Topic: Racism in Football

[Red Beret]

If the the word he used was the Romanian version of 'n*****' then disregard the above.

Yeah, guess it comes down to this.  If it's casual then it's an educational matter to explain why it's wrong and unacceptable.  If it's ingrained and genuinely abusive, then a severe punishment is in order because people like that aren't interested in learning any different.

[darragh85]

surely he could have made himself familiar with the management teams. Pierre Webo was a fairly well known player so he should have know who he was and addressed him as Mr Webo.

[Six Beardy]

I'm sorry. People are trying to defend this ?

Get in the bin

Totally agree. I'm 61 and I've never found it a problem understanding what is or isn't acceptable language to use at any time in my life. I think some people (particularly many of my generation, sadly) are just willfully ignorant and stupid.     

[macmanamanaman]

Tis true. I once saw a guy accusing a bouncer of being racist because he wouldn't let him in the club. The guy was only wearing one shoe. 

Its not about the color, man. Its all in the sole.

[T.Mills]

Tis true. I once saw a guy accusing a bouncer of being racist because he wouldn't let him in the club. The guy was only wearing one shoe. 

[WhereAngelsPlay]

End of conversation.

Enough with the fucking pandering gymnastics.

If someone is offended, there is fucking offence, and if anyone can't accept - I suggest they fuck off back to the 1950s.

The only good racist is one who is bleeding.

I get your point,especially the last one but (generally) people do not have a right not to be offended.

[B0151?]

There's no reason for an official to make reference to the colour of the skin of one of the players. At the very least it's very unprofessional.

[Sammy5IsAlive]

With all the cameras at these games I would hope that we can get to the bottom of exactly what was said but as it stands I don't personally think it warrants walking off the pitch

Disagree with this.

I can maybe see the argument that suggests that using skin colour as a descriptive characteristic is not automatically racist. Obviously we are waiting to hear what exactly happened but I think there is a difference between a situation where he was referring to the only black player on the pitch for Istanbul compared to him using the phrase about one of the two black players that were on the bench. Personally I don't agree with that argument - as somebody who has a public facing job I would never dream of identifying somebody by their skin colour. You might end up in a convoluted and objectively unnecessary discussion of somebody's clothes/height/location etc but that is better than the alternative.

That all said for me you could only really get into that debate where it is a player/staff member/fan that has said something of that nature. The match officials themselves have to be held to a higher standard. It is supposed to be them that are in charge of protecting players from racism during the game. If they are falling into those kinds of 'grey areas' themselves then you can see why the players were so upset.

 

[El Lobo]

So the 4th official, in identifying someone to be sent off from the coaching staff (right?), said it was ‘the black one’? At the absolute minimum it’s offensive. I’m actually pretty staggered that some on here are saying it’s ok because he was the ‘black one’ and it was the easiest way to identify him!

Without being preachy surely the whole point is that skin colour shouldn’t be use to differentiate between people, regardless of what colour they are?

[B0151?]

Bear in mind the 'it's just a description' argument was exactly the line of defenders of John Terry... So yeah

[Red Beret]

I don't think you was being hot headed at all. Its perfectly fine to talk about it as avoiding the conversation or jumping on the ‘its racist, your racist, go back to the 1950’s’ bandwagon does nothing to educate.

It's interesting to note how people react to such matters.  I'm of the opinion that just because you might be used to hearing it that it doesn't necessarily make it right; but there's also the matter of what is considered socially acceptable these days.

The general idea (as I see it) is that in an ideal world something like this would not be acceptable, and that if it's not dealt with then we can't reach a point where it isn't acceptable. But micro-managing cultural changes is damned tricksy.

[Commie Bobbie]

The assumption of someone’s skin colour on an Internet forum ?..

That’s not great either

I was talking in general terms based on the "conversations" I have had with people throughout social media over the past few days,  I should have made that clear. Apologies for any offence.

I'm fed up of humanity basically failing their fellow humans. Its just not good enough.

And the thing is, this happens 10 of 20 years ago, I actually think there is a more unifying response to this, which shows just how far back we've gone.

[oojason]

Fair play to the players of both sides for walking off the pitch after the 4th official used racist language during tonight's game and refusing to play on.

