You’re giving the absolutely, demonstrably proven racist ass president way too much benefit of the doubt here.
Given the connotations the term has taken on in the current U.S. context, this usage is racist. Period.
If you’re not convinced, please consider whether he ever has or ever would refer to white protesters as thugs.
My only surprise here is that 45 didn’t type the word we all know he wanted to.
I use the term in the more general sense, know the etymology, and just happily applied it to Chauvin and cops of his ilk. But if an American conservative – right-wing populist or otherwise – uses the term “thug”, I can guarantee you it’s specifically about darker-skinned young males. That’s been the dog-whistle usage for decades now.
And thugs like Officer Derek Chauvin are dishonoring their badge and uniform, and their duty to protect and serve the public.
That badge and uniform has been without honor for a long fucking time now.
Oh, the man responsible for more than 100,000 American deaths from coronavirus is tweeting that “The only good Democrat is a dead Democrat” and that protesters in Minneapolis should be shot? Who could’ve imagined that Mass Murderer Trump would ever call for mass murder?
Really sad to not have a leader in our country I feel more like I did in kindergarten out on the playground and a kid was being a bully
It’s an actual quote from the race riots of the 60s. The phrase was used by Miami’s police chief, Walter Headley, in 1967, when he addressed his department’s “crackdown on … slum hoodlums,” according to a United Press International article from the time.
I knew I would get this response from you.
I’m sure by now you know I hate Trump, and would rather take a punch to the face than defend him. The guy is a racist scumbag.
In this case, it could be either, but I see people use the term thug for lowlifes in general. Perhaps his usage is intended to be that way, but I use the word myself. And I don’t direct its usage based on color.
It’s not the most racist thing he’s tweeted and it’s not the most overt threat of violence but it may be the most explicitly he’s ever threatened an actual full-scale race war.
I dunno, maybe he would if they ran somebody over with their car or something?
And if they did, it was not a violation of Trump’s first amendment rights.
50, 100 years ago, the term “thug” was indeed used to refer to the part of a gang (especially organized crime gangs) who’s job it was to beat up and intimidate targets of the gang or whoever hired them. (as in the “hired thugs” a crooked politician may hire to scare off a nosy reporter or investigator) (see also “goons”)
Now days, like many terms, it has been co-opted by the white supremacists as a generic term referring to any black man. Specifically implying that every black man is a dangerous violent criminal.
Outside of film noir movies and detective novels, the term is no longer understood in its old sense of meaning by the general population.
So an overt threat to murder his opponents and a racist dog whistle? Well played, Trump.
I don’t understand why the WH picked that quote. It’s not glorifying taking violent action or threatening anyone, that I can tell. It’s saying that if a person is killed by oppressors, they victim will be rewarded in the afterlife.
Trump has had that chance. I wonder what he tweeted about this dude? I’d be amazed if he called him a thug:
I sincerely doubt that is why Trump used the phrase. Stephen Miller, maybe. Trump wouldn’t know a history book if it hit him on the head.
Yes, I remember, “very fine people”. I thought the /s went without saying, but given the tsunami of shit from this president, I can’t blame you for thinking I might’ve missed that one.
Y’all are being a little murkin-centric. “Thug” is used in almost all English Language dialects, and outside of the US (I gather), generally without a racist subtext. It is for example a frequently used word in hockey, one of the whitest sports there is. In my experience it is not unheard of on soccer and rugby pitches either.
The problem with the word is it is now coded language. 99% of the times when a racist uses it, it’s to describe black males.
Are there white “thugs”? Sure. You see lots of them in gangster stories of the pulp era. You very rarely see it used that way today.
Now - does everyone who uses that word mean it in a racist way? Probably not. Does it give one pause? Yeah. Like anytime you see other coded language like “88” in a gamer tag. Personally I try to avoid language that might lump me in with them.
