Miss America crowns 1st winner of Indian descent; racist tweets flow

No sooner had the tiara been placed atop her head than a barrage of racist tweets flooded the Internet.

"If you're #Miss America you should have to be American," said one.

"WHEN WILL A WHITE WOMAN WIN #MISSAMERICA? Ever??!!" screamed another.

Nina Davuluri is American. She just happens to be of Indian descent. In fact, she's the first Indian-American to be crowned Miss America.

Miss America crowns 1st winner of Indian descent; racist tweets flow

America - you have a problem.

For years now a whole load of racist nonsense has gone unchecked.

Born out of the "war on terror", hateful rhetroic from right wing politicians, blog posters and organised racist groups together with an apparent general ignorance of the world at large misconceptions about peoples origions have been allowed to fester and multiply and this kind of thing is the result.

Now I know that these people do not represent the majority of Americans, but the fact of the matter is that they represent a certain section of the populace, and the question is this - how can this ignorance be denied - this kind of thing harms the US activelt across the globe because people will focus on it and highlight it as they always do with bad news.

What can be done to bring these people into line? When does "free speech" = freedom to offend, or be ignornat and hateful?

reply to post by neformore

"If you're #Miss America you should have to be American,"

And this guy has what background? Irish maybe? He sure ain't native american

If you're #Miss America you should have to be American

wow, I thought that kind of ignorance was stamped out a long time ago.
It`s hard to believe and a bit scarey that there are still people in america who are so ignorant that they think that you have to be white anglo saxon christian in order to be considered an american.
I guess they were sleeping in history class when they covered the part about america being the great melting pot.

Now I know that these people do not represent the majority of Americans, but the fact of the matter is that they represent a certain section of the populace, and the question is this - how can this ignorance be denied - this kind of thing harms the US activelt across the globe because people will focus on it and highlight it as they always do with bad news.

What can be done to bring these people into line? When does "free speech" = freedom to offend, or be ignorant and hateful?

I don't think anyone needs to be brought into line. I love Indian women to the extreme, and appreciate a hot Indian woman has been crowned victor. However, a few ignorant tweets by some online losers does not warrant a raid on the First amendment, and IMO no amount of it ever will.

Grow a thick skin, and move on. People have their rights, and in their angry little pathetic lives this is their victory that no one really cares about. Miss America is focusing on her victory, and is going to simply shrug it off and focus on what good she may now help accomplish, world peace n all .

I believe having the right to offend is part of what makes this country so damn different and lovely. She has her defenders, myself and you as included. These negative comments are absolutely in the minority, and evil knows it. That is why the beast chooses to focus and direct it at everyone else who is having a decent time, it will stoke division, and evil loves division. As long as the majority of responses are positive as they have been, than the victory belongs to the well intended.

You can pray for the ignorant ones, debate with them, rationalize with them, ignore them, or console them. Ultimately it is they who will decide when they will snap out of their bitter state of outwardly directed self hatred, and no amount of regulation on speech or "Yelling Louder" will change that.

I guess that is about all I have to add to that.

The winner should probably be based on how well she represents the average American woman

reply to post by neformore


It is getting to the point of needing an international moratorium on racism.
We need to have GLOBAL recognition of what is and not acceptable speech. (* above and beyond "free speech" ideals )

I have seen racism around the world - first hand.
( on the receiving end mind you, due to mistaken assumptions as to my Nationality )

The world is so much smaller these days due to - internet - tv - cable and sattelite.
Racism is a thing of the past.

I enjoy jumping onto ATS and its chat facility; then interacting with people all around our planet -
in real time !
How cool is that !??

The dead wood eventually falls. Or a forest fire sweeps through.

A new age can not escape the history nor the natural forces of change.
Some lessons are harder learned, yet easily forgotten - in the space of a couple of generations.

Our childrens' ed. will see a difference with the right parenting. ( we hope )

* steps down from soapbox ...

reply to post by neformore


There is statical evidence that both racists and conservatives have a lower IQ on average. Both a disability to see the bigger picture. Society will always have its stupid elements.

I have all the hope for humanity to one day get over this stupidity, but as of right now, even if this thread was just about the result and not the aftermath, I'd have expected this reaction from people.

Perhaps one day people will realise there is only ONE race, the human race and I can't wait for that day to come. Once racism is obliterated, perhaps people will realise also, that flags divide people. Treat the planet as one country, we are all living on it, why separate and divide? I live in the UK, yet I consider the Australians on the other side of the globe as my neighbours.

purplemer
reply to post by neformore

 

There is statical evidence that both racists and conservatives have a lower IQ on average. Both a disability to see the bigger picture. Society will always have its stupid elements.

Really? Do you want to cite that "evidence" you have there? Or do you want to continue to spew your ignorance and hate a little more?

