the shop hosted a film screening last year.
In a statement posted on Filmed by Bike’s Instagram account Yesterday, Crotty said she made a “mistake” and has learned from it. “I wasn’t thinking. I wanted to reach out and give our friends a virtual squeeze on the shoulder by ‘liking’ the post. Their post had some nice words in it about community connection. The post also had an image of a statement that is racist. The person who wrote that statement probably wasn’t considering it as racist, but it was. In liking the post, I perpetuated the racism.”
Advertisement
Portland-based Sellwood Cycle Repair has organized an annual bike ride with Dirty Fingers for several years (I participated in 2017). “I’m struggling to reconcile Sellwood Cycle’s affiliation with Dirty Fingers,” Draper shared with me.
In a phone conversation this morning, Sellwood Cycle Repair owner Erik Tonkin said the post displayed “poor judgment”. “But I also think it doesn’t tell the entire story of the business and its owner.” Tonkin said the pandemic has put many people on edge. “I would say this is somebody not acting in the best possible way in a charged moment. I’m not excusing it, I’m trying to understand why these things happen.”
Is the post racist? “At face value? Sure. It is,” Tonkin replied, after a long pause. “It could easily be understood as that. If somebody were to tell me that’s a racist post, I wouldn’t argue with them about it.”
Dirty Fingers owner Buck assured me his shop isn’t racist. “We welcome everybody here,” he said. As for what he’s learned from the experience, Buck said, “I’ve learned to be more sensitive about what we put up… Especially at this time and we certainly are not trying to hurt our Asian-American friends.”
UPDATE 4/15: Mitchell Buck has posted a statement on Instagram.
— Jonathan Maus: (503) 706-8804, @jonathan_maus on Twitter and jonathan@bikeportland.org.
— Get our headlines delivered to your inbox.
— Support this independent community media outlet with a one-time contribution or monthly subscription.
Thanks for reading.
BikePortland has served this community with independent community journalism since 2005. We rely on subscriptions from readers like you to survive. Your financial support is vital in keeping this valuable resource alive and well.
Please subscribe today to strengthen and expand our work.
“I’m just completely sorry that folks were so offended”
Of course he should not be sorry that folks were offended, rather he should be sorry for offending folks.
The passive voice should never be used.
Thanks for conveying Buck’s apology. I don’t feel Buck made the most of the opportunity.
I’ve followed BP for many years for the advocacy around bicycles and bicycle culture. I find myself tuning in less and less the past couple of years and the reason are articles like this. I can get a story like this by tuning into cnn, huff-po or msnbc. I would suggest staying in the lane of bike advocacy and write stories that are relevant. For example, why opening forest park to mountain bike is more relevant now than ever. As for Dirty Fingers, I’ll call and schedule a tuneup this afternoon.
Let us know when you start your apolitical bike blog to counter this one.
Calling out Racism and xenophobia is not political. It’s a real shame that some have made tolerating bigotry a part of their political identity. It’s not what this country is all about.
Sorry, my post was tongue-in-cheek. I was trivializing his complaint.
I disagree with you on this one Redhippie. As this blog has grown, so has the issue of bicycling. I think it’s absolutely BP’s responsibility to reflect and report on these issues. This site has never been siloed into traditional bike advocacy topics. I have intentionally made it a site that covers everything in society because I believe that bicycling and/or the community of people around it are part of that society.
Thanks for your comment.
I thought it was an exceptionally good article, Jonathan. One of your best. I am glad you took the time and trouble to talk to so many people, weave their perspectives into this pieces. Great work! I think I just might increase my membership to BikePortland.
It’s odd that Maus is offended by racism when he himself has been accused of it (It’s an easy google search to get the reference). And then his rebuttal to being accused of being racist is he says he “doesn’t see color”. People are different, learn to respect it and enjoy people being different from you. And there was that one time he said the bike community was one of the most underserved people. This was coming from a straight white married guy and same sex marriage was illegal. I know you need clicks to pay the bills, but it seems your following fits in a certain demographic.
Well, SOMEBODY needs to stick up for the non-marginalized.
Then tune out, bud. If you want to keep the status quo, you aren’t an advocate for anything.
Damn, not only is the original sign that Dirty Finger posted racist, but so are many of these comments.
To Filmed by Bike: I also like to signal boost the racist posts of people who give me money. JK. That’s fucked up.
Stay home, save lives, don’t blame China when South Dakota just let 300 people in a single factory get infected. Cause ya know, that would be racist.
One of the comments was racist, sure, but blaming China is in no way offensive – it’s factual.
You can blame China all you want.
Our President and US Senators who sold stock in January knew what was going on
and ignored it.
We are all victims of Trumps incompetence.
Jeff S,
In my experience, it’s not up to us to decide what’s “offensive”. And facts aren’t the be-all end-all in this context. It’s up to people the words impact directly and whether they feel afraid/offended by it. In this case it’s very clear that what was written and then posted by the shop was very offensive to Asian-Americans and many others. That’s all that matters. If I or you say or do something that hurts another person, we need to look in the mirror and be accountable for it. Period. I don’t care what the “facts” are…. As long as it’s a fact that what I’ve said or done has hurt someone else.
Declaring feelings to be more important than facts is a surprising thing for a journalist to say.
It’s absolutely true. But you are misunderstanding my point. It’s more nuanced than simply “feelings are more important than facts” and context is very important. Obviously facts matter more in many contexts… But my point is, emotions run our reality and facts often matter very little to human psychology and behavior.
>>> But my point is, emotions run our reality and facts often matter very little to human psychology and behavior. <<<
This is absolutely true (and we'd do well to remember this in other contexts discussed on this forum). But giving primacy to emotions over facts, valuing impact over intent, and elevating offence feeds division, judgmentalism, black-and-whiteism, and many of the other ugly currents we see in society today.
Does this story make the world a better place? I don't think so. But it gets folks stirred up, and it sure feels good to be righteous.
I disagree with your opinion of this story Hello, Kitty.
I think this story and discussion around it absolutely makes the world a better place. If I didn’t think that, I wouldn’t have done it.
Your veiled criticism that I only did this story to get folks “stirred up” or to “feel righteous” is very offensive and off base.
You’re still are not understanding me. I’m not giving “primacy to emotions over facts”. It’s a nuanced point I was trying to make.
Getting people “stirred up” is actually something I try to avoid because it’s usually not the best way to absorb information or to have a conversation. I feel good about this story. IMO it gives a fair shake to everyone involved.
I did not mean to suggest your intent was to stir things up, but you had to know it would happen. The self-righteousness I see does not come from you, but, predictably, from many who have posted. I honestly believe your intentions were positive, and that you see yourself as bringing misdeeds to the attention of the wider community, holding someone accountable for their distasteful words.
The only thing I think this story has accomplished is scaring the bike shop owner off social media for a while, and spreading his offensive words much further than they would have otherwise reached, magnifying whatever impact they’ve had. I also see it feeding the social ills that plague our wider society.
You wrote below that you hope the pain will help the owner learn. Maybe, but I think kindness is far more powerful than pain, and if your goal was really to “educate”, perhaps a private conversation would have been more effective.
Who are you to decide what Asian-Americans find offensive?
