M-15 - Racism

[Sniper]

I hate racism. I hate people who are racist. I hate to talk about it, but it has finally got the best of me. I am not racist, but i have gotten to a whole new point with African Americans. They are just confusing me. I dont mean to blame this topic on africans, but i just dont get something....The racial slurs....Alot of African Americans use these terms towards each other, but get really offended when someone of a different race uses it in the same context towards them. Can someone PLEASE explain this to me??? I have never had a problem with anyone of a dif. race, but i have taken notice of this, and i would like an explanation...Someone? Anyone?

[Slytherin_Pride]

Shouldn't this be in the Knockturn Alley?

Anyway, I have no idea what you're talking about because I've only been friends with 3 African American people in my entire life and well, I didn't get around to asking them about their terms. White people have a lot of terms that are confusing too so it's not just the African Americans.

[Valerie]

Moving to Knockturn Alley...

I would say it's a respect thing, I'm hispanic, I wouldn't want to be called say a "wetback" by anyone really, but if it's your friends joking and they are of the same race you know when they say it, it is harmless and besides it's like the "I can poke fun of people like me thing" because it's like making fun of yourself too, you're laughing with them in that sense rather than at them. I don't know that's sort of hard to explain. I think it's sort of understood and respect that someone of a different race wouldn't call them a name they can call each other like I'd never call a white person "white trash" or a African American..well yeah you know that word...

[Steve]

I hate racism. I hate being called white, even though I am, because it makes me feel like we are seperated into groups. I dunno, I just wish no one cared what color skin/eyes/hair/whatever anyone had.:shrug:

[Slytherin_Pride]

Hmm ... Remember the Titans is a good movie. I suggest everyone watch it for a review in racism! It is possible for us all to just get along.

[Da da da da da86]

Grr. I hate that movie.... Don't get me wrong, the message is great, but I hate the fact that my entire school is closely tied to that movie.. Grr. you all should still watch it, though. You won't get frustrated.

Ok, back to the real topic.
Sniper, I know what you're talking about. There was a thing about this on dateline, or something like that. It showed the evolution of the word. Older Black Americans were shown how this word is used in every day speech in Black American youth. One specific example is saying "Whasup, my ______?" (I just won't say it to avoid controversy). These older people wre appalled that the youth were using this horrible word as a sort of term of familiarity. The Youth responded that by using the word without its horrible connotations, then it could disable the word entirely. There are those who don't think it should be used at all, especially as a slur.

Now for my own input. I see racism everywhere. People think it's okay as long as that particular race isn't present... But they're wrong. I'm hispanic (well, half), but I lok completely white. In fact, I used to choose white on the standardized testing when I was little because I didn't know that I was supposed to put hispanic. Anyway, I often hear others use the phrase "dirty Mexican" as if the two words are bonded together (sort of a slur, but not quite, I guess). It doesn't matter, I don't like it. They think it's okay before they find out I'm Mexican, but it's not. It's wrong anytime, and I hope everyone knows it.

[Sniper]

I dont have a problem with others using these terms with each other, but i just want to know why they get so uptight with other races for using them? they use it so freely in public (i am saying "they" because i realize it is not only AA''s). I wrote an essay for school today on this subject, but it had to do with HPCOS...Mudbloods...And i thought, "you know, it is better to make fun of someone for the purity of their blood, seeing as either way, the "hazer" can always have his harassment turned around on him knowing that he/she is still part of the same bloodline. I.E.: Wizrard. Malfoy harassed Hermione for being unpure. Deep down though, he should realize that he is part wizard too, and he just made fun at his own "kind"....

[Slytherin_Pride]

My friend Allison is half Porterecan (sp?) and Hispanic and she gets called a Mexican all the time and she tells people all the time that she's not but they never listen. I swear, I just hate people that are prejudice. They think only what they wanna think. It's pathetic.

[Da da da da da86]

I suppose it's because for many years it's been used as a horrible slur against the African American people (still is, unfortunately).

I forgot one thing. People are really mean to my mom. One time, during mass, a lady refused to hold her hand during the Lord's Prayer (I've never been quite sure if this is common practice, but at my church we're all supposed to hold hands during the Lord's Prayer.) I was so mad and we all wondered why she even went to church if she was going to be horrible like that.

[Valerie]

We do it at ours too Andrew...

[Sniper]

Well, da da da da da86, it might not have been because of racism that the woman refused to hold her hand. It just might have been paranoia. It is also common pracitce to hold hands during the lords prayer. I myself, cannot stand people touching me. No matter who they are, i am paranoid of it...Touch-a-phobia one might call it....or, the woman could have just been being disrespectful to others in the house of god. lets not turn this into a religious thread though....was the lady holding the hands of anyone else?

[Da da da da da86]

Yeah, but it was relatives, I think.
My mom scooted toward her (because there were some empty seats in between) and offered the lady her hand. She would not even look at here and ignored her. Not wanting to make a scene, my mom just said okay and went scooted back. She noticed that the people in the row behind us saw what had happened and were shocked.. I think that's what upset her even more.. She didn't want people to know.

[Slytherin_Pride]

I'm glad I don't go to church. I'd probably cuss out that lady that wouldn't take her hand or something. Sometimes I just can't control my anger at all.

[Sniper]

Any thoughts on my post with the HP refrence?

[Da da da da da86]

To tell you the truth, I don't really get it. Draco ridicule's Hermione's muggleblood, but Malfoy is of wizard lineage...

Unless you mean that eventually Draco would have had muggle ancestors and that they both come from muggles, similar in the way that one race would slur another even though they share common ancestors way back when? I hope that's the case or I'll feel like an idiot.

[Sniper]

Thats not what i am gettin at....Hermione and Malfoy both have wizarding blood. Hes making fun of her blood being unpure, but they are both wizards and are both good enought wizards that they could both get into the same school. Despite her "Dirty Blood", they are both wizards in the long run.

[Da da da da da86]

Well, I'm an idiot then. :banghead:

[Slytherin_Pride]

Um ... ya, I get it sorta. She's not a muggle so he shouldn't be making fun of her. Of course, Draco makes fun of everyone so ... it's in his nature too. lol.

[HogwartsChaplain]

Yeah, and remember at the beginning of CoS, in Knockturn Alley, when Draco was in the shop with his father? Lucius can't stand that a muggle-born mudblood girl is getting better grades than his own pureblood son. That shows where the racism comes from, in Draco's case-- taught at home, the same as much prejudice.

[Sniper]

Yeah, but one would think that someone who goes to such an ethnically diverse school, such as hogwarts, would get used to the fasct that not everyone is pureblood. No matter the influence the persons parents have on them...

[pasalita]

Hm. With regards to the first post, I'm not sure it's quite a phenomenon/explanation that requires acceptance by those that are not of the culture; merely understanding.

The word offends and doesn't offend, even among those of the Black/African-American ethnicity. Some don't want to be associated with the American history of the term, and yet some are comfortable with regarding and being regarded as the word by their friends; some feel that using it so often can desensitize one-self from the slur; some feel that using it in a positive way (with close friends) reverses the harm of the word; some feel like they are reclaiming the word (since the roots of the actual word comes from Africa, though the degaratory vibe was attached to it during American slavery.)

I agree with what Andrew said: When the term is used by another race entirely, most specifically those of the Caucasian race, some (if not most) Black/African-Americans find this intolerable because of the Amercian history behind the term. And, well, racism still occurs today, and it's as much a slur now as it was during slavery. In the end, if it's hard to wrap one's psyche around it, it's okay so long as one understands that it effects others in different ways.

I know that I cringe when I hear the term, even though I'm not of the Black/African-American ethnicity.

[JenBluffheid]

I posted this in "Our World Sucks", but I reckon it's better here:

When I'm born I'm black
When I'm cold I'm black
When I'm sick I'm black
When I'm angry I'm black
When I'm dead I'm black
When I'm normal I'm black

BUT YOU!!!

When you're born you're peach
When you're cold you're blue
When you're sick you're green
When you're angry you're red
When you're dead you're white
When you're normal you're pink

AND YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO CALL ME COLOURED?!

Excellent quote.

[Sniper]

Yes, the latter two posts have deep meaning. Especially Pasalita. Now i have another question on the topic of "the word". If it was being reclaimed, what exactly is the definition of "the word"? Besides it now being a racial slur, and a term used towards people who are close to them and of the same race. What is the exact definition?

[lilhpwitch]

My grandparents brought my dad up on white suprimisy (sp?) and he tried to bring my sister and I up on it but it didn't work. One in part being that I went to school with a lot of black people they where all very nice. An another was that I dated a black guy when I was younger I never told him though because he always said if I did date a black guy I would be dis owned by that part of the family. Luckly my mum was cool about it. She didn't want me to date a black guy but she didn't dis own me.

[Sniper]

My first response to you is this. You havr the right to date anyone you want to date. If your dad is going to be a Racist, let him be. Step up to him. tell him how u feel about his racism. Nobody is superior to anybody in the world. Not Supremiscists, not anybody...

[jedily]

My experience:

I was born, raised, and still live in the midwest US, which is well-known for being a racist part of the country. I grew up hearing the "n-word" as a part of normal activity. I had a best friend for a while who would talk about how much she hated "foriegners" coming to "her" country and messing things up. :grumble: I married into a family of die-hard rednecks, needless to say my husband and I are probably the only ones who are not racist. We have raised our children with the idea that people come in all shapes, sizes, colors, religions, etc. and that it is wrong to not accept someone just because they are different from you. That's hard to do when my oldest hears her friends saying racial slurs and she comes home asking what that stuff means. I do not understand white supremacist mentality at all. To me, it is the ultimate level of ignorance.

I'll share a story...it was my freshman year of high school. It was Halloween and some of the kids would dress up as something funny for a laugh. One guy, who could be termed one of the troublemakers, came to school in a plain white t-shirt and jeans, with his face blacked, and a noose around his neck. Let's just say, we had a narrowly avoided racial situation that resulted in the guy being suspended for the rest of the semester.

[Sniper]

Just for the rest of the semester? in my school, we take Hazing and racism and ethnic harassment very seriously. There is a zero tolerance rule for it all. Had that kid done something like that, he would have been expelled and probably taken to court if someone had been offended by it, which they should have been.

[jedily]

Yeah, he probably should have been expelled, but this happened..*counts quickly*...12 years ago. School violence wasn't quite at the level it is now. I guess they were a little more tolerant back then. (although they shouldn't have been)

[Sniper]

I completely agree with you. But i still would like someone to give me a definition of that reviled word....I am gonna try and make a point if i get an answer to it...

[pasalita]

Originally posted by Sniper
I completely agree with you. But i still would like someone to give me a definition of that reviled word....I am gonna try and make a point if i get an answer to it...

Just out of curiousity: What point is it that you would like to contribute that can't be made without someone else posting their interpretation, or a link to the multi-faceted and complex discussion, debates, and interpretations about the word? I just wonder because it seems that to post a link would be futile since you've mentioned that you've already got a point ready to make.

[Slytherin_Pride]

Hmm ... I really wanted to date this African American once but my mom forbid it. I was really mad and didn't understand why. Then later on I found out exactly why. She was racist as they came. I don't get why I'm so different from her. I was raised by her and her boyfriend since I was like 3 years old. They both hated anyone that was different from them. I don't see how I became different because of that. I grew up thinking that racism is wrong. I grew up thinking that someone different from me was really cool. I wish they'd think that way. A few years ago I had a African American friend that I wanted to come over but my mother's boyfriend wouldn't let her in his house. She thought I felt the same and overracted and we stopped being friends. I miss her. This town is all racist. I've lived here since I was 8 years old and I still had my own thoughts on things.

Does anyone know why, after being raised in this type of place, could possibly develope my own thoughts on things?

I mean, people whom are raised in that type of place usually turn out just like their parents but I'm the exact opposite. I'm trying to understand how this happened. I'm not saying it's a bad thing. I'm glad I'm not like them. I just wonder how I escaped their views on things.

[owl post 1992]

i got picked on by racists and it was not pretty and i hit someone (huge fight) and very few people it turned out were bullying me the ones that were ended up with no friends and i had all the friends personally if i hate someone i go with personality

[lilhpwitch]

Originally posted by Slytherin_Pride
Hmm ... I really wanted to date this African American once but my mom forbid it. I was really mad and didn't understand why. Then later on I found out exactly why. She was racist as they came. I don't get why I'm so different from her. I was raised by her and her boyfriend since I was like 3 years old. They both hated anyone that was different from them. I don't see how I became different because of that. I grew up thinking that racism is wrong. I grew up thinking that someone different from me was really cool. I wish they'd think that way. A few years ago I had a African American friend that I wanted to come over but my mother's boyfriend wouldn't let her in his house. She thought I felt the same and overracted and we stopped being friends. I miss her. This town is all racist. I've lived here since I was 8 years old and I still had my own thoughts on things.

Does anyone know why, after being raised in this type of place, could possibly develope my own thoughts on things?

I mean, people whom are raised in that type of place usually turn out just like their parents but I'm the exact opposite. I'm trying to understand how this happened. I'm not saying it's a bad thing. I'm glad I'm not like them. I just wonder how I escaped their views on things.
I know small towns here in indiana sorta like mine are racist. My town was all white except for one family that adopted kids and it wasn't until a few months that the cultural diversity was cut. Slythern I was wondering if you know isn't the head of the kkk doesn't he live here in gary. I heard that that is why there arn't any blacks up in gary. I was wondering.

[Sniper]

Not that i would ever use the word, but the point i was going to make was, if there is no definition of the "N Word" then why would the African Americans claim to be trying to reclaim the word? If it has no definition, why would they want to "reclaim" a slur on their own race. Dont get me wrong, i just wanted to make this point...seeing as nobody can seem to come up with a definition other than a slur...

[Da da da da da86]

I'm not sure what you meant, but I mean reclaim the word as in make it not a slur... Back in the day, I'm told, pants was not appropriate language, but now it's fine. Even little kids say pants (Gasp! :lol: )

[Sniper]

Just think about what i said...Earlier, someone mentioned that the African Americans were trying to reclaim the word. If they want to take the word back, there must be a definition to it that has special meaning to them. Nobody here can seem to come up with a definition of the word, other than it being a racial slur, so why would they want to reaclaim a racial slur? It has baffled me since i read the part about them wanting to reclaim this reviled word...

[Da da da da da86]

I guess reclaim is the wrong word, then.

I suppose they're trying to make the word lose it's horrible offensive meaning.

[Sniper]

Yes, making the word lose its offensive meaning would be a great thing to do, but who knows, somebody will still use it somewhere someday and it will be back in the circulation again....I guess Racism is Inevitable. No matter what happens, there is no escape from it. No matter who tries to stop it, be it average Joe's like you and me. Or be it President George Bush speaking out against racism, there will always be the idiots of the world who think they have Supremecy over others. It is unavoidable, racism is...

[dobbygirl]

My grandmother was one of the most racist people you'd ever meet. She used the N word frequently around me. Fortunately, I had two parents at home that showed me by example that you don't treat people differently because of the color of their skin. Growing up, one of my best friends was part Native American. My husband is half Native American. He had to deal with a lot of bigotry, from both sides. He would get called "half-breed" by the whites at school and all kinds of names by the Native Americans on the reservation. He's told me it hurt alot at the time, but I think that what he went through made him a better person.

My biggest beef with racist and white supremists is when they use the Bible as their justification for their hatred. Oh, that just makes me :yell:

[pasalita]

Originally posted by Sniper
Just think about what i said...Earlier, someone mentioned that the African Americans were trying to reclaim the word. If they want to take the word back, there must be a definition to it that has special meaning to them. Nobody here can seem to come up with a definition of the word, other than it being a racial slur, so why would they want to reaclaim a racial slur? It has baffled me since i read the part about them wanting to reclaim this reviled word...