And also calling out the 4th official as a racist - https://twitter.com/ebithebeth13/status/1336443979257184256 (with video)


The Romanian Anti-Discrimination Council chairman: "It's racism without any possibility of interpretation." - https://twitter.com/Emishor/status/1336429405342740489

[jameslfc1997]

Bear in mind the 'it's just a description' argument was exactly the line of defenders of John Terry... So yeah

Whatever you think of this case you cannot compare the two incidents unless more evidence is released

[T.Mills]

Without being preachy surely the whole point is that skin colour shouldn’t be use to differentiate between people, regardless of what colour they are?

But why shouldn't it. This is why racism will never truly be eradicated, having black skin is not a negative. When we get to the point where skin colour is judged the same as hair/eye colour we will be in a better place.

I understand your intentions, but trust me, when not in the heat of the moment 9/10 black men would not be offended by being called a ‘black guy’.

[Clayton Bigsby]

But why shouldn't it. This is why racism will never truly be eradicated, having black skin is not a negative. When we get to the point where skin colour is judged the same as hair/eye colour we will be in a better place.

I understand your intentions, but trust me, when not in the heat of the moment 9/10 black men would not be offended by being called a ‘black guy’.

Speaking personally I agree with this, especially if everybody else isn't black and if there is no reason why you should know my name.

I think the 4th official should know Webo's name though

[Sammy5IsAlive]

Bear in mind the 'it's just a description' argument was exactly the line of defenders of John Terry... So yeah

Not to dispute that the Terry case was handled incredibly badly (especially in the light of the recent documentary) but to be accurate his defence was that he was repeating back the phrase that Ferdinand was accusing him of having said. I don't believe him for one moment to be honest but it is worth pointing out that it was a different situation to this.

[Eliit]

As a non-native English speaker living in a predominantly white population, it's becoming more and more of a minefield of what can you call or identify someone by. As far as I was aware there is no negative connotation to word black, right? It's slightly worrying in my opinion that you can't describe someone by their most recognizable physical feature. As Webo was a black man surrounded by a bunch of white men, I would've picked up that characteristic first as well and if I'd had to quickly single him out which one of those men he was, being black is by far the most quickly recognizable. I'd understand the offence better, if the physical characteristic was something widely perceived as negative, e.g. fat, ugly etc., but there is nothing negative about being black.

You could say that he could've pointed to him but I'd like to say that in my country (Estonia) it's rude to point at someone, using your index finger, anyway. Nobody would make a big deal out of it, but just to show, cultures are different and you can't take it all into account when making a quick decision.

I really feel sorry for referee. The man has probably lived in Romania most of his life, which is predominantly white country as well. It's probably normal there (I only assume this, because it's how it is here) to refer to someone dark-skinned as "that black guy". Because being black there (and here) is very rare. So he was talking to his compatriot, referring to Webo as "the black guy" in his native language. All of a sudden he's branded as a racist all over the world, in newspapers, in social media etc., while I'm 99% sure there was no malicious intent behind it whatsoever.

Now that I've written it, I realize that it sounds like one of those "Not to be racist, but..." posts, but I guess I'll post it anyway.

[Dr. Beaker]

But why shouldn't it. This is why racism will never truly be eradicated, having black skin is not a negative. When we get to the point where skin colour is judged the same as hair/eye colour we will be in a better place.

I understand your intentions, but trust me, when not in the heat of the moment 9/10 black men would not be offended by being called a ‘black guy’.

Exactly! My black mates are so proud of being black it's bloody embarrassing, but it's so much cooler than being white I can't argue with them. And black is the term chosen by their 'representatives' (though they don't seem particularly arsed about that bit so long as whatever term is used, is used respectfully). Some parts of the world, as a white bloke you will be called a gringo, and it can be used respectfully (senor gringo) or disrespectfully, also likewise 'scouser' can be used affectionately or venomously. I would venture that if everyone on that pitch spoke English (or any other language) as their first language, this would be easy to clear up, and as that is not the case, it is impossible to clear up.

[Doc Red]

But why shouldn't it. This is why racism will never truly be eradicated, having black skin is not a negative. When we get to the point where skin colour is judged the same as hair/eye colour we will be in a better place.

I understand your intentions, but trust me, when not in the heat of the moment 9/10 black men would not be offended by being called a ‘black guy’.

