What does RACISM mean to you?

Zylka · June 13, 2003, 20:36

In my opinion, it's a term that has been hijacked as of late - pressed in completely irrelevant situations to stop analytical thought or criticism of certain human developments, simply because the prosecutor doesn't want to believe those argued facts, or feels that they need not be pointed out. What are some clear definition(s) of racism in your own mind? Has, and can the term rightly change over time? What portion of this world is "racist", under your own clarification?

Oerdin · June 13, 2003, 20:52

It is a name to be thrown at anyone who's politics I don't like.

Whaleboy · June 13, 2003, 21:23

Its the differential treatment of someone based on their ethnicity, perceived ethnicity etc. Thats loose, but normally, its only applied in negative situations, whereas in reality, racism in general is indicative of a more inherrent intolerance.

mrmitchell · June 13, 2003, 22:33

Racism 1. differing treatment of those of a different group.
2. overused PC-freak term used to silence all opposition.

A very tiny portion of the US is racist. At least, much smaller than PC persons like Zylka would have you believe.

Hell, even rednecks now just leave to their own devices (specifically, the vehicle ones on the cinder blocks in the yard.)

MrFun · June 13, 2003, 22:44

You cannot call an entire group of people murderers and in-breeders and claim you're objectively examining that group's culture.

Pandering to stereotypes and blatantly mis-portraying a race group is racist.

Zylka · June 13, 2003, 22:47

Quote:

Originally posted by mrmitchell
Racism 1. differing treatment of those of a different group.

What is a "group"? Am I a racist if I treat diffferently all members of a hate organization? How about if I despise hardcore nationalists of certain nations? Do these groups not often move for recognition and celebration of their unique differences, and therefore differing treatment?

SO MANY QWESTCHUNS!

Gangerolf · June 13, 2003, 22:50

using the term racism or racist is racist

mrmitchell · June 13, 2003, 22:54

MrFun
You talking to me? That's whut I was talking about, if you are--you effectively quashed my attempts at making a comeback on the redneck stereotype by calling it racist, even though i was using it in jest.

Zylka
Okay, let me specify: since we're talking about racist, group means a group of people who share the same race, like africans, or jews, or boston marathoners.

Zylka · June 13, 2003, 23:02

Quote:

Originally posted by MrFun
You cannot call an entire group of people murderers and in-breeders and claim you're objectively examining that group's culture.

Pandering to stereotypes and blatantly mis-portraying a race group is racist.

I did not call an entire group of people that, I quite clearly stated that the cultural framework of most of the region provided a social life with much higher rates of murderous warfare and inbreeding (which is accepted as FACT). I further specified that it was environmental determinism which was the core in shaping these values, and that genetics therefore have nothing to do with it.

Racism is a "by birth" critique of specific human beings, my own opinion a "by cultural environment" approach. Nature and nurture, I'm sure you heard of these in your victim studies? Stressing the latter approach could lead to ideals supporting "culturalism", I suppose... I just hate being blended in with racist ideology because it so suits one's trite, easy and irrelevant KKK accusations

Imran Siddiqui · June 13, 2003, 23:06

*sigh*

As usually Mr Fun resembles the boy who called wolf by calling racism once again...

Zylka · June 13, 2003, 23:42

HAHAHA, while I'm still in the mood for this - I'd like to address these gems I've drawn up, with your own criteria:

Quote:

Originally posted by MrFun
Race is a socially constructed concept.

Quote:

Originally posted by MrFun
Pandering to stereotypes and blatantly mis-portraying a race group is racist.

Quote:

Originally posted by MrFun
Do people in the Southern states know that the Civil War has been over for over a century now?

Sooo... I suppose the last is an innocent comment, listing all people of a region as ignorant and (assumably) racist - innocent simply because they are not a set "race group". Yet at the same time, you dismiss the concept of "race" as artificial?

Wow. I just don't know where to go from here

Jaguar · June 13, 2003, 23:49

Racism is treating someone worse than you'd treat someone of a different ethnicity, simply because of ethnicity...

...I think. There's probably a hole in that definition that I haven't noticed yet, but I can't think of one.

Imran Siddiqui · June 13, 2003, 23:53

Zylka:

You have him painted in such a corner

.

mrmitchell · June 13, 2003, 23:59

Zylk and Fun, can't you leave other disagreements in other threads? I mean, each thread should be a seperate universe, where things are discussed without bringing in old rants from old threads.

EDIT: Though on a reread, you do have Fun beat, Zylka.

Jaguar · June 14, 2003, 00:00

Zylka's really rolling now.

I think this debate in the posts ahead is going to be anything but fun for MrFun.

