Racism: Why?

Honestly, as a teacher who teaches a lot of Blacks I am regularly suprised at how racist some of the ideas they have are. If racism is merely generalizing about groups based on the color of their skin alone, it's stupid. If it's discriminating based on the color of their skin in the way you act towards them, it's wrong.

But people have the right to be stupid. They even have the right to discriminate, and often they have the right to act in a discriminating fashion, although sometimes that goes over the line. When the government does it, than it should be illegal.

It doesn't matter if the person is black or white, racism is just wrong and stupid.

That said, anyone believing that discrimination doesn't happen is an idiot, or even that the races have acheived equality is foolish. It just isn't so.

It's not a fair world, that's true. But maybe we should make it a fairer world. I don't like the idea that an entire section of our population suffers from lower economic conditions, lower social services, less opportunity, greater violence and higher mortality rates because of the color of their skin.

We like to think that a democracy should be about fairness and each individual is treated fairly and equally. But we also know that people are treated specifically as a group because of what they represent, not what they really are. I doubt we can come to a point where we are color blind. I doubt we can achieve equality. But neither do I wish in a country where entire groups have suffered from governmental and majority prejudices. Honestly, I don't like affirmative action, but I support it. I do so because I don't see an alternative. I hope that it is a short-term fix, but I would not want to see it repealed until every group, regardless of color or national origin, has the same chance to succeed. That day has not yet arrived.
 
i personally respect those that are proud to be who they are, and where they come from.
But i dont like racsest people, they cause problems and are more often than not they are illiterate redneck honky bastards(by the way they come in all skin colors) and they have no real reason to hate other skin colors(other than an inbreed passion), they commit race crimes, rape, torture,(mentally and physically), and in my opinion deserve to have their testicles cut off to stop them from breeding more racist children :eek:
 
bob_the_rambler said:
and in my opinion deserve to have their testicles cut off to stop them from breeding more racist children :eek:
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Well that's just silly.

1. As far as I know, there's no racism allele. It's all cultural and social.

2. Like Welsh said, people have a right to be racist. As long as they don't act on that racism in the form of crime, who cares?
 
It's the old standby of terminology.

There's nothing wrong with a hard working person who just happens to have darker skin.

See the welfare-sucking crackhead downtown with 13 children, panhandling for their next fix instead of buying something for their kids to eat? That's a nigger. It's taken from the original slang meaning of "useless black", but it can easily apply to anyone worthless. It doesn't matter what color his/her skin is. Paint them with a big black line drawn straight through them and lump them all into the same wastrel class and have a flush. :)

Frankly, I've seen more racism from black people raised in the south than anywhere else (or with "south attitudes" in some cases). European black people often don't act that way, neither do those raised in Alaska and other locations. In fact, with a lot of places like Cali and Florida, they create their own situation just to fit in with the others who are the same way, which solves nothing.

I refuse to use the term American Native, as the Indians weren't really natives and they often do object to that term, and they were the first Indians from Columbus' "in Dios", part of the full translation of "a people in God" since they were a pretty much peaceful people.

I also refuse to use the term "African-American" anymore, as dark skin wasn't excusive to Africa, and it's been awhile since their ancestors were sold into slavery by their own people and traded through connections until they arrived in America.

By this order of political corrected-ness, I shall hereafter be known as a Japanese-European-American. It makes little sense, but that is what the pansy people want us to say. Fuck 'em.

Just wait until someone mistakenly calls a Pacific Islander an African-American. That...is not pretty, I've seen it.

</CARLIN-esque>
 
Roshambo said:
See the welfare-sucking crackhead downtown with 13 children, panhandling for their next fix instead of buying something for their kids to eat? That's a nigger. It's taken from the original slang meaning of "useless black", but it can easily apply to anyone worthless.
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Yea, but you can just as easily describe them as useless without a racial connotation. Plus, if you decribe a useless white person as a nigger, all it'd do is confuse people.

Frankly, I've seen more racism from black people raised in the south than anywhere else (or with "south attitudes" in some cases). European black people often don't act that way, neither do those raised in Alaska and other locations.
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I've never met any black people from europe, but yea, old black guys from the south are really racist. Thing is, they'll act nice til you're out of the room. Guy I work with like that, whenever a white person leave the room and I'm standing there, he'll always turn and look at me as if to say "What the hell is wrong with those people."