Because it seems as though you'd rather someone present the information, click on the following link to read ONE person's interpretation of the history behind the N word:The N Word (http://www.toptags.com/aama/voices/commentary/nword.htm)

Again, remember that this is one person's interpretation and opinion, not that of an entire race or ethnicity. Also, being that I read into word choice a lot, let's not simplify the perspectives of all those that consider themselves to be of Black/African-American heritage/culture by relegating individuals to the term "they." To refer to a "they" is to singularize an entire population of people that may and may not agree with the idea of using the N word in an attempt to reclaim it.

To many, the action of using the word is a way to reclaim identity and, by extension, a way of reclaiming history since the roots of the word and the evolution of the word is lost, having become unidimensional. To me, it's an offensive word because of what it has become (which, after reading the linked article, seems to be a reflection of misunderstanding and distortion.)

But, again, this is only my perspective, and if one wants to learn of others (that are far more academic), I would suggest doing google searches for related articles, or, better yet, visiting a University library that carries social science, anthropological, and ethnic studies related texts.

[lilhpwitch]

Originally posted by dobbygirl
My biggest beef with racist and white supremists is when they use the Bible as their justification for their hatred. Oh, that just makes me :yell:
I agree the white supremists use the lords book for there hatred. It is really wrong. I mean it is bad enough they are teaching white supremisy but they are using the lords book to teach it. It really makes me :censored: off.

[fuzzi95]

I here at my school all the time how black people call each other.."******"...! I get very upset at this because i know that if white people or other races said something like that....they would be shot. They need to draw the line and stop being so **** militant.

I am not racist! I just have very strong views about what peoiple say, and I don't think it's right!

[AvidSkyRise]

I think Racism is really stupid, we are all the same no matter what we look like. We have the same thoughts, feelings, desires, hopes...we are all part of the human race and nothing changes that.
I also really don't like it when rappers rap about how white people are so stupid and mean and stuff...We would get sued if we rapped about that!!!! I think it should go each way on racism, the caucasian is becoming the minority in the USA and I think it's a bit rude when they are racist towards us also, isn't that what we fought a gigantic war to stop?

[Benzo]

Racism is a cheap way to show ignorance or to take a revenge on history. Racism if a manifestation of fear of differences, because we are different in terms of values, cooking, rhythms and much more. The problem is the overgeneralisation; you meet a dumb Caucasian and they are all red necks. You meet a dumb descendant of Africans and they are all lazy.

The more you get to know people from different backgrounds, the easiest it is to accept differences. Human beings like to be secure, safe and not challenged by issues out of their own little comfort and that is why you get very small district (lack of vocabulary) fenced and only Caucasians can live there. However, I think it is always easy to be against racism until you have to face problems with people from a different ethnicity (sp?). What I am saying is that most people can say what they want but the real challenge is to help peace to grow around us on a daily basis.

[Pastor Potter]

I saw a commedian on Comedy Central discussing the whole use of the word cracka. It was funny he said something like:

I've been trying to work the word cracka into my everyday life. I've been going up to my friends saying, "Yo what's up cracka?" and stuff like that. But then this one day this black guy came up to me and was like, "Dude get out of my way cracka." I was like, "Man you can't call me that, it's against the rules."
I also hate racism. However, while having a discussion in my class about this a group of African American students told us that they hated white people because of what they did to their ancestors. Now come on people, hate only leads to more hate. I watched the Slavery Reparations rally or something on television and all the speakers there were ex-Black Panther and things like that. I cannot stand how they try to make every white person in the world seem like a racist biggot. It's a shame that these people are setting such a terrible example for the rest of the world to see.

[triki1988]

For some reason people just loove to make comments behind my back when they find out I'm hispanic, even though they say I "don't look like one". There's this girl who jsut loves to get any excuse to get me and my friends. We were at the movies once and we saw her (uh oh, the plague is here, don't even look at her). Being the greatly aware person I am, my eyes darted from friend to friend and I can swear to waht ever it is up there, that none of us even looked at that girl or her friends. Then, my friend cracks a joke, we all laugh, and there comes the combo of Sara. They start telling us, "uh, why are you guys speaking Spanish? we're In America". By this time, I was clenching my fists. Then her friend came, "yo no habla español". I was at the end of the group and in less than a second I was on the very front confronting her. She told us to go back to our country, that we're a disgrace, we're stupid and all that. Before walking away I told her little friend, "sabes que lo que dijiste estaba mal dicho no? Ah se me olvido, no hablas español" (You know what? what you said in your spanish, was wrong, but wait, I forgot, you don't speak it). Sometimes I just feel like wishing all of them to burn in h*ll for that.

[periwinkle-blue]

Oh.. that's really awful, triki! I wished that those people got a good smack at the back of their heads whenever they say nasty racist things behind other people. Peeves the poltergeist can do the smacking :lol: Sorry, I just thought peeves would lighten up the moods here.

In Malaysia, the main races are Malays, Chinese, and Indians. We do tend to be in cliques, and there's been some fights rooted by racism back in early independence years from the British. And I know there are still some people using very derogatory words against each other here. It makes me sad. However, we recognized ourselves as Malaysians, not Chinese Malaysians, or Indian Malaysians or so and so, and that bit helped a lot in facing racism here. My eldest sister married a half-Chinese, and my brother married a half-Indian. So you can say our family is really Malaysian :)

Another thing the government and mass media here help to conquer racism is through entertainment. Our people, no matter what race, really love Hindustani/Tamil movies, and most t.v. channels dedicate Saturday evenings with Bollywood movies. Sometimes the whole weekends are full with Bollywood stuffs. Chinese shows usually taken up the evening slots every weekdays, and Malay movies and dramas in earlier slots. Recently Malaysians used to have Hisdustani fever, then Japanese fever (almost all channels showed Japanese mini series), then Korean fever (yeah.. miniseries again) then Taiwan fever (miniseries). Plus, those telenovellas from Venezuela, Colombia, and all made us learn a bit of Spanish and Latin along the way.

[fuzzi95]

Well triki, is is kind of rude to speak spanish in front of people who can't! I don't mean to be rude, but some people just do it to show they can, and also so the other person can't understand them. It's an act of immaturity to not confront someone, and why were you talking in the movies in the first place??? No..J/K! I just think it works both ways...what she said was wrong, and you talking in spanish to your friends is wrong...somewhat!

[Harry_Potter]

I am going to go against the trend here and say that I love racism.

[periwinkle-blue]

Originally posted by Harry_Potter
I am going to go against the trend here and say that I love racism.

May we know why? Do elaborate your reasons please, before someone take offense :)

[Morgoth]

Originally posted by Harry_Potter
I am going to go against the trend here and say that I love racism.

Are you trying to provoke a confrontation with people?

[Harry_Potter]

I am just being sarcastic. I would say close to 100% of the people who truly feel that was don't have access to the internet in the first place, and probably are illiterate as well.

[fuzzi95]

Huh???

[The Oracle]

Originally posted by Harry_Potter
I am just being sarcastic. I would say close to 100% of the people who truly feel that was don't have access to the internet in the first place, and probably are illiterate as well.

Racist people aren't all backwater rednecks. Racism can and does go both ways. Its not just whites that have moronic ideas about "equality."

[esmarelda]

Note: I am no expert on the following. Just a white girl with too much time on her hands... :smile:

from SniperIf it has no definition, why would they want to "reclaim" a slur on their own race.

The definition originally only meant "black", from the latin. If you speak Spanish you will know that there is almost the exact same word "negro", but it just means black. However, in english, if you look up the word black in the dictionary, you will see that in english black is not just a colour. There is a whole philosophy that dates far back of black being evil and white being good (look up the word white too, for comparison).

Even JK Rowling has fallen into that trap, using the word "dark" to mean evil. Imagine if Voldemort was called the Light Lord, and they went to Defense Against the Light Arts classes. ;)

But in the context of slavery and racism, the n-word has become far more meaningful. It has come to represent all the racist attitudes that white people had/have towards black people- that they are lazy, but at the same time have animal-like strength, that they are "over-sexed", that they are destined to serve white people, that they are less than human, etc.

So why "reclaim" the word? Because when people who have been called that word call each other the same word in friendship it takes away from the hurtfulness of it. It gives people a split-second bond of history. Let's face it, that word is powerful, the way it can hurt black people, and the way it annoys white people.

Like fuzzi95 I here at my school all the time how black people call each other.."******"...! I get very upset at this because i know that if white people or other races said something like that....they would be shot.
So? Why shouldn't be be allowed to call themselves what they want, even if they don't want others to call them that?

It's like if your sister called you "stinky" as a pet name. If other people called you that, you'd be annoyed. Well, multiply that feeling by 500 years and some genocide, what do you expect?

Well triki, is is kind of rude to speak spanish in front of people who can't!
It's rude to speak english in front of people who can't, and I bet you do it all the time. Come on, triki was talking to her spanish-speaking friends in spanish, there's nothing rude about that!

Harry_Potter blurtsI would say close to 100% of the people who truly feel that was don't have access to the internet in the first place, and probably are illiterate as well.
Sarcasm doesn't read well on-line. Besides, illiteracy and racism have nothing to do with each other.

The Oracle preaches Its not just whites that have moronic ideas about "equality."
HUH!?

[Harry_Potter]

So? Why shouldn't they be allowed to call themselves what they want, even if they don't want others to call them that?

You say this as if being black is like being in an exclusive club. I don't think Martin Luthur King Jr. would approve of anyone using the n word that he tried so hard to eliminate. Freedom of speech shouldn't be limited to certain races.

[fuzzi95]

Thank you! That's what I meant! Everyone is equal in this world. No matter if you were brought over be the slave trade! White people don't owe black people anything! There are no victims anywhere in this thread! Verbal harrassment happens to everyone...you're not alone!

[The Oracle]

Originally posted by esmarelda
Let's face it, that word is powerful, the way it can hurt black people, and the way it annoys white people.

That's a nice thought. People say it to annoy the crap out of others. Mmmm..I love maturity in the morning.

Originally posted by esmarelda
It's like if your sister called you "stinky" as a pet name. If other people called you that, you'd be annoyed. Well, multiply that feeling by 500 years and some genocide, what do you expect?

I don't see Jewish people acting this way or for that matter, anyone else. Even women who act in a feminist way are ousted for "not shutting up already" and the like. Just seems that in this fight for equality, we separate ourselves even more every day. On one side, we have people who have a "right" to act mean, but no one else can.


HUH!?
See my above statement.

[Benzo]

We are all equals, we finish all at the same place. Sorry, very bad day....:rolleyes:

[DragonslayerX]

Basically, Blacks are allowed to call each other n****** because, they know they are not being racist about it. I have friends of several different ethnicities, and religions, and I always say very "racist" things toward them, but they don't care, because they know I am playing. Although I am sure I could get into a lot of trouble if someone just passed by me and heard these comments.

But, this is like your close friend calling you a b*tch. If you are friends with them, this is just another nickname. However, if some stranger came up to you and said, "hey b*tch!" I'm sure you would get pretty angry. You do not know if they are meaning to be ugly, but since you don't know, this is exactly how they come off. This is why blacks can call themselves n*ggers, and white people cannot.

Not because they have a special privilege, but because they know it is not confrontational.

[esmarelda]

Harry_Potter said I don't think Martin Luthur King Jr. would approve of anyone using the n word that he tried so hard to eliminate.
Well, seeing as you're not Martin Luther King Jr., nor do I think you ever knew him personally, you don't really know what he would think. I don't believe it was part of the Civil Rights Movement to eliminate any word, and you only have to look at organizations such as the NAACP to know that some versions of that word were in frequent use by MLK and his supporters. However, it is clear that a friend of his and fellow human rights supporter, Malcolm X, was of the belief that powerful words can be reclaimed.

Freedom of speech shouldn't be limited to certain races.
Freedom of speech is not the same thing as having a shred of morality in how you speak. It is not an expression of "freedom of speech" for me to run up to your grandmother and swear at her. Besides which, noone is saying that people ought to be arrested for saying particular words, but that it is rude and racist. You have a "right" to be rude and racist, you won't be arrested for it, but that means you are rude and a racist, and people will be angry with you. Anger does not threaten your "freedom of speech".

The Oracle I don't see Jewish people acting this way or for that matter, anyone else. Acting what way? Even women who act in a feminist way are ousted for "not shutting up already" and the like.
What does acting in a "feminist" way mean, and how are women "ousted for not shutting up already"? What are you talking about? I don't get what you're saying at all.

Just seems that in this fight for equality, we separate ourselves even more every day.
I don't think so. Maybe the people who aren't used to having to share might throw tantrums, but that's part of growing up, isn't it? That you learn that the world wasn't built for just you, there are other people in it, and they deserve happiness as much as you do.
On one side, we have people who have a "right" to act mean, but no one else can.
This is mystifying. Who is acting mean? Nobody is saying that. I don't know where you're getting this.

[Akarsha Lordaeron]

I don't like racism either. I hate racsim, but I don't hate racists, that may sound strange but I try not to hate anybody, that's what racist people do, they hate others. Personally, I don't see why someone's skin pigmentation is that important, when I talk to people I get to know them before I judge them, I don't care what colour somebody's skin is, or if they are pretty or considered by society to be unattractive (I don't think people are ugly, we are all beautiful, in one way) I care about the person's personality and who they trully are. Racist people are ignorant, they choose to hate others for something that they had no control over whatsoever, their skin colour, so always remember, don't hate people who are not like you, appreciaste the difference.

[MoonyMechele]

Racism makes me sick. It shows how narrow minded people really are. To me, if I met the smartes person on earth, and then found out they were racist, it would make them seem completley stupid to me. Obviously there are all sorts of races on this planet for a reason, and they wouldn't be here if they weren't supposed to be.

[Seshet]

I would like to preface my statement with "I don't hate Black people." Thank you.

There is a weird double standard in our society. A lot of Black people get up in arms if someone calls them that, they want to be called "African-American." Fine. But then they call white people White. Personally, that doesn't offend me. But the naming of our two races should be equal. Either we are Black and White, or I insist on being called "European-American."

[esmarelda]

Either we are Black and White, or I insist on being called "European-American."
You can call yourself anything you like. ;)

I think we're getting off-topic, though, with all these posts about what black people call themselves and whatnot. Maybe if people want they can start a thread about that.

[pasalita]

Actually, this is a good place to keep this discussion since the original poster intended to discuss this issue.

But, let's add a possible positive spin to this discussion:

In what ways do you try to fight racism?

[periwinkle-blue]

1) In what ways do you try to fight racism?

By trying to know everyone on CoS personally? :D Well.. actually I've tried, since we have abundance of cultures and races, backgrounds, etc. In a way, CoS Forums can be a major global racial awareness center, if only we can really, really focus on overall tolerance and respect amongst the members. But it's working towards that, don't worry :)

I think that small steps like smiling towards other people of different races can actually cracks the barrier a lot more than just trying to educate oneself on other cultures, and then claiming to know the 'other' races without even trying to interact with them. If I queue in lines for movie tickets, or at long queues the store's payment counters, I tried to smile at the person behind or in front of me, or even strikes a small conversation, especially with someone from different races. The Chinese are always polite, they're always up for a conversation with me. It's really pleasant to get acquainted with them, leaving behind a good ten-minutes vibes afterwards, and the long queue doesn't seems as annoying as before.

Religious festivals of different races are aplenty here, so during each occasion I tried to wish and give greetings to the people who really celebrate the festivals. I'm also a greeting cards fan, I like to send my Chinese, and Indians friends Christmas, Chinese New Year, or Deepavali cards, when the budget permits.

Language barrier is amongst the things that can stagnate the racial awareness. It doesn't mean we have to learn all of their languages, but it'll be nice to learn some greeting words in other race's mothertongues. A smile and a small greeting can be a giant step towards mending some racism issues, in my honest opinion.

[Trinity]

I think that racism is wrong. No race is superior to any other and each deserves equal opportunities.

What I do have a problem with is people pretending that all races are the same and try to get everyone to be the same and ignore race.

We cannot ignore races. Race tells us about poeples culture and beliefs. And it is a natural course of events for people of the same race to flock together (kinda like birds of a feather;)). But now society says we are all the same we must all get along perfectly, we must all live together, when I think it is better for different races to live apart so that they can all live out their individual cultures without having to conform to western standards to be acceptable.

