Pregnant Woman Requests All White Delivery Staff
Talk about starting them young. A pregnant woman reportedly requested every person attending the delivery of her birth be white. As in Caucasian – not the color of the doc’s coat.
According to the Independent, the hospital refused (phew), although they’re under investigation for how the situation was handled.
Why do I let these situations surprise me? After all – it was just a few weeks ago that we heard about the judge who wouldn’t give a marriage license to a couple for fear they’d create biracial children.
But the repeated comment in media reports is it’s “unknown why” the woman made the request she made. Is it really possible it was made for any reason BUT racism? I hate to cry racism at every turn, but let’s call a spade a spade. There’s no religion in the world I’ve heard of that would rightly call for one particular color of skin at the delivery of a child – so that excuse is out. Nor is there a medical answer to this equation.
So let’s get down to it – she wanted to keep the blacks and the Asians out of the room lest her precious little one be touched by them, lest her lady parts be touched by one of them. That, folks, is what we call racism.
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Haha. Like to see her try that in NYC. I don’t know if any of our delivery staff was white. Well the doc was, I guess, though I wonder if Jews would count as white to this lady.
My thoughts exactly, Comstock, though in Chicago. To make it even “worse” (in this lady’s mind, not mine, let me add), most of the nurses are immigrants.
Nope, this doesn’t surprise me either. Though why doesn’t she homebirth and then she can make sure everyone wears hoods too?
I think it’s funny that in your post about not being a racist you use a racist term–to “call a spade a spade” has its roots in anti-black sentiment.
Was the woman black or white or asian? YOu never told us. Would you be as outraged if she had requested that no whites be present or is it okay to be racists in some cases but not others. “Call a spade a spade” is a racist saying by the way.
I learned something new today. I had no idea the “spade” comment came from racist origins.
The “spade” reference does not have its roots in anti-black sentiment. One might want to avoid it due to the misunderstanding that it does, though. Spend a few minutes looking up what you’ve “heard” before making snarky comments. http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/call-a-spade-a-spade.html
Actually folks, that phrase does not have racist origins. It’s been around a lot lot lot longer than the use of the word “spade” as a racial slur. The racist one refers to the color of spades in playing cards, this one is from the greek and refers to the shovel.
But anyway. Mistress_Scorpio made me spit my soda all over my monitor. very funny.
A friend of mine in the medical field heard about this and offered a slightly different take: she once dealt with a patient who wanted only “white” doctors. Wouldn’t let a black nurse help him disrobe. Turns out in his younger days, he’d been QUITE the little racist, and had a series of highly offensive racist tattoos. He’d since come around but hadn’t taken the time/didn’t have the money/whatever to remove the tattoos. He figured letting anyone who they referenced see them might compromise his medical care (I can see where he might think that). Wander if this mom has a racist tatt on her hoo-ha or something? (Okay, that’s more evil wicked laughter from me…but still)
CommentsPlumbLucky- That was actually an episode of Grey’s Anatomy…
Just writing to support bettywu in saying “calling a spade a spade” predates the racial use of the term, and should not be considered racist.
Ali – it would still be racist if an Asian woman was requesting only white doctors. It’s not un-racism if you discriminate against your own people… it’s still racism.
Thanks for pointing that out, Bec. Anyone can be racist. The point is that if the SOLE reason for doing/not doing something is based on the color of someone’s skin, it’s racist. I am black, and if I made that same whites-only request, it would be racist. If I made a no-whites request, again, it would be racist because it’s informed only by my feelings about skin color.
And “calling a spade a spade” is not a racist phrase. A quick Google search will explain…
PlumbLucky – maybe her vag has a tat above it that says “Whites Only!” ROTFLMAO!! As for the “spade a spade” I breathed one of those heavy sighs because I just knew it was going to become the focus of conversation. Bettywu is correct though, the term’s origins do predate it’s racist usage. I would disagree with Comstock, though. Most people aren’t interested in etymology, and language is a constantly evolving thing. Holding tight to the “but, it’s technically correct!!” argument ain’t going to work in the face of people who, as they know the term, as a racial epithet. Not to knock Jeanne, but I wonder sometimes if it is a regional thing. Having hailed from NYC originally, my eyes about popped out of my head when my babysitter, in a convo about garage sales, used the term “let them Jew you down.” I was so shocked, I barely whispered “we use the term “haggle” in our house.” I don’t know if she even heard me.