Or are you representing that "society" you are speaking about?

We have a similar thing in the UK.

Theres:
British born in Britain, white going back generations.
British, born in Britain, all races.
Not British, migrated to Britain, all races.

We have all pretty much settled down with the "what makes a British person British" thing and are quite comfortable with any race as long as they are born and raised in the UK being referred to as British. This is the world we live in, we have planes and trains and travel and migration etc 'deal with it'.

There is still a small contingent that refuse for any person to be considered British that is not white, regardless of place of birth or place raised. These are the few racists we have. And i suspect that you simply have a higher number of this type who care, for the sake of caring because no one else does - some people just like being the minority opinion.

reply to post by neformore


I'm not too sure anyone that's living in America can truly call themselves 'Americans'. Just like myself, I'm an anglo 20 something guy and I do classify myself as Aussie (I was born here) but the true Australians are the Aboroginies! They were here tens, if not hundreds of thousands of years before we white folk settled here.

At the end of the day- we are all human.

I feel for this girl though- if she were to go to India they would see her as an American yet in America, where she was born and raised, (que the fresh prince theme song!) she is identified as an Indian.

Ugh. Life, hey?

reply to post by neformore


I would imagine there are these same kinds of bigoted and racist individuals in every country, even England..

While the show is watched by millions, I am fairly sure the number of people exposing their ignorance was a VERY small fraction

The fact that she won is actually a very satisfying indicator that what the Founding Fathers envisioned is still coming true..

I applaud her and the judges

She's hot!

Is Miss America a New Yorker? I thought i seen an Indian woman on the news yesterday from my area running for Miss America.

reply to post by Tardacus


Xenophobia is one of the highest forms of ignorance, not to mention one of the most dangerous. We have only to look at the example of the Nazi occupation of Europe to see why this sort of intolerance cannot be allowed to go unchecked. It does not matter whether the xenophobia is based on religious, political, or skin colour differences, the fact is that hatred of this type is cancerous. It brings entire continents to their knees, and the end result of this sort of hatred being allowed to run amok is death on a massive scale, the crushing of liberty and freedom, and total inequality.

This cannot possibly stand.

Also, on the particular point of the comments made about the winner of Miss America 2013, one commenter is reported to have said something like "When are we going to have a real American win this contest?", or something of that sort...

Not only has the dull eyed, half witted, barely sentient mess who posted that question forgotten geopolitical history well enough that they feel safe in their unreasoning hatred of other colours, creeds, and faiths, but they have also forgotten the history of the Miss America competition. In a history dating back more than ninety years, it is only in the last forty three years that non-white contestants were even allowed, because back in the day the idiots ruled the roost in terms of writing the competitions terms and conditions. At one point there was even a complicated form which was designed to trace the ancestry of the participants (which for a nation chock full of immigrants is perhaps the most retarded thing I ever heard of).

Where the population of the USA is concerned, only a very tiny percentage ought to be allowed to claim ANY chagrin at the state of immigration these days, and those would be the people who are directly descended from native tribes, and even these people are likely to be aware that their ancestors arrived in North America after being else where. The whole question of what constitutes being American is perhaps the most ridiculous I have ever heard of. In the most positive way possible, America is a mixture and has been since it was first settled by anyone, let alone the European immigrants that are famed for their voyage across the sea from Europe ! America, the bastard, should be proud of its hybrid culture, because its all it has ever had! The upholding of the Anglo Saxon ideal is ridiculous no matter where it is found, but PARTICULARLY in a nation whose long dead founders and settlers were nothing of the sort themselves !

reply to post by beezzer


Yup that's her, Miss America. From NYS!

Yes she is Beezer. Very HOT!

beezzer
She's hot!

Seconded by the way.

To be honest, she is not good looking, I have seen waitresses better than her. What is the crieteria of Miss America competition is also something I do not know.

Btw, all this Miss this and that competition is more political based than beauty in reality. Soon someone is going to start a compeition where realy beauty and class is chosen, not trends in politics.

semperfortis
reply to post by neformore

 

I would imagine there are these same kinds of bigoted and racist individuals in every country, even England..

While the show is watched by millions, I am fairly sure the number of people exposing their ignorance was a VERY small fraction

The fact that she won is actually a very satisfying indicator that what the Founding Fathers envisioned is still coming true..

I applaud her and the judges

I need to confirm that you're stating that this show has been watched by millions yet only a 'VERY small' fraction voiced their anger? If we are talking about a beauty contest then I'm going to throw it out there and say the majority of those watching it are very simple minded folk who probably do not have the comprehension to vent on social media.
But I'm sure at next weeks church service there will be a lot that's said.

reply to post by TrueBrit


And how would one participate in that? There clearly wouldn't be a swimsuit section!