I don't have a problem with different races living together but I don't believe they should have to. And I don't believe it should be forced. Some people are just too different to live together but that doesn't mean they can't respect each other and live amicably apart.

[JofpGallagher]

Originally posted by Sniper
I hate racism. I hate people who are racist. I hate to talk about it, but it has finally got the best of me. I am not racist, but i have gotten to a whole new point with African Americans. They are just confusing me. I dont mean to blame this topic on africans, but i just dont get something....The racial slurs....Alot of African Americans use these terms towards each other, but get really offended when someone of a different race uses it in the same context towards them. Can someone PLEASE explain this to me??? I have never had a problem with anyone of a dif. race, but i have taken notice of this, and i would like an explanation...Someone? Anyone?

I don't disagree with you...I don't like racism...I'm Christian and everybody is the same on the eyes of God..
I want to point out that in my opinion you use too much the word HATE...don't you think so?...It's my opinion....don't be mad.

[Harry_Potter]

Eminiem is white, can he say n:gger, or in the Hip-Hop world, nigga?

[fuzzi95]

I think racism is in the eye of whom it happens to. I can be called cracker for a long time, it's just a freaking word! If it was an action, it would be different. Maybe some black or other raced people like to get offended by the "racist remarks" because it makes them feel important, and it gives them attention, and they feel like victims!

There are no victims to verbal harassment, and if people are too pigheaded to understand that words don't hurt...than oh well! Stop complaining!

[DragonslayerX]

Originally posted by Harry_Potter
Eminiem is white, can he say n:gger, or in the Hip-Hop world, nigga?

He doesn't. He has said this is one word he wouldn't say.

[Seshet]

See? He sees particular word as worse than the F-word. Which it ISN'T. I personally would never ever call someone that, but I do think it isn't nearly as bad as some swear words. Either that, or he thinks he'll lose most of his audience if he does.

[Snowangel]

Originally posted by fuzzi95 (original post (http://www.cosforums.com/a/showthread.php?postid=166518#post166518))
I think racism is in the eye of whom it happens to. I can be called cracker for a long time, it's just a freaking word! If it was an action, it would be different. Maybe some black or other raced people like to get offended by the "racist remarks" because it makes them feel important, and it gives them attention, and they feel like victims!

There are no victims to verbal harassment, and if people are too pigheaded to understand that words don't hurt...than oh well! Stop complaining!


But the thing is, there are victims to verbal harassment. Words mean a lot to people. The old saying about sticks and stones is false. I think words have the power to hurt a person in a way that sticks and stones don't. Words aren't everything but they do matter to people.

[DragonslayerX]

Originally posted by Seshet (original post (http://www.cosforums.com/a/showthread.php?postid=167560#post167560))
See? He sees particular word as worse than the F-word. Which it ISN'T. I personally would never ever call someone that, but I do think it isn't nearly as bad as some swear words. Either that, or he thinks he'll lose most of his audience if he does.


Think about where he is from. Of course he has grown up seeing "n*gger" as a worse word. If you saw people gettting into fights because of the use of a particular word, wouldn't you see this as a bad word?

And really, n*igger is a worse word than curse words. Curse words are just rude, where as this word incites hate. It may not always be intended as hateful, but this is the image the word automatically brings up. When you see a white person say n*gger, what do you think they intend by that? Do you think they are being friendly? Or hateful?

[Morgoth]

I posted this in my journal and it seems right for here. What do you guys think about it?

---

A lecture and talk on Prejudice in our world, from a seminar on Equal Opportunities in the World Today attended and led by Jane Elliot.

Anyone read "The Anatomy of Prejudice" by Jane Elliott. Well, Jane is a retired school teacher from America, and is known for a video that she made in 1960 of her class at the time that Martin Luther King was killed. As the children were curious about the reasoning behind the killing, Jane asked them if they would like to take part in an exercise which would make them aware of what it actually felt like to suffer prejudice. The result of the exercise was horrifying and l will go into more detail later.

Jane began her talk by asking a tall white middle-aged male and a small young female of colour to stand up. She asked them both how important they viewed their height , age, and colour with regard to work and also outside work. The male said that he was happy with his height because it made him feel more dominant over others, whilst the female said that her height made her feel inferior. There was more of a balance over the question of age as the male felt his age made him appear to be very experienced, whereas the female felt that she had a certain amount of power being younger and obviously having longer to live. With the question of colour, the male said that this was very important as he felt that he already had a certain amount of power living in a country where there were mainly white people. The female felt that her colour was an obstacle, not so much at work but outside as people sometimes stared at her in the street or on the bus, so she is constantly reminded that she is different.

Jane went on to say that as a society we appear to be a "colour blind " as we are not supposed to "see" colour. However colour is important because people immediately identify what you are and how you look, as soon as you walk into a room. We are all not the same, as on the inside we feel different and have had different life experiences. In the USA they believe in the "melting pot" theory whereby everyone should be the same and become blended into society. However Jane believes it should become a "stir fry" theory, where everyone maintains their individuality and is appreciated for what they are, not what they look like.

Jane's view of the anatomy of prejudice is one in which discrimination causes prejudice, which results in negative behaviour through adverse physical treatment. It was this negative treatment of others that Jane wanted her class to understand when she conducted the blue eyes and brown eyes exercise. She wanted them to realise that in America whites have the freedom to be totally ignorant of people who are black, yet these people have to be aware of whites. Whites are also free to deny ignorance and are also free to say that the blacks are "oversensitive" if they get upset.

Jane went on to say that had she realised what the impact would be following the exercise, she would never have gone ahead with it. Jane was and still is branded a "****** lover" in her home town, and she is not welcome there. Her children have suffered from bullying over the years, her father has lost his business, and her husband suffered abuse as a direct result. Her mother still refuses to speak to her after 30 years, and the other teachers would have nothing to do with her for over 12 years. Jane carries on lecturing because having become a "victim" herself she feels that she must continue to speak out against prejudice and the pain that it causes to others.

At the time of Martin Luther King's death Jane tried to explain to her class what it was all about, but they did not understand, so she asked them if they would like to take part in an exercise which would help them understand the problems more clearly. This was the start of the blue eyes and brown eyes experiment. The exercise was to last for 2 days. On the first day all the brown eyed children were told that the blue eyed children were inferior and not allowed to sit near or play with brown eyes. They also had to wear a collar, so that they would stand out more clearly. At lunch time only the superior blue eyes were allowed "seconds" and could also drink from cups, whilst the brown eyes had to use paper ones. Jane was horrified at the results, after just 15 minutes into the exercise, the children became nasty discriminating individuals and it was quite frightening to see. The confidence of the blue eyed children diminished rapidly and many could not work. They could not think properly, due to the effect of the behaviour of the other children towards them. Some fights broke out and children were crying. The next day the roles were reversed and the brown eyes were" the superiors" . The blue eyes were now reduced to suffering the same fate that the brown eyes had endured previously.

After the exercise Jane asked the class what they had learned. Those who were "down" said that they felt imprisoned, and they realised for the first time the pain that people of colour feel when they are discriminated against. They felt that they had no confidence, and miserable because they were no longer considered " good enough". They learned that it was wrong to judge a person by the colour of their skin.

A short period after this Jane was invited to appear on T.V to talk about the exercise. Afterwards she received "hate mail" from the audience. People also did not want her to teach their children and the campaign of abuse against Jane and her family began.

Jane went on to talk about behaviour and the fact that behaviour can always be changed. People need to take responsibility for their own behaviour and the way they treat people, instead of denying that there is a problem, which clearly still exists. The reason it exists is because of fear. People are afraid that if people with colour get power they will take revenge. This is why it is important to try and educate everyone to realise that colour of skin does not matter.

Jane finished on a positive note by telling us that since the exercise took place , her own children had quickly learnt how to deal with racism, having been on the receiving end of it. This made them become better individuals as a result . They had gained a first hand understanding of the problems and difficulties that people suffering from prejudice face. The children who took part in the exercise have experienced positive benefits as a result of taking part, as many have been successful in getting better jobs. Employers have been keen to have them on the payroll because they know that these people, having gone through such a unique experience, would be able to get on well with all employees no matter what the colour of skin.

Jane still continues to lecture all over the world and has recently been invited to Germany to speak, because of the rise of Neo Nazism there. She is a very passionate and powerful speaker and she puts the message across quite clearly that there is still a racial problem, but unfortunately we choose to remain "colour blind".

[fuzzi95]

Ya so what if I like to say things that might offend the other races. That's how I feel about some of them. Hell, I even talk down on my own race, but does that make me racist? Anyone who calls someone else racist is racist themselves!!!

-EDIT by pasalita-

IT JUST HAPPENS!

[Silk E Smooth]

In honor of Black History Month our school booked two speakers that came tonight. One of the worlds most prominent racists and hate mongers, Quanell X and former Neo-Nazi skinnhead, Frank Meeink. This reeks of irony. Quanell was scheduled to speak first but I didn't get there an time. The lobby wsas packed with people that couldn't get in. So I got smart and went straight to the other building where Frank Meeink would be speaking in an hour. I had the best seat in the house. I really wish I would have had a chance to see Quanell just because I watch him on CNN and laugh at how close minded he is. Is he really considered a role model for the black community? But if missing Quanell meant I got to see Frank, it was worth it. For those who don't know who Frank is, he is the guy that American History X was based after. I didn't actually see the movie but I know it's the skinhead movie with Edward Norton. Anyhow, Frank is a wonderful person with a great story. For almost 3 hours he talked to us about his life and how he got started as a skinhead and what he went through in his life at that time. He talked to us about prision and about the friends he made there. He talked about how he changed his life around and where he is now. He's actually quite funny. Anyhow, my point of this post is that you really can't read a book by it's cover. I was getting read for tonights events thinking I was going to go see a black man preach about black sepremancy and then turn around and go listen to a skinhead enlighten me on the ways of white sepremacy. It turned out Frank was anything but. I want to know when did the world shift? When did a black man want to separate the races while a white man was trying to piece them back together? Of course that's just an example of 2 people in the world and by far not the way of the world but it's still out there. Racism.

[DragonslayerX]

No, fuzzi, calling someone racist does not make you yourself racist. Being racist has nothing to do with "calling people names." Everybody does this to everybody. Whats makes a person racist is when they hate, or even dislike someone simply because of the color of thier skin, or because of the country they were born in. The source of this hatred is not from any real reason, except for ignorance.

And Morgoth, I liked you input. I think it would do a lot of people a lot of good if they could participate in an experiment like that. In fact, I think it wouldn't really be harmful if an experiment like that was perfermed in all public schools, as a sort of "tolerance class." I know that would never happen, but still.

[fuzzi95]

Ok, then why do African American people call themselves the "N"word?

[pasalita]

Ay ya! This thread feels like it's going around in circles. fuzzi, please refer to the first few pages of this thread to read on several different opinions regarding the use of the "N" word by people of Black/African-American background. Again, these are several opinions, and if you still don't understand why someone believes it's tolerable and others not, then that's okay, too. But, since it's already been discussed at length, I ask, to everyone, that we do not regurgitate it here.

Let's bring this back to the positive: Morgoth posted a great example of how one person has tried to educate others on the effects of racism. Clearly, this person had the resources available to themself to be able to conduct an experiment like that. So, I ask you all this:

In what ways, big or small, do you try to fight racism?

Can anyone share another instance (like Morgoth's) that educates, or creates awareness, about the affects of race?

Also, please remember, that racism should not be regarded as something owned by one type of population of people, nor should it be regarded as something that occurs to one type of population of people, nor should we regard it as an instance that only occurs in the United States.

[AvidSkyRise]

I don't think racial slang should exist...it just brings out feeling of rage and hostility when it can't be used for everybody.

No one should call someone else a N*****
And nobody should call anyone else a K******

I don't even think that we should have to refer to someone as "oh that black girl who sits in front of me in class". It's very hard to do that b/c it's how must people are raised but you shouldn't even look at a race when with a person.

That is the bottom line
I agree with Benzo, we all finish in the same place

[DragonslayerX]

Well, I agree about using racial slurs, but I disagree about the use of color as a description. I mean it is a description. Is it wrong to say, "Oh, that tall girl who sits in front of me."?

When we want to describe something, we use its physical properties - color, smell, size, shape - to describe it. That is the only way to clearly describe something to someone who doesn't know what you are talking about.

So, using a person's color/race to describe them in that sense is just using a physical characteristic. The only problem I have with this is when you try to describe someone mentally using race or color (i.e., "Oh, she's black, so what does she know?")

[Snowangel]

I wrote this in the interracial relationship thread but I think it warrants discussion here. Recently I've come to think about race in a different way. I've been led to understand that "race" is not a biological reality. More or less it's a social idea that we have and there really is not biological/genetic basis for dividing people up into races. So, in that sense, the whole idea of "races" may not be legitimate. But, I suspect that in response to this, people will tell me that people experience race as reality. Because we grow up with these very strong ideas of race, because our history has so much racism and prejudice, "race" does have a meaning. However, I really think that as actual biological groups, races do not really exist (or so I've heard from various scholars, and different academics). Once we start to think about race as more of a historical, social fact, rather than a biological fact, then we can start to teach just how wrong-headed racism is.

These are just some thoughts. I understand that many people do think of race as a legitimate category, but what I really want to suggest is that this category is one that is mostly social in nature, not genetic.

[Benzo]

Originally posted by DragonslayerX (original post (http://www.cosforums.com/a/showthread.php?postid=284667#post284667))

When we want to describe something, we use its physical properties - color, smell, size, shape - to describe it. That is the only way to clearly describe something to someone who doesn't know what you are talking about.
So, using a person's color/race to describe them in that sense is just using a physical characteristic.
In my country, the problem that sometime happens is the media specify when it is a black who is the criminal but won't write caucasian if it is the case. Get the picture?

[Mad Macca]

I think racist people are really wrong!
We are all human! We breathe the same air, we walk the same planet! We laugh, we cry we are human! The only difference is the colour of peoples skin, and what they believe in.
A few of my friends can be really racist at times, and this gets me upset. I don't understand how people can think differently towards other races, just because they might follow a different religion.

[j_thunders]

I haven't read any of the replies, so I'm sorry if I repeat something:

I'll use an example from the book The Outsiders, since a lot of people have probably (hopefully) read it. In the book, Ponyboy says that when a Soc calls him a "greaser", it's out of disgust and hatred. But when Ponyboy and his friends use it with each other, it's in a joking, friendly way. I'm guessing that it's the same way with the example you gave.

It's kind of like how the police and other authority figures would refer to rebellious kids as "punks". They still do, sometimes. But "punk" also became a type of music, or actually it was an attitude that these kids were proud of. So they kind of embraced it. At least some of them did. When asked about why he called himself punk, Johnny Rotten said that he never wanted to be called punk, or punk rock. The press just gave them that name. But it caught on and it's not used in the same way it was decades ago.

[Laura Patil]

Some people are just stupid. I'm half-Asian, but I normally don't encounter many racist people.

Just on Friday, I had an interesting experience with a racist who I went to elementary school with. Well, now he goes to a different school, and I had gotten hold of his AIM screen name. So I got online and told him to guess who I was. He only got a few clues--That I went to elementary school with him, and that I hated him. Apparently a lot of people hate him, because it took at least 20 tries until he got my name right. He was pretty polite until he found out who I was, then he said, "You ****in Mexican" and blocked me.

I only found out he was racist a few months ago... That explains why he was so horrible to me in 5th and 6th grade...

[Annerach]

Life's too short to hate someone for no other reason than the fact that they're different that you.

[Laura Patil]

Racism suddenly seems very very real once it's directed at you... You have no idea what it feels like.

[Azimuth]

I didn't read every post, so I don't know if someone has already said this. 'The word', when spelt with 'er' at the end, is a racist term, and is offensive. But when spelt with an 'a' at the end, it's just like, a term of respect. You know how rappers, that are black, use it all the time - they use the 'a' variation. Saying "what's up, my _____" (with an 'a' at the end) is kind of the same thing as saying "what's up, my brother".

