Racism is due to lack of education. And is used by the media/politicians to invoke hatred for their own profitable ends.here endeth the lecture

I’m unsire as to what degree I should carpet bomb this post with the comment maelstrom happening in my head so I should just bow out and reverse out of here.

I've been called Gweilo many times when I worked with a group out of Hong Kong, basically White Devil but it depends upon how you say it - much in the way that Black can mean a person with dark skin pigment or nigger, tone is everything.
Cracker is one I used to get when I lived in the Caribbean, same deal as Gweilo, depends on how it is said but usually it's a bad one.
Gringo was so common when I lived in South America that I barely noticed it after a while, technically any European foreigner but only targeted at the White variety.
Caucasian people are at the top of the food chain globally and have been for the past few centuries but this too shall pass. Expect more of this as Asian power increases and Western power decreases, it doesn't make racism right but it does make clear that Whites don't hold a monopoly on this form of ignorance.

Tribalism is so ingrained in our primal instincts that it takes active awareness to recognize and reject it. Racism isn’t okay, but I undeterstand why it’s easier to just group “others” rather than see beyond flesh.

I'd like to point out that in the poll only 4 people said yes and 35 people said no and yet most of the comments here are saying yes. What didn't you want to vote? Didn't want to put down that yes tick to make it look like it's okay to be racist against white people when you then turn around and say it's okay to be racist against white people? Not at all surprised.

It's something I call 'minority privilege.' You see it in the LGBT community a lot. The trouble generally being that these people become accustomed to being able to get off scott free with attacking the oppressive majority, but they become equally nasty about other minorities. So a gay man might (justifiably, in some people's eyes) attack straight people. But he gets used to that privilege and attacks anyone lesbian or transgender, too. A cis hetero white male is used to not being able to attack anyone without being called a bigot. Someone with minority privilege is shocked to find themselves on the wrong side of the argument when they attack and even more oppressed minority than themselves.

I'm a great believer in equality all round. I don't let the colour of someone's skin affect the way I treat them. What I'm sick of is white people self-flagellating over the way our race historically treated theirs, and in some areas (where white folks tend to marry their sisters and daughters) still do.

The trans movement went through a phase a while back where it wasn't sufficient to be trans. If you were white and trans, you didn't matter. I actually watched white trans women apologise for assuming that they did. Only 'trans women of color' were of any interest. The disparity no more evident in the different way that the community treats Caitlyn Jenner and Laverne Cox. Cait can do no right (okay, she's a Trump supporter - feel free to hold that against her.) Laverne can do no wrong (even appearing in Rocky Horror, a play that's done more to harm public perceptions of trans women than anything else in history.) Thankfully, we seem to have come out the other side. Everyone loves Sophie Labelle. She's white, and yet her trans story seems to matter.

What we need is actual equality. We need being black to stop being a social disadvantage. We need it to stop being something police officers can use as an excuse to shoot first and ask questions later. But let's be honest, we also need to address the prevalent gangster adulation in black culture that's leading to people assuming that a black person is going to be armed and dangerous. Equality isn't achieved by allowing people to fight fire with fire. Argue all you like whether racism can be directed by a disadvantaged minority at a privileged majority, judging someone on (and hating them for) the colour of their skin is prejudice (literally pre-judice.)

I dated a Hindu once. Her mistrust and loathing of Muslims was legendary. Comparable with the hostility between Catholics and Protestants in Northern and Southern Ireland at the height of the troubles. Proper 'cross the street to avoid them' kind of prejudice. Minority races (and faiths) can certainly be prejudiced towards each other. Saying they can't be prejudiced against white folks is just more of that good old white self-flagellation. We can't complain because we deserve this? Well I personally haven't done anything to warrant any skin colour prejudice towards me.

Any form of racism is ignorant and counter productive, so no it's never okay to be racist. I grew up in a multicultural community and while racism was frowned upon and uncommon it was still there, probably because we are taught from an early age to identify differences. One of these is not like the other, one of these things is kinda the same, right out of Sesame Street.
I built several projects in Bermuda and I was the subject of racist comments and slurs on many occasions from the black majority. I was even told that these comments weren't racist because racism is a 'white thing', it was an eye opener to say the least. In the past I had approached racism as a negative thing to be frowned upon but I did so from the white majority perspective, it is quite humbling to be on the other end of the stick.
Interestingly enough, the island I had be building on prior to my work in Bermuda was very racist but from an Elitist White point of view, it was a virtual apartheid system and I felt very sorry for the blacks and how they were treated by the wealthy, white land owners. I wouldn't comply with some of the directives I was given and in the end it was so unbearable that I left. I did all I could to help my black workers, they even nicknamed me Bob the Builder because I was the little white guy that made everything good. These were good men who weren't being allowed to reach their potential because of elitist and racist people. No, racism is never a good thing no matter who is on the receiving end.

