Is being a racist really a big deal?

[Nanotech]

Personally I might have been conditioned by the media/movies to hold certain stereotypes about races, I find that in life I meet too many people who don't fit them for the stereotypes to be all that accurate. I find that it is a lot easier to apply certain prejudices in theory to a race than to apply it to dealing with specific people of that race in actual real life situations. So yes, I may have an occasional fleeting racist thought, but in practice I treat people of different skincolors the same in life.

[Catta]

Sorry then. Africans sold out Africans.

And? Does that make it okay?
I dont really see it excusing the Roman empire for its use of slaves that it was other white people selling white people to them and not directly Romans catching them.

[Nanotech]

And? Does that make it okay?
I dont really see it excusing the Roman empire for its use of slaves that it was other white people selling white people to them and not directly Romans catching them.

Don't forget indentured servitude in most countries (including all of Europe) at some point. Indentured servitude is pretty much just another term for slavery since 1. labor is free, 2. the land people till and its fruits belong to the upper crust and they MAY get enough to survive off of, 3. it's basically a caste system, born a serf, die a serf, no upward social mobility possible with very few exceptions, 4. master can marry/sell/lose in a poker game whole villages of serfs. And yeah, it's white owners of white serfs, same nationality, same language, same religion. Even if chiefs in Africa sold their own fellow tribesmen into American/European slavery, it doesn't make or break the case for racism either way.

[Speaknoevil]

I think it would be kinda sexy to be someone's slave for a day, roleplay wise.
__

"Yes Mistress, right away Mistress."

*drooling*

Anyway, continuing my mantra of "all racists are jerks, no exceptions." Toodaloo then.

[Electromatt]

Anyway, continuing my mantra of "all racists are jerks, no exceptions." Toodaloo then.

But racists are ignorant. Ignorant people are jerks?

Are you a jerk for not knowing something your not interested in?

[Speaknoevil]

But racists are ignorant. Ignorant people are jerks?

Are you a jerk for not knowing something your not interested in?

• I know what you're saying, but ignorance doesn't entirely remove responsibility.

• I am a jerk, yes, but I'm always trying to be better. Ignorance isn't what I'm really guilty of though

[Defengar]

And? Does that make it okay?
I dont really see it excusing the Roman empire for its use of slaves that it was other white people selling white people to them and not directly Romans catching them.

Oh it doesn't make it okay at all. Slavery was a disgusting and vile institution back then, and it remains so today (there are actually more slaves today than at any point in human history, some of the shit companies do to workers in corrupt third world countries is sickening). I was just pointing out Africans had a large hand in their own enslavement. Europeans could never have pulled it off on their own without all those tribes willingly selling each other for goods and gold. A lot of history books try to say big bad whitey came in and stole 20 million Africans like it was nothing.

[Electromatt]

Oh it doesn't make it okay at all. Slavery was a disgusting and vile institution back then, and it remains so today (there are actually more slaves today than at any point in human history, some of the shit companies do to workers in corrupt third world countries is sickening). I was just pointing out Africans had a large hand in their own enslavement. Europeans could never have pulled it off on their own without all those tribes willingly selling each other for goods and gold. A lot of history books try to say big bad whitey came in and stole 20 million Africans like it was nothing.

Blame white people for slavery
government offers reimbursements to black people
black people become dependent on government
black people are slaves again.

seems to be working so far in the U.S....

[Booshman]

Oh it doesn't make it okay at all. Slavery was a disgusting and vile institution back then, and it remains so today (there are actually more slaves today than at any point in human history, some of the shit companies do to workers in corrupt third world countries is sickening). I was just pointing out Africans had a large hand in their own enslavement. Europeans could never have pulled it off on their own without all those tribes willingly selling each other for goods and gold. A lot of history books try to say big bad whitey came in and stole 20 million Africans like it was nothing.

Strong enough to colonize but not enough to kidnap? That's complete and utter whitewashing nonsense. Nonsense that only serves the dishonest purpose to lessen the blame on whites. Who were most to blame, when you look at the entire process of chattel slavery. Not just the "taking slaves" part. The only reason Euros didn't engage in full scale kidnapping was because it was cheaper to use the Africans to do their dirty work for them. It was a business venture.

[Defengar]

Strong enough to colonize but not enough to kidnap? That's complete and utter whitewashing nonsense. Nonsense that only serves the dishonest purpose to lessen the blame on whites. Who were most to blame, when you look at the entire process of chattel slavery. Not just the "taking slaves" part. The only reason Euros didn't engage in full scale kidnapping was because it was cheaper to use the Africans to do their dirty work for them. It was a business venture.

Sure it was a business venture, as said before, it was not profitable for the Europeans to do the dirty work most of the time because sub Sahara Africa is an environmental hell hole filled with lions and tigers and malaria. And Europeans had no built up immunity to any other nasty pathogens that inhabit the continent.

What colonization? Often times Europeans powers would just go in with an army, kill a few natives, and claim the land as their own, leaving a few mining companies behind. Almost all European settlement was on the coast. The only time I can remember Europeans spending extensive amounts of time and resources in central Africa was when the Belgians under Leopold II went into the Congo and made it even more of a living hell for a couple decades.

[Deleted]

not really, it's fun!

[helmaroc]

Why does no one take socio-economic issues into account. The race is not born bad. It is the society a group of people are brought up in that's crap and it all stems from history and past issues. When you start from the bottom, good luck making your way up to the top.

Here is something I never got, how come White people don't get judged as a whole when one white person does something but when it's the other way around shit hits the fan and the entire race is going to be judged.