Mistress – thanks for the support. I actually was using it to be sarcastic in reference to the “I don’t want to cry racism at every turn” part. It was meant to show racism exists rather than to BE racist. Sometimes sarcasm bites you in the butt – sorry about that y’all!
And Ali, you proved my point right there – the old “reverse racism” argument always has to come from somewhere, and it’s ridiculous. As Twintown points, yes, an Asian person who asks for all Asians, a black person who asks for all blacks, etc. – it’s all wrong. But that doesn’t mean it has to be brought up at every turn as though there are all sorts of “reverse racists” out there.
Racism exists in all shapes and colors, and it’s ALL wrong.
By the way, Mistress – I’ve heard the “Jew you down” thing too – must be an upstate NY thing? Regardless, it makes me shudder every time I hear it too.
I just cannot go along with the
‘Holding tight to the “but, it’s technically correct!!” argument ain’t going to work in the face of people who, as they know the term, as a racial epithet’
Its like the use of the word niggardly. It doesn’t have anything to do with black people and never has. People have lost their jobs over using that word, simply because other people are too stupid to know its meaning. I refuse to change my language because people don’t know the meaning of words or phrases, yet feel free to accuse me of racism. “Jewing down” is pretty common in the midwest by the way.
Eric, if you purposefully seek to use language to provoke a shocked or negative response, just so you can say “ha, ha, you’re so stupid, you don’t know what the word really means!” it does not make you racist. It may make you an obnoxious asshole, but not racist.
I’ve never heard the word spade used as a racist term until I read the comments on this post. A spade is either something you dig with or a symbol on playing cards. Why do people insist on taking innoucuos, innocent words and turning them into something people are afraid to say for fear they’ll be deemed racist? -_-
The ignorance, it staggers. Not my job to inform you of how many misinformed premises it took to ask that question. I suspect you don’t honestly want an answer.
Is there any explanation where this isn’t racism? The only one I can think of is that this individual had had a bad experience with a nurse of color and didn’t want him/her in the delivery but didn’t know his or her name.
Probably just racism though.
I had no idea about this, probably because the spade thing is a fairly recent development in the history of the phrase. Anyway, I did advise my husband, who adjuncts at a university, not to use this phrase in front of class. He had no idea either. We grew up in the Midwest and have never heard of racist tones with it. Good to know…
Sathma – yes, I’m aware of that. My friend had watched the episode and cracked up, I wondered why she was cracking up, and she told me her experience which was nearly identical.
“Spade” is indeed a term that was used disparagingly for black people, as far as I know mostly in the mid-29th century. You wouldn’t hear it much these days, but it turns up here and there. Hence the conflating of that word, and “calling a spade a spade” which is older and unrelated, as others have pointed out.
My mother in law actually used the term “Jew him down” in front of me once, in, yes, upstate NY. I didn’t know that was an upstate thing? It disgusts me. You want to know the origin of the Jews-and-money stereotype? It’s that in some parts of Europe in an earlier age, we weren’t permitted to work in most professions. Those were reserved for Christians. We were allowed to handle money, though, because that was considered dirty. And of course, it enhances the bigotry and hate to assume that Jews all have lots of money and gold, doesn’t it? All I want to know is, where’s mine, baby?
YIKES! I did NOT mean “mid-29th century”, I meant mid-20th!
Scorpio, my intent isn’t to provoke a shocked or negative response. I wouldn’t go out my way to use language that some people are confused about. My only point is I refuse to intentionally go out of my way to NOT use the language that people are confused about. Also, I don’t want to rub people’s nose in the fact that they don’t know the meaning of certain words. As for being an obnoxious asshole, I’ve been called that without any question of the language I’m using
I can’t argue your point, Eric. Here’s a for instance that just happened to me last night. I ran into a woman who in passing conversation, we discovered we share the same profession. She wondered aloud why she had never met me before, as she “goes out of her way to know all the people of color in our town.” (The tension headache begins*) Now, I *wanted* to say, “That’s mighty white of you,” but I’m not sure if that would be a racist term. I figured I was treading on asshole territory if I even responded, so I just ended the interaction as quickly as possible and went home. Re: tension headache, see this link: http://www.hulu.com/watch/1605/saturday-night-live-excedrin-for-racial-tension-headaches
Very funny link Mistress.
