Racism - A Dead Ism

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Racism - A Dead Ism

Post by sammythethief »

Ah, to be racist. I'm sure you know at least one person in your life who is a true racist, who will call all black people "niggers", and all Asian people "chinks".

Note: In here, I will use the slang terms, but not at or against anyone. They will be brought up, but they will not be hurled at anyone in an attempt to hurt. If you're going to come here to hurl your meaningless racial insults at someone, I can guarantee you that my finger will be on the report button faster than you can blink.

I am not racist. I do not discriminate against against the colour of your skin or your country of origin. That has nothing to do with your personality.

Through personal, quiet observations of my own, I noticed that when someone calls a black person a nigger, they are referring to a black person who lives in the inner cities, and "downtown". When a black person is called a nigger, they are generally referring to those who live in the city and have no regard to anyone else, who are rude and loud and, to be frank, a stereotype.

Before anyone jumps at me and says that not all black people who live in the city are like that, I know. I am just using an example, like Baltimore City for example. I went to UMMC (University of Maryland Medical Center) a few weeks ago with my mother in law while she got surgery, and I met some of the nicest inner city black people I will ever meet. And as I talked with them, I smiled and smiled, knowing that those stereotypes are only there because of the way some people behave.

And that brings me to where I want to go with this. I am not racist - I am against trashy behavior. I don't care if you're black or white, Asian or Mexican (there are a ton of illegal Mexican immigrants here, which I do have a problem with, because they are illegal. But that is another topic completely, please don't discuss it here), Spanish, German, Italian, Filipino - your race and where you come from doesn't matter to me. If you act like trash, I will treat you like trash. If you behave like a stereotype, you're probably going to be treated like one.

To me, racism no longer has a place in this world. I don't see the need to hate someone simply because of their skin colour or nationality. If you're going to hate someone, hate for their personality, or for who they are, not because of their skin colour. I don't do racial discrimination. I do not look at skin colour or nationality. I look at personality, which is how I think it should be.

What are your thoughts on racism?



I used black people as an example because I come from Baltimore, where the black stereotype is very prevalent.
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Re: Racism - A Dead Ism

Post by Darkfur »

I'm not a racist. I'm an equal opportunity hater (small joke).
I can't really say I hate anyone.
There are a couple of people in my life that I do hate, but not because of their skin color, religious back ground, etc.
It is because they have done some of the worst things you could imagine.

I did have an uncle that was, what we liked to call, an opportunistic racist.
In other words, black people were niggers, unless he wanted something from them. They they were "Just Bob" or "Just Sal" or whatever their names happened to be at the moment. After that, he was right back on the racist bandwagon.
Mexicans (to him) were "Wetbacks", and deserved nothing less than a bullet in the butt and to be rode out of town on a rail.
Ugh..the list goes on with this guy. His idea was "If you ain't white, you ain't right."(Which, btw, used to really REALLY chafe me the wrong way, as I am of American Indian decent, Cherokee and Sioux.) He was another puke-tard in a long line of puke-tards I have had the misfortune to know.
Anyone who discriminates against someone because of their color,religion,etc, is a small minded pitiful person.
Last edited by Darkfur on February 9th, 2011, 1:16:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Racism - A Dead Ism

Post by GrowlingCupcake »

I am not racist; I hate all people. Yay misanthropy?

Racism is a... sticky subject. I think it comes down to culture, really. For instance, I know a lot of Indians who are rat bastards. Perhaps I can conclude that Indians, in general, are rat bastards. Why? Because the culture/society encourages thinking and behaviour that I think is stupid/wrong/whatever. And here's the thing... I don't like that culture. I cannot pretend to like it or to ignore it if it's waved in my face. But I don't let it prevent me from realising there are also Indians who don't share that culture and who are wonderful people.

So if, due to prior dealings with them and because the culture rubs me the wrong way, I'm predisposed to looking at Indian people and thinking "Okay, I am going to want to hit them in about five minutes" does that make me racist? Even if I am fully aware that not all Indians are like that, only the majority that I have met? Or is it like saying... "I don't agree with owning a gun and people who are in the culture of gun ownership rub me the wrong way"? I am Indian. Does this change whether I am racist or not since it is toward Indians?
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Re: Racism - A Dead Ism

Post by TxCat »

I have prejudices, and I will admit them, but I don't think I'm racist. A person --- any person --- starts out with a basic level of decency and respect accorded them simply because they're a fellow human being. His or her actions may revise my initial estimate upward or downward. Repeated contact with groups of people (and this is not limited to race) who behave badly or well may eventually cause me to have certain expectations (prejudices) for further interactions.

To be honest, I never saw race or color until I moved South. My parents taught me the philosophy I just elaborated early on and because we were military folk, we were often in other countries among other peoples and other cultures. My father liked us to live 'on the economy' and learn the customs as much as was possible (sometimes the political situation didn't allow for this). I grew up with a respect for diversity.

When I came down South to Florida, I brought that into the workplace. I was the only white woman on an African American team. They didn't want me and talked loudly about just how much they didn't want me. I was subjected to having things stolen from my desk, to being pushed and shoved, and in general being verbally and physically abused --- all because of the color of my skin. When we did teambuilding activities, which usually involved a pot luck type arrangement and I tried engaging them in discussion about the dishes and cooking I was told that I had no business doing so...because I was white. They'd spit in the dishes I would bring so that not only would no one else eat it but I couldn't use it at home either.

