White People’s Day: Was Chris Rock Really Offensive in Controversial July 4th Tweet?

White People’s Day, as we reported earlier, has become the outrage du jour among some white people late this week — following a tweet comedian Chris Rock sent on July 4th, as Americans celebrated Independence Day.

Here’s what Chris Rock had to say about White People’s Day, in the tweet many are now finding so offensive:

“Happy white peoples independence day the slaves weren’t free but I’m sure they enjoyed fireworks.”

And white people lost their damn minds.

Immediately, Twitter began lighting up with shock that Rock had dared to mention that black people in America were kept as slaves and treated horribly. And that it wasn’t until we fought a big ugly bloody war to end it so that black people got the right to, you know, not be murdered or beaten or forced to work for years on end with no recompense at all.

Predictably, white people — who, as Rock points out, enjoyed freedom for all the years black people were enslaved — were very displeased with Rock saying something that is both factually true and, may we point out, references historical happenings far more recent than the very event July 4th marks.

In fact, as many white people complain, it is basically as bad as slavery that sometimes black people mention that black people were once slaves. As white people are quick to explain, this is called “reverse racism,” and is equally harmful.

Sometime immediately after the civil war ended, racism was replaced with this newer, more insidious kind of race-based hate that appears whenever anyone mentions that conditions used to be worse for black people in America — a historically correct but inconvenient bit of information for non-black people.

In a time where a black kid can’t walk to the corner store without getting shot at point-blank range right in the chest, won’t anyone think of the white people? Do you know how hard it is to be white nowadays, with all the black people who insist on referring to history every so often?

Many took to Twitter to complain about Rock’s “racism” in pointing out that something that happened actually happened. As a white person myself, I would much rather that than getting shot in the chest at point-blank range when I am just trying to buy a damn iced tea, but I realize that opinion is just me, and far be it from me to speak for all white people, or suggest that the reaction to Rock’s tweet still illustrates we have a long way to go.

But you know, both getting shot and having to hear about a black kid that got shot are bad! Listen to one Conservative on Twitter of the #tcot hashtag, who cries into his tea:

“Chris Rock says ‘happy white people’s independence day.’ Racist lefties keep throwing gas on the fire to keep the hate alive. #tcot #loser”

Yes, you guys! Racism is like Voldemort. We can only summon it by mentioning it, and acknowledging it did exist and still exists, and if we simply pretend it did not happen, and that the kid who got shot right in the chest for going to the store was really asking for it because he was suspended from school (even though George Zimmerman could not have possibly known that), then all racism will not only magically never occur, but it will also never have happened.

User @rodimusprime muses:

“From the Chris Rock backlash I can see that a lot of people have replaced history with the Abe Lincoln Vampire Hunter version of slavery.”

Maybe that guy is on to something, because that movie made white people look really noble! The actual historically factual version is just totally reverse racism. Another white person simply sniffs:

“Chris, find a country you like and go there.”

Now see, this guy knows history. Americans don’t have a history of speaking freely about things they don’t like, in order to affect change. No Americans can criticize America without planning to leave the country, as that is the only solution to unfavorable conditions like systemic racism. In fact, I think it is in the Bill of Rights, that all men are created equal, except maybe black people, women and gay folk, and if you don’t like it, leave.

It should be noted that Chris Rock has not deleted his White People’s Day tweet, allowing White People to wear their official outrage at being discriminated against hat for many more days to come.

Happy white peoples independence day the slaves weren’t free but I’m sure they enjoyed fireworks

— Chris Rock (@chrisrock) July 4, 2012