I refuse to use the term American Native, as the Indians weren't really natives and they often do object to that term, and they were the first Indians from Columbus' "in Dios", part of the full translation of "a people in God" since they were a pretty much peaceful people.
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Native American, American Native, I don't know what to use. Once I know what to use, I'll use that.

I also refuse to use the term "African-American" anymore, as dark skin wasn't excusive to Africa, and it's been awhile since their ancestors were sold into slavery by their own people and traded through connections until they arrived in America.
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okey
 
Well, before my dad found out that having a law degree can lead to gainful employment, I was at a Chicago public school.

Some favorite lines
"You know, one day where gonna take the white man down (directed at me). Not you though (at my teacher)."
"Gonna slap the white off of you"
"Feel it craka!" (in referance to the crowbar he was using)
"You know, I think that all africans are descendants of Cleopatra".


Race in America is the most fucked up situation outside of the Mid East or the Balkans. However, that said, I think that African Americans are now as much, maybe more to blame for hate crimes in America. The KKK is gone, the NOI is strong.
 
Sander said:
And it was a stupid thing to say as well. Why was it a stupid thing to say? Because it makes it seem like he thinks that whites are somehow better than others, or that he has a right to be proud of people just because he has the same skin color as them. Honestly, that's just stupid.
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It was a bit stupid to do, but black speakers around here do it all the time. Especially during 'Black History Month'. He was just tired of blacks saying they were proud to be black, but calling any white person saying he was proud to be white a racist.

They always use the excuse that white people have enslaved other races all throughout history and; therefore, should never be proud to be white. Its kind of interesting how conveniently they forget about the white civil rights supporters, white abolitionists, and all of the white people who gave their lives in the American Civil War.
 
megatron said:
What a fucking racist. He looks at you when some guy of a different race leaves the room. HOW DARE HE!
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Should you guys be called "Invading Barbaric Engle Britans"? Last time I was in Cardiff there where ALOT more Welsh then there are Native Americans.
 
Regretfully the KKK is not gone, nor are the Nazis.

Racism is still alive and well in the states. I will also agree that blacks are often as much or even more racist as whites or asians (and sorry but I often find asians to be the worst racists of all) I don't think merely that one group's racist views justifies anothers. I have heard the argument that blacks are often loud and arrogant because of the need to be proud and get attention in order to draw significance. Ok, but at the same time this often pisses of people. It's not the color of your skin, it's your demand on my attention based on the color of your skin. It's not color but your arrogance that pisses me off.

What has happened in the US is that racism has become less overt and more hidden. Since you can't pass laws that are discriminatory on their face (blacks can't go to schools with whites) or rules that have a clear and intended discriminatory impact the passing of laws that keeps races divided has become more complex.

But you can pass a law or set up a legal regime which has different impacts on the races, that divides people even if "on the face of the law" it doesn't speak of discrimination, or if the law has another rational basis. For instance- school vouchers. The idea of the law is to allow all parents the chance to send their kids to a better private education, and this should help minorities.

Well unfortunately it doesn't work. Most minorities couldn't send their kids to private schools because those schools are still to expensive for their kids. Those that do are the "good middle class blacks." But those laws do give an incentive to draw whites out of public schools (where they go with the black folk) and thus weaken the public school systems. This helps in the creation of a two teared society- where poorer blacks go to poor public schools and richer whites go to better private schools leading to more opportunity for whites and less for blacks.

How good is this system- take a look at the public education system in Brazil- where that pattern seems to exist.

I might add that this is also a system that supports religious education. As religious education is entitled to receive the voucher the same as private schools, it would seem fair. The problem is that there are a lot more religious schools than secular private schools out there. Realistically, if you want to send a kid to a private school, it will probably be a religious one. How about that division of church and state and the building of free, egalitarian and democratic society?

This is just one example of where discrimination still exists. There are others. Remember, you have the right, under the first amendment, in the US to discriminate under some circumstances. It still happens.