Who am I? Someone who can read and hear.
So what else should I or anyone else find offensive? Seems like a projection of your values onto other people.
If an Asian-American was to tell me they were offended, I’d listen. If a white person is telling me an Asian-American would be offended, I find that intellectually arrogant and demeaning to the Asian-American. I suspect they have a voice of their own.
On some level Jon, I agree with you. One should apply the Golden Rule even in what we say to each other. What jokes would we want made about who are, etc.? More so if one is speaking for a business or other group.
However… Does this mean the Spanish Flu as a name is somehow bigoted? West Nile? Zika? Ebola? All named after a place. Heck, most of Europe used to call syphilis the “French Disease”. (And the French called it the “Italian Disease” so far play is fare play.) Technically speaking, COVID-19, if it followed this naming system would be the Wuhan Respiratory Infection. Is that bigotted? If it is, then why isn’t the Spanish Flu et.al.?
I’m not going to defend eye rollers like “Kung Flu” (on artistic merits alone). But it would have been much more useful to have a conversation about why something might be in bad taste or offensive, not just pointing fingers and shouting “Racist!” [insert any video of Daryl Davis being interviewed]
The kind of unsettling thing here is an apparent double standard. Its fine to say this current situation is like the Spanish Flu, but if someone calls in the “Chinese Virus” or the “Wuhan Flu” that is wrong. Either something is wrong or its not. Either its bigotted or its not. If your argument is that, much like lead paint, former classifications and names are for times past, great!, I’ll wave that flag with you. But have some ever shifting “don’t bring up the war” type of double/triple/situational standard is both wrong and tiring.
Also worth noting that while there are a few competing theories regarding where the 1918 flu might have originated, none of those theories point to Spain.
Replied to you, but it went down below.
Based on Behind the Bastards recommendation, just finish the Pale Rider audiobook (its good). The reason the name “Spanish Flu” came about is because Spain wasn’t involved in WW1 and didn’t have war time censorship. Therefore, as they (the Spanish) began reporting on it, other media in began assuming it came from Spain. As the book mentions, there are two leading theories as to the origin of the flu. One in the USA, brought to Europe by soldiers in 1917, festering in the trenches and then out to the south of European. The other is eastern Europe, maybe brought westward by refuges from the Russian Revolution.
If my kids set out to apologize for doing something by saying “I’m Sorry If You Were Offended”… they’re apologizing a second time.
Would you accept their apology if they said “We’re just incredibly sorry.”?
OK
We have a saying in the South that I like, “Don’t hit the door hit you on the way out!”
Probably shouldn’t refer to yourself as a “hippie” either. I suggest “redwhiteandracist” instead.
>>> Buck hasn’t issued an apology or statement about the situation. “I’m going back and forth on that. I don’t quite know how to respond. I’m getting threats and I haven’t figured out how to deal with it. We’re just incredibly sorry.” <<<
He says he's "incredibly sorry".
Thanks HK. Yeah that part didn’t come out right. I edited that sentence. I’m trying to say he hasn’t issued a statement on social media or made anything public beyond his comments to me on the phone.
“I’m sorry you were so offended” is a classic non-apology.
I’m Asian-American, and sure, I’ve heard far worse. I wouldn’t call for a general boycott of the shop (nor of Filmed by Bike, Sellwood Cycles, etc.), nor would I feel “unsafe” there, but I’m certainly not giving them any more of my money. These “innocuous” “jokes” are called microaggressions, and they do real damage over time.
Anyway, thanks Jonathan for investigating and writing this up.
Agreed, but it’s pretty clear from the context that he regrets making the post.
Yes, but for his own sake. Regret != apology.
All he had to say was, “I’m sorry, I messed up and I’ve learned from this experience.” But clearly that’s not what happened. He made it the responsibility of the people he offended for being offended.
He regrets the consequences of his actions. It’s pretty clear he doesn’t regret the post at all.
Gee, when this old Jew hears the word “microagression,” I immediately think of an all-midget headbanger band.
Don’t be mistaken!
Uh, about that term “midget”:
“Little People of America, the world’s oldest and largest dwarfism support organization and an international, membership-based organization for people with dwarfism and their families, advocates to abolish the use of the word “midget”. The word “midget” was never coined as the official term to identify people with dwarfism, but was created as a label used to refer to people of short stature who were on public display for curiosity and sport. Today, the word “midget” is considered a derogatory slur. The dwarfism community has voiced that they prefer to be referred to as dwarfs, little people, people of short stature or having dwarfism, or simply, and most preferably, by their given name.”
Ironically, LPA referred to themselves by that word once.
LPA was founded in 1957 by actor Billy Barty[1] when he informally called upon people of short stature to join him in a get-together in Reno, Nevada. The original association was known as “Midgets of America.” The name was later changed to “Midgets and Dwarfs of America” when the people with dwarfism complained that there were more dwarfs than midgets. “Little People” became the accepted term because, again, the people with dwarfism said there were more dwarfs than midgets so it should be “Dwarfs and Midgets of America.”[2][3] “Midgets of America” was the name until 1960. That original meeting of 21 people evolved into Little People of America, a group which as of 2010 has more than 6,800 members. LPA has 73 local chapters which meet regularly as well as an annual weeklong conference. They publish a quarterly publication national newsletter titled LPA Today.
By the same token, we should all be allowed to use the n word because black people use it amongst themselves, right? If you don’t understand that the context of who uses a term matters (in particular, that it makes a difference whether or not the person using a derogatory term for someone who has dwarfism is in fact a dwarf), and additionally, that words that were previously offensive could change nuance and become offensive through semantic shift, then I don’t know what to tell you.
Who are you to determine what is “allowed”? I think anyone should be able to use whichever words they want.
I do not think words should have a racial qualifier as to whether or not one is “allowed” to use them.
The suggestion that one is not allowed to say something is quite honestly something I would expect from a totalitarian.
Well, speaking of totalitarians, I think my Stalinesque mustache is coming in quite nicely, but just in case it wasn’t clear (it was clear, you’re just choosing to be deliberately obtuse), “allowed” in this context means allowed without criticism of being racist. Not once did I propose or condone governmental prohibition of any of those words.
Again, he should not be sorry if people were offended, he should be sorry for offending people.
Hold on, is this a safe space post? I am trying to see what race he was calling out since there are many races in China/Asia. Some of which, today, are being imprisoned and organs harvested by the Chinese government. But hey, let’s have the debate that this is “racist”.
It’s terribly off color and encourages people to be nationist or nationalist which is dangerous. But racist…you will lose steam on that one.
I am sure to read hundreds of posts on how our president is (insert many failures proven and unproven here) which is just fine. Which is just as anti productive. The fact is, it’s from China, China lied, the WHO was complicit and thousands have died in America of all races. If we don’t go to war over it, that will be a miracle.
Let’s focus on encouraging people to be above the fray vs. Embarrassing them for being below it.
So this is somehow Jonathan’s fault for “embarrassing” Buck?
Do you really not know that Chinese can represent an ethnicity, as in Han Chinese?
Your comment has some seriously tortured logic.
