Let Me Get This Straight..

[swhmetta]

Ebay will not allow me to sell an Americana salt and pepper shaker set from the 1950s that shows a black man and woman dressed in an Aunt Jemima outfit, BUT WILL allow all types of Nazi memorabilia and coins? Ebay's excuse is the salt an pepper shaker set is offensive, yet the death of millions of people at the hands of the Nazis is not. Absolutely unbelievable! EBAY is racist. Why, because they make racism by declaring racisms. It is a salt and pepper set. Who cares that it has black people?  I don't see rednick figurines being called racist.  If you want racism to go away, then stop talking about it. The CEO and board are absolutely clueless and apparently very WOKE.  IF they are into Woke, then maybe they are into Cancel. Ridiculous. 

[1786davycrockett]

@tobaccocardyahoo 

"I recognize that I cannot offer anything which is not sanitized and revisionist on Ebay or Amazon or many other sites. The lost business opportunity is trivial compared to the detriment the removal does in history and intellectual rigor. Everything must target the lowest common denominator."

Simply because an item is not approved for listing "on Ebay {sic} or Amazon or many other sites" is no indication that the identical item can not be viewed on tens of thousands of other sites, without any recrimination, and has very little effect upon "history and intellectual rigor":  These items continue to physically exist, and can still be examined and discussed by all parties -- just not on eBay and other sites which refuse to allow them to be offered for sale.

And isn't it possible that the choice of the phrase "lowest common denominator" may be considered a two-edged sword -- particularly for those who heartily promote the sales of offensive materials on eBay?

Sometimes the darkest demons we proclaim against are buried only skin-deep within ourselves.

[myfrugalboutique]

@bonjourami 

Maybe an unpopular answer, but to me, and I am proud to say “I am very progressive” I think it is horrible to sweep under the rug  our country ‘s history. I graduated from college in Mississippi. My university was white and all women, and the year I graduated was the first year there were black women. There were 6 total, and their legacy continues to this day. My University is now co-Ed and of course inclusive. 

Should the history of that school be forgotten? I hope not. It shows the progression and betterment of our society. People will always be offended by something. I don’t think that the majority of people are so easily aggrieved. We only hear about the ones who are. 

[doc-holmes]

There are plenty of history books and classes, and articles online that discuss history, good and bad. Nobody goes to a syrup bottle for history. 

[tobaccocardyahoo]

@1786davycrockett 

You would be amazed the number of historical items with a pedigree are suppressed on the Internet and not just in a sales environment.

The highest honor in journalism is The Pulitzer Prize but some comic strips published in his New York World newspaper are deemed as racist today, and you will be hard pressed to find online references to them. The artist was a major comic strip creator.

There are antisemitic publications which were published in Chicago, in the Polish community which are even more impossible to research. Other than a reference in Worldcat to holding in one of a very few libraries, they do not exist.

The conflict is between intellect and emotion and emotion is today's winner.

It is not between hate and anything, Hate is always present because there are always humans who hate. There will always be humans who hate.

Most popular culture magazines published in the 19th and 20th century have content who would be banned if the bots could read and interpret the pictures.

Mid 20th century children's books are being censored and issued by their publishers, long after the author has been buried, and with the censorship the creativity has been removed.

This which were cannot be retained when they are changed, and our minds are weaker when we are fed inferior content.

[a_c_green]

---

@tobaccocardyahoo wrote:

Mid 20th century children's books are being censored and issued by their publishers, long after the author has been buried, and with the censorship the creativity has been removed.

---

I don't know if I'd called it "censored" since the publishers can print or not print whatever titles they like. If you're referring to the six Dr. Seuss titles that have been withdrawn, that was the decision of Dr. Seuss Enterprises, which was founded by the author's widow. (Books from other authors have also been withdrawn under similar circumstances.)

Ref: https://www.cnbc.com/2021/03/02/six-dr-seuss-books-will-be-discontinued-because-of-racist-and-insens... 