‘She wondered aloud why she had never met me before, as she “goes out of her way to know all the people of color in our town.” ‘
What a pretentious thing to say! That’s like the people that, when challenged, say “oh I have lots of [insert other race] friends!”
One can legally ask for same gender, race or religion which may amount to the same thing. There are a variety of scams to introduce obligatory male nurses.
I would bet that there are some women who practice Islam who won’t let non-Muslim male doctors perform obstetric or gynecological services. I agree with their right to seek out services that can comply with their perceived need. This is a rather sensitive issue. This is about you, and your vagina, and who can (and can’t) see it or touch it.
That said, I think it is the responsibility of the patient to find a place where they will comply with the patient’s “ground rules”. If the patient can’t find such a place (a hospital or doctor who will keep their ‘naughty bits’ away from ‘the wrong people’) … if the patient can’t find such a willing professional institution, then tough luck. If it is such a “deal breaking” issue, you can always give birth in a ditch or on a sidewalk. I’m not trying to sound “extreme” in proposing this method and manner of delivery. On the contrary: People deliver in the wilderness and in other inopportune places all over the world every day.
regarding the phrase thing, I used “that’s the pot calling the kettle black” once and was told that is offensive – did not know it to be so.. comments? Also I think “jewing down” is definitely racist as it points to the negative stereotype of jewish people being miserly.
[...] the end of October, the article “Pregnant Woman Requests All White Delivery Staff” caught my eye. After reading it, I knew I had to blog about it. Not for the content of the [...]
Deep seated feelings in some whites for family at a time like this can cause such a reaction! Remember, integration of race is a relatively new American concept! Europeans have for many more centuries than I care to count maintained the “white” line! Some blacks may feel thd same way! Orientals too! Why can we not respect each others feelings a bit mmore withoutt the great new social taboo – racism entering the picture? Sweds are all white, finns too! Where’s the big insult? Becha lots of African ladies prefer black doctors, attendants at a time like this? Ask a missionary doctor! Are they “Shy” too! and stop ringing the racist bell every chance you get!
CommentsI guess I would have to ask if she had a history of traumatic episode in her life? Going through childbirth is stressful enough, but why make it worse? Specially accommodations are made for patients in the hospital for a variety of reasons.
No excuse… even if it were for something like religious belief, it would still be racist. I had this problem when I worked scheduling appointments for a major service company, I would always inform the customer that we would send the best qualified person, take it or leave it. This is the 21st century people, care to join the rest of us?
I would say there’s a big difference between receiving a plumber in your home and having a doctor touching your private parts. If I were to insist that I only be treated by female gynecologists, would that be sexist? Even knowing that a male gynocologist tried to fiddle with me when I was younger? Am I not allowed to “protect” myself? I think acceptance is in order, as long as there’s no violence involved. We all have our sensitive areas.
Given that many minorities have had to work much harder (discrimination, in-system racism, historically poorer backgrounds, etc) to get into a profession such as medicine they tend to be better at it. So this woman is not only a racist but compounding it with stupidity. Then again those two do usually go hand in hand…
if someone makes a request for something of this nature it should be honored. this is a free country…and i dont blame her one bit for not wanting a black to attend her delivery. its common knowledge blacks receive their degrees, licenses, etc, due to quotas and NOT qualifications. do some research on how many blacks are responsible for problems in patient care in the medical community.
Comments How far we have slipped as a people. First let me let all the brainwashed white people on here know is yes, I am a racist. The truth of the matter is, we as a people will either come to terms with what we are facing or we will die as a people. This lady had true grit and character. Most of you have been brainwashed by the Jewish information machine that you no longer have the ability to think as free men or women. These same so called long suffer liars are hard at work trying to get white people to go kill another million people in Iran. Wake up white people, or you will give your children a curse that can not be taken off their heads. And to those negros who say that they are good people, let me say, you may be but at this point I can’t take the chance anymore. Go to WhiteNewsNow and get the truth.