Is being a racist really a big deal?

[Deleted]

This doesn't really make sense to me, this is an old thread but really? Five lads of any race I would be wary of, why is it because they're black suddenly it's extra worrying?

Because black is naturally a scary color. We subconsciously associate black(darkness) with fear, helplessness and many other frightening things. It's like being afraid of the dark as a kid, unless someone explained that there are no monsters hiding in the darkness then people will just assume darkness is dangerous. It's sort of the same deal, fear based on ignorance.

[Speaknoevil]

Because black is naturally a scary color. We subconsciously associate black(darkness) with fear, helplessness and many other frightening things. It's like being afraid of the dark as a kid, unless someone explained that there are no monsters hiding in the darkness then people will just assume darkness is dangerous. It's sort of the same deal, fear based on ignorance.

Humans don't turn black unless you set them on fire, and that works on any "race."

[Deleted]

Because black is naturally a scary color. We subconsciously associate black(darkness) with fear, helplessness and many other frightening things. It's like being afraid of the dark as a kid, unless someone explained that there are no monsters hiding in the darkness then people will just assume darkness is dangerous. It's sort of the same deal, ignorance based on fear.

This is quite ridiculous. I'm sure it's nothing like this. Black people are often stereotyped to be criminals, and when you see a certain number of them gathered in one place, your brain is rushed with irrational thoughts caused by what you've heard about them in the past. Also, if it's night I avoid groups of people at the corner of a street no matter what.

Plus, black people are not really black, nor are white people exactly white.

[Themius]

Because black is naturally a scary color. We subconsciously associate black(darkness) with fear, helplessness and many other frightening things. It's like being afraid of the dark as a kid, unless someone explained that there are no monsters hiding in the darkness then people will just assume darkness is dangerous. It's sort of the same deal, fear based on ignorance.

Five light skinned blacks, and five tan sicilians who happen to be darker than the black people. The blacks would probably be more feared.

---------- Post added 2013-04-20 at 05:32 PM ----------

I'd say because of the media, every time I see mention of a robbery or shooting on the news the media blows up on it if it's done by a minority, doesn't mean it's right but it definitely doesn't help.

Media does a good job of reporting minority robbery and murder lol. I mean whites do it more often as whites are the majority; however, in media it doesn't look this way as often. There are more stories about a minority thief or x crime than there are whites (on the tv news) this doesn't represent correctly the crimes done.

[Adam Jensen]

Plus, black people are not really black, nor are white people exactly white.

Ugh, why does this have to be pointed out in every thread on the internet about race. We KNOW that. White refers to Caucasian people, black refers to people ancestrally from Africa (though it might also include other regions of the world.)

No one is referring to the actual color (in before black/white is not a color)

[Rukh]

Shouldn't commit crimes if you don't want to go to prison, logic folks.

Well congratulations on the dumbest comment in the entire thread, and that takes some doing! I mean you had to totally ignore the unequal conviction rates, unequal punishments, unequal chances of a cop arresting a person, unequal chances of parole. Basically in order to make that comment you had to have absolutely no clue what you were saying, and THEN claim logic. Awesome!

[Gothicshark]

Since I am late on this thread I'm going to just start with the OP and go to the last page.

...I guess what it stems down to is being a realist that acknowledges some races are prone to violence, drugs, and general mayhem....

Well than you should fear Northern European White people most, after all they started the Drug trade, invaded and murdered more lands and peoples than any other group of humans in history.

Or are you talking about the state of America today, where more murders and drug offenders are white.

You see the stereo types are very wrong, I grew up in Los Angeles and according to media if I walk out side my front door I am subject to drive by shootings and gang wars. I use to live at Normandy and Gage, I was the only white person for 5 miles in a poor black part of town, and I was a typical goth. I never had any issues at all. Well until I went to a white neighborhood and white people acted like I was going to murder and eat them. So Most of the racial stereotypes are false and White people are the monsters they fear the most.