As far as I know, there are no negative perceptions when it comes to eye colour. Or at least, there isn't a minimal expectation of one's capabilities solely based on eye colour.
The idea isn't that we reach a stage where we don't notice colour, because as you stated, colour itself isn't negative and we should all feel comfortable and proud in our own skins. The goal is to reach a stage where we don't have negative perceptions of people based on colour, or negative perceptions of oneself based on colour.

The dilemma is, in order to reach a stage where colour has minimal effect on our perceptions of capability (so in essense, even though we clearly can see colour, we don't only  see colour ), we have to start by not highlighting colour. I think that is the point Demba Ba was highlighting.

[Clayton Bigsby]

The quirks of language

In my opinion, had this played out exactly the same way with a 4th official from these Eastern European countries I do not believe we are having this conversation

All ways of saying 'the black guy' according to Google

Croatia: crnac

Slovenia: črnec

Slovakia: čierny chlap

Hungary: a fekete srác

Estonia: must tüüp

Latvia: melnais puisis

Poland: czarny facet

I'm quite a fatalistic individual so I believe things happen for a reason.

If this incident ensures that 4th officials are read up on people's names so that this never happens again then that wouldn't be such a bad thing.

I hope the ref isn't hung out to dry though.

[Sammy5IsAlive]

When not in the heat of the moment 9/10 black men would not be offended by being called a ‘black guy’.

I can see where you are coming from but I think you are missing the context. If we go with your estimation of 9/10 instances being 'ok' then I would suggest that the vast majority of the remaining 1/10 where it is 'not ok' involve white people in positions of authority. As a more everyday example - lets say you are on a night out and there's some trouble. White policemen turn up and ask white security staff who was responsible and they point you out as "that black guy there". Even if the fact was that it was you that kicked things off would that feel like a 'colour-blind' interaction that you'd feel comfortable with if you then got prosecuted?

[Stockholm Syndrome]

I can't comment on how or why Webo was offended, I do not know his feelings. I cannot say.

Why I can envision though is someone being offended at being, in this instance, singled out as the black guy. It's not saying being called black is offensive, but being stripped down from being who you are; from being Webo, from being the assistant coach, to just being "the black guy", I feel that is racist.

It's disrespectful that someone who I would imagine should know who you are (as you are a part of the match which is unfolding) has decided you are "the black guy", your race is the important point. It's seems like saying everything else about you including your identity and your position of authority is unimportant, it's the fact that you are black. That seems belittling to me, especially as race would not be a defining characteristic for a white coach - it would be his name or his position in the coaching staff.

[T.Mills]

As far as I know, there are no negative perceptions when it comes to eye colour. Or at least, there isn't a minimal expectation of one's capabilities solely based on eye colour.
The idea isn't that we reach a stage where we don't notice colour, because as you stated, colour itself isn't negative and we should all feel comfortable and proud in our own skins. The goal is to reach a stage where we don't have negative perceptions of people based on colour, or negative perceptions of oneself based on colour.

The dilemma is, in order to reach a stage where colour has minimal effect on our perceptions of capability (so in essense, even though we clearly can see colour, we don't only  see colour ), we have to start by not highlighting colour. I think that is the point Demba Ba was highlighting.

Good post. The problem is that the negative perception will not go away if people keep deeming anything race related as negative.

[Sammy5IsAlive]

As a non-native English speaker living in a predominantly white population, it's becoming more and more of a minefield of what can you call or identify someone by. As far as I was aware there is no negative connotation to word black, right? It's slightly worrying in my opinion that you can't describe someone by their most recognizable physical feature. As Webo was a black man surrounded by a bunch of white men, I would've picked up that characteristic first as well and if I'd had to quickly single him out which one of those men he was, being black is by far the most quickly recognizable. I'd understand the offence better, if the physical characteristic was something widely perceived as negative, e.g. fat, ugly etc., but there is nothing negative about being black.

You could say that he could've pointed to him but I'd like to say that in my country (Estonia) it's rude to point at someone, using your index finger, anyway. Nobody would make a big deal out of it, but just to show, cultures are different and you can't take it all into account when making a quick decision.

I really feel sorry for referee. The man has probably lived in Romania most of his life, which is predominantly white country as well. It's probably normal there (I only assume this, because it's how it is here) to refer to someone dark-skinned as "that black guy". Because being black there (and here) is very rare. So he was talking to his compatriot, referring to Webo as "the black guy" in his native language. All of a sudden he's branded as a racist all over the world, in newspapers, in social media etc., while I'm 99% sure there was no malicious intent behind it whatsoever.