[1786davycrockett]

@tobaccocardyahoo 

While it may be difficult (if not time-consuming) to research many such publications, this is not an indication that those publications have been eliminated or erased from history.

Most publications which have a significant publishing history can be found in the Library of Congress, as well as other large university and college libraries.  My own college university library has a complete collection of the "New  York World" on file, which is openly available to research -- and none of the content has been deleted or abridged for contemporary eyes.

The argument that there is a conflict between intellect and emotion seems perilous, and earlier permitted such "emotionally intellectual"  arguments as "Mein Kampf" and "Das Kapital."

Perhaps not such a great argument for the one over the other.

[tobaccocardyahoo]

I use worldcat which tells me what libraries they are in.

When I say erased, I mean erased.

Most libraries which have the New York World have it on microfilm or a transfer from microfilm to online format, That might as well be erasure. It loses the color used on the Sunday Comics. And it goes unread because no one wants to know what was mainstream reading, And no one wants to see Pulitzer as he was, a flawed individual whose name should be an embarrassment to anyone who still practices journalism. But just in case, it is inaccessable.

[bonjourami]

"Maybe an unpopular answer, but to me, and I am proud to say “I am very progressive” I think it is horrible to sweep under the rug  our country ‘s history. I graduated from college in Mississippi. My university was white and all women, and the year I graduated was the first year there were black women. There were 6 total, and their legacy continues to this day. My University is now co-Ed and of course inclusive. "

Im sorry, maybe Im misunderstanding you. But what does that have to do with advertising racist,offensive, items on Ebay? Grinning, stupid,replicas of slaves with exaggerated features? If you think removing these ugly representations of Black people on Ebay is 'sweeping history under the rug' then we will agree to disagree.      

[dbfolks166mt]

     "Everything is offensive to somebody or some organization." 

Why offend and hurt any Ebay buyer as these racist items are bound to do?

     Why does eBay allow postings of any of the founding fathers most of whom were slave owners. Why does eBay allow postings of John Chivington, Samuel Whitside and others. Prior to the sanctions why would eBay allow any posting from the Soviet Union who exterminated an estimated 61 million people between 1917-1987. Stalin during during WWII killed more people than Hitler and the Nazi's. If you took down everything that offended any potential buyer there would be nothing left for sale. 

     It's ones personal perspective as to what is offensive.  

[bonjourami]

"  It's ones personal perspective as to what is offensive."

Agreed. 

[rapidreplay]

good timing, and they got their point across.

[powell-memorabilia]

Hey, I don’t disagree with you that they should allow these items. Personally, I find them offensive, but I understand that I’m just one guy.  I don’t think that any entity can know what should be banned, what is in the hearts and minds of people that buy and sell these things, and when they have gone too far. Sell everything, and let the market decide what is offensive or not.

But, I also understand that this is eBay, and they have their own rules.  sure, I think it is ridiculous to ban aunt Jemima bottles or Nazi paraphernalia.  But those are the rules – as vague and arbitrary as they may be. Agree with them or don’t, but understand that there are consequences to your actions.

to those that think that these bans don’t go too far, or can’t go too far, just look back at when the aunt Jemima controversy erupted. They were actually calls to end Mrs. Butterworth as well. Not sure if they were successful. The funny thing is that I didn’t even know that anyone thought that Mrs. Butterworth was black. If you look at old advertising for the brand, it is a white woman with an English accent.

[az93]

Anything ebay has removed as a violation just sell at your next yard sale. That's what i will have to do with my endangered seashell.

[gone.c-33]

Pejoratively stereotyped salt and pepper shakers have no historical value.

[doc-holmes]

This is always the silliest conversation. Why does eBay ban certain items? Because they feel having them on their site would be bad for business. That's it. To those who think eBay is woke in a negative way...they're not. They're a business. They feel it would be bad for business. For those you who think eBay is woke on a positive way...they're not. They're a business. They feel it would be bad for business. That's all they care about.