[Sniper]

Yes, azimuth, that has been discussed. and there is not a way that a white person can say the n word to any black person and not offend them. There is no way a white person can ever offend a black person and get away with it. there will always be Black and White supremists who will always have problems with each other and there is nothing to be done. Racism will never end. Racism is a way of life for some. It is these people who are keeping world leaders from getting together and achieving world peace. It is these people who ruin it for the rest of us.

There will always be SOMEONE, SOMEWHERE who will ruin things for you no matter how good and invincible you think you are.

[Jackie Malfoy]

:clappy: I think that we are now over doing it saying what would be racist and what would not be. Now if you really want racist look at the sixtys and there law about separting blacks from whites. If you want to know real racist look at those people now that is what I call racist.
I do not think being racist is saying that we need a movie with only white guys and black guys a mix of actors for there parts just because of there skin.
I been look at the old Star Wars not a single black face in that movie and people atteck it and then the blacks have there only black channels like Black Entermaintent and all that and we can not have a only white channel without people saying we are racist.
I mean if I was black and they wanted me to play in a movie just because I was black and they wanted to be fair to both sides! I would not play in the movie.
I would think that it is a insult for me to play in that movie just because they wanted a black man to play in it and not have all whites. THose people are the ones who are racist who think like that not the people who did nothering at all wrong.
Oh and one more thing in the new Disney movie about the lost world of Attana the newspaper had an picture that said first black man to be in a disney firm.
That is so stupid cause one again those people at disney are being racist by just because they had no black humans in any old disney movie they hired a black actor because of his skin.
If those people are not racist think again they are big time.

-EDIT for exclamation points. pasalita-

[j_thunders]

Originally posted by Jackie Malfoy (original post (http://www.cosforums.com/a/showthread.php?postid=354384#post354384))
I been look at the old Star Wars not a single black face in that movie and people atteck it and then the blacks have there only black channels like Black Entermaintent and all that and we can not have a only white channel without people saying we are racist!

They make channels like BET because for the longest time, you could never see a black person on television. And let's face it: when MTV first began, you rarely ever saw black artists on there. It was mainly a channel directed towards white viewers. Maybe not on purpose, but that's how it worked out.
Have you ever seen The Jeffersons? Supposedly, showing whites and blacks on the same program caused quite a controversy at the time, and the cast received tons of hate mail for it.


Oh and one more thing in the new Disney movie about the lost world of Attana the newspaper had an picture that said first black man to be in a disney firm!
That is so stupid cause one again those people at disney are being racist by just because they had no black humans in any old disney movie they hired a black actor because of his skin!


That's either an example of affirmative action, or you might have taken it out of context.

[DragonslayerX]

Originally posted by Jackie Malfoy (original post (http://www.cosforums.com/a/showthread.php?postid=354384#post354384))
Oh and one more thing in the new Disney movie about the lost world of Attana the newspaper had an picture that said first black man to be in a disney firm!
That is so stupid cause one again those people at disney are being racist by just because they had no black humans in any old disney movie they hired a black actor because of his skin!
If those people are not racist think again they are big time! Anyway see you around! J.M poke: poke:


Do you know this was the only reason the actor was hired? Or, could it possibly be that Disney wanted this actor, and he happened to be black? Then someone saw this, and wrote an article on it, and added the tid bit of trivia about this being Disney's first black actor. It is possible, isn't it?

[DarlingChild]

I hate racism. I just don't understand it. Everyone is the same, no matter what we look like. We all bleed red if we get a cut. We are all human beings. Racist people are ignorant. So, maybe I am racist against racist people :lol:

But really! There is no point to racism. At all. If you spend 5 minutes telling someone off just because of what race they are, you've just completely wasted 5 minutes of your life that you will never ever get back. You could have been using those 5 minutes to tell someone that you love them, or giving someone a compliment. My dad is racist, so I give him this lecture all the time. I've never had any problems with people of other races. I've peacefully co-existed with them for 16 years. I don't know if it's because I live in a dominatley white community, or what. But I know that when I go out into the real world, after high school, I won't have any problems with anyone. They might have problems with me because I'm "white." And why is it so sterotypical that white people are the only racist ones? I've seen many fine examples of African Americans being racist towards whites or "Caucasians" if you want to be politically correct ;)

Racism is a breed of ignorance. Let's not pass it on to the next generation. I, for one, will teach my children that everyone is equal. We are all human beings for crying out loud.

I could go on forever, but I think I'll stop now :)

[Silk E Smooth]

I noticed recently just how racist my hometown is. It's majority black populated. The racism comes from all sides though. I didn't really notice it so much when I was younger because when you grow up with people in school they are your friends. But then as you lose contact with your childhood friends, you become one of the older people in society that has to fall in line and know your place. Or so my town would have you believe. And because of my background and always being friends with a lot of black people (I am white by the way) and tend to want to make black friends here in my current college town. But they mostly don't want to extend their friendship in return. We have black fraternities and sororities and white fraternities and sororities. I don't see why they are like this. I'm friends with a lot of girls in black sororities but only because we may have class together or something like that. They have no interest in being friends with my outside of academics. I think it's crazy that we let things like race get in the way of friendship.

[nox]

It's not just African American people, all ethnic groups do it. I think it's because when a member of a certain ethnicity says something ethnicly degrading to another member of the same ethnicity, they know that they are saying it in a joking manor (most of the time) because they are saying it to one who is the same as they are, so would be saying it of themselves, too. But when a person of a different ethnicity says the same thing then the other person does not know for sure if this is the case.

Did that make any sense?

[Silk E Smooth]

Yeah nox, I know what you are saying. And Asian guy was trying to explain to me once why they like to just keep to themselves. He said that they have a better understanding of where they came from and just have bonds that way. I say that's stupid to think like that because they come from the same neighborhood as me, not some far off distance land like our relatives.

[Sniper]

Originally posted by Jackie Malfoy (original post (http://www.cosforums.com/a/showthread.php?postid=354384#post354384))
:clappy: I think that we are now over doing it saying what would be racist and what would not be. Now if you really want racist look at the sixtys and there law about separting blacks from whites. If you want to know real racist look at those people now that is what I call racist.
I do not think being racist is saying that we need a movie with only white guys and black guys a mix of actors for there parts just because of there skin.
I been look at the old Star Wars not a single black face in that movie and people atteck it and then the blacks have there only black channels like Black Entermaintent and all that and we can not have a only white channel without people saying we are racist.
I mean if I was black and they wanted me to play in a movie just because I was black and they wanted to be fair to both sides! I would not play in the movie.
I would think that it is a insult for me to play in that movie just because they wanted a black man to play in it and not have all whites. THose people are the ones who are racist who think like that not the people who did nothering at all wrong.
Oh and one more thing in the new Disney movie about the lost world of Attana the newspaper had an picture that said first black man to be in a disney firm.
That is so stupid cause one again those people at disney are being racist by just because they had no black humans in any old disney movie they hired a black actor because of his skin.
If those people are not racist think again they are big time.



No black people in Star Wars? How about Lando Calrissian? So what if he was only "Half-Black", black is still black and nobody should have made a deal out of a movie that grossed more than it was ever expected to anyhow. Nobody should ever point these things out for us, we should learn our wrongs in our own time and people probably wouldnt have a problem with racists nowadays....

Racists arent all just Anti-Black people. Blacks and whites arent the only races on this earth. Think about what Hitler did. He killed off hundreds of thousands of Jewish folks, only for the reason that they were jewish. Not only jews though! there were other races, and different religeons. There are all different deffinitions of the word "Racism" Against blacks, whites, asians, jews, mormons, jehovas witnesses, germans. WHATEVER culture they may be, we are all a different race.

Perhaps as Dragonslayerx said about the disney issue, perhaps Walt WAS a racist, perhaps he wasnt, perhaps he just was looking for an actor and a black man just happened to be picked for the part. Perhaps black folks didnt feel the compellation to audition for Walt Disneys movies. Ever think of that as a possibility? Perhaps he only chose to have his characters portrayed with white skin, look at the time he emerged, in the time of the separation of blacks and whites, perhaps this stuck with him and his company throughout the years and they finally realized how much of a biggotry they made of Disney and felt it was time to change....

I also appologize for two things, one, if i offended anyone or seemed riled up in this post, and Two, the overuse of the word "Perhaps"

[Falcon]

Originally posted by Sniper (original post (http://www.cosforums.com/a/showthread.php?postid=357698#post357698))
No black people in Star Wars? How about Lando Calrissian? So what if he was only "Half-Black", black is still black and nobody should have made a deal out of a movie that grossed more than it was ever expected to anyhow.


Lando wasn't in Star Wars, he was in The Empire Strikes Back. I was surprised to see a black man in the movie to be honest, because when I saw it, I was very young and just assumed for some stupid reason, that black people weren't in outer space. (Shows how much I knew when I was 6.) I had two black friends in elementary, and they never seemed upset that there weren't any black folks in SW, but again, we were children.

Falcon

[Amadeus]

well... it's like...

if an American says "I hate US!" then they are just viewed as someone who's not happy with the gov, etc.

if someone who is NOT American says "I hate US!" then that person is viewed as an Anti-American..


I guess it's opinions and different perspectives...

[Carina]

I know someone whose dad belonged to the KKK. She is a Michael Jackson fan and her dad totally hates it. She still tries to hide her fandom from her dad. It's really sad. Racism, sexism, whatever it is, "Prejudice is Ignorance" like MJ says and it is so true. Racism is still alive. Even in the music industry etc.

It was Halloween and some of the kids would dress up as something funny for a laugh. One guy, who could be termed one of the troublemakers, came to school in a plain white t-shirt and jeans, with his face blacked, and a noose around his neck. Let's just say, we had a narrowly avoided racial situation that resulted in the guy being suspended for the rest of the semester.
If someone did that at our school, that'd be the end of them.. >:(

[Sniper]

Carina, ever think that maybe her dad isnt hating it because michael jackson is....whatever he is? Maybe its just because he is just hatingof michael, as a lot of people are...But as you said, he was in the KKK, so maybe this was the case...But you are right in one aspect, Sexism and Racism are sad

[Carina]

Hey Sniper :)
That story took place in the mid-70s where there was not as much sensationalism surrounding Michael. She is definitely sure her dad is racist. He hates Michael Jackson and any other coloured person.
Besides, he was the Grand Dragonmaster.
And can I squeeze in a little bit of MJ? :p
I just also wanted to say that the people who hate Michael really can't see past what the media says. They hate him for reasons that don't exist. They don't understand and don't WANT to understand him.
Ignorance comes is all shapes and sizes and this is one of them.

[IrmoPimp]

Here's what I want to know.....

Being white, I am not allowed to say "******" in ANY context.
Black people call each other "******" about eight times a second.
But then, they later refer to it as "the n-word."

That is unbelievable itself, but what is even more strange is that black people are so afraid of a simple word.
******. OOOO, scary.

******. OOOO, i'm shaking in my boots over a word that means nothing.

It can only offend you if you want it to. I am not scared of the word honkey, cracker, whitey, or anything else. I know that words mean nothing, it is actions that speak.

[D'Artagnan]

People, hispanics aren't a race. So isn't it just more like being prejudice then being "racist"? That term gets thrown around all too much lately.

And as far as the whole racism thing goes in America, it's pretty messed up. For some reason, blacks can say the N word, they can go around and call people crackers without being punished, have all black schools, and blame everything on racism. Mind, I have nothing against blacks. I just think the situation is messed up. If someone who isn't black get's a job instead of a black man, he can sue for discrmination. And I don't agree with slave reperations some are trying to get, and using Martin Luther King Jr's face as the logo. I don't think he wanted slave reperations. It's not fair to take money away from people who had nothing to do with slavery. (Current day people.)

[haycheng]

racism is indeed kind of going to far. The whole affairmative action seem very unfair to good student. I believe what we should do is to improve the element level of education. It does not hurt to have a moral class when they are young too.
When I am in Hong Kong, we have moral speech every other week. I also remember have class about human moral and how to be a good person. In a way, it is social study but put more attention on be good.
On the N word, why use them? I wonder not use any rude word to anyone. It seem unkind to use such word.

[AllieCat]

I hate racism. I hate people who are racist. I hate to talk about it, but it has finally got the best of me. I am not racist, but i have gotten to a whole new point with African Americans. They are just confusing me. I dont mean to blame this topic on africans, but i just dont get something....The racial slurs....Alot of African Americans use these terms towards each other, but get really offended when someone of a different race uses it in the same context towards them. Can someone PLEASE explain this to me??? I have never had a problem with anyone of a dif. race, but i have taken notice of this, and i would like an explanation...Someone? Anyone?


I'm not really sure but maybe they would get offended because a while ago (cant remember date but it wasnt that long ago ) We used African americans as slaves we draged them from their native lands and brought them here to do our dirty work (disgusting) . So i guesse when we refer to them in some of these ways they might think that were looking down on them. But its probably alot more different when its someone of their own race. (Just a theory)

[Tyskater]

Racism Sucks!!!

[AllieCat]

I dont think you were following the subject were you, Tyskater? We were talking about African Americans reactions to somethings that poeple say.

[AllieCat]

Sry had to cut that short. But i mean we were talking about how they dont get offended when other Afican americans say some things but they do when other races say the same things.

[Tyskater]

sorry about that i was too lazy to read the other posts and i just said the first thing that came to my head.

[fuzzi95]

Yes, racism does suck! I feel as if the only people I am racist to, are the terrorists who helped bring down the WTC...I don't even know if it's racism though...I don't call them any names, that I wouldn't call anyone else on the street! I was watching the news, and these people from Afghanistan were laughing about 911...This got me angry. I feel as if what they did is far worse than me calling them a few ordinary insulting names...Yet my Oldest sister called me a racist...!!! I don't think that I am!

[Weatherby]

fuzzi95 - If you'e angry towards all Arabs then your sister could be justified in being upset with you.
Vast generalising like that is dangerous. She's probably just trying to look out for you. You had a justified reason for being upset but she had a good reason as well.

It's a mistake to make assumptions like that. There's so many different people in the world. They can't all be the same based on skin types. The WTC was bombed because of how others felt towards Westerners.

People, hispanics aren't a race. So isn't it just more like being prejudice then being "racist"? That term gets thrown around all too much lately.

And as far as the whole racism thing goes in America, it's pretty messed up. For some reason, blacks can say the N word, they can go around and call people crackers without being punished, have all black schools, and blame everything on racism. Mind, I have nothing against blacks. I just think the situation is messed up. If someone who isn't black get's a job instead of a black man, he can sue for discrmination. And I don't agree with slave reperations some are trying to get, and using Martin Luther King Jr's face as the logo. I don't think he wanted slave reperations. It's not fair to take money away from people who had nothing to do with slavery. (Current day people.)
Racism may have been a term penned for racial discrimination but it's still racist to hate others because of region, religion or sex. The feelings are still the same whatever the "reason" is.

Anyway...
I'll refrain from posting about some of the remarks in this thread as I've covered my feelings on the issue in the Affirmative action thread.

[fuzzi95]

It's not at all an angry feeling to all arabs...just those on the TV who are cheering about America suffering!

[hesdead-dealwithit]

How does everyone feel about the use of "token blacks" or "token latinos" or, in general, "token minorities" in popular culture? I really don't like it. I mean, token minorities just take a white character and paint it black. It assumes that black people are identical to whites, when the reality is different. 200 years of oppression doesn't disappear overnight, and the idea that blacks dress the same, think the same, and act the same as whites is to me a little insulting. Minorities are different from whites, and denying that fact is foolish. Instead, be should accept that people from different backgrounds are going to have different views, and treat all people the same. But the idea that you can "blackwash," so to speak, white characters and claim that you are officially non-racist because of it is idiotic. A good and fair treatment of minorities on TV, in movies, and yes, in books like HP, would be to understand that there are differences between people and celebrate that.