Now that I've written it, I realize that it sounds like one of those "Not to be racist, but..." posts, but I guess I'll post it anyway.

Based on the narrative we have at the moment, on an individual level I don't think the official deserves to be tarred and feathered by social media as a racist. But if you are officiating a European tie you are held to wider European standards not Romanian ones. If what he said is ok in Romania then he can stick with officiating there and stay out of trouble. If he's going to be involved in European matches then he needs to educate himself as to where Europe is as a whole in terms of race.

[Dr. Beaker]

I don't think anyone on here gives me the impression that they are racist though I get the impression some people on here think that some others (maybe me) are. Anyway, serious question, if the bloke was Chinese could the official have said, "The Chinese bloke", without him being racist? Or is that different? Would anyone on here have tried to describe the Chinese bloke by any other means? I actually could make the case that some white people seem to be assuming that any right-minded non-white person would see themselves as naturally inferior and would therefore not want their race brought into it. Anyway (I don't even know whether I'm explaining myself very well) but if Webo was standing there, playing the trombone, and with a parrot on his shoulder, and still found himself described as, "The black bloke", he would have more of a case, but it's not the worst case of racial hatred I've come across - it's a sort of media savvy millionaire's 'racial hatred'. Anyway, like I said before if they all shared the same first language it would be fathomable, but it ain't.

[Doc Red]

Exactly! My black mates are so proud of being black it's bloody embarrassing, but it's so much cooler than being white I can't argue with them. And black is the term chosen by their 'representatives' (though they don't seem particularly arsed about that bit so long as whatever term is used, is used respectfully). Some parts of the world, as a white bloke you will be called a gringo, and it can be used respectfully (senor gringo) or disrespectfully, also likewise 'scouser' can be used affectionately or venomously. I would venture that if everyone on that pitch spoke English (or any other language) as their first language, this would be easy to clear up, and as that is not the case, it is impossible to clear up.

Hmm. I'll take a shot at explaining my opinion using me as an example.
I'll preface this by saying I'm comfortable with who and what I am. I'm black (or brown) and bar a few years studying and working outside of Europe, have lived here all my life.

Say I'm with my friends, and a person comes in looking for me (let's assume they only know me by name), and my friends say "he's the black fella in the corner", I'm fine with that. I know my friends, the situation is casual, context is straightforward.

Now say I was in a seminar and I'm the sole black speaker there (has happened on occasion), and a person comes looking for me, and the gentlemen at the info desks says "he's the black fella in the corner". This would be an issue for me. Not because I've suddenly become insecure about myself, but because in that context, it wasn't neccessary. Just because I'm comfortable (and proud) of being black, doesn't mean I'm fine with being only identified as black on all occasions.  Just like you probably don't walk around thinking , or constantly being reminded, that you're white, I don't go around constantly thinking of myself as black (or no white). I give leeway with my friends because simply by the fact that they're my friends, it means they don't only see me as an adjective, they see me as a person first.

[LovelyCushionedHeader]

I don't think anyone on here gives me the impression that they are racist though I get the impression some people on here think that some others (maybe me) are. Anyway, serious question, if the bloke was Chinese could the official have said, "The Chinese bloke", without him being racist? Or is that different? Would anyone on here have tried to describe the Chinese bloke by any other means? I actually could make the case that some white people seem to be assuming that any right-minded non-white person would see themselves as naturally inferior and would therefore not want their race brought into it. Anyway (I don't even know whether I'm explaining myself very well) but if Webo was standing there, playing the trombone, and with a parrot on his shoulder, and still found himself described as, "The black bloke", he would have more of a case, but it's not the worst case of racial hatred I've come across - it's a sort of media savvy millionaire's 'racial hatred'. Anyway, like I said before if they all shared the same first language it would be fathomable, but it ain't.

But he was stood there as Webo, the assistant manager of the Club and a former player who has played in two World Cups and with hundreds of La Liga appearances. He probably feels he has a position where he shouldn't be reduced to the colour of his skin? 

[Doc Red]

Good post. The problem is that the negative perception will not go away if people keep deeming anything race related as negative.

Well, quite. If they keep deeming anything race related as negative. But in some cases, it merits the negative reaction.
Balance is neccessary, hence why context is important.

