Is being a racist really a big deal?

[Banzhe]

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.

Based purely on your own statement right here, there's no reason not to lump you in with every other "racist" out there.., personally I think it's more ignorance n' an extremely narrow perspective you display, specifically when it comes to the bolded section!

[Deleted]

yes, a racist *has* to be a person of limited judgement/depth unless he's not really a racist

what's the problem with it? he can be manipulated in supporting idiotic and dangerous political movements

are you a racist? no idea, but the 'some races are prone to violence' part of your post is plainly stupid, it's the enviroment that shapes the people in it,take an Iranian baby and give it for adoption to a conservative-republican family, it will sing God bless America for you i guarantee you.

[Cybran]

Too much tolerance can be bad.

[Darthcullen]

We're one race, human. Thinking differently of someone because of their skin color/hair color/whatever is morally low and just not good for the world. Attribute actions to background and the way people are raised as kids, not to skin color.

[Al Gorefiend]

Being raised by a police officer father through the 80's I was always surrounded by racist remarks. My father was a good man and all, and still is, but he's come to his own conclusion throughout the years that black people, and I mean especially the poor, ghetto-raised black people just could not keep their hands out of other people's cookie jars. Now of course its not true that black people commit more crime than white people, absolutely not; I'm not trying to imply it. Yet everyday he'd tell me how he'd get call after call, arrest after arrest, dope after dope, all without leaving the ghetto neighborhoods. They had no respect for cops, treated him like some bully who was "just trying to get all up in their face" and every day after work he'd come home and tell me.

I'm not a racist to the extent that I'd even consider a person's skin color when I reach in for a hand shake or engage in a conversation. Yet I'll admit racial gangs do scare the hell out of me, but I guess its just how I grew up.

[LilSaihah]

yes, a racist *has* to be a person of limited judgement/depth unless he's not really a racist

Are there people of unlimited judgment/depth?

Too much tolerance can be bad.

I was wondering when Ramzpaul was gonna show up.

[Ebildays]

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.

I think being a realist is understanding that all races have their violence, drugs, and general mayhem problems. Take gun violence for issue when you hear about gang shooting you think "Crazy Black/Latino people doing it again" and when you hear about a school shooting you think "Crazy White people doing it again". When we think about being robbed or raped what race comes to mind? Now when you think about mass murders and serial killers what race comes to mind? Just think about it, when we think of everyday crime what are the races of people that we think of? But when we think of the really nasty crimes like serial killers, child molesters/ murders what race comes to mind and do you find yourself more wary of them because of it?

The problem tends to be more fear of the unknown rather than being racist or from the sounds of it prejudiced. There is a big difference with being racist or just prejudiced everyone, and I mean, everyone in this world is prejudiced. We do depending on race, sex, creed, job and a host of other things. Now being racist is a whole different can of worms, those people will not look at you, talk to you, hold the door for, or even treat you like you are a human being. Case in point when my sister took her two little boys out trick or treating some people would not give them candy or would only give them one piece of candy when they gave the other white kids a whole handful. When my sister came back upset about it I told her flat out "You took them to a white neighborhood what else did you expect?"

Now most people are either prejudiced from personal experience (like myself) or from lack of experience with people of different races. The bad thing about being prejudiced is that if you are only going by one thing, like race, you are missing out on people that are not like what you are thinking. I have some great white friends, they are wonderful people and I would not trade meeting them for anything in the world. Now do I talk to guys that look like Bubba? Yeah, I will talk to anyone but if Bubba treats me bad because I am black I have no time for him.


But you know what the really bad thing is now that I think about it. It is that we have a group of people believing they are safe if they stay away from certain races of people. Look at the people in Shady Hook, I bet they thought they were safe because they live in a predominantly white area with with white schools. But we know that it was not another races or even poor people that hurt them the most, it was one of their own. Being prejudices makes you live in a bubble thinking you can spot the "bad" guy when in a lot of cases the "bad" guy may look just like you.


Oh, and if you look at crime stats most crimes are intraracial not interracial.

[Cthulhu 2020]

I'm still pretty sure people are confusing racism with stereotyping.

[Gamdwelf]

Too much tolerance can be bad.

Jesus would want Genocide... wow!

---------- Post added 2013-01-27 at 05:41 PM ----------

I'm still pretty sure people are confusing racism with stereotyping.

stereotyping based on race is racism.

[Deleted]

Sounds like there was a specific group of troublemakers that were victimizing you and whose parents didn't believe they were what they were accused of. People tend to think their children are angels.

"maybe they should cover up their hair"

Yes, I actually heard one of the parents saying that. I wasn't the only one subjected to it by them.

[mittacc]

"Races more prone to violence and drugs" listen to you. It couldnt possibly have anything to do with the society they live in or are forced into.

And what formed these societies? oh, wait....

[Rizendragon]

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

This is merely being considerate of other people. Holding a door for someone does not prove that you aren't a racist or prejudiced against other races (take a soc101 course. they are different things)

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.