Any thoughts?

[Phenraven]

I'm sorry but I cannot just get away from the fact that we are all human.Prejudice has come about from the way people treated each other in the past. Lets try to get away from that.If we all treat each other in the way we ourselves would like to be treated then you will not go far wrong.I work in a very PC environment that only highlights peoples differences in a way I had never thought about. I know the intentions are good but it is so destructive.We all live on a small planet and we are the same.

[fuzzi95]

No we're not all the same! I'm sorry, but I know that I would never go and kill someone like other people do...I just don't see how you can say we're the same...What do you see that is the same!? All I see is a whole bunch of differences...

[Carina]

We are all the same.
We all have 2 eyes, a nose, a mouth, 2 arms etc.
We all have feelings, parents, emotions and a life.
Racism, Sexism and all the other types of prejudice sickens me because we are all the same.

[J3_]

As far as I've read, people seem to be saying racism is only like from a white person to a black person, grnated I still had page 4 to read, but as I said, as far as I've read.

Now, I am quite a lot European, mostly Finnish, but about 3/4 of me is Scando, and I am Greek a bit too. That's on my mums side (I'm mostly Finnish there though) and on my dads side, Aussie Aboriginals.

At school, I got called an abo and a coon from this really annoying girl... And I get called a wog all the time. Now as far as I'm concerned, calling someone a wog, or frog or Nazi or Chink is still racist.

After all, rascism isn't just from black to white or vice versa, it it a prson of one race making fun of someone of another race because they are of that race. Racism is stupid. People who are racist are stupid. Although these days you can even get in trouble for noticing that people are of different races.

Like I was walking with my and said that this person who walked past prolly thought I was a weird lesbian who had a thing for Asians because whenever she saw me, I was with a female Asian, and she got kinda shitty at me.

And in my HIStory class, this kid called Moby started begging for 10c off anyone, and he kept going 'Come on, I'll pay you back, I'm black! Help a black freind out! Give to the black man!' Now, what does hisa being have to do with it? And how much trouble would I be in if i was begging for money in a similar fashion, but saying 'I'll pay you back, I'm white!' etc (I look white, mostly European, remember, lol)

Hmm, something to think about. I think we are seeing a double standard coming into play here. And just another point, people who think Michael Jackson bleached his skin to look white (which he didn't, and please don't start this topic though) hate him because he was ashamed of his colour, now how is it different from getting stuff to turn your white skin black? Yet again, another double standard.

I suppose I'd best leave you at that, and wondering hwat the point of my post was, oh well.

_J

[fuzzi95]

Okay...when I ment that we weren't all the same...I ment that we all feel about things differently. It doesn't matter about our physical features or anything...just the fact that we do have different opinions on things that ARE NOT the same!!!

[Benzo]

Racism is the product of ignorance and stereotypes that we received in our education. It is also a lack of tolerance. Yes, it can be tough to share the area around your house with people with big cultural differences. But people tend to forget that there are big cultural differences among one single ethnicity and that is why overgeneralization occurs.

But even if I understand how a society can mould people the way they are, I noticed cultural differences in my teaching experiences. For example lying to a teacher is always a good tool to get out of trouble but there is an ethnicity who will deny the facts even if it happens right in front of my eyes. That struck me when i started teaching because I can't stand liars. However, I will learn quickly teenagers from my etnicity will say 'it is not my fault' which is not better. What I am trying to say is that you can be the best person on earth but dealing with differences is not an easy task. And I am not talking about big social racism in some countries which seem to me unsolvable.

[Radcliffe Sistah]

First of all we do not call each other racial slurs. "The Word" the u are refering to is another way of sayin, my "Dog", "Homie" or "Patna". And also it is spelled differently from the "Actual" word. Now i'm not sayin its the best word in the world, spelled differently or not, but I do say it at times (with the spelling "Ni**A" not "Ni**er") and its not for everyone to understand, just like when I first came to Cali, I heard the silly terms "w**back" and "ch*nk". I didn't have a clue what it meant, but I didn't say it either. I figured 'hey, if I don't know then its not for me to know and to say'. but trust me there's a lot of blacks that Do not like to even hear the Ni**a word. Of course its the older ones or ones who wasn't raised in the ghetto or hood. I don't want to bore you with info, but I thought I'd post my input and answer ur question. Any other questions, let me know. :-)

[IrmoPimp]

Here's what i want to know.
When it comes to racism, we are all the same.
When it comes to anything else, we are all unique and different.
Which one is it?

Oh, and racism does not "suck". Racism simplifies matters and helps to understand the world's problems.

[TheBoss]

well course, i hate racism, we're never going to get rid of it though.. someones always going to be a jerk, someones always going to be jealous... someone will always blame someone else for one reason or another.. just live with it, and dont let it get to you, thats the best thing you can do..

[Carina]

"Here's what i want to know.
When it comes to racism, we are all the same.
When it comes to anything else, we are all unique and different.
Which one is it?"

We are all different in the way that we have different feelings, colours, thoughts. But though we are many, we are One.
We are all the same in the way that everysingle soul was put on this Earth to love and be loved. We should all have the same opportunities etc.
Anything that hurts anyone is Bad. I don't care what anybody says because how can racism be OK if it hurts people?

"Oh, and racism does not "suck". Racism simplifies matters and helps to understand the world's problems."

I reckon racism has played (and is playing) a huge part in messing up the world.

And on the thing about Michael Jackson, it is true that he did Not bleach his skin. No one can.
But even if it's possible, Why is it OK for light-skinned people to get tans and look darker? No one is pointing fingers and saying "Oooh, you're ashamed of your race!"

It's all about double standards and that is the basis of all prejudice.

[kwyjibrago]

my personal views
1- any word that can be part of any given person's vocabulary, can be part of mine. if someone wouldn't want me to say it to them, then they should think twice about using it themselves.
2- most people seem to think that racism is learned- from friends, family, etc. i think that racism is acquired through personal experience and can thus be justified.
3- i think that a certain amount of racism is unavoidable, and that no one person can be entirely free from all prejudice- the difference is between the thought and the action.
4- after working around many races for a few years now, and observing social patterns (not to mention being treated like dirt), i feel that i am rightly entitled to these opinions.
5- (this is more of a board complaint) does every have to start off their posts saying the same thing? it's generally accepted that racism is bad, so do we all need to type posts saying "hey, I think it's bad too!"... it gets a bit annoying to read the same thing in everyones posts (not just this particular topic either- it seems to be an epidemic)

i know this is slightly different from what the discusion is revoling around, but it's revolving, so at least this is something fresh- relatively...

[Lianni Banks]

This is a reply to a tread which has now been closed and moved to this location. I have attached the original thread topic so you all know what I'm talking about..

I watched BBC news which has it that White English policemen have a unfair conception of Oriental people and shocked that England hasn't been changed at all. To see its poilce officers, it is needless to say how ordinary English people feel about different racial peoples.

:frown:

I'm not sure I entirely agree on the concept of the story by the BBC...no matter where you go in the world you are going to have racial issues. But England is a fairly multicultural country - not as multicultural as some but the population there is ever-growing and more and more people are choosing to emmigrate there and so society is becoming more open to the different life-styles and cultures of the people living there.

I don't think it's fair to assume that all British people share the same opinions regarding race as the police officers portrayed in the documentary - I certainly don't I was raised amongst every race, religion and culture I can think of and I certainly don't have any ill feelings towards anyone. I think how you are raised by your parents and the environment you are raised in plays a large part on how a person approaches people of a different race to themselves. If you are a part of a family that aren't as socially acceptable of races other than the 'typical' caucasian race and have grown up hearing inappropriate terms used about those other races then that will have some sort of impact on your own personal outlook.

I'm now living in Australia having had moved from the UK when I was younger and the police over here are really very good when dealing with people of a different culture. The police associations encourage people from every culture to join their ranks because it assists them in their roles as officers by offering cultural sensitivity to those people who
a) may not be able to communicate with English speaking officers
b)may not wish to communicate with an English speaking or 'white' officer due to their own personal issues.
I think England is on the way up when it comes to being socially acceptable of people of many different cultures and by encouraging more people of these various cultures to join police ranks, the misconception that all British officers are racially disriminative will slowy diminish. In saying that though - sadly, we are never go to rid the world of racial hatred and attacks on different cultures etc...that's just a sad and depressing thought.

[Fairydust]

Wait, are you telling me that there are still bigots in the world! Oh man! This is bad! lol. Just joking, I had to be sarcastic because it's in my nature. Really, I live in canada, bc to be exact, and police brutality, especially when it comes to minorities, isn't all that shocking. In a perfect world we wouldn't have bigotry and we wouldn't have hate crimes, but we don't live in a perfect world. This is the first time I heard about police brutality in England, but I don't really keep up with international news so... But really, just because some people, be them cops, are racist or whatnot, it doesn't reflect the whole nation or society as a whole. It's saddening to think that cops and whatnot would abuse their powers, but it's not shocking at all. Really though, just because a few people are racists it doesn't mean that that society as a whole is.

Yup.

[Sniper]

I'm not really sure but maybe they would get offended because a while ago (cant remember date but it wasnt that long ago ) We used African americans as slaves we draged them from their native lands and brought them here to do our dirty work (disgusting) . So i guesse when we refer to them in some of these ways they might think that were looking down on them. But its probably alot more different when its someone of their own race. (Just a theory)

I dont know if any of you know this, but Whites were the first slaves to other races. A second of my arguements is that if whites were the first slaves, then why is it that african american folks are the most voiced on the issue of slavery, the whites dont complain about the wrongdoings of their ancestry, why do the africans have to make such a huge deal out of it all??? SOCIETY WOULD NOT BE THE WAY IT IS IF THERE WERE NO SLAVES. Thats the end of it! To this day there are slaves. Everyone is a slave. Maybe not in the sense that theyre not being paid or forved to work, but if you look at it all in perspective, every last one of us is forced to work in some way or another.

[Lianni Banks]

the whites dont complain about the wrongdoings of their ancestry, why do the africans have to make such a huge deal out of it all??? .

I do agree with this statement to some degree. It appears that those people who are most against racism in society are constantly bringing those issues to new light. For example, when Halle Berry won the Oscar for her work in Monster's Ball and was hailed an icon because she was the first black female to win an Oscar. Personally I didn't even register that she was any different from the other women in her category. The press and other media parties made a statement out of her race and made it a big deal. Why should it be a big deal that she won the Oscar - better than Nicole in my opinion ;) - it's not as if we are living in the early 1900's again and racial segregation exists like it did back then (not saying it doesn't still happen but it's much lighter than it used to be)...and it's not like she didn't work just as hard as her fellow nominees.

As someone stated early on in this thread, there is a massive double standard in society when it comes to culture and pigmentation. If a causacian person made reference to an African, Aboriginal, South American's skin colour it would be deemed as 'bringing attention to their differences and being racist'. Yet if those very same people who cried 'racism' made those same comments it would be seen as 'liberating and justice seeking'.
For crying out loud, stop bring attention the issue of racism and people will slowly get bored of the idea and move on to something else! I believe that we need to acknowledge the fact that racism exists in order to move on however, the more the press use it as a way to sell a good story, the more society are going to see it as being okay to view people by their pigmentation rather than their talents.

[Sniper]

I do agree with this statement to some degree. It appears that those people who are most against racism in society are constantly bringing those issues to new light. For example, when Halle Berry won the Oscar for her work in Monster's Ball and was hailed an icon because she was the first black female to win an Oscar. Personally I didn't even register that she was any different from the other women in her category. The press and other media parties made a statement out of her race and made it a big deal. Why should it be a big deal that she won the Oscar - better than Nicole in my opinion ;) - it's not as if we are living in the early 1900's again and racial segregation exists like it did back then (not saying it doesn't still happen but it's much lighter than it used to be)...and it's not like she didn't work just as hard as her fellow nominees.

As someone stated early on in this thread, there is a massive double standard in society when it comes to culture and pigmentation. If a causacian person made reference to an African, Aboriginal, South American's skin colour it would be deemed as 'bringing attention to their differences and being racist'. Yet if those very same people who cried 'racism' made those same comments it would be seen as 'liberating and justice seeking'.
For crying out loud, stop bring attention the issue of racism and people will slowly get bored of the idea and move on to something else! I believe that we need to acknowledge the fact that racism exists in order to move on however, the more the press use it as a way to sell a good story, the more society are going to see it as being okay to view people by their pigmentation rather than their talents.


:clap: :clap: :clap:

VERY well put.

[Carina]

As someone stated early on in this thread, there is a massive double standard in society when it comes to culture and pigmentation. If a causacian person made reference to an African, Aboriginal, South American's skin colour it would be deemed as 'bringing attention to their differences and being racist'. Yet if those very same people who cried 'racism' made those same comments it would be seen as 'liberating and justice seeking'.
For crying out loud, stop bring attention the issue of racism and people will slowly get bored of the idea and move on to something else! I believe that we need to acknowledge the fact that racism exists in order to move on however, the more the press use it as a way to sell a good story, the more society are going to see it as being okay to view people by their pigmentation rather than their talents.

I'm glad you know that alot of people (especially the media) focus on the skin colour rather than one's talents or personality. :)
You've all noticed, of course, that Michael Jackson's skin colour has changed. He now had porcelain white skin. Has anyone actually listened to his explanation before criticising him of "Being ashamed of his race!"?
I'm sure many people think this because I've met alot of them.
They make accusations such as these while he has NEVER done anything to show he is ashamed of his African Amercian race. I don't know. So much of the public is so obsessed with the colour of the skin.
Now, Michael Jackson has VITILIGO a skin disease which causes the pigmentation of his skin to go away.
His doctor confirmed this and there are photos to prove it...but guess what? People still use his skin colour as a way to criticise the man.
It's sick. Haven't you heard tabloids go ON and ON about his skin? The world hasn't changed a whole lot you know.

But as far as I know, there is only one race anyway - The Human Race.

[Lianni Banks]

Thank you Carina & Sniper! :D

I agree with the Michael Jackon issue...I'm a massive fan of his and believe what he says about his skin condition. And going back to what I was saying before, the colour of his skin - or - anyone's skin should never be brought to our attention before their talents and successes.

Everyone has the potential to be something great, it's just whether they can tap into that potential to ensure that it happens. By segregating the many cultures in the world appears to me that it segregates the opportunities people have in life - it inconsciously inhibits a person's right to succeed.
To make my point a little clearer and going back to the Halle Berry Oscar winning issue - the way the press and Hollywood types reported her as the first black woman to win an Oscar almost made it seem that it's impossible for a person of darker skin to succeed in that industry - it was almost a huge shock that she had won and that the academy were doing her and her fellow African American's a favour by 'allowing' her the 'honour' of winning- PUH-LEESE! :lol: .
Her performance was outstanding and as an ACTOR she deserved to win - Go Halle, Go Halle... :clap:

And as for the statement made by Carina of "There is only one race = the Human Race"...it was completely true and I totally agree! :tu:

[Jessie]

I'm going to keep this short, simple, and straight to the point.

I think racism is silly. We're all the same colour beneath the skin, right? We're all humans, we all have minds, we all have hearts. We're all the same, living in the same planet. And we're all family. So racism is something that should be non-existent, however impossible.

[bellatrix669]

I'm glad you know that alot of people (especially the media) focus on the skin colour rather than one's talents or personality. :)
You've all noticed, of course, that Michael Jackson's skin colour has changed. He now had porcelain white skin. Has anyone actually listened to his explanation before criticising him of "Being ashamed of his race!"?
I'm sure many people think this because I've met alot of them.
They make accusations such as these while he has NEVER done anything to show he is ashamed of his African Amercian race. I don't know. So much of the public is so obsessed with the colour of the skin.
Now, Michael Jackson has VITILIGO a skin disease which causes the pigmentation of his skin to go away.
His doctor confirmed this and there are photos to prove it...but guess what? People still use his skin colour as a way to criticise the man.
It's sick. Haven't you heard tabloids go ON and ON about his skin? The world hasn't changed a whole lot you know.