[Deleted]

This is quite ridiculous. I'm sure it's nothing like this. Black people are often stereotyped to be criminals, and when you see a certain number of them gathered in one place, your brain is rushed with irrational thoughts caused by what you've heard about them in the past. Also, if it's night I avoid groups of people at the corner of a street no matter what.

Five light skinned blacks, and five tan sicilians who happen to be darker than the black people. The blacks would probably be more feared.

In a superficial sense, yes, it is scarier the darker they are. It probably has to do with upbringing and in what country you grew up in. I grew up in a small town in Sweden during the 90's and I was well into my teens before I even saw a black man in person for the first time in my life. The only other time I've seen them was when they done some crime in the bigger cities and was granted a 1 page story in the newspaper. They had nothing but bad media exposure throughout my entire childhood and so you start to associate darker colored people with danger. It's still like this in most smaller cities.

It's ignorance and irrational but it's rooted deep into most peoples minds and it's difficult to uproot overnight. Take slavery as an example, whites are still being passively accused for it up to this day, this is how powerful first impressions are, especially when they're negative first impressions.

[c2dholla619]

well this is a simple fact. if you add an A to the end its all good. white dude calls black dude a nigga its all good, white dude calls black dude a nigger your going to get shot. black dude calls white dude cracka its all good, black dude calls white dude cracker never heard a black dude say cracker and neither have you. black people dont say the ER in cracker or nigger only white people do that it seems. if you read through this thread you will see how most of you will say nigger or cracker instead of nigga or cracka, how do black people tend to say it. use the new word yet people still use the old world.

example
black dude: yo! nigga how you been haven't seen you in years.
white dude: yo! hows it going nigger haven't seen you in years.
the slight difference is obvious and it even feels worst when you say the ER version


but judgeing people based on the tone of their skin and not their character is what a dumbass would do
im black and japanese so everything is say is true lolz

really surprised this tread is still up lolz

[Vyxn]

It's ignorance and irrational but it's rooted deep into most peoples minds and it's difficult to uproot overnight.

Its not ignorant and or irrational. Its a survival instincts deep with in human psyche. Humans quickly learned to stay away from and fear lions after seeing to many of their buddies get eat by one. Humans quickly learned to stay out of the water if they see a fin after to many of their buddies despaired from the water when the fins are around.
for survival reasons human have learned what to avoid what to be cautious with and what to fear from their own past experiences and the past experience of others. We as humans have been programmed to make split second decisions its part of the fight or flight mechanism. So its not ignorant and or irrational to judge someone or something till you get to know it. Its for the sake of survival

[LilSaihah]

but judgeing people based on the tone of their skin and not their character is what a dumbass would do
im black and japanese so everything is say is true lolz

only if you're a disabled lesbian veteran

[Catta]

Its not ignorant and or irrational. Its a survival instincts deep with in human psyche. Humans quickly learned to stay away from and fear lions after seeing to many of their buddies get eat by one. Humans quickly learned to stay out of the water if they see a fin after to many of their buddies despaired from the water when the fins are around.
for survival reasons human have learned what to avoid what to be cautious with and what to fear from their own past experiences and the past experience of others. We as humans have been programmed to make split second decisions its part of the fight or flight mechanism. So its not ignorant and or irrational to judge someone or something till you get to know it. Its for the sake of survival

It is both ignorant and irrational. Ignorant because you lack knowledge to make a judgement and irrational because you act out of fear not rationality. That is not to say that paranoia has not played an evolutionary role.

[Orly]

I see this brought up all the time, but I have to ask: do people seriously believe that? I mean, when you hear someone calling a white person "cracker" you know full well he's making a racist comment...just as when you hear someone calling a black person "nigger." So where does this supposed hypocrisy come in?

Hypocrisy comes in when, for example, a black dude calls a white one cracker, the guy replies with nigger, and the black dude then gets very offended and screams racism and discrimination left and right. He's a hypocrite because he discriminated in the first place, but the white guy either didn't feel that offended (but just pissed) or simply didn't choose to hide behind the racism card.

