@Fwelin  
I agree with you. Achievement is something to be earned.

 
MICROAGGRESSION!

Technically, favoring a particular race is racist, too.

@Fwelin
 
In the interest of keeping this discussion from becoming more circular than it needs to, please refer to these posts by @drumpowa and @mathprofbrony

@Background Pony #F35E  
It’s not racism. However, it is insulting, since he’s saying that any hard work ethic that Applejack has is because she’s an earth pony, not because she’s personally devoted herself to hard work.
 
It basically removes achievement from the individual.

@Background Pony #F35E  
Because farming being an earth pony thing is one of those truths it’s rude to bring up.
 
Especially when you aren’t one.
 
And a unicorn.

how is this racist again?

@Starswirl  
Main characters can get away with anything.

@Scrounge  
Also true. I just wish the show would acknowledge it at some point.
 
With Trenderhoof, it’s made clear right away. I don’t remember anypony ever doing the same with Applejack.

@Starswirl  
No, but she at least hasn’t insisted on following someone around all day to do so. :P

@Suineder  
Heh, true.

@Starswirl  
No one denied that.

@drumpowa  
It’s not like miss Apple isn’t ignorant or narrow-minded herself at times, either.

@Scrounge  
@drumpowa  
And Rarity probably thinks the same of Applejack sometimes, and it’s probably true in both cases at times. They’re still closer than ponies that different probably have any reason to be or should be, and out of all of the mane 6 Applejack was the only one intent on getting Rarity “back” from her crazy spell, to the point she was willing to wear a very frou-frou dress and get over the top done up. That’s pretty impressive.

@Scrounge  
Eh, while she’s chill with Rarity, AJ probably thinks she can be just as ignorant as he is at times.

@drumpowa  
Applejack must have the patience of a saint to put up with this guy.
 
Or she just wants Rarity to be happy that badly. (Take that whatever way you wish.)
 
Either way, I’m impressed she tried so hard to be civil up until the point where Rarity went off the deep end.

@PacificGreen  
It’s not even really a controversy, it’s just taking a very real problem in society today (especially in America) displayed in front of us. Trenderhoof isn’t evil, he’s just like @Scrounge said, an idiot but more importantly is ignorant. He doesn’t realize what he’s saying is discriminatory and patronizing until at the end, see “positive discrimination” below.

@PacificGreen  
What you should have gotten from the line is that Trenderhoof is an idiot.

@Scrounge
 
I was just saying what I got out of it. Frankly, I was kinda confused by the quote. Nonetheless, I’ll be staying out of this controversy.

Could have been worse. Imagine what he might have said if Zecora had been around.
 
@PacificGreen  
Look down. You see that hole you’re starting to dig? Ask yourself if you really want to be in it.
 
There are plenty of lazy-ass earth ponies out there, and plenty of perfectly diligent pegasi and unicorns. (And if you’re dumb enough to talk trash about alicorns, individually or as a group, you’ll find yourself becoming ponysona non grata at a great many places very quickly.)
 
As an example, let’s take two notable names in fashion, mares who just last year crossed paths in Manehattan. Here we have Miss Rarity, a unicorn, and opposite her is an earth pony by the name of Miss Suri Polomare. I’m sure we’re all aware which one of them frantically triple-checks every seam, and which one would rather dump the entire workload on her assistant and then complain about it.

What I really get from that line is that he’s implying pegasi and unicorns don’t have the ability to have nearly as hard a work ethic.

@Background Pony #D55A  
They let that slide because there isn’t an earth pony way to do it. If Applejack could fly, she’d expect the pegasi to fly the same way she did during Winter Wrap-Up (And then go back to flying however they damn well pleased once it was done.)

@Background Pony #D55A  
That’s different.
 
It’s a cultural tradition, tolerance isn’t about acting like race doesn’t matter, it’s about equally respecting the validity of the achievements of each. If you want to participate in someone’s culture, you do it by their rules.

@drumpowa  
Probably doesn’t help that AJ will also get in your face if you dare use magic when you’re supposed to do work the earth pony way.
 
How the Pegasi cleared the sky using the ‘earth pony way’ still eludes me, though.