But as far as I know, there is only one race anyway - The Human Race.
Actually, I think that whether or not vitiligo is the cause of his skin changing color is still in question. The pattern of change exhibited by his skin isn't consistent with the clinical definition of vitiligo, not to mention those with vitiligo have to go to extreme measures to protect themselves from the sun (and an umbrella just won't cut it). Simply put, I think that he has had skin-lightening surgery. Do I think anything is wrong with it? No, but he should at least be upfront about it if he's going to discuss his skin-color change.

[Falchman]

I hate racism but what i also hate is the fact that you cant talk about racism directly because you could be deemed a racist.

Did u know that school nativity plays are going to be slowly not allowed because it is deemed "racist" to all the people who are not christian. I agree with this because the country is multi national, but it is also traditional at christmas to put on the old christmas story.

[Carina]

Actually, I think that whether or not vitiligo is the cause of his skin changing color is still in question. The pattern of change exhibited by his skin isn't consistent with the clinical definition of vitiligo, not to mention those with vitiligo have to go to extreme measures to protect themselves from the sun (and an umbrella just won't cut it). Simply put, I think that he has had skin-lightening surgery. Do I think anything is wrong with it? No, but he should at least be upfront about it if he's going to discuss his skin-color change.

I'm not trying to promote a site but if you go to www.geocities.com/ctmajic/ you will see a very good photo of MJ's vitligo. This photo was not manipulated in any way. It appeared in a magazine years before Michael admitted to having vitiligo.

If it isn't vitiligo, I don't know what else could have made his skin SO porcelain white. It's impossible to bleach one's skin to THAT extent. You'd die.
His make-up artist, Karen Faye, uses light make-up to even out his skin colour. There are white blotched here and there.

He has been upfront about his skin. He said it on a live worldwide interview with Oprah back in early 1993.
But I have spoken to some people who have vitligo. You would not imagine how embarrassed and ashamed they get, though it's no fault of their own. It's terrible. What would people think if they saw you with strange white blotches everywhere? From your face to your feet. No doubt many people would react horribly if they see someone with skin like that.

Now imagine it for Michael Jackson. Everybody knows him, from China to Africa etc. The world watches every move he makes and everything he says. People study and criticize him for the tiniest things.
With the whole world constantly watching such a famous person as him, the embarrassment of having this kind of skin disease is MUCH more worse than if it were you or me.
Can you imagine it?

Just think about that. It's a VERY different world if you're ever in Michael Jackson's shoes.


Quote from Jessie - "I think racism is silly. We're all the same colour beneath the skin, right? We're all humans, we all have minds, we all have hearts. We're all the same, living in the same planet. And we're all family. So racism is something that should be non-existent, however impossible."

Yea, racism is incredibly stupid. I mean, we all feel pain when we get hurt. We all bleed, think, feel, cry and laugh.
Taking all that into account, it's is so dumb that someone would hate someone else merely because their skin is lighter or darker. It totally baffles my mind as to HOW these people think.

[Kaonashi]

I think it's interesting that if someone does something terrible to you and they are from the same race, it's just a crappy thing that someone has done to you. But to certain individuals, if someone does something bad to you and they are from a DIFFERENT race, well, it's like: "You can't exect anything better from those people!" Or it's assumed that they will behave in a certain manner just because of their race. We have freaks that come in all shapes, sizes, genders and colors. If you ask me, the Human race is the most scary race of all.

[Jill]

I don't believe that racism in any way or form should be accepted in any country as it can perminantly damage a persons perspective on life. Racism only generates more racism from the person who is being attacked both physically or mentally or both.

I also think that people should not make up the fact that they are being hurt by racist people just so that they can get what they want from society. That does often happen too and it gets under my skin a bit...

[Masterfroggy]

I don't believe that racism in any way or form should be accepted in any country as it can perminantly damage a persons perspective on life. Racism only generates more racism from the person who is being attacked both physically or mentally or both.

I also think that people should not make up the fact that they are being hurt by racist people just so that they can get what they want from society. That does often happen too and it gets under my skin a bit...

The number of people who play on the "race card" is outweighed by the number of people who suffer in silence, Where I live race is a very powerful issue, as many of my friends and neighbours are from diverse backgrounds, yet it's common for outsiders to think of that area as a Black getto, we are the last to receive help from the government, at the bottom of the list when it comes to any sort of funding.

Our parks have been taken over by the drug pushers, our local school is failing because no one wants to teach there, and if you are asked to give a reason, and mention the racist bias of local government, people jump all over you and accuse you of playing on the race card issue, if it's true why should you not be allowed to mention it, as I posted on another tread it is not uncommon for locals lads to be stopped by the local police two or three a week, yet if it comes up either on the Televison or radio news the person raising the matter is often described by their race.

Example "Mr***, a local black activist, said such and such,"
but if he's from the local government all you get is the mans name and title

Racism can only grow if people who are not racist remain silent, if everyone is willing to talk about their own experiences of race and racism, children will begin to understand it is OK to dislike someone you dislike, but to dislike someone you haven't even met just because their skin, or religion, or sexual orientation is not only foolish but dangerous.

[dink]

Speaking of children, on the bus last week there was a little girl (approx. 6-7 years old) and her mother. A woman got on at the next stop (she was Korean, I think) and the little girl said, in her sweetly childish voice, "There's too many of them, aren't there, mum? There's too many." And the mother smiled proudly and told her little girl to be quiet.

That phrase - "there's too many of them" - is not the kind of sentence a small child would say. She got that from listening to her parents. She's going to end up being racist, and she has no choice in the matter. How do you combat something like that?

[Carina]

Speaking of children, on the bus last week there was a little girl (approx. 6-7 years old) and her mother. A woman got on at the next stop (she was Korean, I think) and the little girl said, in her sweetly childish voice, "There's too many of them, aren't there, mum? There's too many." And the mother smiled proudly and told her little girl to be quiet.

That phrase - "there's too many of them" - is not the kind of sentence a small child would say. She got that from listening to her parents. She's going to end up being racist, and she has no choice in the matter. How do you combat something like that?

Yea, it's probably true that Children are a reflection of their Parents. Children don't know prejudice. They don't judge someone by their colour. If they do, then they've been influenced by bad and irresponsible adults.

[firebolt2000]

I, like everyone else in this thread, do not like racism. I think it is low and disgusting. Anyone who talks badly about others because of their race or color, or even now-a-days, their sexual preferences, is horrible.

I think that the government promotes a lot of this racism. For example, the whole gay rights problem has become a big issue because the government has been having a hard time deciding whether or not gays and lesbians should be allowed to get married and adopt children. If the government were more accepting of these people and were to let them have the same freedoms and rights as others, maybe others wouldn't be so rude and unkind to them.

[Cat]

The population of the world comes in a multitude of different pigments, with different hair colours and facial features.

But if you take any person of any race from any country and cut them down the middle, what you'll find is red blood, off-white bone and pink and purple wobbly bits.

If only certain people would sit down for a moment and think, really think, about the absurdity of superiority based on the soft layers that hold the pink and purple wobbly bits in.

You can talk about ethnic origins and history and religion - but most people are too superficial for all that. Besides, if you narrowed your prejudices down to origins as opposed to racial appearances, you might be shocked to discover that you are opposed to yourself. People are people wherever they come from and the only true way to discriminate, if you're the kind of bigoted bumwit who likes to discriminate, is superficially. If you boil the matter down too much, you might find yourself in a very lonely category. We're all sorted into 'White', 'Black' and 'Everyone else' because those are the broadest, easiest labels to deal with.

Bah! The theory of evolution suggests that we all originate from an amphibious specimen who crawled out of the sea. Raise your hand if you feel smug about that! Did certain amphibious specimens look down on other amphibious specimens because their toes were slightly more webbed? Did those amphibious specimen, in turn, disregard the other sort because it came from deeper depths and its skin was more slimy?

Anyhoo - back on topic - I agree that positive discrimination is as equally racist as negative. It's alright to acknowledge that somebody has darker or lighter skin, as it's alright to acknowledge ginger hair or green eyes, but if you truly treated all races as equal you wouldn't mind either way. You wouldn't have to tip-toe on eggshells all the time and your sympathies wouldn't be based on the immediate recognition of a person's race. If, say, you saw the words 'black person' you should respond more to the word 'person' than to the word 'black'. People are all people. Or they're all amphibious specimen, but it might not be wise to go around saying that.

[SilverStar]

I totally agree, Cat!!

I HATE racism. I repeat, HATE. Loathe. Racism is the reason our country was torn apart for decades, and it created a civil war. And look at the Holocaust!!There is no worse thing in the world. Sure, other people may be different from you but that doesn't mean you should be mean to them. Racism and Prejudice are just signs of insecurity and cowardice. If the whole world was the same, how boring would it be? Extremely.

JKR used prejudice in the HP books for a reason. (mudblood)

I believe everyone should treat others as you would want to be treated, because you get what you give. I have black friends, white friends, chinese, japanese, german, english, and gay. I treat them all the same.

On the outside, we are all different (yes, even twins) but as Cat said, we are all the same on the inside, and no one asked to be born a certain color or size.

Sorry if I am ranting, but hey I had to say it.

[IrmoPimp]

You noted that racism created a civil war. I assume you are talking about the War for Southern Independance, and racism did not have very much to do with it.

First off, keep in mind that racism is the belief that one race is superior to another in some way. You CANNOT deny that this exists. Look at the NBA! Almost everyone in it, and all the superstars are black. Why? Because black folk are athletically superior to other races. I guess that's racist, but it's the truth. Many of the most intelligent kids in the country, the ones who score real high on the tests, are asian or Indian! Why? Because asians are better thinkers than other races! Wow, I sure am racist! And yet, noone can deny that it is true.

[Kaonashi]

Um, yes we can, because there are always exceptions to the rule. ALWAYS.

[Masterfroggy]

You noted that racism created a civil war. I assume you are talking about the War for Southern Independance, and racism did not have very much to do with it.

First off, keep in mind that racism is the belief that one race is superior to another in some way. You CANNOT deny that this exists. Look at the NBA! Almost everyone in it, and all the superstars are black. Why? Because black folk are athletically superior to other races. I guess that's racist, but it's the truth. Many of the most intelligent kids in the country, the ones who score real high on the tests, are asian or Indian! Why? Because asians are better thinkers than other races! Wow, I sure am racist! And yet, noone can deny that it is true.

It has nothing to do with race
NBA players are mostly black not sure that is true,

But if you look at the family backgrounds you might just find that many athletic stars come from poor families, and escape the poverty by playing sports

People who try harder and work longer succeed more then people with out the drive, people who understand poverty place pressure on their children to excel, Indians and Asian have a cultural drive to do well, but it's a learnt trait, not because they are racially better just because they are transplanted into a society that helps them rise above the rest because the rest are not used to working as hard.
In England there are a lot of shops run by people from Asia, not because they are better or more successful shop owners, no it is because before they came, no one wanted to work long hours for days on end selling everything that anyone could want, and making ends meet until the business was successful.

Until the competition forced my local shops to change their ways, the shops opened at nine in the morning closed at six in the evening half day either Wednesday or Thursday never opened on a Sunday, in fact they hardly opened at all, and then complained that all their business was being taken by shops that were open when people need them to be. Some people just are willing to work harder, and not sit around whining that it's unfair that they are poor or demanding handouts, because they have nothing, willingness to try outweighs race or genes every time,

[Linnea]

let me just say that, living in the South, i hear a lot of rather degrading terms...

a boy i know IMed my African American friend on Instant Messenger, and after she accused him of being racist, he said something like this...

i'm not racist! i have a color television!

this goes to show how ignorant some people can be...


for my second point: i grew up mostly in California, where I went to school with very few African American people, but we (the other students) didn't really notice a difference between them and ourselves. Then, I moved to the South...I go to a school that is about 60% African-American, and every day, I hear more "blacks" throwing racial slurs at Caucasians than i hear "whites" taunting the African Americans. I just don't understand some things...

linnea

[Azimuth]

I've found that Racism in England is often directed not at Blacks, but at Asians. I think that because Black people have been here for so long, they have gradually become accepted by the majority. Asian people on the other hand, are a fairly new addition to the melting pot that is British society, and alot of people often fear change.

Then, I moved to the South...I go to a school that is about 60% African-American, and every day, I hear more "blacks" throwing racial slurs at Caucasians than i hear "whites" taunting the African Americans. I just don't understand some things...

That's ridiculous. Non-White people of all people should know how hurtful racist slurs can be, and how ridiculous racism is in itself. I suppose that they were getting so sick and tired of the racsim that was being thrown in their direction, that they started to use the Whites own weapon against them. :(

[Kaonashi]

From what I see, the South is still a biased place I wouldn't want to visit.

Belfast, of all places, is fast becoming a hotbed of bigotry. Mostly against Asians and Africans. People cna't walk down the street without being harassed, and even have their homes broken into and beaten just because of who they are. What I can't understand is that population KNOWS what it's like to be treated as less than human; why on earth would they treat others like that? I'll post the link later if I can find it...that situation is horrible.

[pasalita]

That's ridiculous. Non-White people of all people should know how hurtful racist slurs can be, and how ridiculous racism is in itself. I suppose that they were getting so sick and tired of the racsim that was being thrown in their direction, that they started to use the Whites own weapon against them. :(

Hm. Why is it ridiculous? Racism is not an "ism" owned by any specific race. Thus, I would suspect that slurs of any sort specifically meaning to be hurtful and derogatory at someone for being a specific race can be classified as racism. And, really, if the use of slurs in response to being slurred is truly the case here - nothing will be solved.

If we are to accept that discrimination and racism is wrong, we must expect that there is no double standard.

For myself, I find it quite disturbing that a hierarchy of racism exists (ie racism towards one population is automatically assumed to be worse than racism towards a different population.) The fact that racism affects individuals most acutely should never be forgotten; it is for that reason why racism is so foul and hits straight at the heart. As such, no one hurts most than the person being attacked by a racial comment, no matter their race.

[Azimuth]

Hm. Why is it ridiculous?

I said why I think it's ridiculous:

Non-White people of all people should know how hurtful racist slurs can be, and how ridiculous racism is in itself.

Thus, because they know more than anyone the effect that racist slurs can have on a person, they shouldn't ever want to inflict that pain onto someone else. Maybe "ridiculous" was the wrong word.

[HarryPotter]

I believe in tolerance, mutual respect and peaceful coexistance...

[Wab]

First off, keep in mind that racism is the belief that one race is superior to another in some way. You CANNOT deny that this exists. Look at the NBA! Almost everyone in it, and all the superstars are black. Why? Because black folk are athletically superior to other races.

So why is the best female player in the WNBA white?

[Tane]

It should not be a case of teaching someone how much a racial slur can hurt another because how do you do that other than become racist yourself It should be more a case of telling people that there is no need for such racism in the first place as we are all dependent upon each other no matter what our colour, race or creed is, each culture provides something unique to this world which would be solely missed without such differences.

Though Britain is stated as a racist country it still has the most diverse cultural population anywhere in the world. Most problems come from a lack of understanding on these different cultures within a small populous. These differences in culture are only just being taught and accepted in British schools today. British schools have only just introduced last year into there national curriculum citizenship so things such as democracy and human rights are only just being taught now to British children. It is hopefully an attempt to teach children at a young age that such things, as racism is wrong.

As for sport, most of the Olympic athletes team is of different racial origin or at least there parents where and why because they are better us whites at sport.

[Chrysalis]

Racism goes both ways. A lot of white people are completely ignorant about other cultures, but the same goes for our Indian community. Though I live in the Netherlands I am originally from India, and the truth is I have met more prejudiced Indians than Dutch. Once my cousin and I were looking through a magazine and I pointed at one particular model, and remarked how beautiful she was. My cousin responded with 'no way, she looks to Chinky'. I almost blew my stack then. My cousin then told me that I was overreacting. Maybe I was, but her comment sounded as though all Chinese people are ugly. I have a few Chinese friends and they are some of the nicest people I have ever met. As for the Indian friends we have here, they are very close minded and will only stick to their own culture. When I tell the other Indian kids that I like Radiohead and don't like Bollywood they look at me as though I just landed from Mars.