[Vyxn]

It is both ignorant and irrational. Ignorant because you lack knowledge to make a judgement and irrational because you act out of fear not rationality. That is not to say that paranoia has not played an evolutionary role.

would you rather be politically correct and dead because you rather wait to judge and you learn the hard way, or would you rather be both ignorant and irrational because you learned to be cautious by quickly judging and stay cautious till proven otherwise

[Themius]

Hypocrisy comes in when, for example, a black dude calls a white one cracker, the guy replies with nigger, and the black dude then gets very offended and screams racism and discrimination left and right. He's a hypocrite because he discriminated in the first place, but the white guy either didn't feel that offended (but just pissed) or simply didn't choose to hide behind the racism card.

Has this actually happened or are you just making up shit? I mean white people use "nigga" all the time... people don't really get offended by it...

[Orly]

It's not really something that you're going to find much logic in. A black (etc) dude calling white people "Crackers" is not only widely socially accepted, but they say it on things like public television, radio and comedy all the time. The racial intention is obviously there, but no offense is taken, at least not on a widely acknowledged scale.

Black student at school, for example, calls a white guy a cracker? Congratulations, he's a comedian and everyone laughs, including the white target. However, if Mr White in this instance decides to turn around and counter with anything SLIGHTLY racist, everyone gasps and falls silent. Potential fights, threats, the white kid in suspended, etc etc. Its just kind of the way things are, at least around here. I don't really see anyone standing up and pushing for a change, either.

Yeah, exactly what I was trying to say. People don't regard white bashing as forms of racism because 1) it is widely accepted 2) no serious offense is taken. But those are acts of racism too, yet people have a "grow some balls" attitude towards it, whilst claiming out loud that racism is wrong. Another point where hypocrisy comes in.

Racism will never stop until everything from history regarding it is dropped and forgotten. Either that or become widely accepted without shades of gray in between.
Because black people are being stereotyped as bike stealers (just an example) based on what they did in the past, and that's racism. But isn't it also racism that they look at white people and automatically assume they are racist, just because they are white, and based on their history? It's the same thing, only with the roles reversed.

[RaoBurning]

My sister, who is very, very white, got called a lot of names because of it in her predominately Hispanic (with a dash of Black) school. Snow White, Cracker Queen, and other things I don't recall. It's not her fault we're Irish Soddy little bastards are lucky I didn't go to school with her.

So, yes, racism sucks, isn't ok, and violates my prime principle of "Don't be a dick."

Yeah, exactly what I was trying to say. People don't regard white bashing as forms of racism because 1) it is widely accepted 2) no serious offense is taken. But those are acts of racism too, yet people have a "grow some balls" attitude towards it, whilst claiming out loud that racism is wrong. Another point where hypocrisy comes in.

See above. I don't accept it and on behalf of people who might try to laugh it off to avoid making waves (re: my sister) I do take offense.

[Orly]

Has this actually happened or are you just making up shit? I mean white people use "nigga" all the time... people don't really get offended by it...

Yeah, it did. Does it sound that unreal to you? If they don't get offended, that's awesome and there's no problem to begin with. But most of the time they do.

[Themius]

Yeah, it did. Does it sound that unreal to you? If they don't get offended, that's awesome and there's no problem to begin with. But most of the time they do.

Most of the time they don't.... I mean coming from an urban mixed area between whites blacks asians and hispanics all of which I have seen say nigga on the streets around black people that were strangers, not a thing happened, because no one cared.

Stupid people are everywhere, call a homophobe a bigot and he feels insulted.

[Orly]

Well congratulations on the dumbest comment in the entire thread, and that takes some doing! I mean you had to totally ignore the unequal conviction rates, unequal punishments, unequal chances of a cop arresting a person, unequal chances of parole. Basically in order to make that comment you had to have absolutely no clue what you were saying, and THEN claim logic. Awesome!

And you had to ignore that all those inequalities are derived from the fact that the are more black people in the world that refuse education (mostly because they find breaking the law to be easier) than white people who refuse education.