A Chinese person could be one of 56(!)* different ethnicities. Interestingly (to me, at least), that page lists only 1,448 “naturalized citizens”, suggesting the nation is not particularly open to immigrants.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ethnic_groups_in_China
*Not 56 factorial.
Thank you for calling out businesses and people in the cycling industry that are perpetuating and normalizing violence against minorities. This makes a lot of people uncomfortable and exposes who is anti-racist and who is simply non-racist. (Or those who are plain ol’ bigots.)
Violence?
Yes, violence. Please see the part of the article about the increase in hate crimes.
Hate Crime: a crime, typically one involving violence, that is motivated by prejudice on the basis of race, religion, sexual orientation, or other grounds.
Where was the violence here?
Conflate much?
https://www.dallasnews.com/news/crime/2020/04/01/fbi-says-texas-stabbing-that-targeted-asian-american-family-was-hate-crime-fueled-by-coronavirus-fears/
He had plenty of time to apologize for this and another Instagram post where he was showing off how they decided to still have a group ride and go drink beer on St. Patrick’s day and he didn’t. The original post was a few weeks ago and he was called out for it then and doubled down on some of his “I’m sorry that people were offended” b.s. Not buying what he’s selling or any “virtual shoulder squeezes” excuses. You are what you post and like and it shows.
Exactly. We have witnessed a huge amount of whining, hand-wringing, and juvenile distraction tactics from racist apologists here. But it’s actually very simple: If you don’t want people calling you racist, don’t say racist things.
You’re welcome.
Ok, so the shop’s name and the entire sign is filled with innuendo that might cross a couple of lines. It did make me laugh until I realized I was supposed to be offended. Racist might be a stretch.. inappropriate? sure.. offensive? mmmm i dunno. The Wuhan Clap tho (LOL)… I was joking with a friend who lives in Shanghai about getting “the wuhan” back in early Jan. My bad.
The chronically aggrieved will always find the most minor things to be offended about, and then conflate them with something larger.
Please see my reply above about microaggressions. These little jokes and barbs might not seem like a big deal individually, but it’s the cumulative effect that hurts – the proverbial “death by a thousand cuts.” If you’re fortunate enough to not have been treated this way over the course of a lifetime, you might look at someone who has as being “chronically aggrieved,” when in fact they’re just bone-tired of dealing with the same old BS.
I guess you just find disrespect funny. It’s part of your character. Or lack thereof.
Not at all. I’m just not chronically aggrieved over perceived slights. I choose to not be angry, instead of being angry about everything.
That wasn’t a reply to you. Your comments are so bereft of meaningful content, I wouldn’t have any interest in such a discussion. Mind your own business.
Not at all. I’m just not chronically aggrieved over perceived slights. I choose to not be angry, instead of being angry about everything.
As for character, you’re the only one lobbing insults here.
Oh I dunno. “Chronically aggrieved” sure sounds like an insult. Not sure what intention you could have for using that phrase over and over except to belittle other people for feeling strongly about a subject.
It’s secondarily offensive Filmed by Bike commented within their instagram apology that they disagreed with the “tactic of bullying”.
Making businesses we support accountable is not bullying, racism is bullying.
What would Ayleen have preferred? That we all stay quiet but just stop buying Filmed by Bike tickets? It really undid the apology by framing herself as the victim.
I don’t speak for all Asians any more than did the Asians quoted in the piece. Also, I don’t have Chinese heritage. But FWIW I am neither offended nor would I feel remotely unsafe in that shop. Maybe it’s a little racist but a lot of comedy is, and I reject the idea that a whiff of racism necessarily belies serious racism. Maybe we can shake our heads and move on.
The wet markets opened back up two weeks ago. Wild bats, rats, dogs, and cats are back on the menu.
https://indonesiaexpat.biz/news/wuhan-wet-market-reopens-wild-animals-for-sale/
COVID-19 is a shot across the bow. The rate of novel virus outbreaks is increasing rapidly, due to the complex interaction of inter-species transmission and the rise of high density factory farming that acts as an incubator and mutation optimizer of novel strains. Some bird flue strains have human mortality rates of 60%. Its only a matter of time before one of these high mortality strains becomes highly transmittable in humans.
No offense to anyone, but the wet markets and extreme packing density of factory farms needs to change if we don’t want to wipe out half the worlds population in six weeks. This needs to be a world wide effort, not just in China.
Another high pathogenic strain created just a few days ago in a factory farm. Hopefully it won’t jump to humans.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/industry-scrambles-to-stop-fatal-bird-flu-in-south-carolina
Thanks for posting this. I’ve seen a lot of commenters who seem to fall more to the right on here posting that these wet markets need to stop (or framing this as a China problem), but they stay noticeably silent on our domestic factory farms. I think that they are both highly problematic and that we are doing ourselves a disservice if we try to blame one thing for all of our problems.
Exactly… we should call them all out.
But, if you call them out, I will get offended at you. Because per your logic, that is my directive:
“If the guy owes anyone an apology, it’s those who originally saw his post. That’s between him and them. Everyone else has been offended by others who retransmitted the material.”
Chicken factory farms grow birds that are barely able to walk. The farmers are in many cases under onerous financial arrangements with their suppliers who are also their only market. The whole thing sucks.
There is a big difference between being very unhappy with the despotic and authoritarian government of China that hid the nature of this disease, censors research into the origin of the disease ( https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/12/asia/china-coronavirus-research-restrictions-intl-hnk/index.html), and continues to allow the wet markets that are thought to breed viral outbreaks like this and the people of China. No person of Chinese descent is the cause of this pandemic that is sweeping the world. It is the government of China that can be blamed for the severity of this worldwide crisis.
I see no indication that the bike shop post was targeted specifically at the government of China. If so, he missed a lot of obvious jokes.
Do you see indications it was targeted at individuals of Chinese descent?
Hard to say. As far as I’m aware Kung Fu (Kung Flu) is more of a cultural phenomenon, rather than a government one, though.
If he had instead made a joke about a “covid rodeo” or a “homerun for team corona”, would that be a slur against individuals of American descent?
Hey, The Dude, should this be filed under #6 (Change the subject) or #9 (Straw man)?
Or is this just an example of willful ignorance for the sake of stoking an argument?
It’s neither — it’s a question about whether cultural references implicate individuals with heritage in that culture. Which kind of underpins the entire conversation.
If you need to categorize it, it should be #14 — Thinking outside of the group.
Great question!
IMO this is #9 (Straw Man). And a great example of willful ignorance for the sake of stoking an argument.
But the coup de gras of course is replying to a message not meant for you. That’s how you know the “ever-rational” right-winger is really upset.
Hey Hello Kitty, when Jonathan says, “[I]f you comment frequently, please consider holding your thoughts so that others can step forward,” he just might be talking to you!!!
Indeed — you’ve posted more than I have in this thread.
And with a lot more personal antagonism.
This is sub 100 level counterfactual gotcha nonsense and disappointing even for someone who spends as much time fighting in a small pond as you do
I visited this shop once several years ago while in Hood River. I was there as a customer and they were nothing but rude to me and my friend. When leaving I asked the best way to access a specific trail for mountain biking and they sent us to the worst possible trailhead to access the trail.