[Themius]

Why does no one take socio-economic issues into account. The race is not born bad. It is the society a group of people are brought up in that's crap and it all stems from history and past issues. When you start from the bottom, good luck making your way up to the top.

Here is something I never got, how come White people don't get judged as a whole when one white person does something but when it's the other way around shit hits the fan and the entire race is going to be judged.

Lol I don't know... but I have noticed that whites are less likely to be judged by the actions of one person on a whole as often as blacks are.

[Booshman]

Sure it was a business venture, as said before, it was not profitable for the Europeans to do the dirty work most of the time because sub Sahara Africa is an environmental hell hole filled with lions and tigers and malaria. And Europeans had no built up immunity to any other nasty pathogens that inhabit the continent.

What colonization? Often times Europeans powers would just go in with an army, kill a few natives, and claim the land as their own, leaving a few mining companies behind. Almost all European settlement was on the coast. The only time I can remember Europeans spending extensive amounts of time and resources in central Africa was when the Belgians under Leopold II went into the Congo and made it even more of a living hell for a couple decades.

Google "Scramble for Africa".

Either you are ignorant to the history itself, or you know about history and you're blatantly diminishing it. Because it can't be argued against, and it keeps the accurate and negative image of "Whites in Africa" alive. It's painfully obvious that you think colonization is something along the lines of something extreme like "wide scale murder", as what you tried to compare it to were a few things that make up a greater definition of "what colonization was." But in a downplaying fashion. While lying that almost all European settlement was along the coast. Because even the most pedestrian of scholars and students know that they colonized every single country (because whites drew up the incompatible borders that didn't exist before they got there) but Liberia and Ethiopia.

I meant to say this earlier, too. Some history books muddy the waters when it comes to how the people were taken, but most books these days don't even remotely attempt to do such a thing. Because most books, that are read by all grade levels, outright say that they were traded by a few nations. The whole "Baaaw! They're lying on us!" is just a pervasive meme that whites on the low end of the spectrum like to blow out of proportion and parrot. In order to put the discussion in their favor by disproving an exaggeration that they tout as "the norm".

Also, to drive home the fact that you know squat about the continent, and rely on comfortable, bigoted white, misconceptions/ignorance....

"What indigenous tigers were roaming around Africa back then?"

Lol I don't know... but I have noticed that whites are less likely to be judged by the actions of one person on a whole as often as blacks are.

Because whites are a collective when it comes to the good things, but are individuals when it comes to the bad. The opposite being the hypocritical view that the loud and problematic (but miniscule) sub-sect of the population hold towards non-whites.

[Zafire]

I don't get the race and presentation view of things. Race has nothing to do with presentation and I am wary of anyone with ill presentation, race doesn't play a part.

If a white guy was dressing all gangsta with a bandana on, his pants all baggy, and walked with a strut, I'd probably find it hilarious.

If a hispanic guy was wearing the same exact thing, I'd find it a lot more intimidating. Mostly because through my experiences in life I've had more problems with hispanics than white guys and there are far fewer of them. I've even walked past the welfare block of town (which is the busiest street IN town), only to get threatened by the hispanic guy next door simply for looking over at him briefly.

As I said before, I try to keep an open mind. I would never treat ANYBODY differently based on my initial impression of their race. I do not consider myself a racist because I do not "hate" any particular race.

[Catta]

Blame white people for slavery
government offers reimbursements to black people
black people become dependent on government
black people are slaves again.

seems to be working so far in the U.S....

Yes because receiving money from the government restricts your freedom. Its not like you could get a job with pay of your own choosing or anything.

[Black Cascade]

I'd say being a racist is a big deal. Racists are irrational people and are therefore unpredictable. It means you judge people on the way they look. I'd rather judge people by their actions.

[Deleted]

Let's say that 95% of gypsies i see in my normal day are just slacking off, stealing, skipping school and generally misbehave. The rest 5% here in slovakia are normal people. So is that racism that i hate gypsies or just pure use of logic and math? Yeah most of them take social security checks that are higher than my salary in IT as admin and they never went to school, never worked in their whole life and get to retire with inanely high retirement funds. Would you hate them too?
As for other races, i love asians, hispanics, indians etc, i love diversity, but when i learn that over 90% of some community is up to no good, i start to make prejudice about them better to rely on math than to think everyone is sweet little angel.

[Themius]

Let's say that 95% of gypsies i see in my normal day are just slacking off, stealing, skipping school and generally misbehave. The rest 5% here in slovakia are normal people. So is that racism that i hate gypsies or just pure use of logic and math? Yeah most of them take social security checks that are higher than my salary in IT as admin and they never went to school, never worked in their whole life and get to retire with inanely high retirement funds. Would you hate them too?
As for other races, i love asians, hispanics, indians etc, i love diversity, but when i learn that over 90% of some community is up to no good, i start to make prejudice about them better to rely on math than to think everyone is sweet little angel.

Lol i noticed you left our blacks for your love of every other race.

Anyway, I doubt 95% of gypsies are x way, more to the point you've seen so many or heard about so many you're going to now pass judgement on them all. 90% what a ridiculous number...

Yes you are irrational and you're not relying on math but made up on the spot statistics, which isn't mad, it's fluffy made up math which holds no ground.

[LilSaihah]

I'd say being a racist is a big deal. Racists are irrational people and are therefore unpredictable. It means you judge people on the way they look. I'd rather judge people by their actions.

They sound very predictable! They don't like them black folks, always sneaking around stealing their tell-o-visions.