[T.Mills]

I can see where you are coming from but I think you are missing the context. If we go with your estimation of 9/10 instances being 'ok' then I would suggest that the vast majority of the remaining 1/10 where it is 'not ok' involve white people in positions of authority. As a more everyday example - lets say you are on a night out and there's some trouble. White policemen turn up and ask white security staff who was responsible and they point you out as "that black guy there". Even if the fact was that it was you that kicked things off would that feel like a 'colour-blind' interaction that you'd feel comfortable with if you then got prosecuted?

Ahh you see thats a whole other debate, racial profiling and racial stereotyping often get muddled. In the instance you described i’ve been rightfully racially profiled, my key characteristic has been established during the bust up. If the police turn up and say ‘well it has to be black guy’ thats when id feel uncomfortable and singled out.

[Johnny Foreigner]

  Just like you probably don't walk around thinking , or constantly being reminded, that you're white, I don't go around constantly thinking of myself as black (or no white). I give leeway with my friends because simply by the fact that they're my friends, it means they don't only see me as an adjective, they see me as a person first.

I think you hit it there..

Going back to myself growing up in the nordics ages ago.. In our school/football etc - we had one guy that stood out  - adopted from Asia; the rest were blondes/caucasians or what the term is..

Fast forwarding 30-40 years; I look at my sons football team and his mates.. I don't really know where all of them (and their families) originates from. I know them by their names and their characters etc.. To refer to one of them as "the black one" or whatever would make no sense at all..

[Stockholm Syndrome]

I don't think anyone on here gives me the impression that they are racist though I get the impression some people on here think that some others (maybe me) are. Anyway, serious question, if the bloke was Chinese could the official have said, "The Chinese bloke", without him being racist? Or is that different? Would anyone on here have tried to describe the Chinese bloke by any other means? I actually could make the case that some white people seem to be assuming that any right-minded non-white person would see themselves as naturally inferior and would therefore not want their race brought into it. Anyway (I don't even know whether I'm explaining myself very well) but if Webo was standing there, playing the trombone, and with a parrot on his shoulder, and still found himself described as, "The black bloke", he would have more of a case, but it's not the worst case of racial hatred I've come across - it's a sort of media savvy millionaire's 'racial hatred'. Anyway, like I said before if they all shared the same first language it would be fathomable, but it ain't.

In the situation I think defining anyone by their race is offensive. Because it's not the description, it's the fact that the person is being turned into just their race. One could describe them by their name or their position. Even if they don't know the name or exact position, you could describe them as "him, the member of your coaching staff"

Because there is clearly so much more to identify the individual in this situation other than making them "thr black guy" or "the Asian guy" as in your example.

There's a world of difference between saying "Webo is Black" describing a characteristic of the the individual, and referring to Webo as just "The black guy" where by his identity has been stripped away until he is just his race.

[HomesickRed]

Interesting debate and comment as always.
On a wider point, it seems this man has used language that someone has taken offence to.
I think we need to pause though and think how all this is likely to affect equality going forward as it seems people are becoming more polarised by the day, which is totally counter-productive.

[Dr. Beaker]

That seems belittling to me, especially as race would not be a defining characteristic for a white coach - it would be his name or his position in the coaching staff.

In the heat of battle, I would describe a solitary white coach, surrounded by black (if I can say such an outrageous thing) colleagues as the white bloke. Naming him could even be misconstrued as vengeful. I'd rather pretend that I don't know his identity.

[deFacto please, you bastards]

The quirks of language

In my opinion, had this played out exactly the same way with a 4th official from these Eastern European countries I do not believe we are having this conversation

All ways of saying 'the black guy' according to Google

Croatia: crnac

Slovenia: črnec

Slovakia: čierny chlap

Hungary: a fekete srác

Estonia: must tüüp

Latvia: melnais puisis

Poland: czarny facet

I'm quite a fatalistic individual so I believe things happen for a reason.

If this incident ensures that 4th officials are read up on people's names so that this never happens again then that wouldn't be such a bad thing.

I hope the ref isn't hung out to dry though.

No because the player [Wabo] wouldn't have known what was said because none of those languages have ''negro'' as the term for black like Romanian.

HOWEVER that doesn't mean that the same sentence in Croatian for instance wouldn't be racist or offensive. There is no reason to describe one bloody player as ''the black one'', when you're several feet away from the player, and you could point him out, or better yet even know his name, since afterall you are one of the officials.