Another friend of mine, who happens to be Asian- American, shared with me that he also visited this shop awhile back and felt very uncomfortable by the employees. I’m sorry, but based on my experience and knowledge, I don’t think the sentiment that was expressed on their sign is unique or a mistake. I think it runs much deeper.
This shop has come to my rescue more than once. It’s provided on-the-fly fixes, and keeps an inventory that includes vintage parts. This sign sucks, and I hope the owner fixes this, because the shop is legit.
I didn’t hear any “I made a mistake” talk from DF, even though FBB seemed to have a semi-conciliatory tone in their pseudo-apology. I just hope lessons were learned and will be put to good use. The microaggressions are real, and so very tiresome. Time for people to wake up.
I would think the Native America’s would be equally upset about naming of Gravel Grinders
ie..Dirty Kanza
They were. That’s why the ‘Land Run’ in Oklahoma is now called the ‘Mid South’. The self-righteous censorship mob comes for everyone eventually.
Not one person mentioned the “human clap” line. I am sure the owner spells ,with, “wit” all the time right?
The owner is not just offensive to asians, he also thinks he is a hip hop artist or maybe just a racist? Hard to say…
It’s “Wuhan Clap” and I’m pretty sure he’s referring to “Wu-Tang Clan Ain’t Nuthing Ta F’ Wit,” which is (sic) and also totally (sick) (brah) and would be the 7th track on their best album, “Enter the Wu Tang” a.k.a. “36 Chambers.” You should check it out. I’m old enough to know it, but overlooked it somehow for 27 years and was introduced to it just recently.
I’m not Asian, but some of my best fr…
Speaking as an actual subject of racism in any case, I’ll put it bluntly: if forgiveness doesn’t come first, you’re not going to have white friends and loved ones. In baseball terms, this was a strike but not an out (depending on the count).
Even if the “apology” suggests the time is coming, right now I think there are better uses for our pitchforks.
Mitchell does more for MTB than ALL of you combined. Oh, most of you don’t ride anyway. Maybe watch a few Southpark episodes with the PC Principal. Pathetic! Enjoy you cat. We should be riding, but for some reason we are stuck with the whiny internet. I agree with Redhippie 100%. I don’t care what the rest of you think! Maybe focus on the upcoming election. The greedy idiot is already counting the Electoral votes. No, just whine about this.
Heard it here first people: racism is A-OK if a few people can pop in and give you back slaps for mtb bike advocacy
You sound like the whiner to me.
We have a saying in the South that I like, “Don’t hit the door hit you on the way out!”
This.
Exactly. This is one of the many right-wing deflect tactics. Here’s a list I am keeping:
1. We value dissent and the right to express unpopular ideas. Therefore, my heinous racism is worthy of respect. No. That syllogism is not valid. Go back and re-take Intro to Logic.
2. “The self-righteous censorship mob comes for everyone eventually.” (Bike Guy, above.)
Asking, even demanding, that people show respect for others and make a point not to show disrespect based on things like ethnicity or gender is “self-righteous.” OK, I’m “righteous” because I don’t want anyone to show this kind of disrespect. I think that’s the right thing to do, and I already know that you know it is as well. It’s only the basis of every religious and moral tradition on Earth, not to mention self-evident to anyone who has lived even a slice of life.
Note that I’m not saying I’m better than you, only that this is a basic standard for human behavior, like not farting audibly in the middle of dinner. But you already feel shamed, because you already know you’re morally wrong. And you’re annoyed that you won’t get left alone to be racist. Too bad. Sorry about how my speech brought all those pesky emotions you have sometimes. To quote some of your buddies, it sounds like a snowflake moment to me.
3. It’s censorship!
Nope. Censorship is when someone, like a governmental authority, prohibits you from publishing or saying something. No one is doing that here. We are telling you that we think you are ignorant, at best, and that we won’t support your business. See the difference?
I know, it’s deeply upsetting to you to be called out on your nonsense. Have a good cry, snowflake. But remember, no one is censoring you. Learn to use your words better. Learn to accept that your actions have consequences, and that you live in a country where your deluded view of the world is an ever-shrinking minority. Learn to accept that we think you’re dumb and we don’t like you.
In fact, we like it when you say really stupid things, because it reveals the essence of your character, and that is the only valid basis on which to judge someone. I hope it’s painful for you, at least financially.
This is my own personal comment of the week. I might just make an inspirational poster out of it. Or a yard sign. Or a t-shirt.
Will you be publishing Left-wing tactics?
Can you admit there are any or are you simply of the opinion only Right-wingers have tactics?
Thanks for covering this, Jonathan. I saw a few posts about this on Instagram and I’m glad you picked it up. It’s so important to get some sunlight on racism like this and hold people accountable for perpetuating hurtful, harmful stereotypes and tropes.
Good article, Jonathan. Wise words from APANO here. Racism is a spectrum and the photo falls under it. While I can see it more as bored ramblings from a guy in an empty bike shop, in the current climate we need to push back against cheapshot jokes while we’re seeing a rise in documented hate crimes. Hopefully he can see it’s adding fuel to the fire instead of nonapologizing or doubling down.
What good is his progression of mountain biking if he’s also posting hateful stuff like this? And if he’s posting this on his public reader board, imagine what’s being said with his bros and buddies that we’re NOT hearing. Asian-Americans are being assaulted and murdered over misguided coronavirus fears, and this Instagram post only adds fuel to that fire. First there was this post, then the pub crawl post (also deleted); sounds to me like Buck could benefit from hiring a PR person.
Thank you BP for posting this. It shows the dark side of an otherwise great hobby, that I can only hope is done away with in time. It’s a bummer when I tell people I ride mountain bikes and they associate me with this kind of stuff. I now know which shop to avoid when riding the Hood River area in the future. And I’ll be sure to encourage every other rider I know to do the same.
According to an FBI report, federal law enforcement officials are warning there could be a surge in hate crimes against Asian Americans.
“The FBI assesses hate crime incidents against Asian Americans likely will surge across the United States, due to the spread of coronavirus disease … endangering Asian American communities,” the document reportedly states. “The FBI makes this assessment based on the assumption that a portion of the US public will associate COVID-19 with China and Asian American populations.”
The Texas stabbing was just one of the many racist attacks Asian Americans have been facing amid the coronavirus pandemic’s rise in the US.
On March 11, a woman in New York punched another woman for not wearing a face mask and “made anti-Asian statements and fled the location on foot.” In February, a 16-year-old boy was sent to the hospital after being physically attacked by bullies who accused him of having the coronavirus. One couple in Minnesota got a note on their door that said “we’re watching you” and “take the Chinese virus back to China.”
President Donald Trump has deliberately referred to COVID-19 as the “Chinese virus” on multiple occasions, which critics have seen as a way of scapegoating China and, in turn, inciting hatred and harassment of people of Asian descent. The World Health Organization has urged people not to attach locations or ethnicity to the virus to prevent social stigma.
When questioned, Trump defended his use of the term.
“It’s not racist at all, no. Not at all,” Trump said. “It comes from China.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/03/20/coronavirus-trump-chinese-virus/
F*ck racism and racists. Josh Anderson, The Dude, and oyera with the comments of the week.
This Hood River shop owner is in bed with Trump speak. What more info do y’all need? I hope others in Hood River find out about all of this.
