Is being branded racist for opinions/concerns making us ("more") racist?

[Duridi]

No, I don't think so. It does however, make people pulling the racism card, less respected. In other words, if you call someone a racist, you are much less likely to be taken seriously. This is my impression anyways, and I can totally understand it. Labeling people in a negative way, has never earned anyone my respect, and I doubt I am alone feeling that way.

[slime]

You are absolutely right here, or your neighbor is. It has almost become a meme or something to just jump to racism as the cause of this or that. So, when real racism happens more people are like... "oh it's that racism thing again.. don't actually have to pay attention or buy into it."

[Duridi]

People are so quick to label you as a racist, sexist or whatever, that it's lost a lot of meaning so people aren't impacted when you say it, so carry on with their attitudes. The whole race card thing for example, just creates even more hatred for those that use it.

Exactly. This has to do with respect, and it's really weird seeing people so obsessed with "racism", failing miserably at the very key element of what they think so high of.

[Reeve]

I think people are tending to hide their racism with "it's just a different opinion" a lot now. If it's "just a different opinion," they can claim you're being intolerant of differing ideas/opinions.

And yes, it is a "different opinion." It's a racist opinion. Or it's a homophobic opinion. Calling it an opinion doesn't make it any less racist or phobic.

[Jaransan]

The point is don't get so angsty about a non-issue, gays can marry and have all the rights of straight people.

I'm gonna call bullshit here. I too believe that on the whole it becomes difficult to debate the benefits and downsides of any given culture or race without being immediately branded hitler, but in this specific example you are being remarkably blase about gay rights. If the supreme court says a STRAIGHT person can get married it is essentially a non issue. In AMERICA specifically you STILL have people pushing to ignore the supreme court and refuse to marry gays.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/30/us/sam...ling-holdouts/ - I know this is a bit old, but it illustrates my point.

Next time you go to a coffee shop imagine making your order and then having to spend an hour arguing with the clerk about having it the way you asked and payed for it to get it, but noone else before or after you in line has to think about it much. Then everyone gets mad at YOU for just wanting your damn coffee. This is the experience gays have with a number of their rights, and its why its hardly a non issue.

[Felya]

Exactly. This has to do with respect, and it's really weird seeing people so obsessed with "racism", failing miserably at the very key element of what they think so high of.

It's really not true. The whole race card thing is not just an accusation at those who use it, but at just about anyone in it's common generalization. It ends up being pretty much par for the coarse, where generalization that lead to accusations of racism are then used to generalize being bated. It's just a way to dissolve personal responsibility... There is an expectation of subjectivle terms being applied to groups of people, which is the root of racism...

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I think people are tending to hide their racism with "it's just a different opinion" a lot now. If it's "just a different opinion," they can claim you're being intolerant of differing ideas/opinions.

And yes, it is a "different opinion." It's a racist opinion. Or it's a homophobic opinion. Calling it an opinion doesn't make it any less racist or phobic.

The idea that an opinion absolves you from responsibility, instead of inviting scruitny, is absurd. I think it is rooted in the disconnect from reality that the anonymity of the Internet brings. In 'rl' stating your opinion is intended to bring scruitny, while online people seem to think it removes the scruitny. I think that is because people are alone talking to a monitor and don't make the same connection as real life, where the opinion is an invitation for discussion, instead of the closure it seems to be online. You shouldn't need to have terms like 'IMO', it should be self evident...

[Stonecloak]

There's a difference between education and intelligence. You still aren't explaining this very well. I still am not seeing anything in your post that describes what racism actually is. You're just talking about 'judgmental/intolerable attitudes' without clarifying what they actually are. You say it's "Hostility towards things that are different." but don't clarify whether that includes or excludes hostility towards things that are different for reasons apart from, exclusively, them being different. I can't remember ever hearing about a person seeing something or someone that is simply 'different' and being hostile towards them just because they are different. It depends on the 'difference' though. I don't think it's immoral for a Red Sox fan to be hostile towards a New York Yankees fan. I don't see that as comparable to true racism, which is thinking of a different race or group of humans as an inferior species or that they should be killed off. Humans interact with 'different' things and people all the time, but it's not about simply being 'different'. Once again I don't think this is the only way racism can exist, but if we look at how we operate it may help us to find the answers.



To me your explanation just sounds like a justification for referring to people group X as racists/bigots/etc. while claiming it doesn't apply to group Y for some reason, even if they act or behave similarly or have similar beliefs/agendas.

You're missing the point entirely. I'm merely saying understanding how we operate with identifying ourselves could help us understand how racism becomes an issue. I never said its the only way, and I can't provide the kaleidoscope of different situations leading to it. That would be a large book, but I believe the big underlining issue I see with racism is humans not understanding that our opposites are actually important in identifying ourselves. Even an enemy really. So, instead of being hostile, we could appreciate that. Instead of trying to destroy it. Think about it in terms of the "good" guys vs. the "bad" guys. Humanity is not in a position to just see this and co-exist peacefully. Some are, but this fear/prejudice against what a person isn't is nurtured by our culture. This is division. Put it all together, divide and conquer. Just to be clear somebody like you may not be judgmental towards differences, but the average person from what I observe is.

[stabetha]

Mostly its this. "I am not a bigot, I just don't think gay people should be able to get married and are a lesser person"! How dare you not tolerate my intolerance!

Or for example someone calling Obama a Muslim, Communist, socialist who hates America. When people say things like that you don't really leave people many choices of what to think. I guess you could be stupid, or more then likely, you are a racist.

more like when someone screams racist when you believe we should enforce our existing imagration laws

[ArguesWithStrangers]

Human constructs still exist, and have shaped our society. Pretending otherwise is willful ignorance.

You and I have agreed on points in the last two topics we've both commented on. What's happening to us Endus?

[Kellhound]

You overestimate the accuracy of those DNA tests. There's some general trends that can be identified, but they're not 100%.



Citing me out of context is pretty darned dishonest.

http://www.mmo-champion.com/threads/...1#post38372240

There's the original post. I was responding to Zombergy, who wasn't talking about ancient extinct subspecies, but the races of modern humankind. Context matters, friend. Don't pretend I was saying something other than I clearly was.

No, you are just covering your track because you were caught, but that is what we have ALL come to expect from you, in ALL matters on this board.