[deFacto please, you bastards]

I don't think anyone on here gives me the impression that they are racist though I get the impression some people on here think that some others (maybe me) are. Anyway, serious question, if the bloke was Chinese could the official have said, "The Chinese bloke", without him being racist? Or is that different? Would anyone on here have tried to describe the Chinese bloke by any other means? I actually could make the case that some white people seem to be assuming that any right-minded non-white person would see themselves as naturally inferior and would therefore not want their race brought into it. Anyway (I don't even know whether I'm explaining myself very well) but if Webo was standing there, playing the trombone, and with a parrot on his shoulder, and still found himself described as, "The black bloke", he would have more of a case, but it's not the worst case of racial hatred I've come across - it's a sort of media savvy millionaire's 'racial hatred'. Anyway, like I said before if they all shared the same first language it would be fathomable, but it ain't.

If he said Chinese bloke in the same scenario, it would still be offensive and racist. There is no need to mention his race in this situation in this context. He should know the player, and if he doesn't know the player, his name, he can point him out, describe him, without mentioning the color of his skin/ his race.

Also being able to read the room. you're officiating a match in Europe, not in Romania, you are aware that the word negro, used around people who don't speak romanian, aside from your officials, sounds wrong, why the fuck aren't you speaking English at the very least?

[Dr. Beaker]

Hmm. I'll take a shot at explaining my opinion using me as an example.
I'll preface this by saying I'm comfortable with who and what I am. I'm black (or brown) and bar a few years studying and working outside of Europe, have lived here all my life.

Say I'm with my friends, and a person comes in looking for me (let's assume they only know me by name), and my friends say "he's the black fella in the corner", I'm fine with that. I know my friends, the situation is casual, context is straightforward.

Now say I was in a seminar and I'm the sole black speaker there (has happened on occasion), and a person comes looking for me, and the gentlemen at the info desks says "he's the black fella in the corner". This would be an issue for me. Not because I've suddenly become insecure about myself, but because in that context, it wasn't neccessary. Just because I'm comfortable (and proud) of being black, doesn't mean I'm fine with being only identified as black on all occasions.  Just like you probably don't walk around thinking , or constantly being reminded, that you're white, I don't go around constantly thinking of myself as black (or no white). I give leeway with my friends because simply by the fact that they're my friends, it means they don't only see me as an adjective, they see me as a person first.

But if I was the bloke at the info desk, and I said (bearing in mind that you can't even hear any of this), "Yes he's the chap in the dark grey suit, with a red and white striped tie, and he's talking to a woman with red hair", the person, seeking confirmation, would say, "The black bloke" - without any intentional racial slur, just seeking confirmation.

[T.Mills]

In the situation I think defining anyone by their race is offensive. Because it's not the description, it's the fact that the person is being turned into just their race. One could describe them by their name or their position. Even if they don't know the name or exact position, you could describe them as "him, the member of your coaching staff"

Because there is clearly so much more to identify the individual in this situation other than making them "thr black guy" or "the Asian guy" as in your example.

There's a world of difference between saying "Webo is Black" describing a characteristic of the the individual, and referring to Webo as just "The black guy" where by his identity has been stripped away until he is just his race.

But your analysing a 3 word sentence to the n’th degree, which can be easily spun to be a negative.

I always go back to the H&M ‘coolest monkey in the jungle’ controversy. When you dissect the situation you automatically come to the conclusion that the guy who arranged the shoot is racist, insensitive and probably got fired. But when you block out all the noise it could have easily come down to the young black child approaching the photographer with the ‘coolest monkey in the jungle’ hoodie and asking to wear it. If the photographer then turns round and says ‘sorry son you can’t wear that because some people associate monkeys with black people’ he’d be in even more shit.

Anyway im waffling, my point is, we will never move away from racism if we continue to downplay skin colour and pretend it doesn't exist.

[deFacto please, you bastards]

If the photographer then turns round and says ‘sorry son you can’t wear that because some people associate monkeys with black people’ he’d be in even more shit.

No he really wouldn't. Being able to read the situation and explain that could look bad, be taken out of context or give a poor or insensitive perception.

[Dr. Beaker]

In the situation I think defining anyone by their race is offensive.

But you are not defining him. You are identifying him.