I’ve had much respect for both Sellwood Cycle and Filmed By Bike In the past, and I bet both organizations will continue to distance themselves from Dirty Fingers racist bullsh*t and I hope they both continue grow to be outward anti racist warriors
The post was not posted on Saturday. You should correct this. It was posted on Thursday I believe. I saw it and reposted on Friday, by then it already had many negative comments that were from the previous day or older. It was up until Sunday, for at least 3 days total, and not removed until dozens of people reshared expressing their disappointment in his words.
I’m pretty sure that this was actually a repost of an early post. I recall seeing the original post of the sign in late March, I believe a couple days after they posted their group ride that went out for beers afterwards. Both have been deleted and there’s a post from April 2 that says, “Well that was a nice break. We decided to take some time away from the old socials medias right after the phone used for that effort was crushed on I-84 by a fast moving truck. We are back up and running so we now resume our regularly scheduled stupid.” So I guess they didn’t learn from getting called out the first time they posted it and decided to return to their “regularly scheduled stupid.”
Thanks for sharing about when exactly the image was posted. I would like to know the exact timing, but I don’t think it’s a crucial point in the overall story.
Using the incredibly broad definition of racism obviously embraced by the owner of this blog (and much of the left), the term ‘white privilege’ is beginning to sound pretty racist to me.
So what do you find not racist about it?
That is a bigger question.
…continuing my running list of right-wing deflect tactics:
6. Change the subject.
No, you’re racist! Let me guess: You’re a white guy, right? You become defensive and hostile when you are made to feel uncomfortable by others pointing out that, not only are individuals biased on the basis of ethnicity/nationality/race/whatever, but there is systemic racism built into our society.
So you change the subject. You make accusations of your own to muddy the waters.
We don’t care that your feelings are hurt by being told you’re biased and wrong in your thinking. We don’t care about your carefully thought out critique (“It’s racist!”) of the concept of white privilege. You’re an intellectual fossil.
7. Quibble with semantics to avoid talking about the actual issue at hand.
The message might show bias on the basis of nationality, but not race, that’s ridiculous! (Mark smith, above.) Your definition of “racism” is so broad it offends me. China/Chinese is not a race!
Pick a word you like, Steve. Do a better job of explaining why this is actually “xenophobia” (or whatever term suits your little snowflake emotions) rather than “racism.” Convince us all that your term is the best one and that we are all so mistaken with our awful blanket use of the word “racism.”
Then let’s return to the substance of why it’s morally bankrupt to be so disrespectful, especially at a time like this, and to encourage further violence. We will all be waiting there for you, Steve, you poor put-upon white dude.
Take it from another old white dude if you must: You could not seems less convincing, genuine, or sympathetic.
Maybe we can discuss your very narrow definition of racism? What do you consider to be the limit of racist behaviors.
An awful lot of hand wringing over a bike shop most people here have probably never heard of, been to, or will ever go to.
So why did you post about it?
…continuing my running list of right-wing deflect tactics:
4. Trivializing the issue.
Most people here will never go to this bike shop. Therefore, the owner’s racism (assumed, arguendo) should be of no concern to them.
Why you sticking your nose where it don’t belong, boy? Sounds like you would fit right in living in the Old South (where I am from).
First of all, why do you care what I care about? Take some of your own advice, and mind your own business. This kind of hypocrisy is common in right-wingers.
Second, we are sharing information that is useful to many people. Next time I go to Hood River and decide to ride some singletrack (and yes, it will be a looong time), I aint going anywhere near that shop. And I’m extremely glad to know that I will be armed with the knowledge so that I don’t accidentally support a business I would not want to support. You sure do seem to be doing a lot of hand-wringing over that. Go join your fascist buddy redhippie and buy out the shop. I don’t give a sh!t.
Lastly, MLK said it best: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” -MLK
If you don’t care about something that has demonstrably caused violence, then you’re just not a good person. But understand this: You will NEVER silence us.
5. Mis-stating the issue.
Are you being intentionally ignorant or obfuscatory here? Obviously, we are not concerned about the bike shop per se. We are concerned that this kind of disrespect will lead to *further* violence. That it will hurt people. That we don’t want to support someone with this message.
Again, that should be OBVIOUS to even the dullest of observers.
Well we got us a new forum enforcer here! “Boy” is nice touch btw.
If you are a progressive, it’s okay to insult others.
“Boy” was mockery, not an insult. Don’t worry, I didn’t expect you to get it, right-wing guy.
I can’t quite let go of an entirely different post I came across where he responded to a critical comment by riffing on the same xenophobic theme (making stupid puns using words lifted from a Chinese restaurant menu). Which makes this seem a little less like a one-off mistake, and more like he just keeps returning to the same well of BS. And it wasn’t until the possibility of actual consequences began to crystallize that he became “sorry” that people were offended.
Team S&M getting all butthurt, lol
I’m not surprised there are portland people here eager to defend Mitchell Buck and completely oblivious to the repercussions of such casual racism. I live in central portland in what most people would probably consider a really nice neighborhood and up until a couple years ago we had a white supremacist living across the street; complete with flying the confederate flag right after a mass murder of African Americans. The fact is these people are all over the place.
Should he be run out of town? Is he truly remorseful? Who knows, none of you here can understand what’s in his head. I’m sure being the owner of a small business during these tough times brings up so many emotions leading to lashing out. I’m glad so many of you are enlightened but maybe walk a mile in his shoes. Maybe he can learn from this. Cancelling him out might not be the best way
Mike,
I want to say that I can understand some of what’s in his head. I have made some very public and embarrassing racism-related mistakes myself. It was a very scary and confusing time for me and I thought — given the very harsh reaction from the local media and public — that I would have to stop doing BikePortland. After initially trying to defend myself, I started to breathe again. I weathered the storm, and did a lot of thinking and learning and I believe I’ve emerged on the other side better for having gone through it.
I agree everyone involved here can learn from it. And I hope they will. But I also think the pain and harsh criticism they are feeling is an important part of the process.
Okay God
…continuing my running list of right-wing deflect tactics:
8. Reductio ad absurdum.
This is a rhetorical technique by which you mis-characterize your opponent’s position by taking it to an extreme, thereby making it seem to be an absurd position.
Here’s Mike’s best try: “Should he be run out of town?”
Did anyone say that, Mike? Oh wait, I see an angry mob of hipsters walking down I-84 from Portland trying to lynch this dude. You sound ridiculous, Mike. If you’re worried about people getting run out of town, how come you haven’t mentioned the violence that has already been caused by this kind of race-baiting? It’s a deafening, telling silence.
“Cancelling him out might not be the best way.” Ohh, yeah, we’re gonna cancel him! Cancel culture! Out of control liberals!
He doesn’t have a TV show, so what are you talking about “cancel”?
Aren’t conservatives supposed to love the free market? I’m voting with my dollars and not supporting his business. Isn’t that my “right” as an “American,” Mike? Why do you hate freedom?
Ironically perhaps, I actually agree with your sentiment that, before you judge, you should “walk a mile in his shoes” and that he can learn from this. As Jonathan said, I’ve been in a similar position. I’ve said both intentionally and inadvertently biased things before. I regret it, and I’ve tried to be a better person. That’s really all anyone’s asking, despite your fear-mongering to the contrary.
