Internet Slams Woman for Demanding Boyfriend Throw Away 'Racist' Collectibles

Commenters quickly came to the defense of a 24-year-old man after his girlfriend demanded he throw away his plastic war collectibles because she said they were "racist and fascist."

In a Reddit post published to the popular "Am I The A**hole" forum, the anonymous poster who goes only by u/abuserHS7162 explained that his girlfriend threatened to break up with him if he didn't throw away his collection, but he refused.

The viral post has racked up more than 10,800 votes and 2,900 comments from heated users in the nine hours since it was posted.

The Redditor started off the post explaining that since he was 18, he has collected plastic models of "various war machines" and kept them in one of his rooms. He said that recently, his 24-year-old girlfriend of nine months "demanded" that he throw away half of the collection because she thought they were "racist and fascist."

"I have around 40 tanks and planes models from various countries of the world like Soviet Union, USA, Israel, Germany, and she demanded that I throw out all the German, Japanese, and Israeli ones," the post read.

The Redditor said that he did not have any political motivation behind the models and that they were simply part of his hobby.

However, in the post, he explained that he was Japanese and his girlfriend was French-American and he wasn't sure if there was perhaps a cultural difference that he didn't fully understand.

He said he heard that Americans were "really serious about racial stuff" but that he explained to his girlfriend that there were no politics involved in his hobby.

"I try to tell her that it's my collection I work hard on and I just like planes and tanks appearances, and not the politics behind them," he wrote. "But she says she doesn't want a racist boyfriend and she will break up with me if I don't throw them away."

While speaking to a significant other about racist remarks or political disagreements can be awkward, websites such as Amnesty International and Psychology Today recommend keeping an open dialogue about the situation and attempting to help them understand another point of view.

Amnesty International recommended avoiding confrontational and defensive language when discussing race or differences in values. It is also important to clarify the partner's stance and perspective before accusing them of being racist in order to avoid a misunderstanding.

According to u/abuserHS7162, he and his girlfriend talked for three hours and he told her he would not throw away his collection. He said although she was angry and left the house, he loved her and questioned if maybe she was right.

He wrote that he didn't think he could throw away something he worked on for years but was not sure if the model tanks and planes were seen as unacceptable internationally.

In an update to the post, the Redditor wrote that he attempted to compromise with his girlfriend but she said he would have to "paint the models completely orange," including the ones she said she had no problem with.

"I obviously refused and now she's really mad and saying I don't love her and accusing me of cheating," the Redditor wrote. "I'm honestly about to break up."

The majority of commenters agreed that the Redditor was not in the wrong and that, if anything, his girlfriend was being "racist." In the post's top comment which received 16,700 votes, Redditor u/Bayoris said that there was nothing racist about the collection.

"It is not racist at all. Your girlfriend needs to chill out," the comment read. "In fact it is slightly racist of her to pick out three countries as untouchable, as if Soviet and British and American militaries never did anything objectionable."

Many users responded to u/Bayoris' comment and argued whether or not having racist intent made certain objects okay to have.

"Something is only racist if it's used with racist motivation/intent," one user replied.

But other users commented that while mostly true, some items cannot be separated from their racist past, such as a swastika or a confederate flag.

"Collecting model tanks/war machines is a hobby. Your partner is acting like you're collecting nazi paraphernalia," another user commented. "Historically accurate models are not racist or in themselves fascist. It might ease the culture difference to discuss what she finds triggering about the models."