Zylka · June 14, 2003, 00:03

Well it's all on the same topic, I don't see how there is an allowance for change on these views from one discussion to the next. I'm just a little discouraged, is all... I mean realistically - a perfectly competent teacher would grade an essay with the above contradictions in it with a nice grey C-, which would in turn prompt the student to sue him for being racist

mrmitchell · June 14, 2003, 00:07

Zylka, you're being racist, better stop before you get branded

Elok · June 14, 2003, 00:18

Getting sorta-kinda on topic, there is some truth to the statement that racism is overflung, especially in the sense of its use as a general term for a narrow point of view. I remember being on another forum a few years back; a guy who didn't approve of gay rights was called a "racist." If there is an entire race of open homosexuals out there it's doomed to die out in a century at most by its very nature, but that didn't stop the one man from calling the other a racist. Ludicrous.

Urban Ranger · June 14, 2003, 01:18

Racial profiling is racism manifested at the highest political level in the US.

Dis · June 14, 2003, 02:49

racism is a term used by other people to demonize you. I call them witchhunters.

I have been called a racists for not finding black women particularly attractive. I also said I don't find their culture very appealing. That last sentence is what got me in trouble. But to deny there is a culture is just stupid. Granted not all black people belong to that culture. I know this. There are plenty of black people that listen and play metal music, classical, rock etc. Maybe even country

.

Arrian · June 14, 2003, 02:56

at the UR spambot.

Negative term used on forum. Must use term in connection with United States.

*presto*

-Arrian

MrFun · June 14, 2003, 18:34

Quote:

Originally posted by Zylka
HAHAHA, while I'm still in the mood for this - I'd like to address these gems I've drawn up, with your own criteria:

Sooo... I suppose the last is an innocent comment, listing all people of a region as ignorant and (assumably) racist - innocent simply because they are not a set "race group". Yet at the same time, you dismiss the concept of "race" as artificial?

Wow. I just don't know where to go from here

Yes -- if you take my jokes/trolls about Southerners seriously, you would assume I am prejudiced against Southerners.

The books I have read on the various Amerindian cultures did not discuss the problems of in-breeding.

Spiffor · June 14, 2003, 18:47

Quote:

Originally posted by elijah
Its the differential treatment of someone based on their ethnicity, perceived ethnicity etc. Thats loose, but normally, its only applied in negative situations, whereas in reality, racism in general is indicative of a more inherrent intolerance.

Excellent definition.

IMHO, treating a black differently because of his colour, no matter if you treat him like dirt or like someone who needs help, is racism. I think of affirmative action as a racist policy for instance.

It means racism, despite being inherently bad on principle, can have implementations whose outcome is positive. (I'm wary with all kinds of affirmative actions, but it seems to have had generally good results).

Insults to people based solely on their ethnicity or percieved ethnicity is completely racist. The belief that a whole population is inferior because itf ethnicity is racist (i.e, if you mean this population is doomed to be inferior because of its very nature). However, the belief that a population is inferior because of its culture, leadership, whatever is not racist. Ignorant probably, but not racist.

mrmitchell · June 14, 2003, 18:49

Provost Harrison · June 14, 2003, 19:07

Royal Academy for Cello Instrumentals and Solo Maracas...

Zylka · June 14, 2003, 22:02

What?

Urban Ranger · June 14, 2003, 23:24

Quote:

Originally posted by Arrian

at the UR spambot.

Negative term used on forum. Must use term in connection with United States.

*presto*

-Arrian

You don't think that automatically assuming a group of people is more dangerous due to their ethnic origin is racist?

DinoDoc · June 14, 2003, 23:25

The spambot continues its work.

Velociryx · June 14, 2003, 23:49

I'll answer that one...

In a word, no.

Law enforcement agencies have....are you ready....*limited resources.* That means, we can't hire three million investigators to look into every crime there is.

Given limited resources then, investigators have to cull out and largely ignore groups that have no real previous track record for committing crimes.

So let's take airline hijackings, for example.

Have the boy scouts ever hijacked a plane?

Have elderly ladies (above the age of 60)?

Have skinheads?

The answer to all of those questions is....no.

However, in looking back over the history of airline hijackings, it can fairly be said that a significant number of them have been done in the past by muslim males between the ages of 20 and 40.

Is it unreasonable then, if you are looking to reduce the number of FUTURE hijackings, to NOT spend a lot of time monitoring the comings and goings of grandmothers, focusing instead on the group that is KNOWN to have committed the crimes in the past?

Is that an unreasonable course of action?

-=Vel=-

Cruddy · June 15, 2003, 01:27

Quote:

Originally posted by elijah
Its the differential treatment of someone based on their ethnicity, perceived ethnicity etc. Thats loose, but normally, its only applied in negative situations, whereas in reality, racism in general is indicative of a more inherrent intolerance.

I wouldn't agree. I'd say that Racism is the perception that people from different ethnic groups are less human than others. The different treatment comes from that perception. Re-educate that perception and the different treatment stops - or at least gets diversified to judge each individual on their merits.

Don't matter if you're black, white, yellow or brown... we all bleed red.