This is where one shows his/her true colors. This is prejudice. It is fairly common among humans. We are taught (yes prejudice and racism are taught. we are not born thinking other races are terrible because of their skin color) from a young age that certain people are more prone to things because of their color, but this is a fallacy. Lower income people are more prone to violence, crime, drugs, and sociopathic action.

It is a fact that a large percentage of people of color have a lower income in America than Caucasians, but one must also remember that 1 person of color is a larger percentage of that races population than one Caucasian person is. If you were to look at crime by percentage at income brackets instead of by race though you'd see a huge trend up as you work your way down income brackets.

As human beings we try to make logic of injustices by what we see instead of by doing the true research that would show the reason we perceive that certain races are more prone to certain actions.

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.

You're trying to justify the way you feel about certain people. A racist goes out of their way to make life hell for people that don't look the same as them. A prejudiced person doesn't act upon their prejudices, but they do have an ingrained belief that their race is superior to other races. The only advice i can give you is to be less judgmental. If you really believe that certain races are more prone to violence then start looking up some studies that prove otherwise.

We are all human beings. That is the only true race that matters. The human race, mankind, people. We all have feelings. We all have the same fundamental need: to provide for our family and survive. It's how we try to achieve that need that defines us as violent or non-violent people. Simply remember that more people at lower incomes feel more desperation to make ends meet and that generally leads to more violent activity; regardless of race.

[Googolplex]

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.

That's not racism, it's prejustice. Though a lot of people (usually not the brightest people), will label prejustice as racism. In fact, a lot of pepole will name call you a racist just for just disaggreing with them over any subject concerning foreigners.

Keep in mind that extreme prejustice is very common amongst racists - the reverse however is not necessarily true.

[Deleted]

We're one race, human. Thinking differently of someone because of their skin color/hair color/whatever is morally low and just not good for the world. Attribute actions to background and the way people are raised as kids, not to skin color.

So if my Willy won't salute when I look at a black girl, does that make me racist?

[Deleted]

Because racism is stupid, ethnocentric (more like egocentric though), unproductive and again stupid when it can be explained by socio-economics

Prejudice (includes racism to some degree) is pretty damn useful, as long as the prejudice is fact-based.

[v2prwsmb45yhuq3wj23vpjk]

"maybe they should cover up their hair"

Yes, I actually heard one of the parents saying that. I wasn't the only one subjected to it by them.

That's one stupid parent.

Prejudice (includes racism to some degree) is pretty damn useful, as long as the prejudice is fact-based.

Prejudice based on facts is an oxymoron.

I think you mean discrimination, specifically the definition that goes "recognition and understanding of the difference between one thing and another". With that, one might discriminate between using a fork or a spoon to eat soup, for example.

[Kryos]

If you are racist, you are just wrong. The assumptions you make, the way you judge other people is plain and simply not correct.

It's like asking: "If I think 1+1=3, what's the big deal? Where is the problem?"

The problem is, that you believe in total BS. Educate yourself, be open minded, learn and talk to those who you have wild prejudices and you will learn they are the same humans with the same wishes, ideas, dreams and needs.

Educate yourself and interact with other people, that will stop your racism. It will also remove your xenophobia.

[Deleted]

That's one stupid parent.

It's the culture. They come to sweden and bring their culture with them. Their culture does not work well with the swedish society. If I were to walk around in the clothes I do in Sweden, in their home countries, do you think they'd accept it? I know they wouldn't.

[hakujinbakasama]

Prejudice (includes racism to some degree) is pretty damn useful in many cases, as long as the prejudice is fact-based.

I'm a very Prejudice person and have zero desire to apologize for it. I've found being prejudice to have potentially saved my life more than done me harm.

I actually get annoyed when people start pointing the whole "racist" finger because it's bullshit. There is a very very select percentage of the populace who is actually "racist." Ironically, the most "racist" people also tend to be the most "religious" percentage too.

[Rhaide]

It's the culture not the race. Unfortunately, many cultures are dominated by a particular race. Because of this, the rock-hard truth, as crappy as it is to admit, is that certain races are more LIKELY (not prone) to certain behaviors. That's just fact, as nasty as it is.

Remember that it's a culture thing, not a race thing. It's fine to be a 'culturist', the term racist however is generally used to denote someone who makes broad generalizations based on nothing other than a person's skin color or heritage. Skin color has nothing to do with a person's choices or actions in life, however, we, as a race (human race) group ourselves with people like us. So many times, bad cultural areas are dominated by one group, which causes the misconception that the problems that group causes are because of their race, when really it's the culture their race groups (or grouped, past tense) themselves into.

I think you would find you can still maintain your viewpoint on life if you accept this to be true without drawing the negative responses of the general public.

Long story short, race doesn't matter, culture and upbringing does, and unfortunately, often times one race dominates a bad culture.