And they’re saying that if you’re not gonna even try (see the seemingly half-hearted, defensive apology), then your bottom line is gonna suffer. Because, like it or not, people who care about showing others respect aren’t going away. Maybe you could learn something too, Mike.
Here’s an interesting rhetorical technique Dude (please put a number on it): taking someones allegorical comment (should he be run out of town) and deliberately taking it literally when you know it wasn’t meant that way – then ridiculing them for it. Great way to sidestep the actual argument! You are so guilty of your own accusations…
Chill out Dude! Why are you attacking me. I firmly believe on giving people chances to right a wrong. Take a walk, breath deeply. We will all get through this.
I can understand ignorance and poor judgement; we’re all flawed. I am from small town Oregon and know how things like this can be normalized. Didn’t come to that realization one day, changing a mind takes time and many small steps.
I am also not for permanent condemnation. They are human and can learn from this. Hopefully some dwelling on how minorities feel in this moment and also within cycling might bring them some insights and empathy. Letting the news come to them and offering a non-apology equivalent of “I’m sorry you feel that way,” will absolutely not cut it. Dirty Fingers needs to make a public statement at the very very least. It would be best if they went above and beyond that. Until then I def will not support them.
What’s troubling about all of this is that most of you are choosing to judge the character of a business, and extrapolating your judgement to subjugate it’s cycling team, their sponsors and affiliates, patrons and proprietor based on one post on a social media post that has been rightfully dismantled, rebuked and apologized for. As if all of us had never had to do the exact same thing at some point in our lives. What most of you are not aware of is that the true character of the shop has been ultimately inclusive. We’re all a bunch of mixed ethnicity, gender, sexuality, size, ability, income producing, societal “weirdos and misfits” and we’ve all been accepted at Dirty Fingers when we haven’t been accepted other places. We’ve been through a whole hell of a lot together, as a shop and as a larger community. If you’ve had an awkward experience in the shop, so have we all. But I can say after 10 years with of patronage, with certainty, that it is not about who you are.
We are a small tight-knit community who diligently maintain our trails, our guide services and keep our small businesses going for the benefit of locals and visitors alike. We have been welcoming and kind, have managed to be one of few small towns who do not tout a vibe of extreme localism at the trailhead. Now is an especially difficult time for us, as it is for everyone. Portland can boycott a shop that they have little or nothing to do with all they like, but if you are doing so from behind a glaring computer screen, and you are blinded to consider the above ramifications of doing so, you at least need to understand that you’re affecting an entire community, and perpetuating the same harmful obstinance that you purport to admonish.
There’s an old saying often attributed to Yogi Berra, that even bad publicity is good publicity. It’s been my experience that very bad media posts and the resulting publicity often lead to greater name recognition of the affected business (or politician), that your future Portland customers will long have forgotten this incident by the time they happen to visit your shop, but they’ll remember your shop and location precisely because of this incident, as a subliminal message. It has been proven to work very well in political campaigns too.
So it’s our fault that he said something so stupid that people don’t want to go to his shop any more. *We* are the ones “subjugating” an entire “community” because of *our* ignorance. Got it.
Well, I know I speak for The Dude here when I say, I’m gonna sleep just fine tonight. Maybe you ought to reflect on how this whole thing started and not try to act like you’re a good person just because you have diverse co-workers.
It’s too bad that while you’ve grown together, you haven’t grown up.
Look, the fact is, Buck “signal boosted” racist remarks that came from racist sources. “I just wrote down a lot of random stuff that I read in my news feed”. It’s not a good look. I will say, he didn’t have malice of forethought… or any forethought. And his afterthought was sort of pointless and self defensive.
Another intellectually lazy trope: “Old white men”, “Privileged white men”, etc.
Totally okay to use race and gender there, correct?
I just searched the comment section, and you are the first person to bring up “white men”.
I think BesideThePointGuy is starting to stick.
thank you for stating what needs to be said, it came from china last time I tuned into the news. Pressure needs to put on the source of where these viruses came from-wet markets in China. Feel free to stay away from Hood River trails…. while your boycotting the shop.
Thank you for including this. Hood River is closed. Respect that.
Good one. I thought you sounded really tough.
See ya out there.
It’s just an ordinance dude. We can’t have people coming out and riding right now.
Yes, it came from China.
And the US intelligence community saw that it was there, and saw that it was causing problems, and saw that it would create a huge problem for the US.
So they told Marmalade Mugabe about it. And he did nothing. Except say it wasn’t a problem. FOR THREE FU$&ING MONTHS.
So there’s plenty of blame to go around.
Maybe you can get on board with “The Chinese virus that was turned into a national tragedy by Donal J Trump”?
Or at least explain why you’re interested in focusing on that one fact to the exclusion of many other relevant facts?
For those grievously offended; if the virus had emigrated from say, France… would you see this as a racist comment? If so, would it be racist to the French “race” or for white Europeans in general? And if he’d been more specific and it had said “Thanks Chinese government” would you also see that as racist? Might it be possible the same sentiment was being expressed here as if it had come from France? OK, blame him for not being sensitive enough to know that due to real racism we Americans see absolutely everything through that prism always. Maybe he should have understood that sorry, sad aspect better, but I think some here are going waaay overboard in condemnation of this man, his business and everyone and everything associated with him based on this. OK, let the vitriol for me begin! I must be racist too… or at least not woke, eh?
I’ll answer your question if you answer this one first. Do people of French descent in the US face the same level of discrimination and ethnicity-based violence as people of Chinese descent?
Because you seem to be conveniently ignoring that little detail.
Try re-reading my post Dude and see if you grasp yours is exactly the point I’m making. Of course people of French origin don’t face that level (any level?) of discrimination in the US! If the virus HAD originated from France AND he had posted “Thanks France” no one would have been offended – safe to say? Might it be possible he posted with the same spirit as if it had come from France and he had written “Thanks France”? If so might it possible he is not evil incarnate as so many here want to paint him? Guess I need to restate he IS guilty of not being aware of how race colors absolutely everything in American life. But I think he can be forgiven for not running through this filter sufficiently most of us slip up form time to time and just see things more simply. That’s not the same as being racist – do I really have to explain this?
I dunno maybe he really is racist, I don’t know him. I’m going by the content of the article and the picture of what he wrote. Some of you seem to have had additional personal experience with him and I can’t really comment on that. Nor can all of you ready to bury him.
I must confess, ed, I don’t understand your argument. Your France hypothetical just isn’t what this is about. Asian-Americans are facing discrimination and acts of violence over this, so that’s where our discussion needs to start. Posting things that may inflame those sentiments could literally incite someone in Oregon into being killed. It’s irresponsible at best.
It’s also incredibly stupid to associate it with your business. You would have to be truly a dull person to not know that saying what was said would cause many people to avoid patronizing your business. So is the guy really clueless? The only alternative is that he’s a little bit of a racist.
So, is he a racist? I don’t know. And I don’t care. As I said above, all I know is that if you don’t want people to call you a racist, don’t say racist things. And don’t then be surprised when you lose business. It’s pretty dang predictable.