My point being, it is important to approach people without any prejudices. People from every race come in all shapes and sizes. It is also not true that only white people are racist. My parents and I have friends from every race and nationality: South African, Hungarian, Russian, Chinese, Dutch, Italian, Canadian, Israeli, everything basically. I don't sit around every minute reminding myself every minute what nationality they are. Honestly, too often race is an issue when it shouldn't be. And ok, this post was fairly pointless, but I hope you get my drift.

[pasalita]

You noted that racism created a civil war. I assume you are talking about the War for Southern Independance, and racism did not have very much to do with it.

First off, keep in mind that racism is the belief that one race is superior to another in some way. You CANNOT deny that this exists. Look at the NBA! Almost everyone in it, and all the superstars are black. Why? Because black folk are athletically superior to other races. I guess that's racist, but it's the truth. Many of the most intelligent kids in the country, the ones who score real high on the tests, are asian or Indian! Why? Because asians are better thinkers than other races! Wow, I sure am racist! And yet, noone can deny that it is true.

Hm. I wouldn't necessarily say you're racist. I do, however, question your comfortability in creating such blanket generalizations based on what you've observed, ie. implying that the race of a person suggests something "factual" in their attributes. The truth is, despite the fact that these statements are "positive", they're only positive for those members of a certain race in which they are true. Simply because someone is Asian does not mean that they are the "most intelligent" people around. By making this assumption, one is negating the individual, in this case any individual of Asian descent, that does not fall under this generalization.

The biggest problem I have with these type of statements is that they're veiled to be positive remarks. Compliments, even. When, in truth, they are limiting ones perception of diversity, and limiting individuals rights to opportunity. For instance, perhaps the NBA includes so many black members because of this perpetuated type of generalization/belief. Hence, it makes it difficult for anyone to accept that members such as Yao Ming, Peyja Stojakovic, Slava Medvedenko, Dan Majerle, Danny Ainge, and others are just as valid, if not important, members of the game, and prevents the inclusion of other members that are not of black/African-American background. Moreover, this type of statement creates the assumption that black people are accepted and superior in all sports when, again, it avoids the main point, ie. that many sports lack diversity and that, perhaps, due to a person's race, individuals looking to be accepted into a sport are not accepted or even given the opportunity due to misguided preconceptions of race.

In other words, the generalization hides the truth of the matter - that although categorized by race, individuals are diverse. By making these statements, one is pigeonholding the perception of an individual of a particular race. And, if someone with these beliefs are in positions of influence and "power" in society, individuals that do not fall into one's preconceived ideas will not benefit from opportunities that befall those that do perpetuate racial stereotypes. And, that is where racism corrupts most - by limiting opportunities of livelihood.

[Sniper]

I think that every race seems to have its own superiority in some area or another. I just recently underwent an extreme change involving racism. I joined a shop in school that happened to have a lot of racist people in it, and their ideals and such rubbed off on me and i caught myself saying racist things and being generally degrading to other races. I just re-evaluated my life, and i noticed how much of a flop i pulled from the time i started this thread until now. I realized that i need not be so degrading to other people because of a skin color. I told my best friend this, and being racist himself, he kinda harassed me for it, but in the long run, he understood why i was doing it. I dont need to make any more enemies and in MY long run, there will be times in the work field where i will have to deal with ethnically diverse people and i dont need racism being on my brain when i deal with a customer. i would lose the company business.

As to the south still being a breeding ground of bigotry and hatrid, i dont htink thats true so much any more. It seems as though the racism in the US is fading, i think people are finally realizing that minirities arent going to be the minorities for long, and that whites will soon be the minority. THus they are learning quickly to adjust to working/living with/near people of different ethnic backgrounds.

[hermy_weasley2]

First off, keep in mind that racism is the belief that one race is superior to another in some way. You CANNOT deny that this exists. Look at the NBA! Almost everyone in it, and all the superstars are black. Why? Because black folk are athletically superior to other races. I guess that's racist, but it's the truth. Many of the most intelligent kids in the country, the ones who score real high on the tests, are asian or Indian! Why? Because asians are better thinkers than other races! Wow, I sure am racist! And yet, noone can deny that it is true.

But it's not true. So, Africans Americans tend to be better at basketball or maybe more interested in it. It doesn't mean they're atheletically superior. And scoring high on tests does not show intelligence. It just shows you can score higher on tests.

As to the south still being a breeding ground of bigotry and hatrid, i dont htink thats true so much any more

People tend to believe the South is still like it was fifty years ago, but it's not.

[Kaonashi]

But it's not true. So, Africans Americans tend to be better at basketball or maybe more interested in it. It doesn't mean they're atheletically superior. And scoring high on tests does not show intelligence. It just shows you can score higher on tests.


I agree. I see plenty of Blacks who score extremely high on tests, but you don't hear about it. And those are the kids who you will NOT see on the basketball courts or football, or singing because they have parents who feel that having their children in any kind of sports or entertainment field would be the equivelent of a Stepinfetchit show and won't stand for it. I also see Asians who aren't smart, or gang-banging, and seriously good at baseball or basketball and somehow you don't hear about that either. Larry Byrd was a fantastic basketball player. I think it depends on what your interests are. If you love reading and learning, regardless of what race you are, of course you are going to put in more time studying. If you are more interested in sports, that's what you're going to put your time into, and you'll just get better and better at it.

Socio-economics plays its part too. If you're a agent and you find an extremely talented but poor HS basketball star and wave a check in his face for $$$$$$, he's going to take it. Same with the Asian basketball players who you see during the Olympics. Or the Africans who are into running and track. They might be poor and have no way of getting a college education, but they have a talent, whether it's swinging a bat, running, or bouncing a ball, and with that talent they can hope to win enough money and be popular enough in their native country that it can mean the difference between having nothing at all and making enough so that parents can live in a house and younger brothers and sisters can go to college if they choose to do so. That's a big incentive to be "all you can be."

[strwznbrry]

It seems as though the racism in the US is fading
I don't know if I can totally agree with this. Where I live I see racism being a problem in a lot of ways. I live in an area where there are so many different ethnic backgrounds all in the same area. Everyone around here acts like their background is like a club or something. I even see hate among people of the same background.

The only thing I see happening with all this political correctness and the need for the government to make a big deal out of certain things is that it increases the issue. Making people define what their ethnic background is makes the issue worse also. I believe that if you are born in America you are American. If you are born in Mexico your are Mexican and so on. I understand that there are families that celebrate where their family originated from and are proud of their heritage. I think that is wonderful. If you choose to live by those views and raise your children to know where their ancestors came from thats wonderful. The problem with most of the people today though I think is by having to check that little box on government forms just drives home a difference that need not be there. I know people that use their race as a way to distinguish themselves as different but if you ask them where they grew up and how they were raised and stuff they tell you a story similar to anyone elses.

I could go on but I think this post is long enough for now.

[Sniper]

Well i know for a fact that there is still racism in the south, but compared to as it was 50 years ago, it is fading. I was on a site and saw that one town in misississippi only got around to abolishing slavery in 1998! How could that be!?! 1998! Do we live in a world of such idiocy that people could overlook this little town!?

[pasalita]

I don't know if I can totally agree with this. Where I live I see racism being a problem in a lot of ways. I live in an area where there are so many different ethnic backgrounds all in the same area. Everyone around here acts like their background is like a club or something. I even see hate among people of the same background.

The only thing I see happening with all this political correctness and the need for the government to make a big deal out of certain things is that it increases the issue. Making people define what their ethnic background is makes the issue worse also. I believe that if you are born in America you are American. If you are born in Mexico your are Mexican and so on. I understand that there are families that celebrate where their family originated from and are proud of their heritage. I think that is wonderful. If you choose to live by those views and raise your children to know where their ancestors came from thats wonderful. The problem with most of the people today though I think is by having to check that little box on government forms just drives home a difference that need not be there. I know people that use their race as a way to distinguish themselves as different but if you ask them where they grew up and how they were raised and stuff they tell you a story similar to anyone elses.

I could go on but I think this post is long enough for now.

If racism is not fading, then isn't it necessary to continue to make it a point of discussion on a national and social level?

I find that the issue related to racism is the result of an expectation that there be one way of looking at things. The point is that differences exist and that there shouldn't be one way of expecting an American to look, act, and live. If a person is an immigrant, ie. born in a different country, and has been a naturalized citizen in America for more than 10-20 years, how is it that they should be considered any less "American" than their children who were born in the United States?

I feel that acknowledgement of ethnicity and race is necessary because it is systematically unacknowledged via underepresentation in many facets of society, ie. national, state, city leadership roles, in the media, etc.. We should acknowledge and exalt our differences rather than expect everyone to be the same. By acknowledging that we are all different, look different, live differently, and have different ideas, no one is marginalized and no one is surprised by a different point of perspective. It's a matter of co-existing.

[hermy_weasley2]

Well i know for a fact that there is still racism in the south, but compared to as it was 50 years ago, it is fading. I was on a site and saw that one town in misississippi only got around to abolishing slavery in 1998! How could that be!?! 1998! Do we live in a world of such idiocy that people could overlook this little town!?

Haha..I'm sorry, but that's funny. It shouldn't be, but it is. The town was probably so tiny that no one even realized it was still legal. Mississippi state law and federal law would override it though. And,yes, there still is racism in the South, but it's not fair to single out the South when it comes to racism. There's racism everywhere. Going back to the days of slavery, there were slaves in the South because it was essential for the economy. The economy in the North was much different, and didn't need slaves. It wasn't that the people there were any more tolerant or humane.

[FirefightingMuggle]

The point is that people are generally ok with other people as long as they are alike. Prejudice, whether it be racism, sexism, ageism, or whatever, sets in when someone is so radically different from you and your way of life that you don't really understand it and you learn to hate them. Look at the way so many Americans view the Islamic faith. It's not the "norm" in America, so people start to think that all Muslims are terrorists. Prejudice is a form of ignorance. The more you know about the world, and the people in it, the less you hate others for their differences.

But most media outlets don't help to foster good feelings between the races. Watch most news programs. The media made it out to be such a tragedy when the Columbine shootings happened in a mostly white suburban school, yet at the same time, the media failed to mention that gun violence is a problem in a lot of inner city schools too. When it happens to white kids, it's horrible, when it is black kids, it is just life. That's not fair. The media will show a black person getting arrested for murder, but sometimes only glance over a white person who does the same crime. That's not fair. Sometimes, I feel like the media tries to make African-American people look like criminals, druggies, and losers. They are not. There are just as many people who are white who commit crimes, do drugs, and are generally losers. You just don't hear about it as much. (at least this is what it's like in the area that I live in- I don't know about other places, but here it happens)

But it's not just black and white. It's everyone. We all fear what is different. There are men in my fire department who hate the idea of women firefighters. There are Muslims and Jews killing each other everyday because of religion. There are tribal people in Africa killing each other over control of governments. Nazis murdered Jews in WW2. Young people make fun of the old. We weren't born with these various hatreds, we learned them. Somewhere along the line someone told someone that only men should be firefighters, so they don't want women to be in the department. Someone told the Nazis that the Jews were out to get them. Someone told a young kid to make fun of the little old man who walks with a cane because it was funny. Prejudice is fear, fear is ignorance. People just need to learn to be less ignorant.

[Sniper]

I understand that the state laws and fed. laws would override it, i was just stating what i saw on the site.

I was not singling out anybody. I was just taking the south as an example because thats where the black segregation has been known to be the worst throughout history and comparing it to how far it has come as of today. But if you would like, i can easily retract my statement and leave it as the south is still as racist as it was 50 years ago. But im not going to because i meant nothing by it other than selecting a very pertinent example that many people can understand and relate to when it comes to racism and segregation.

[strwznbrry]

If racism is not fading, then isn't it necessary to continue to make it a point of discussion on a national and social level?

I find that the issue related to racism is the result of an expectation that there be one way of looking at things. The point is that differences exist and that there shouldn't be one way of expecting an American to look, act, and live. If a person is an immigrant, ie. born in a different country, and has been a naturalized citizen in America for more than 10-20 years, how is it that they should be considered any less "American" than their children who were born in the United States?

I feel that acknowledgement of ethnicity and race is necessary because it is systematically unacknowledged via underepresentation in many facets of society, ie. national, state, city leadership roles, in the media, etc.. We should acknowledge and exalt our differences rather than expect everyone to be the same. By acknowledging that we are all different, look different, live differently, and have different ideas, no one is marginalized and no one is surprised by a different point of perspective. It's a matter of co-existing.Maybe I should have phrased my statement differently. I think anyone who lives in America should be considered American. I never said that different races shouldn't be acknowledged I just think that everyone that lives in the same country should all be treated the same despite where they came from. I said that if people want to teach their kids and anyone else that cares to know them better about where they came from then by all means do it. But making people tell what race they are to the government shows that there is a reason those people should be treated differently. I don't think they should be. I understand that we are all different but I don't think race should play a role in that. I know people of the same race as me that were raised completely different than me.

I think the way that race is portrayed by the government and the media and in public forms is very stereotypical and I think by not putting it out as such an issue like they do you would get more acceptance. I understand that prejudice is a form of ignorance but I dont think the government or the media can tell me how an individual from a certain race or background is going to act. In my opinion I am better off getting to know the person myself than to believe I understand a person just by what I know from outside sources.
I understand also that my way of thinking isn't going to be able to change things though because not everyone thinks this way. People like to live by stereotypes it makes their world easier. Its hard not to fall into believing them the key is to try to be aware of the individuals that surround you.

[CicadaInvasion]

I am from a large city in the southern US, where racism isn't as bad as in the rural areas. I was also raised believing we are all created equal, and we are all people of worth. So I am about as anti-racist as you get.

I wanted to relate a disturbing experience. It demostrates the difference among Americans, and the blatant stupidity of some people.

I was at a gas station this morning, trailering a horse from CT to NY. A lady at the gas station, walked over and said,

"Hey, I'm from Texas. Can I see your horse?"

We said OK, and opened the door.

She then said the most racist and horrid comment I've heard in a while-

"I've got a donkey. I tell you, they're just like a (insert the disgusting n word that has NO place in civilized conversation). They'll work all their life just for food and a room."

I wanted to throw up. It makes me sick that the pigment of one's skin should control the way people think of you. More than I wanted to throw up, I wanted to punch her in the face. GRRR! I hate racism. It divides our society. :upset: :td:

[red_fairy]

Remember the Titans was on tonight. I love that movie.

I grew up in the south, but I lived on one of the sea islands in Georgia. We had lots of tourists, and lots of people moving in from other places, so it wasn't like the deep south. I only heard one comment that could be racist, which was when we were watching the Cinderella with Brandy at Girl Scout camp, and another little girl said, "They should have got a white girl to play Cinderella." I had a friend with a very racist dad, who had ton of black friends, and didn't believe a word her dad said. Actually, the first outright racist comment where it was definitely, purposefully, intentionally racist comment I ever heard was when I moved to the midwest.

[IndyPotter]

I love living in Chicago because I get to meet people of all races and ethnicities. When I go to my dad's house in south suburbs, we happen to be the only white people in the neighborhood, however we get along great with the neighbors and have barbecues. However if you move out from the city I find that the midwest has a higher percentage of racists then other places I've been. I've never been to the south but I suspect that it's similiar. I've known a few people from Iowa, Indiana, Michigan, who discriminate and I find it sick. I'm not saying all people from there are racists, far from it, however there are more than I expected.

[purplehawk]

Note: The following is a cut-and-paste transcript of our conversation today in the Ennui in Race thread, which was closed and referred to this one. I guess the mods were too busy to merge the posts, so I've tried to do as much as I'm able to.

