Penn State professor tells a white student during lecture “You’re breathing and you left your house so you may have oppressed somebody." Thoughts?

Question

Sam Richards, a Sociology professor at Penn State, made a white student stand up in a lecture class and asked him whom he had oppressed that day. When the man said, “nobody,” Prof. Richards said, “You’re breathing and you left your house so you may have oppressed somebody.”

jennifer_bloom · Accepted Answer

Two things that cross my mind, the first is that he is being sarcastic and suggesting that he would be accused of discrimination or unearned privilege simply for being white, or maybe he is saying our lives are built around inequality and one person has to go down in order for another to go up, like my cousin said if we did not use slave labour to make our t-shirts, our t-shirts would cost us $200. If America did not use illegal immigrants and underpay them, taxes would have to be much higher to pay for things like manicured palm trees or government laws and in order for a person to exist in privilege, poor people have to be underpaid cutting trees for his notebooks, abusing farmers to make his cafe meals, exploiting kids to make his coffee beans, I know news outlets sometimes vilify innocent people by taking things out of context, NBC did that win Rabbi Manis Friedman.

Uannoyme · Accepted Answer

The self hatred. What must it be like to go through life being that miserable? I wonder if these people believe the garbage they're spewing, or if it's just the ultimate contest of who can display the most woke crap.

Keyboardkat · Accepted Answer

This miserable excuse for a scumbag (!) has no business teaching at Penn State University or any other! He himself just oppressed that student, for no damned good reason at all. Of course, it is axiomatic that college administrations are spineless unprincipled cowards and will take NO action! If I were that kid's father, I'd yank him out of there, with a BLISTERING letter to the president and trustees of the school, laying out exactly what I sent my son to college for and what I DID NOT send him for!

Avicenna · Accepted Answer

Well, "Sociology Professor" says it all. They're almost all on the far left.  It was a totally inappropriate thing to say to a student, and should have resulted in dismissal (not covered by tenure).

rjroy3 · Answer

If this class doesn't involve debate of some kind or isn't a debate class then the teacher was out of line. Because what he says isn't really up for debate within the context of class.

But if there is an element of that. In college it's on him to speak up

Astarlessnightsky · Answer

Depends, if its because the student is "white" that would be racism.

If its because of other reasons he may wanted to point out some socio economic problems,

eg. The clothes you wear are produced in India/China/.. where working conditions are really bad compared to NA or Europe, but its cheap so people are buying it.
But by choosing to buy these clothes you contributed to the oppression of some poor women in a sweatshop around the globe.

Or when ordering from amazon, you are contributing to the oppression of some poor delivery guy.

purplepoppy · Answer

Isn't that just a method of teaching students how to argue. If a student can't argue against such nonsense and put forward his own beliefs then he's going to struggle in his profession

Lliam · Answer

That quote was taken out of context. He was having a discussion about the Coca Cola training for its employees. You could tell that he found it over the top and rather absurd, but he was prompting his students to think about the issue of white privilege and share their views and experiences.
He came across as a good teacher. He was not promoting "woke" liberalism or being racist.

doopayo · Answer

White liberals like this need to shutup. POC never asked them to do this, they just do this to feel high and mighty while at the same time ignoring minorities when they voice their opinions.

It’s a white savior complex at its finest

TadCurious · Answer

It's even worse when the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is talking Critical Race Theory nonsense and "systemic racism" while giving assurances about the Afghan military's ability and willingness to defend their country.

hellionthesagereborn · Answer

Not surprising, the most racist teachers are leftist proffesors. Personally I would like their rules to apply to them, they wouldn't survive a day if that was the case.

BeMuse · Answer

It’s pretty simple, don’t spend money at that university. Then lobby your state legislature to cut their funding.

MrNameless · Answer

I never asked for this. I'm liberal and I'm not white, and I think guilt tripping white people for existing is really stupid.

crmoore · Answer

I haven't checked out all of the links, so he may have already included it, but if not, here's the link:

Surely · Answer

The professor looks white. So he
must be all of those things too.
If he really believes what he is teaching. He needs to be tarred and feathered and ran out of town for wasting people’s tuition money.

exitseven · Answer

I work in higher education and make no secret of my support for President Trump. It makes me nervous to walk to my truck after dark.

joeldalton · Answer

That would be the last time that shithole college got a penny from me.

NathanDavis · Answer

I just sneezed about an hour ago... I wonder if I did assault someone.

IncognitoBandito · Answer

Most University Professors think they're clever and edgy; very few of them have what would be defined as great wit, or else they'd probably be applying it in another profession.

cth96190 · Answer

He is a Communist POS who needs the Pinochet treatment.

Juxtapose · Answer

This is an example of the soft sciences for you lol. His profession is a joke.

OlderAndWiser · Answer

This idiot should be fired.

Joker_ · Answer

He's obviously not wrong? I presume he's making the point that offending is inevitable because taking offense is impossible not to do

Anonymous · Answer

This tells meA) he's an academicB) he's internalised his privilege and self hatred, and is expressing it to the class.

Recurrence · Answer

Indirectly yeah. Like, we’re all wearing clothes and carrying things from totally different countries. Eventually someone’s getting oppressed for our bountiful lifestyles

Anonymous · Answer

Malignant narcissism at its finest. Liberal movements are full of those scum.

Anonymous · Answer

I dont get it? If you aren't oppressing people, why would you leave your house?

Dream_vacation · Answer

He’s probably just trying to invoke a thought experiment.

Anonymous · Answer

I hope someone kills him or better yet kills his children so that he has no descendents. He should cut his own scrotum off and feed it to a dog

karaspara · Answer

Has Prof still got possession of his teeth?

MCheetah · Answer

Fuck this racist piece of shit.

rcljr · Answer

The professor can go fuck himself with a cactus

disgustingweebtrash · Answer

Is he telling him to stop breathing? LOL

KrakenAttackin · Answer

This professor should have his head on a stick.

cloud9vortex1234 · Answer

He must be really fun to hang out with.

PurpleDrank69 · Answer

I wonder (((who))) is the professor…

anylolone · Answer

Basically a cult.

Pterodon · Answer

Fuck him.

Penn State professor tells a white student during lecture “You’re breathing and you left your house so you may have oppressed somebody." Thoughts?

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You can't make this up, two students that kicked white students out of a multicultural center at ASU in trouble, what do you think?

Penn State professor tells a white student during lecture “You’re breathing and you left your house so you may have oppressed somebody." Thoughts?

Most Helpful Opinions

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What Girls & Guys Said

You can't make this up, two students that kicked white students out of a multicultural center at ASU in trouble, what do you think?

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