The creator of the “Dilbert” cartoon strip, Scott Adams, recently found himself at the center of controversy over his views about the black American community. During a live stream on his YouTube channel, Adams brought up a Rasmussen poll. This poll asked a question to 1,000 participants. The question was as follows: “Do you agree with this statement: “It’s ok to be white”.
The answers were broken down by race (black, white, and other). The majority of white respondents said they agreed with the statement, as did the majority of blacks. Scott Adams had an issue with just how many black respondents were either “unsure” or “disagreed”. That particular number amounted to a total of 47%. This made Adams say that since 47% of blacks think that it is not OK to be white, then white people should stay away from black people because they are a hate group.
Scott Adams’ statement was ridiculous because of a couple of factors. First, the pool of respondents was only 1,000 people. Out of that 1,000, only about 160 or so were black. 47% of that number amounts to less than 80 people. It is unfair to take the opinion of 80 people and apply that to 40 million others. Secondly, Adams was missing context. The statement “it’s ok to be white” is truthful. So is the statement “black lives matter” and “all lives matter”. However, most people understand that the latter two statements have context linked to them aside from their obvious meanings.
“Black Lives Matter” is not just simply a statement about black people, it also represents an organization. This organization has proven itself, over and over again, to be dangerous and anti-American. Especially on the national level. “All Lives Matter” is a true statement, but is often seen as “racist” by some people because they see it as a response to “Black Lives Matter”. The ALM/BLM dynamic is present with the term “it’s ok to be white” as well. And the reason for that perception dates back to 2017.
Several colleges had random white sheets of paper with the phrase “it’s ok to be white” posted in random areas. Common rooms, hallways, etc. These posters were viewed as anti-black and racist. It is not quite clear where all of the signs came from or where they started, although some of them have been linked back to online forums as part of a “trolling” campaign. So, when someone responds negatively (or simply, not positively) to the term “it’s ok to be white”, maybe they don’t necessarily hate white people. Maybe they are simply not comfortable with the term because they remember the origin.
SOURCES:
Episode 2027 Scott Adams: AI Goes Woke, I Accidentally Joined A Hate Group, Trump, Policing Schools – YouTube
Dilbert Creator Scott Adams’ Racist View Is All Too Common | Time
Scott Adams’ problematic comments are nothing new, cartoonists say : NPR
‘Dilbert’ distributor drops creator Scott Adams over his racist remarks | CNN Business
Elon Musk Accuses Media of Bias for Dropping ‘Dilbert’ – The New York Times
Dilbert Scott Adams racist rant: don’t miss the absolute dumbest part of this controversy.
NU students find ‘it’s okay to be white’ sticker in Allison hall
Counterprotesters show up to condemn ‘It’s OK to be white’ banner in Congress Square – Portland Press Herald
Is It Time To Get Over Slavery? Black Liberals vs Black Conservatives | Middle Ground – YouTube
