Is being a racist really a big deal?

[oxymoronic]

to Acknowledge means to see knowledge, or facts. Where are you getting your Facts that Race makes someone prone to violence, drugs, or mayhem. all races have thieves, murderers, all races have people addicted to drugs, because all races are comprised of people, and some people choose to use drugs or to use violence to resolve a problem. Race is not a factor.

Just look up violent crimes in USA, figure the amount of black population vs white then you can clearly see blacks are 5x more likely to commit a violent crime. Not really that hard... And why are you telling me there is thieves, murderers, drug addicts of all races when that is not what even talking about. Of course I know that, I'm not stupid nor have I exuded anything near that. Please be reasonable or leave the thread.

[wonderlust]

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

Sorry, but that is incredibly dumb. No race is prone to violence or drugs. It's all about environment, creation, education, opportunities. But it's, oh, so much easier to point the finger at someone's race, as a permanent label of "violent drug addicts," rather then attempt to actually solve the social problems.

[Varabently]

I've done the forums things before on other sites and usually somewhere along the lines somebody will try to label me a racist. Over the years I've grown to accept it (dont really think I am though). I've never hurt somebody over race, hell I still hold a door open for somebody other than my race, I treat them absolutely the same irl but I am a lot more wary of some races compared to others. I guess what it stems down to is being a realist that acknowledges some races are prone to violence, drugs, and general mayhem. Don't really know what I'm trying to get out of this but I'm tired of others thinking racist people are bad. There is many degrees of racism, please don't lump all of us together and dismiss an individual so easily because he/she doesn't think like you.

Racism comes from a few different psychological phenomenons. The first is the in-group/out-group bias. You tend to like people who are like you and distrust people who are different. Clearly skin color is an obvious marker for this.

The second is that we tend to look for patterns, which allow us to anticipate others' actions. We do this through taking previous knowledge and mapping that onto new experiences. The better we are at this, the more likely we are to survive.

No matter how accepting we think we are, our brain does these two things automatically and without our control. So you're right, everyone is a little bit racist, but acting on these biases is what matters.

edit: I'd also like to say tha the justification that some races are more violent or prone to do criminal acts is just nonsense. You are looking at it on the surface and not digging any deeper. Sure, there are more black people in prison than white people (at least relative to the number of each in the general population). But that in itself is not enough to show any causality between race and crime.

[Deleted]

This is such bullshit lol... I barely notice the fact people are even different colours.

The only people who tend to think "oh everyone is a little racist" are those that aren't really racist but may make racist comments.

Then you ARE a little racist. You do admit they are different don't you? That in itself is a form of racism, nothing to be ashamed about, we are all the same.

[Hyve]

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

What you're saying there though is as if it is genetically built into people of other skin colours / nationalities to do certain things. What people need to realise is that we group species together because their DNA (and other factors) are very similar, for example Birds all have a very similar DNA structure and sequence, but there are major difference between birds, so we then have sub-classes.

The fact is though, that Humans are a sub-class of Animal. Whether Black or White, they're not a different race or species, so the chance that they're genetically, or "built to" be more likely to commit crimes is just being stupid and naive.

If you watch the news, all you'll hear is about how minorities are committing crimes, raping women and gang-banging kids. Are we over-reporting on these crimes, or is it that these people are more prone to such things. Is it genetic, or is it our own "racist" culture has created this now true stereotype?

[oxymoronic]

No matter how accepting we think we are, our brain does these two things automatically and without our control. So you're right, everyone is a little bit racist, but acting on these biases is what matters.

I can agree with this. I have never treated somebody wrong cause of their race despite me being a "racist".

[Sanctioned]

If that is true aren't you being a racist with your own comment?

How so? He answered your question. Nowhere did he ask you about your race and then hate you for your race.

[Deleted]

Because racism is nonsense and silly and harms entirely innocent people, that's why it's a big deal.

So do guns, knives, cars and bears. Yet you don't go campaigning against those.

[Hyve]

Then you ARE a little racist. You do admit they are different don't you? That in itself is a form of racism, nothing to be ashamed about, we are all the same.

I think it is a long stretch to claim that noticing someone is Black, is a form of racism, even in a extremely small form. Noticing a feature / fact of someone doesn't make it a racist view in the slightest.

Again, to me though, Racism is the hatred of someone of a different skin colour / nationality.

[Tzalix]

This is such bullshit lol... I barely notice the fact people are even different colours.

The only people who tend to think "oh everyone is a little racist" are those that aren't really racist but may make racist comments.

But there is a point to it though.

We are, in the end, animals. When we see another living creature we subconsciously make a decision about wether we consider said creature to be a threat to us or not. If we see something that looks like us, we generally won't consider it a threat, because we are pack animals. Safety in numbers. Someone else who looks like you is a "friend". If we see something that looks different than us, we subconsciously go "uh-oh, he looks different, he could be a threat".

This is in no way a defense of racism. Like I said, racism is ignorant and stupid. Just saying that it has a natural cause, and we really are racists, all of us, subconsciously, because we do judge other people by how they look, wether we want to or not, wether we notice it or not.

[Hyve]

So do guns, knives, cars and bears. Yet you don't go campaigning against those.

Every single one of them has a group of people looking to ban, kill, destroy or remove them ...

[Bruddoris]

Race is genetic, if Race was the factor if you took a group of 20 black infants and put them in a bubble and they were more violent than 20 Whites or Asians or Latins in another bubble, then you would have some basis to say race was a factor, instead you are saying a society is influencing people in a negative way. that isn't race that is social influence.

and if you start talking about statistics the first thing you need to do is remove the potential for logical mistakes of attributing the result to what you want rather than seeing it as an irrelevant variable that happens to be present. so really take the time to look and see what is the cause and what is just irrelevant

[Zhangfei]

So do guns, knives, cars and bears. Yet you don't go campaigning against those.

Are you serious? I certainly campaign against guns but in what sense are knives, cars and bears "nonsense" and "silly"?

[Deleted]

some races are prone to violence, drugs, and general mayhem..

so.. what like everyone of them?

[Deadvolcanoes]

Then you ARE a little racist. You do admit they are different don't you? That in itself is a form of racism, nothing to be ashamed about, we are all the same.

No, that is not racism. Racism is the belief that certain races have inherent attributes that makes them superior or inferior to others. This is extremely important to this discussion.

[Deleted]

Racists are one of the things that keep mankind away from reaching Tier 1 civilization, they are ignorant, most often filled with miss interpretations of things and generally tend to be idiots.

[Deleted]

Acknowledging the different races of humans isn't racism, stating one is superior to the other is though.

[Deleted]

I think it is a long stretch to claim that noticing someone is Black, is a form of racism, even in a extremely small form. Noticing a feature / fact of someone doesn't make it a racist view in the slightest.

Again, to me though, Racism is the hatred of someone of a different skin colour / nationality.

It is human nature to be wary of people that are different, until you can change human nature we will all continue to be a little racist. My best friend is black, we have probably saved each others lives a few times, but I still cannot help but be a bit wary when I see a group of 5 black lads hanging around a street corner.

[Catta]

It's not right to hate people of a different race, but putting your own race before others is completely natural.. it's like cheering on your own football team

Only if you are so shallow that you want to identify with other due to skincolour.

[Deleted]

prejudice and ignorance. nothing slows down progress and peace processes more than that.