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Are we all racists?

My position is that we all are, but it's how we deal with it that makes the difference. My racism is based on culture, not skin color and I associate skin color with the culture. It's a lifelong battle to do better.

paul1967 8 Dec 6
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22 comments

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5

I was raised to be a racist, but it wore off. I was 19, had a fake I. D. and worked part time as a bartender. This bar had a little window where Black people could order a beer and sit out on a bench and drink it. It didn't take me long to realize that the blacks outside were having a lot more fun than the white red necks inside. I decided that this idea of, "we're better than them", was backwards.

5

I do not like racists. It is my pet peeve.

We had a member post something that I considered racist on another post re: Jesus and the wisemen who were niggas. One other member said it was slang then several of us reported the other member for the racist remark. Good people supported my feelings.

4

Personally I don't feel racist, after traveling a 100 countries you get color blind.

Yet, I see a racist war going on in America right now. I see it as another tool like religion to get everyone fighting and distracted wail the elitists wealthy walk away with your money. Energy would be better spent going after your mischief greedy slave Masters that own you.

Yep. And. Yep.

3

No, not all of us.

2

I know I grew up with some ideas of "race and place". I grew up in small town Nebraska. However, I also grew up with an aunt that was Japanese. Her husband, my uncle was in the Navy during the Korean war and brought home a Japanese bride. Aunt Mickie pointed out that she was not "white" and if she was acceptable to be in the family then all races should be. Then I joined the military and it was an educational experience in more ways than one. I am almost 60 and I'd like to think I am way less racist and far more accepting than I was while growing up. I still have some nasty little thoughts that pop into my head from time to time, but I recognize them and shut them down. I take the view that "people are." Skin color doesn't matter, people are people, and sometimes they are irritating, and charming, and difficult, and wonderful, no matter what color, creed, or ethnicity. Thoughts may pop into my head, but I am responsible for my actions and I will always choose to be kind. (well almost always)

2

You'd be wrong in that position. I'm not racist. If people view their race as an impediment they have psychological problems, not racist problems. I live in the southwest and work with a very diverse group of people. If anything I would be tribalistic and protect all the people within my group.
I have dined with and socialized with every race. The ones I don't get along with, have severe character flaws or exhibit sociopathic tendencies. It is personally problematic to think you're going to start trusting anyone without first judging their character. You will end up a victim real quick.

2

I agree with you. I try not to be, but at times I am. Usually, I can step back and access my reason for this and correct it.

2

We all have an innate tendency to view someone whom we view as different from us with suspicion. It is an impulse which w.e need to quell

1

When I was on the diversity council of a mid-sized corporation (42,000 employees), we were taught that everyone discriminates against someone. It seems to be human nature to compare ourselves with and against others. It seems that even people of color discriminate. Darker colored people are viewed in virtually all cultures as less "desirable" than people of that same culture who are lighter skinned. It is consideration when looking at potential marriage partners. The concern being that marrying someone darker than yourself could mean having a darker skinned child and that child being discriminated against. As a reference, see the two documentary films titled, "Light Girls" (2015) and "Dark Girls" (2011).

The best we can hope for is to recognize our prejudices and try to be aware when they rear their ugly head and then address them as best we can until we totally get it and can change our frame of reference and our minds. It takes awareness and work but it can be done.

1

In the sense that we are inseparable from the culture around us yes. ALL of us have internalized racism to some degree. Doesn't mean we can't fight it in ourselves, others and in institutions though.

1

We all prejudge. We do it with hair style, hair color, hair length, curly or straight and that's hair.

The trick is to be able to be wrong.

1

It all depends on your definition of racism. Academically, racism is defined as discrimination based on the belief that some people, due to their birth characteristics, are inferior to others. By that definition, no, not everyone is racist.

Race is actually a modern social construct; before the Renaissance, people thoughts in terms of tribes, of nations, etc. Race came into being when Europeans started trying to find a "rational" reason for the existence of slavery. Since they needed slavery for economical and political reasons, and it wasn't rational if they thought of all humans as equals, they started to look for a criteria which would be used to justify slavery and classify people as either inferior or superior. Around that time, in the Antilles, there were a good amount of slaves from black Africa, so the government there started passing laws making it so black people couldn't be owners (there were a lot of black owners before that, having slaves of their own), then making it so the children of a white and a black parent couldn't own property either, slowly leading to slaves being mostly black and owners all being white. This spread across the ocean, and modern racism was born.

Now, for discrimination based on people's ethnicity, considering them inferior at least until they publicly reject their previous culture, while one could think that the name "ethnicism" would be appropriate, the expression "cultural racism" seems to have become the most popular in literature.

MarcO Level 5 Dec 7, 2017
1

I think, we are all 'prejudiced' not 'racists'.

Prejudice, a social/political construct, is there in all cultures and ethnicities.

Prejudice becomes 'racism' when one ethnic/cultural community has the power to make laws and create systems to alienate other communities on the basis of their race/ethnicity/culture/religion etc.

1

I am absolutely a racist but I try like hell to be a human racist. So burn in hell, cows, pigeons, bears,etc.
😉

1

it's partly natural to be racist but only to a degree and it's not about colour. it's about whats your territory

1

Have tried not to beat myself up over that one. It’s said ‘we’re attracted to those who look like us.’ Though I’m sure we’ve all been mesmerized by someone outside our ethnic group.

I think you’ve got it with ‘culture’ being true point of division. Honestly, the more disgusted I become with ‘my culture,’ the more I’m intrigued by that of others… Too bad the vast majority of them are swimming in religion ~

Varn Level 8 Dec 6, 2017
0

I use the term "Raghead" and "Muzzlemen" and "camel rapists" and I am constantly being called a racist I cannot possibly see how unless it is the one calling me a racist that is actually the racist, if they are seeing connotations between the words I use and the people THEY beleive I am talking about, then I am going to assume THEY are the racists, thoughts?

Thank you, @JD1020, much appreciation for your comment.

I think all those words contribute to the racist's agenda of causing emotional harm to a group. When you say, camel rapist is your intent to describe nobody in general or a middle easterner? If you mean nobody, in general, then you need help with communication skill because that term has been used more often for middle eastern people and one is not a racist for their ability to recognize familiar references cues.

0

I definitely think people have biases and they start young, in the home. Priviledge is ingrained-you have to open your eyes and look around to know that everyone is not born with advantage. It helps working as a teacher in a high poverty school. Sometimes I have to check myself when I expect kids to have a pencil or scissors at home-often that is not a priority.

0

I went to a very racist school when I was in Elementary school...didn't quite understand what the racist songs were about...but if I try, I can still remember them....and it angers me....our school was tolerant of that (this was in Oregon)...but it was tolerant of a lot of horrible things....news was pretty racist growing up....tv was racist....and sexist. I am sure there are lasting effects of this bullshit. I think us defining ourselves by our race is our most racist trait.

0

I guess we all may have a bit of it inside us, but it wouldn't say literally. Humans are just humans to me, skin colour doesn't change that. I like what you said about culture, that's what actually makes us different, not our skin colours.

0

We are not one of us racist, although their are plenty of racist people. We are imprinted with views of the world when we are very small. It is hard to break these programmings but it can be done. We have all done it if we have escaped the religions of our childhoods.

0

We all have a degree of racism in each of our hearts. Some of us choose to reject it, others choose to pretend that it doesn't exist. Others feed it and let it control them to the extreme.

Racism really isn't that difficult to overcome. I overcame it by integrating into society and just showing people how I can be a nice person with something to offer to others.

What most people do is avoid people who are racist to them, that just widens the divide. We need to start being less confrontational, more tolerant and more open to each other.

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