But racism in Finland is kind of funny. How many blacks live in Finland? But then look at the US. It's easy not to be a racist in the mid west- a lot of the northern states (the Dakotas, Minnesota, Wisconsin) have about 2% of their population as Black. Go to the south where the population differences are much bigger (and you see more clearly the problem of racial justice, the moving of hazardous waste sites to black neighborhoods, etc.). I am not saying southerner are more racist, although the history of racism in the South is more intensive. What I am suggesting is that where you see a higher ratio of blacks and whites together, you are likely to see more racism as well.
 
Ghetto Goose said:
Yea, but you can just as easily describe them as useless without a racial connotation. Plus, if you decribe a useless white person as a nigger, all it'd do is confuse people.
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Actually, the proper term for a white nigger is often said as "wigger". I do find it a bit interesting in how the slang has drifted. Mind you, I'm going by what I've seen in a number of places, including Reno, Seattle, and what my friends have seen in Florida.

I've never met any black people from europe,
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If you're used to the southern mentality and inner-city slang thrown around, hearing one of those fellows with an accent is a head trip.

From what I know from my friends, in some places in Florida they would use nigger as a denigratory term, not close to "What's up, my nigger?" or anything of the sort. There, I think it went into a fully derogratory term, though it is an odd one that seems to change depending on where in the USA you go.

I
Native American, American Native, I don't know what to use. Once I know what to use, I'll use that.
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If you know their tribe, call them by that. If you don't, Indian. Pretty much the only people who would object are the stupid white-bread politically correct asswipes.

I also refuse to use the term "African-American" anymore, as dark skin wasn't excusive to Africa, and it's been awhile since their ancestors were sold into slavery by their own people and traded through connections until they arrived in America.
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The above was partially in jest, as some would object to "negro", even when there's the college fund named such and other institutions. Sometimes you can't make everyone happy and have to go with what is regionally acceptable. More often than not when travelling overseas, most people would look at you funny if you referred to those whom are called "African-American" as "African-American".

Personally, I think they should make more blue people.
 
welsh said:
But then look at the US. It's easy not to be a racist in the mid west- a lot of the northern states (the Dakotas, Minnesota, Wisconsin) have about 2% of their population as Black.
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From what I've experienced, Minnesota, N. Dakota, and S. Dakota have been very nice. Wisconsin has ALOT of KKK, though. I get more dirty looks when I'm there. But Minnesota, especially where I live, has alot of different races. All of them, pretty much, getting along.

Of course there's always some blatant bigot around, not giving a damn what people think, and generally being an asshole to other races.

But he's unliked even by his own, usually.
 
I've rarely seen any white against black racism where I live (Northwest-Central Arkansas) but lots of white folks treat Asian people pretty poorly. I don't know why, although it might have to do with the stereotype of Asians being skilled in academics -- the average ACT/SAT scores for public-schooled individuals in my area is remarkably low, and most Asians are either home or private-schooled.
 
Maybe that explains it. Crappy schools from whites leads to low opportunities, while the Asians are performing better and therefore doing better career wise.
 
In my opinion racism is one of the most heinous things out there, but saying that i also agree with St. Proverbius said. Also the last time there were to distinct human species, Homo Neandertalis and Homo Sapiens Sapiens, we modern humans wiped out the Neandertal. That is the natural instinct of all species is to eliminate the competition and then take control of the resources that competition used to control. It is only in modern times that Humanity has learned that we could control our "Instinct" and do what is right, treat all Humans with the same dignity that they deserve. And this coming from a fat nerd! Who had to learn how to fight to stop the teasing, as i was 2 years younger than everybody else in my class. :D And believe me when i tell you it was far worse in the 60's in school than it is now. I also agree with Karn, there is only one Humanity, and the differences are all cultural.


Cheers Thorgrimm
 
As for the Term i use to describe myself, i use An American of English and German Descent. My children always hear me say to others when they hear them say "oh your Mexican American children are cute." No they are AMERICANS of Mexican and European descent. I always tell my children to be proud of your heritage, but never forget you are an American first.


Cheers Thorgrimm
 
I don't know if 60s schools were as bad for teasing. I didn't exist then, but I'm guessing society reflects a bit on schools which is a sort of micro-society anyway.

Columbine.
 
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