Need to know if my twitter handle is racist

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My twitter handle is @greatwhitedolomite I made it because it rhymed and sounded cool and crime fighter by day pimp by nite what is there to go wrong? But after using it for a while I am taking a second glance at it because the "great white" part in the front of the word Dolomites which is a term that comes from African American cinema in the 70's. Would like to keep it but don't want to offend

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Type: Question • Score: 7 • Views: 674 • Replies: 18

@Htrammell,

Dolomites are mountains in northern Italy.

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@Htrammell,

and "great white" is a type of shark...

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@Htrammell,

On the one hand:
Dolomite,

Quote:

Dolomite ( /ˈdɒləmaɪt/) is an anhydrous carbonate mineral composed of calcium magnesium carbonate, ideally CaMg(CO3)2. The term is also used for a sedimentary carbonate rock composed mostly of the mineral dolomite. An alternative name sometimes used for the dolomitic rock type is dolostone.

But on the other hand, you recognize the source of the relatively outdated/unused 70s slang as being part of your reason for creating this (to me a very creative and aesthetically pleasing sounding Twitter handle).
Dolomite,

Quote:

The human tornado. Dolomite is quite possibly one of the better/more stereotypical characters to come out of the 70's genre of blacksploitation films. Part pimp, part crime fighting/crimemaking super hero, Dolomite cannot be killed by conventional weapons- ala Keith Richards.

If your motive for having this .. particularly cool sounding Twitter name was for the former (rock centric) definition? I'd say... go for it. Keep it and defend it with pride. I hesitate giving a recommendation because of the icky feeling that comes with the latter definition. But that's me.

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I've ordered white dolomite for a garden job.

not my jam, but some people like it

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/42/e7/6e/42e76ec7b79d51a67c371ea4fb666fc6.jpg

If you want to be thought of as an inexpensive stone ground cover, go for it,

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This is what I think of when I hear white dolomite.

https://www.swva.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Triumph-Dolomite-001.jpg

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They were such crappy cars. My uncle had one. I was going to say, before I remembered it was a Toledo he had. Very noisy, and a harsh ride. I just did a Google and find that Dolomites have a healthy fan following especially the "Dolly Sprint".

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@centrox,

My first car was a Toledo, because of that I have a certain affection for them, but I've never owned another.

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In the 80s I had a mate who bought a ropey old Triumph 2.5 PI cheap at an auction, the bodywork was so-so and the gearbox was on the way out, but it went like ****! (In a straight line). 5 of us all got stoned and piled in to it and he set out to get it up to the ton on the M4. I can still remember how it sat down at the back and wagged its arse from side to side when he floored it. And the noise. 105 on the clock near Swindon. Great fun.

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Back to the topic, my take on this is: avoid reference to skin colour/color if you don't want arguments and questions.

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@Htrammell,

Many people probably don't know what dolomite is, so you're a great white something that could be viewed as referring to race.

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Blaaalah.

the Dolitmites area a world heritage site.

consider looking them up sometime. I had pals that climbed them but non of you plushbuttons would care. No, I didn't climb them, who, me?

1 Reply

@ossobucotemp,

Hey, I don't know what blaalah means, but I have a feeling it ain't nice. So I'm sending a Bronx cheer to you. If it is nice, then I take out the Bronx part and just send a cheer.

I actually know that the Dolomites are mountains, and I have a fair idea about the mineral dolomite (I did very well in my college geology class). I was thinking that some folks might not know about the mountains or the mineral and my misconstrue the handle.

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@Roberta,

the tsar i correct, followed by osso. The rok was named by Deodato Dolomieu (who selfishly named the type of limestone after hisself). The mountains were name the Dolomite Limestone Alps, after the rock.
I have no idea that there was even some rock singer. "Great White" does sound like JAWS.

1 Reply

@izzythepush,

the Brit had a car named after a stone?? Kinda like the NOVA in Brazil(means the car "wont go").
Triumph cement car

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@Roberta,

I don't know either, not meant badly by me. Actually, I made it up.
Besides, we lived in the Bronx for a year. 3240 Henry Hudson Parkway, 6th floor. I can still visualize the day we drove away. I think I remember going under some sort of light tunnel, not really a tunnel I think, just looking at the concrete wall (whatever) for the last time... on our way to Chicago. I'd just turned nine.

I never took geology, which I regretted at time (no time).

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@farmerman,

From what little I have read about him, I'm not interested.

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@farmerman,

farmerman wrote:

the Brit had a car named after a stone??

The Italian mountain range, I think, part of the Southern Alps. The Sunbeam Alpine might have been a precedent of a car named after mountains. I can't think of any others right now.

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@centrox,

I bought a used Triumph once, belonging to a guy I worked with's daughter. Not a bad price, considering. She was young, say, eighteen. I liked sports cars and was dumb as doornails, though older. Must have been in the mid seventies, as John was with me. We had to go over Sepulveda Pass.
No way. I brought it right back and they gave me my money back.
Nothin' to do with race except the car couldn't do that.

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