A few years ago I found myself moderating a panel whose participants were all people of color. I no longer remember the topic. I do remember that each of us was supposed to make an introductory statement, and that when we got to a Chinese-American, he announced that he could talk about race but did not intend to. "Race can be so boring," he said, and then sat back to see what would happen next.

Each face in the crowd looked stricken, outraged, relieved or cautious. (The cautious ones kept glancing around to see which expression would win out before they committed themselves). But I was tickled. My friend wasn't asking any of us to ignore race; he was trying his best to provoke a discussion that just might be unpredictable.


Race is no longer a biological reality. Scientists have shown that there are more differences within designated racial groups than between them. It's race history that matters now; our culture, our politics, the way our minds are formed and the oh-so-many tricks our psyches play. We know that love, sex, friendship and work don't take any one shape in our lives. Why do we coarsen and simplify race so often? Why must we so often make it boring?

To bore isn't simply to be dull and monotonous; bore can also mean to drive, drill or close in relentlessly. When I was growing up it was a bore to be praised over and over for acting like any other upper-middle-class American. Speaking standardized English became "You speak so beautifully" or "articulately." A father who was a self-made millionaire and a mother who was a chic housewife could suddenly be a cause of astonishment, delight or chilly disbelief, as in this exchange from my elementary school years:

The parent of a friend: "And what does your father do?"

Me: "He's chairman and owner of <name of successful corporation>."

(Pause)

Parent: "Owner? Chairman? Are you sure you don't mean he drives a truck for them?"

I repeated this exchange to my mother and she explained the subtext with chagrin and reluctance.

I must be prepared for such remarks, she said, but everyone wasn't so insecure, so insensitive, or so prejudiced. Did it affect all of my relations with schoolmates, not least the child of this rude and doubting parent? No. This kind of thing came and went, like bad and good weather, like a slap or a scolding followed by ease and good times.

I used to think it a luxury that the whites I knew didn't have to think so much about race. "Consciously think about race" is what I should have said, for race was there, knocking around in the nether regions of their minds, lurching to the surface in all kinds of ways. The part of a person that must study race consciously from childhood on -- race etiquette, race facts and fictions, race terrors, delights and grotesqueries -- is closely askin to studying a second language. Nowadays, everybody seems to need one. And languages are best learned early in life.

But I don't want to sound smug. This learning can overwhelm you in all kinds of ways. Your ideas can get stale and repetitive. Your vocabulary can get stunted. Your defenses can start to matter more than the freedom to think and act as you please. And then there are the scoldings and penalties when you make a mistake. How could you, how dare you shame your own people by doing something that showed them in a bad light? And how little it used to take for that light to shine! At one point I developed an unsavory habit of tidying up any public bathroom I'd been in lest the white person who came in next thought me responsible for such slovenliness. "You can get away with this -- I can't," I would think, in scorn and despair.

What a dreary little compulsion. Boring in the deepest sense, for we are wrong to think of boredom as a kind of civilized weariness. To be in the grip of boredom is to be paralyzed, stuck in a past that makes the present hopeless and the future pointless. The storytellers and the audience keep changing, but the story stays the same.

It would bore me, for instance -- I would find it unbearable, in fact -- to think that anyone reading this believes that the Race Question takes up all my social and psychic time. Whole portions of my life are spent acting, thinking and dreaming in ways that have nothing to do with racial crisis; moving between white and black culture with pleasure and a sense of entitlement. And I don't always bother to call them "black" and "white." Race is permanently stored in my memory. (In America, if it's not stored in your memory you've had a frontal lobotomy.) Sometimes I summon it up and arrange it in all sorts of ways. Sometimes circumstances demand a quite conventional narrative. And sometimes race is there but not there, like those galaxies that are invisible to the naked eye and can only be seen accurately when one turns the most refined equipment on them with the greatest care.

Race remains the last great frontier in America and the one most likely to be the downfall of our pretentions to greatness. From my own great-great-great-great grandfather:


Blacks are in memory...equal to the white; in reason much inferior, ...and in imagination dull, tasteless, and anomalous ... never yet could I find that a black had uttered a thought above the level of plain narration. THOMAS JEFFERSON 1787




Racial prejudice is part of the history of the United States. How did our forefathers get it all so wrong?


Do you think there should be a national dialogue on the issue of race in America? Would you be wiling to participate in one?


Given the multiracial nature of the US how do people become racist today and why?


Have you ever questioned your own beliefs about race?


Have you ever taken a course, attended a seminar, or a training class aimed at teaching racial sensitivity?


What, in your opinion, should be done to bridge the gap between the various peoples of America?


General Questions:


1. Do you assume something about someone just because of their skin color?

2. Do you support interracial marriages?

3. If your son/daughter dated someone of a different race, would you approve, or at least be tolerant of it?

4. Are you comfortable with working with someone of a different race?

5. Do you blame a certain race of people for all your problems? For example, a minority blaming a white person for their situation in life, or a white person blaming immigrants for their problems?


Reply from Rapunzel:

Racial prejudice is part of the history of the United States. How did our forefathers get it all so wrong? I think a lot of the world had it wrong at that point in our history - which might explain, but does not excuse.


Do you think there should be a national dialogue on the issue of race in America? Would you be wiling to participate in one? I'm not sure what I think about this. I think people are people and what color their skin is shouldn't be any more important than their hair color or eye color, or whether they're left or right handed, etc. A national dialogue on race in America might help to bring us to that point. Or it might be used as a stage for the twisted hate mongers in the country to spout their rhetoric from.


Given the multiracial nature of the US how do people become racist today and why? I think it is taught/learned behaviour. (I also think it's sad and wrong!)


Have you ever questioned your own beliefs about race? I don't know if I've ever really had any hard and fast beliefs about race. I grew up in an area that was all predominately one race, and didn't encounter anyone with a different skin color than myself until I was an adult.


Have you ever taken a course, attended a seminar, or a training class aimed at teaching racial sensitivity? I've never heard that one was available in my area. (I guess plenty of people would say I've led a sheltered life.)


What, in your opinion, should be done to bridge the gap between the various peoples of America? Education, education, education. Starting very young, teach by example that people are people.


General Questions:


1. Do you assume something about someone just because of their skin color? I hope not! I've never been aware of doing it.

2. Do you support interracial marriages? I'm not too fond of the institution of marriage at all, but, more to the point, I do know one interracial couple, and they are some of the most wonderful, and kindest and most caring people I know. (And their kids are so cute!)

3. If your son/daughter dated someone of a different race, would you approve, or at least be tolerant of it? I doubt I'll ever have children, so I can't in all honesty say how I might feel about something a child of mine might do. Having said that, I feel (and I certainly hope) that I would consider what kind of a person s/he was and how they treated my child, and not bring race into the equation at all.

4. Are you comfortable with working with someone of a different race? I have in the past, and didn't have the slightest problem with it. I don't remember thinking about his skin color one way or the other. He worked in a related agency and was very good at what he did. I saw him on a regular basis and considered him a friend (and still do).

5. Do you blame a certain race of people for all your problems? For example, a minority blaming a white person for their situation in life, or a white person blaming immigrants for their problems? No, no, no. This seems like the most illogical thought process! I've never been able to understand how it couild be. It doesn't seem at all possible that a certain race of people could be responsible for any, let alone all, of my problems.


Reply from angel spirit:

Do you support interracial marriages?Yes, I think that they can be no more dysfunctional then a same-race marriage. I think it can be hard for the child though because even if you think that way, other people might not. One of my best friends is half-white/half-black and she has a really hard time getting along because of people's predjudices, blacks and whites.


Reply from Rapunzel:

Did you hear/read the news report a couple of years ago about about a highschool somewhere in the south, where the principal made a rule that kids going to the prom could only bring a date of the same race? One of the students who had one caucasian parent and one latino parent asked him who she was supposed to go with then. The man said, to this young lady's face: "you're the kind of mistake I'm trying to prevent" Unbelievable!!! And totally inexcusable! I didn't hear what happened after the media got ahold of it, but I hope the man was fired!


Reply from busy91:

My mind is a little cloudy today, but I'll do my best.

Racial prejudice is part of the history of the United States. How did our forefathers get it all so wrong? I wish I could answer this question, I'll chalk it up to ignorance and fear. Fear of the 'unknown'. They hadn't really had dealings with the non-white races. Also a little bit of egocentrisism was mixed in.


Do you think there should be a national dialogue on the issue of race in America? Would you be wiling to participate in one? In America? American's are too uptight. I would not be willing to participate because I'd probably get ticked off.


Given the multiracial nature of the US how do people become racist today and why? Parents teach it, media perpetuates it.


Have you ever questioned your own beliefs about race? I need not question my beliefs.


Have you ever taken a course, attended a seminar, or a training class aimed at teaching racial sensitivity? Nope.


What, in your opinion, should be done to bridge the gap between the various peoples of America? If I had that answer...


General Questions:


1. Do you assume something about someone just because of their skin color? Honestly, only after 9/11. Before that I never really noticed.

2. Do you support interracial marriages? Well since my daughter is part Korean...

3. If your son/daughter dated someone of a different race, would you approve, or at least be tolerant of it? If my daughter dated someone she would most likely be of that race since she is every race (except East Indian). So yes.

4. Are you comfortable with working with someone of a different race? Like I have a choice? I live in NY, we eat, travel, live and work together. It is just normal, I have no comfort level.

5. Do you blame a certain race of people for all your problems? For example, a minority blaming a white person for their situation in life, or a white person blaming immigrants for their problems?
The only race I blame for my problems is the human race.


Reply from HollywoodBob:

Racial prejudice is part of the history of the United States. How did our forefathers get it all so wrong?
For their time they thought they had it right. Right now we have a lot of prejudices that some of us think are right. Only future generations can tell that we're wrong.

Do you think there should be a national dialogue on the issue of race in America? Would you be wiling to participate in one?
It wouldn't do any good. If it's not race it's something else, faith/sexuality/etc., people are really set in their ways. Talking about it will just frustrate those who are set in their bigotry, as we've seen here in some of the other threads about bigotry.


Given the multiracial nature of the US how do people become racist today and why?
For the most part I think it is something that is taught by family, and just passed down through the generations. Much like belonging to a particular faith, or political party. If Mom and Dad are Catholic Republicans, most likely the kids will be too, it's the same if they're bigots. Though the media doesn't help, considering it's rare that you see any news that doesn't have a criminal who is of an ethnicity other than caucasion. Ask most people and they'll tell you that most crime is perpetrated by blacks, that's not true ofcourse, but the news makes us think that way.


Have you ever questioned your own beliefs about race?
Nope, for me race has never been an issue, I don't judge people on something as superficial as skin color.


Have you ever taken a course, attended a seminar, or a training class aimed at teaching racial sensitivity?
No.

What, in your opinion, should be done to bridge the gap between the various peoples of America?
About the only thing that could be done is to work with young kids and teach them that there's no differences between the races, and that if their parents claim there is they're wrong.

General Questions:


1. Do you assume something about someone just because of their skin color?
Nope. People are just people.

2. Do you support interracial marriages?
Yep, maybe in a few hundred years we'll all be of one race and it won't matter anyway.

3. If your son/daughter dated someone of a different race, would you approve, or at least be tolerant of it?
If they were happy, who am I to tell them no.

4. Are you comfortable with working with someone of a different race?
Yep.

5. Do you blame a certain race of people for all your problems? For example, a minority blaming a white person for their situation in life, or a white person blaming immigrants for their problems?
Just the Republicans.

[Azimuth]

...

[busy91]

Interesting article. What I learned a long time ago is that the differences in our apperance have to do with our location of evolution. Black Africans are darker and have kinky hair because of the heat. The pigment keeps them from buring and the hair holds the sweat. Their noses are wider and flatter because of the climate. This is the same for the Norse, they are lighter (hair, eyes etc) because of the cold. Even the Native Americans evolved differently because of their climate in America.

Now it doesn't really matter since migration has taken effect.

What is that saying? "We all bleed red".

[FirefightingMuggle]

I'm going to reply to the questions in PurpleHawk's post because they were very good questions.

Racial prejudice is part of the history of the United States. How did our forefathers get it all so wrong? I think a lot of it was the time in which they were living. At the time, it was acceptable in society for racism to exist. As people got to understand each other better, and got to know each other better, we started to learn that no one is "inferior" to anyone else. I think that a lack of understanding led to the feelings in the first place, and I think that people just stuck to that because it was what was "normal".


Do you think there should be a national dialogue on the issue of race in America? Would you be wiling to participate in one? Yes and Yes.


Given the multiracial nature of the US how do people become racist today and why? For the same reasons that people did centuries ago. A lack of understanding. I live in a mostly white community, but we get news stations from Pittsburgh 80 miles away. I can see when people are being fed news stories every night about African-American people shooting each other, how fear could develop and how that fear could turn to racism. It's sad, but when people don't understand each other, these things happen. If the only people of other races that you ever see are the ones on the news in handcuffs, it's easy to see how your preception could be warped.


Have you ever questioned your own beliefs about race? No. I was brought up to believe that all people are equal, and should be treated the way that I want to be treated. That's the right way to think. I don't question it.


Have you ever taken a course, attended a seminar, or a training class aimed at teaching racial sensitivity? No, but it would be intresting to participate in something like that.


What, in your opinion, should be done to bridge the gap between the various peoples of America? Communication. It's only by communication that people can learn about each other. If we don't communicate then we don't learn. If we don't learn, then tensions build. We have to talk to each other about issues of race, gender, sexual orientation, religion. The things that make people "different" from one another are always good to talk about and understand.


General Questions:


1. Do you assume something about someone just because of their skin color?No. I've met people of all skin colors who were good people and I've met people of all skin colors who were real jerks. I always try to get to know someone first.

2. Do you support interracial marriages? Absolutely. Love is color blind. I once dated a guy who has one white parent and one black one. His family are wonderful people, and have a home full of love. That's about the best that you could ask for in a marriage.

3. If your son/daughter dated someone of a different race, would you approve, or at least be tolerant of it? I would only approve of my child dating someone who was caring and supportive, no matter the race. I would never want to see a kid of mine in an abusive relationship. Race would not be a question.

4. Are you comfortable with working with someone of a different race? I'm comfortable working with anyone who gets the job done, reguardless of the race. I don't like to work with slackers of any race.

5. Do you blame a certain race of people for all your problems? For example, a minority blaming a white person for their situation in life, or a white person blaming immigrants for their problems? Nope. My problems are mine and mine alone. I own them, no one else does.

These questions really made me think. I think that they would be a good point to jump start this discussion again. I would honestly like to understand more about why some people are hateful towards other races, because in my family that has never existed and has never been taught. It would be interesting to me to find out where these beliefs come from and why some people so strictly believe in them. Good Questions Purp!!!

[crookshanks1177]

Growing up I was never racist. I wasn't taught to be racist. My family was very tolerant of other races. I had a diverse group of friends and still do. I believe that has to do a lot with the fact that I moved around with the military a lot when my mother was in the Marine Corp. I didn't really understand the racist issues until I got out of highschool. When I first moved out of my parents and got an apartment, one of my closet friends was an African American guy. I am still friends with him. He is one of the most intelligent funny people I have ever met in my life. He reminds me of that Wayne Brady guy on "Whose Line is it?" I love to watch that show because of him. We've always just had an innocent friendship. We were never interested in dating or anything like that. But gradually I started noticing my neighbors whispering and making comments whenever my friend came over. I let it slide. I figured let them think what they want. Then one weekend my best friend's father (who is like a second father to me) came up to visit me. As he is walking up to my apartment to come in, one of my neighbors approaches him (apparently thinking he is my real father) and says, "I can't believe you condone your daughter to enter into an interracial relationship!" I had over heard this because my windows were open. Of course I was angered and went outside and had a few choice words with this woman. Granted I wasn't even dating this guy, it was still none of that woman's business. Ever since that day I must admit I've had different thoughts when it came to racism. The issue gradually became more thrown in my face. I found that it is not racism that is my problem though. I don't like how the system of the government works with minorities. I will not get into that topic though. I tend to get pretty heated on that subject. So I choose not to open up that can of worms.