"I'm not [...], but..."

Maybe it's just me, but I am being inundated lately with a mountain of "I'm not [item], but..." followed by completion of a sentence -- or omission of what SHOULD complete the sentence -- that would better serve to show that the individual speaking is exactly what they beckon you to believe they're not.
Therein lies the power of the otherwise diminutive word "but."

[Phlip note - not to be confused with the immense power that a Big Butt and a Smile obviously holds, but that is another blog for another time]

A 3-letter, 1-syllable word can change the meaning and course of everything spoken before it. Seems quite powerful to me.

F'rinstance...

"Now, I'm not racist, but I totally agree with the law in Arizona, if someone would have done this before, all these Mexicans wouldn't be a problem now"

• See, now... If you were so sure in your conviction that you weren't a racist, you might have done yourself the service of not following up your initial statement with a contradiction of it.

"Now, I am not trying to tell you what to do with your life, but you really are doing [item] all wrong... you should [do it this way, yaddayaddayadda]"

• If you were NOT trying to tell me how to live my life, you would have happily shut the fuck up and refrained from giving me your opinion until I asked for it.

"I'm not ignoring you, but I just don't respond to you for days on end, then tell you I just didn't have time right then."

• (no explanation necessary)

"I'm not mad, [but] I just don't wanna talk about it"

• This is one where the "but" is inferred, as the person's actions indicate more that they're totally shitting you than any words they have tried to withhold to not show their hand.

"I'm not homophobic or nothing, but don't come around me with that ghey isht."

• This person is about as bad as the racist, they will go on and on with "anti" language, assuring you that they have a mountain of friends who are what they're claiming not to be against as support that they're not against it. Except they keep talking, and their true colors become more apparent as they do.

"I ain't hatin' but [continue with colored people isht]"

• Shut it, you're hating, otherwise you wouldn't need to talk about not hating, take it from a professional "hater".

I really could do this all day, but why would you need me for that?
Go to any location where human beings are talking and this shit is taking place. The topics are often sensitive subjects that most people would be most prudent to just shut up about, but that is not human nature, it seems.
Being a people watcher and admitted asshole has equipped me to see things that everyone SHOULD be seeing, but often fail to notice in realtime, try it next time you're out somewhere. You can feel free to stop short of calling someone on their bullshit, though.