We all know why you spent so much time in Colombia. 
The women havenāt. Be careful.
For sure, thatās a given. Lol!
No I mean the word negro.
That looks like a good book by the way. I just finished rereading Antony Beevorās ā1945: The Fall of Berlinā so I think Iām going to pick your recommendation up for my next read.
Opticsā¦
Optics is the best word for itā¦Optics is not just used by advertising agencies. I hear Optics used on the news all the time. It has to do with how an action or event is viewed. Optics tells us whether the action or event meets the desired outcomes. Optics is the entirely correct word to useā¦because I want people to see that while the event or action might be completely harmless on itās ownā¦Itās optics taken in the context of what is going on in the nation today is completely different from what the actual intent is. OPTICSā¦
See what I did there? I explained why I use the word Optics! I hope you understand. The optics of my post might be perceived that I was trying to piss you off. I was not.
I guess my habit of calling my wife and daughter dudes just out of habit or excitement is not appropriate either like Dudeā¦Watch where you are going you almost hit the house.
WHich I once said to my daughter when I was teaching her to drive.
Dude defined by Websterās as a guy or a manā¦Shouldnāt they be offended by it?
Or dudeā¦come in here and watch the Cubs with meā¦They need some of your mojo.
Or dude get out of here you are costing the Cubs the game. Iāve done bothā¦LOL
I understand, and will refer however you wish.
It is an excellent book. I learned a lot.
Itās a stupid catch term for perception, for those who canāt spell perception.
Oh I can spell perceptionā¦it isnāt as much about perceiving its about the visual the other person is putting out. Optics to me is as much about what the event or action looks like because of the ignorance of the person doing it.
Racism is a hot button issue right now. The optic of. Saying someone is out of their cotton picking minds is not as much about the perception but the visualization one puts out there in the public eye by saying it. If I said people were perceiving it wrongā¦i would have used perceptionā¦what I meant when I said optics was just that. The visualization the speaker put forthā¦not the perception the listener hadā¦ Get the picture.
And everytime you say it Im sure they wince and lovingly adjust. Black folks are not required to ot be offended by their crazy rude white cousins.
However I too am guilty. I always do my black impersonations to my black wife and she just says things like āGo be racist outsideā when I just thought I was being funny. Sometimes I will call a group of women guys. āHi guysā when in fact I am just referring to the group as guys.
Uh Nah. Cotton Picking mind is a racist phrase and the racial overtones are tremendous. No Pass.
Nonsense. Itās a harmless comment I have heard white and black people alike say my whole life.
Itās usually said in a humorous exchange with someone else.
The PC police arenāt going to tell me what to say or think.
As far as actual picking cotton i know a lot of white people who have picked cotton.
Should you choose to say that in the prescence of the wrong black person, dont be surprised to get knocked the ā ā ā ā out either.
Lets get something clearā¦ you are free to say all the racist ā ā ā ā you want. It is a free country. That said, you are also free to take all the ass whippings that may come with exercise of said freedom.
What you dont get to do it use phrases that are obviously racist in nature and then tell people that you arent using a racist phrase. Well, I guess you can actually do that tooā¦but youll look like an idiot in doing so.
Youre statement is no different that someone who grew up in an actual racist environment saying that the word ā ā ā ā ā ā was just something they grew up with.
That doesnt make it right.
Cotton picking is not racist nor am I likely to take any whippings over it. 
Okay, ITGā¦
Its is racist. At the time the turn of phrase came about, the common idea was that black people werent as intelligent as whites. Being out of your cotton picking mind was a comparison to someone less intelligent, and it was originally someone less intelligent and black.
At least be cognizant of where the ignorant ā ā ā ā you choose to say comes from.
Donāt believe that my Grandma was a racistā¦and she said it all the time. It was better than saying are you out of your damn mind in front of all of her grand kidsā¦who she believed never heard her swearā¦we all heard her swear. Some of my earliest cursesā¦were things I learned from her. LOLā¦I think she may have just been being nice. But I get the racial undertones. I just donāt think all people who use the phrase do so with racist intentions.
Saying it to a black person is probably not the best thing to do. Saying it front of your grand kidsā¦may be better than the alternative. LOL
Thatās not what it means around these parts and I will not yield to demands from the pc police.
As I have said before I worked around a ton of people, white and black alike, who had picked cotton in their lives and none had a problem with the saying and used it quite frequently in a humorous way. I doubt it even occurred to anyone some one would try and make it racial.
Many Leftists have no humor though. Too bad.
I bet you do
I wouldnt assume granny was racist either. That is because its possible for someone to say something racist without actually BEING a racist.
Like i saidā¦you are free to say all the racist ā ā ā ā you want. Hell, as I said aboveā¦it doesnt even make you inherently a racist.
That doesnt make what you say any less racist.