Of course it's not ok, but if you are, what can you do? A lot of white people make me cringe.

Race is a nebulous concept. Everyone should be judged the same: we should all pass the same test to learn to drive. It’s not ok to burden anyone or to benefit anyone based on their race alone, or on their appearance alone, or on their IQ alone. Some of us are better at some things than others. Finding our path is not easy in this complex society. Pitfalls abound. And success or failure isn’t entirely up to us. But we live in a country full of opportunities. We should strive to do better, and if we do, our chances are good.

Racism is NEVER okay! Ever!

Be proud of who and what you are, whatever that may be. It is okay to be white.

Is it ok to discriminate against tall people? They have ALL the advantages--getting things off the top shelf, everyone looking up to them, instant high-altitude weather forecasts--and yet they still have the gall to complain. "Oh, my head hurts because I keep hitting it on the door frame." Please! "Oh, my back hurts because I'm too tall and not short like everyone else!"

I say we build a really, really tall wall to keep them all out. Some of us short people might like a job as a professional basketball player, you know. Jobs jobs jobs!

Only if you are white.

Racism is not okay against ANY race!

I think this is a racist ass comment, but what do I know, I'm just an average Joe nobody.

Hi, I’m a white guy and I think it’s ok to think whatever you want about any segment of the population, be it based on cultural differences and preferences, social class, gender or, yes, ethnicity. If you think that the colour of the skin generally goes along with a certain type of culture, then it’s ok to be a racist, homophobe, Xenophobe, or have a general dislike about anything, white people included.
CULTURAL RELATIVISM

I have always looked at the unique individual without concidering their genetics. We are taught from a age that there are all of the other animals and then there is the human race. Later we are taught to separate our fellow humans into various genetic categories which often are referred to as "race". This is contradictory and confusing. Whenever possible on different documents, census, drivers licence, job applications and such, I usually write human in the "other" space.

That shouldn't even be a question. Racism is racism no matter against which race, social group it is directed. Of course there's a trend of pushing for the so called "white guilt" nowadays and those that go against that concept or "reverse racisms" are automatically branded racists, Nazis, KKKs, you name it. I won't go into detail now, but if there's anything obvious is that people never learn from the past and keep repeating the mistakes. If anyone is wondering I'm comfortable with and proud of who I am, I respect people no matter the skin color and treat them according to their worth as individuals.

My experience has been that racism is born mainly by fear....fear of culture....fear by indoctrination, fear of un-known.... and of course, anything feared, is resented.....fear is most damaging to those experiencing it, and most harmful to others when expressed toward them. A real sad shame that some cannot face such petty fears, and learn a real joy that the freedom of fear can be...good luck with your life.

No, you can only be racist against ignorant and stupid people.

A moderate level of racism could be useful, a bit like stereotypes are at times.

Weirdly I don't really care as long as i have my own house in order and am not hating on any group at all and nobody is trying to get me to love anyone else I'm cool - the only person I am responsible for is me and I am ok with all colours even skybluepink.

I would say yes but with context. It’s a grey area I guess. I know how it sounds I know, but I can’t articulate my argument, but i’m not a “ racist”

Dr King saved most White Americans from racism, for which we can be eternally grateful. Unfortunately no one has yet performed that task for most Black Americans. President Barack Obama should have done that job, but instead he fed the flames of racial animosity. Of course some Black Americans are among the very best of us (I'm thinking of Thomas Sowell), but I do perceive a lot of anti-White racism among a lot of Black Americans. Deep in my heart, I do believe, we shall overcome some day.

I wish I was like my dog, he doesn't see color or appearance, he sees people.
Racism will probably be with us for a long, long time until we willfully extinguish it from the majority. Racism will persist though, I don't think we will be able to exterminate it completely from each and every culture. Until we can eliminate need and want there will always be those who seek someone to blame, someone to hate as the perceived source of discontent.
I hope I am proven wrong but I fear I won't be.
Now your question : You CAN be racist against white people but is it OK?
No it's not OK, I think it is more tolerated by the general population, it's still not OK to be a racist in my book.
The other questions reek of racism, they seem to be searching for something to validate the racist views held by themselves.
This is just my opinion of course, for whatever it's worth.