But my point is that no one is calling him “evil incarnate” as you claim. I’m tired of this overblown victimization complex. Stop pretending that there is some mob out to tar and feather the guy. Stop apologizing for stupidity and/or intolerance.
And stop telling me I’m “grievously offended” as though I’m hysterical or crazy (#10, Gaslighting). I’m taking my business elsewhere and I’m telling people who don’t like it to go pound sand. That’s it. Deal with it.
The part of your argument I do understand is the part about showing compassion, maybe giving the benefit of the doubt. Maybe it was an innocent mistake. I’ve made similar mistakes before. It seemed much less so to me after the half-hearted apology with stuff about his right to free speech. But that’s just, like, my opinion.
Maybe you should show some compassion for the people getting attacked for no good reason. Cause that’s gotta really suck, right?
Agree; totally sucks to be attacked for no good reason! Or to be attacked for a shred of reason that may be there… or not! To be tried on social media by those who have nothing more factual than a hunch or prejudice. Are you saying you don’t see people here intensely condemning him, his business and even those people and entities associated with him? You are not reading the same comments page I’m reading. Your double standard here is kinda breathtaking…
BTW Dude I’m not calling you hysterical or crazy. (I think number 11 for you should be “putting words into other peoples mouths, don’t you agree?) I am calling you narrow minded, ideologically blinkered, self-righteous and incapable of discourse with another who does not share exactly what you believe is true in a situation where the truth here is at best clouded. When even you admit you maybe don’t know if he’s racist or not you made my point right there.
That’s fine, you can call me all that.
But you can’t make me shop at his store. And you can’t stop me from thinking he’s either stupid or racist.
And that’s the bottom line. Enjoy your freedom. I’m damn sure enjoyin’ mine.
What should stop you from thinking he’s racist is the fact that you admit you don’t know if he’s racist. Why assume the worst about someone you don’t even know?
Honestly, the point isn’t whether he’s A Racist – I.e., whether that term adequately and completely describes him as a person. It’s a convenient notion for some folks to focus on exactly because it’s something that can’t be definitely answered in these comments.
What I think can be stated with confidence is this: he posted some racist shit, then when challenged he doubled down by saying some more similarly racist shit, then issued a half-assed apology of the “sorry you’re offended” variety. In my opinion, that’s pretty sucky. I don’t feel like it needs to be any more complicated than that.
If the guy owes anyone an apology, it’s those who originally saw his post. That’s between him and them. Everyone else has been offended by others who retransmitted the material.
“If the guy owes anyone an apology, it’s those who originally saw his post. That’s between him and them. Everyone else has been offended by others who retransmitted the material.”
OMG, what, no??!! By that logic, anytime the news outlets report racist behavior, the news outlet should be the target of ire. Not the perpetrator of the crime.
“If the guy owes anyone an apology, it’s those who originally saw his post. That’s between him and them. Everyone else has been offended by others who retransmitted the material.”
This is a really stupid take.
…continuing my running list of right-wing deflect tactics:
9. Straw man.
I just knew this would violate and qualify for your little condemnation “list”. Not conveniently ignoring anything, just asking you for a little empathy and compassion in this stressful time for another, but that’s of course not possible for you. Everyone who see things differently (even a little) from you is demonized right? Please publish your list with a little red cover and you can wave it around in the face of everyone who disagrees with you. YOU my friend are number 10 in this list. If you’re incapable of seeing my point as something other than a straw man argument (which clearly you’re well versed in!) others here will, and it’s to them I address this. Labeling me right wing is nothing short of comical to anyone who knows me. I’m at least as Left as you; it’s just that I’m Trotsky and you’re Stalin. In Left (and Right) politics these are always those like you ready to chastise for not being zealous enough, not ideologically pure enough. They are what turned the original success of the Russian Revolution of 1917 into the totalitarian nightmare that the USSR became. Or what Mao did to the righteous Chinese overthrow of a teetering Imperial rule. What you’re incapable of seeing is how similar your thinking is to those you condemn so blithely! I can’t expect this of you so move on to the next charge I’m guilty of. Will this be this #10 or 11; I lose track…
Empathy? A bit ironic since Buck didn’t express any.
Jason, I think you’re violating #6 in Chairman Dudes list from earlier post! (I know; hard to keep track… I reckon he wants us to memorize them) Probably a few more as well. Regardless, are you saying empathy should go to out only to those you deem morally sound and think the way you do?
Anyone who feigns being a victim is not worthy of empathy. Anyone who is callous is not worthy of empathy. Someone who has the misfortune of being brought into this world with such profound ignorance is worthy of empathy. Assuming they haven’t already been disqualified. Buck has been disqualified.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCHfdpbyY84
Well, Stipes performance is one place we can meet and agree Dude; thanks for posting! Maybe a good place to leave this. Sad to see as ever so much factionalism in communities, be they of race, nation, gender, age, faith, or interests. (i.e. bike community) Hopefully we can find a way to heal this nation, especially at a time when it could all easily slip into serious chaos…
Yes, we should leave this. Again, zero acknowledgement of who started this.
A guy who owns a bike shop with a Fox news feed that he writes down on a greeting board.
That it is offensive, seems to be out of grasp of a lot of people.
The owner is not savvy enough to just apologize and deflects.
That is not my problem, that is his…
Yeah, I thought it was a good place to leave it. More love, less hate, now more than ever.
Yo Jonathan, don’t you think you’ve given “The Dude” enough rope here?
“Also, if you comment frequently, please consider holding your thoughts so that others can step forward. “
A lot of folks here really just don’t get it… A couple years ago a man stopped me and my partner while we were walking around town and started going off about “Japs stealing all the jobs” before trying to spit on me. Did he stop to check to make sure I was actually Japanese? Obviously not. Just looking sufficiently Asian is enough for these POS to target and puke up whatever nonsense has absorbed into their pea brains.
talk about making a mountain out of a molehill…jeesh
so what’s the plan? publicly shame this guy (and apparently sellwood cycles as well) until his business folds? interrupt his/their income? shun him from society, maybe suicide? really, what’s your end goal on this? seriously….what’s your end goal on this? and are you making attempts to have everyone who knows him make a statement or just sellwood cycles? maybe make a list of people who’ve offended you to pass around like the “shitty men in cycling” list that was going around?
Exactly. All I see here is one stupid post on an Instagram account that was taken down. Then Jonathan Maus went around telling everyone about (after it was taken down), asking for other’s opinions on it, knowing, that no one would say it was OK. To make the world a better place, maybe some things are meant to be kept private. Jonathon Maus should have reached out privately to the shop owner and not reported on it, unless there was a history repetitive posting of racist comments on social media by the bike shop owner.
Does twice qualify as “repetitive posting of racist comments” or does it have to be more than that? How many times should we shrug it off before it’s okay to respond?
What now? People are informed and can make their own decisions. Do you see a call to action anywhere in this post? It seems younare inventing one so you can feel aggrieved somehow.
‘and he was surprised by the reaction. “I had almost completely forgotten about it.” he said.’
This is how deep internalized racism is — and how we need not only individual but systemic approaches to racial justice. Thank you for writing this important article at the intersections of bikes and people.