All this left a very bad impression on me, but also a resolution to NEVER make anyone feel that way if I could help it.

I don't use slang terms for races and I don't tolerate the use of them in the household. I don't allow joke which capitalize on the ethnics of other folks. And while I'm aware my prejudices DO exist, I try to overcome them by acknowledging them and realizing that my impressions based on the acts of others are not fair and shouldn't be used for everyone from that group I meet.
You are not entitled to your opinion. You are entitled to your informed opinion. No one is entitled to be ignorant. Harlan Ellison

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Re: Racism - A Dead Ism

Post by Darkfur »

GrowlingCupcake wrote:I am not racist; I hate all people. Yay misanthropy?

Racism is a... sticky subject. I think it comes down to culture, really. For instance, I know a lot of Indians who are rat bastards. Perhaps I can conclude that Indians, in general, are rat bastards. Why? Because the culture/society encourages thinking and behaviour that I think is stupid/wrong/whatever. And here's the thing... I don't like that culture. I cannot pretend to like it or to ignore it if it's waved in my face. But I don't let it prevent me from realising there are also Indians who don't share that culture and who are wonderful people.

So if, due to prior dealings with them and because the culture rubs me the wrong way, I'm predisposed to looking at Indian people and thinking "Okay, I am going to want to hit them in about five minutes" does that make me racist? Even if I am fully aware that not all Indians are like that, only the majority that I have met? Or is it like saying... "I don't agree with owning a gun and people who are in the culture of gun ownership rub me the wrong way"? I am Indian. Does this change whether I am racist or not since it is toward Indians?
Personally I would say no, you're not racist. You realize that there is good and bad in all cultures,races ect.
I would think it does kinda fall along the lines of "I don't agree with owning a gun and people who are in the culture of gun ownership rub me the wrong way."
But I too have a hard time ignoring stupidity (in whatever form it may come) or pretending to like it. Welcome to the club! LOL

TxCat, I totally agree, the usage of derogatory slang is not allowed in our home. And I have actually gotten into serious fights with those who choose to call friends of mine of different colors derogatory slang terms.
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Re: Racism - A Dead Ism

Post by GrowlingCupcake »

Darkfur wrote:His idea was "If you ain't white, you ain't right."(Which, btw, used to really REALLY chafe me the wrong way, as I am of American Indian decent, Cherokee and Sioux.) He was another puke-tard in a long line of puke-tards I have had the misfortune to know.
This amuses me a lot 'cause I've come across people who feel they're better 'cause they're "pure" white or something. And of course, while "white" they're a mix of different ethnicites. I, on the other hand, am pure Indian.
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Re: Racism - A Dead Ism

Post by Syndicate »

I am not racist. I don't think people should be judged or treated differently because of the color of their skin or religion.
I see it as truly unfair and REALLLLYYYY stupid to judge them because of what they look like. They are still humans you know, and they do have a heart and they do have a family so why should they be discriminated and treated differently because of the color of their skin?

For me, Skin color and religion does not bother me at all. You are who you are, You can't help what you look like and thats ok <3 I see the people for who they are on the inside, They're a good person on the inside? Wow be my friend!!! Bad person on the inside? Thats ok too :)


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Re: Racism - A Dead Ism

Post by Corvidae »

I had an Indian (Asian) friend who used to jokingly snob about how he was "pure" Indian, and we were all mutts. It was all in good fun, though.

I don't notice skin color. I mean, I do notice it visually, but that doesn't affect my judgment of a person, and if someone brings it up in conversation, I'll have to do a double take before I remember "Oh yeah..." It's just not a big issue for me.
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Re: Racism - A Dead Ism

Post by GamingGal »

I live in the Deep South, Georgia to be exact. Racism is quite common and to be expected. No, we don't have race wars, but whites keep with whites and blacks keep with blacks. There's very little mixing. And then there are the prejudices. Where I'm from, blacks are considered ignorant and stupid and stuff. Whites are considered better.

I, however, hate this racial mess. I don't care what color you are or whatever, if you're an overall good person, I'll be friends with you.

You know what I hate the MOST though? My mom despises inter-racial marriages. Especially whites and blacks. She says God created different skin colors so we would stay separate when actually pigmentation changed over the years according to where you lived, adapted for lack of better words. It ticks me off to no end.
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Re: Racism - A Dead Ism

Post by Flameclaw1234 »

One very strange thing I've foud is that it is entirely okay for osmeone to call another a racial slang as long as they are both of that ethnicity. Now, I'm personally completely against this, and to me it is another subcategory of racism. Because it is excluding other groups from doing the same thing you are doing, isn't it just as bad? For an example, if a black man calls another black man a "nigger," it's not as offensive as someone of another race calling a black man a "nigger," even if neither or both mean it in an offensive way.

Personally, at times I have found myself to be a bit of a racist, but not extremely often. Sure, I have my personal prejudices, but I'm in no way saying it's a good thing. It's just my nature, and I hope to shake the habit soon. It's very affected by who I see every day, of course. For instance, I know that to become a citizen in the US you must know some English. But most of the Spanish, Mexican, Latino, or otherwise of like families that I see have no knowledge whatsoever of the english language, even when prompted. So this would lead people like me to believe that they may be illegal immigrants. And as much as I try to shake these habits in my head (for I wouldn't say such things aloud, unlike some people I know), such stereotypes tend to make it difficult. I'm not one for complete racial discrimination or teasing, but I'll admit that I may have different first impressions if you are of a different race.
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