That sign posted by DirtyFingers reminds me of Ted Geisel’s early political cartoons. There’s no doubt that they are intentionally racist and pejorative stereotypes. It’s also clear that his intention was skewering the fascist regimes of the time. The problem was that his barbs went through innocent people on their way to the valid targets. I’m glad Dr. Seuss moved on to his later delightful works.
(http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20190301-the-surprisingly-radical-politics-of-dr-seuss)
Based on Behind the Bastards recommendation, just finish the Pale Rider audiobook (its good). The reason the name “Spanish Flu” came about is because Spain wasn’t involved in WW1 and didn’t have war time censorship. Therefore, as they (the Spanish) began reporting on it, other media in began assuming it came from Spain. As the book mentions, there are two leading theories as to the origin of the flu. One in the USA, brought to Europe by soldiers in 1917, festering in the trenches and then out to the south of European. The other is eastern Europe, maybe brought westward by refuges from the Russian Revolution.
It’s been pretty well established that the USA origin story was Russian propaganda, promulgated by Lenin and his troll army on Twitter.
Well, actually, the United States created the Declaration of Independence July 4th, 1776. This is the origin story for the US.
Twitter is an internet service. The internet was as we know it today first came into being in 1991. This is when Tim Berners-Lee introduced the World Wide Web. Most websites these days omit the WWW. However, in the early years a hypertext transfer protocol address would include the “www”, such as http://www.aol.com.
Lenin died on January 21, 1924.
Your statement cannot hope to be accurate.
That could be onomatopoeia for a turd in a toilet, or a jam jar jet. Either way. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Ah, I guess I missed the mark.
“Bazinga!”
Jonathan,
Thank you for writing this article and creating dialogue on this extremely important issue. It is so important for allies (not just marginalized folks) to confront racist behavior. We can only make change if we talk about race with candor and reflect on our own actions and behaviors and those of people we hold dear.
The outpouring of support and defense I’ve seen for Mitchell in the Hood River community has been alarming to me. His apology was not a true apology and only served to gaslight those who were offended. I hope that he continues to reflect on his words and the impact they’ve had. It is easy to be defensive at first, but perhaps with some time this can move the community forward.
Cheers,
A Hood River Local
i’ve asked this already but no one wants to answer, so how are you going to go forward with this? what’s your ultimate plan for this guy who has already apologized. already apologized for a bad pun on the word “kung fu”? I mean, kung fu is a recreational activity not a race or a nation. seriously, what more do you want? blood? actual blood?
He also made fun of a hip hop band.
Seek help. You crave the chance to correct people. You can’t resist the opportunity to correct even this wing nut. And it’s such a petty correction. So pointless. Really, just, get help.
But you have to admit that HK has the driest wit this side of Burkina Faso.
I see, so you think it’s okay to joke about the geography of a nation while ignoring the politics. Burkina Faso has a history of violence and unrest. Even now there are violent and bloody attacks. I would not consider a nation to be dry if the ground is soaked in blood. Showing your true colors.
I think that was a climatic reference. Though, to be fair, there is a monsoon season in that region, so sometimes it’s kind of the opposite of dry.
You take yourself way too seriously, Jason.
so after you guys are through clutching your pearls, what are you gonna do about this guy who made a joke about a recreational activity and geography? are we gonna show up at his home with torches? what’s the plan? or just more pearl clutching……
You keep pecking away at variations on that same question over and over, hoping for what? To provoke some over the top response? Or to expose the lack of a coherent plan for next steps, which in your mind supports your view that it’s pointless to discuss?
While I can’t speak for the rest of “us guys” what I personally am gonna do about this guy is mostly nothing, which includes not giving him any of my money. But guess what, if the subject comes up among any of my bike-riding friends and acquaintances I will tell them exactly what I think.
What you call pearl clutching some among us would simply call expressing an opinion. If what you really want is for everyone to just shut up, feel free to lead by example.
@rain panther, thank you. that’s a very appropriate response.
Sweet comeback.
Honestly, it just occurred to me I can’t even tell anymore whether someone on this thread is being sarcastic or argumentative or disingenuous or maybe none of the above…
Think it’s time for me to go sit on the front stoop and drink in some sunshine.
Take care, everyone.
@rain panther, not a comeback. I really think that’s a very appropriate response to the situation. no matter what side of the fence one stands. even on the shutting up part.
Thanks e.d., sorry I got it twisted for a moment there. Think I’m ready to shut up for a spell and just let my thoughts settle.
It’s interesting to see how many people believe that we can’t really say that what Dirty Fingers did was offensive when a) they posted a racist post, b) they provided a non-apology that instead loudly proclaims “FIRST AMENDMENT” that they believe will protect them from any sort of critique or being held responsible for their racism and instead c) doubles down in a further statement that makes sweeping generalizations about an entire group of people of color.
It’s a pretty simple conclusion: The owner of Dirty Finders is doing and saying messed-up, racist things. How do we know? Folks of color have said so.
Believe them.
Bravo Zulu Dirty Fingers. Let’s keep cycling great.
Even these old hears hear that dog whistle. Romeo Alpha Foxtrot
Well, doesn’t this discussion seem a whole lot different now? I hope all you people who came here to defend systemic racism are happy, because you are as responsible for the destruction of America’s cities as anyone. Fortunately, it looks like people are finally ready to leave your BS behind as a relic of our bigoted history. The rest of us will continue to enjoy watching you squirm as your fragile egos struggle to adapt to our new reality. After all, you deserve it.
Feelings aren’t facts. Nothing is racist unless it’s clear that it is, otherwise you’re just taking the easy road by using what you desire to feel as evidence. You want to feel like a good person, and you want to feel the safety of belonging, so your own ego will believe anything to create a stronger sense of safety by aligning with your chosen in-group. Sorry, but you’re wrong.
Nothing Mitchell said is racist because he didn’t intend it to be. You need to trust this is the case if he says so, instead of warping your own reality based on how something “feels.” I recommened you read “The Coddliing of the American Mind” to understand the devastation this “safety” you seek is having on truth and truth is, people, at their core, are good. It’s when fear goes unchecked does evil, i.e. self-interest, come to pass. Or is this all racist?
The idea that you can only say or do racist things if you specifically so intend is preposterous. You should know better.
Very pleased to hear someone is thinking straight, unlike the accusers of “racism” at the mention of anything non-white. I think it’s clear who the real racists are here. Stand behind free-speech, stand behind self-expression AT ALL COSTS! BRAVO MITCHELL. KEEP FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT AGAINST FASCIST OPPRESSION ON FREE SPEECH AND FREE WILL. (Dear Portland, you’re afraid of yourSELF so you’re projecting what you can’t bear to face onto others. It’s pathetic, and the whole country sees how idiotic and hypocritical you are. We still wish you the best, because that is who we are.)
This illustrates the great myth among bigots that someone is out to attack their free speech rights. No one is trying to censor you, Hunter. What’s actually happening is that your speech has consequences, and everyone else also has rights of free speech and free association. That means we have the right to tell you that you are saying racist things and we won’t patronize your business any more. That is the essence of freedom, the “marketplace of ideas.” That’s what you don’t like. Perhaps you don’t love free speech as much as you think you do.