Racism

[Eilidh]

I know Racism is awful, but is it just me or does it just seem to be as if the goverment think that only black people get racism? I mean they got rid of blackboard, but why not whiteboard? I think thats racist in itself and hypocritical since they're trying to stop racism but actually they are creating more.
I don't know I feel as if racisim to white people should be understood more, what do you think?

But please, try to be nice about it. No offensive comments... please.

[Mercy]

It's not so much the government as the people in certain areas. I know several black people are immature who say white people are racists whenever they don't get their way and I know black people who are mature. For example, last year, a few black girls in my grade stated they were offended when white girls joke that they are "ghetto" while they are not "ghetto" themselves. In addition, some of those same girls talk all during class and tell my friends and I to shut up whenever we talk and they don't because they are trying to "listen to the teacher". A few of them have commented on people being racists in the school while one of them calls my friend her "favorite white girl", like we're animals. Also, it's frustrating that several of the black people in my school are the majority of people who act up and don't help out the class and complain during class events like Spirit Week.

But in short, racism goes both ways. Blacks can be just as racists as whites, as can Asians, Mexicans, etc. There is no fixed color to racists. But several black people that I've met tend up emphasize their history of slavery and racism as excused. Not all of them, mind you, but several that I've met.

[Rafael Domination]

They got rid of the blackboard because of racism? No they didn't. From where I come from they got rid of them because some people were allergic to the dust, one being me (albeit slightly). Let's not pick on the whiteboards, shall we? They're a rather idiotic example to base a debate from.

Racism is bad, end of story. To black, white, red, yellow, brown, or green folk. (<--Yes, I mean those poor orcs from LOTR. Just because you're green, it doesn't mean you have tusks and a brutish demeanor.)

[Shaun]

Unfortunately, racism (that's how you spell it, Elidh, :P) won't be going away any time soon. We may be sitting here talking about it in a way that suggests we're not racist, but technically all of us are a little racist (which was actually the subject of a song from a musical called Avenue Q). We all harbor racist tendencies, but most of us have few, if any. You can try to argue against that all you want and tell me that I'm full of crap, because you're not a racist at all. The reality is that we all have some small racist side of us. Sometimes it's born out of stereotypes that piss us off because they're true, or because we've had bad experiences, or simply because we don't understand. Or there may be no reason at all for it. It's part of hunan nature to be "threatened" by the other.

[Rafael Domination]

That part I can agree with, although 'prejudice' or 'discriminant' would be closer to the mark. :D

I mean, for example, I look upon everyone as equals, but I simply hate it when some random Filipino comes along trying to pose as a British master of English. It's called being 'Fob'. Is it 'mean' or maybe a little bit prejudiced to the less fluent? Maybe so. Do I do anything about it, like teasing the person and/or humiliating the poor sob in public, although I am very capable of doing so? Nope. I keep my opinions to myself. (Note, that I didn't name anyone. Just tryin' to make a point here.) See, that's one of the differences between assholes and people with morals. They don't go out there and go KKK on anybody.

[Eilidh]

Thanks for correcting me :P
And Rafael, we got told it was because black people were being offended by it, so they removed it.
And the point I was trying to make is - this might only be in scotland but - in lets stop racisim posters its normally black people or asian people, I just think people should realize that white people get racist comments made about them too.
When I was in America, white people were getting called "White trash" for just walking down the street.

[Lizzie]

I feel the same as Mercy. Living in Devon, there arn't many black people, but there is one every now and again. But when I lived up in the midlands, there was this one black girl that we all hated. Not because she was black, heck no, because she used her race to her advantage and got someone expelled for it. Basiclly, she would take anything we said to her as an insult, even if we said it to eachother as white people. Like if I would say "Hey Alisha, can I borrow your black pen please?" Because we had to write in black pen, and she took it VERY bad, even though I had asked my other white friend just before and she said she didn't have one. She started assuming that if we even mentioned to word black in a sentance with her, she'd take it as an insult. Then, someone said to her " Alishia, I love your lips, there so big, I love black peoples lips! Oh and hope we have that white bus tonight," They went on the same bus. "That dark one was so small and slow." Coincidance, yeah. One bus was white and one was darkish-blue. The white one happened to be better. But she took that right to the head and complained and TOTTALY twisted the story to sound as racist as possible. Aparantly she said "He said that my lips are really big like melons because that what blacks have and that white buses are better than the black one, so I should get on the black one." Rumoured, but the guy got chucked out of school for nothing. His parents complained but nothing happened. Goes to show that even though you need to watch what you say to black people, they could easily take it the wrong way, and heck, they could just easily say "Your so white you never go out in the sun you snowy freak." But they don't, and if a black person talks to us and mentions the word "White" we don't flip out.

Just what happened. NOT SAYING THAT ALL BLACKS ARE LIKE THIS. JUST ANNOYED AT THAT ONE. AND LOADS OF WHITES HAVE SAID THAT IF THEY HA DISABLITIYS AND SUCH, SO NO WAY AM I SAYING ALL BLACKS DO THIS. DONT TELL ME THAT I HAVE, BECAUSE I HAVEN'T. Just to make sure no one read it properly.

[Rafael Domination]

we got told it was because black people were being offended by it, so they removed it

Then, my dear, it isn't a case of racial discrimination. It's a case of over-sensitivity. Black happens to be the most efficient color for chalk, which is light-colored, to stand out. Spazzing out over the colors of boards is plain stupidity, and that goes for white, black or brown (<---you know, the ones people stick stuff onto with pins. You don't see me throwing a fit over that) and I think that though the government was courteous in removing the blackboards, I believe it was also spineless. They should have told those people that the blackboards held no symbolism of racism, and that anyone who could find such a problem in such a trivial thing needed his or her cranium lobbed into a cannon and fired into the side of an avalanche-prone mountain - and again, that goes for all races. I mean, seriously. Damn the person who thinks racial color can be used or turned into an advantage or disadvantage. Except if you're transparent. Then you'd make the perfect spy, although you'd have to be naked all the time.

[MasterCarlton]

You know what we need to do when it comes to racism? Treat it as humour:) I'm serious, we all need to laugh at ourselves and look at eachother as human beings. Yes we should all respect eachothers ethnic backround and we should NEVER hate an ethnic group. But like Shaun says, racism is never going to go away, so the ONLY thing we can do is laugh, because when we learn to laugh at ourselves, racism will cease to exist!

I will admit this AND I AM NOT ASHAMED!

I have laughed at black jokes

I have laughed at asian jokes

I have laghed at Mexican jokes

HOWEVER..I have ALSO laughed at white jokes :D

[jordanisonfire]

Racism will never die. There's always gonna be some racist people out there. I don't know whether to believe what Shaun said, but I myself sometimes find myself thinking racist thoughts. Such as some accents can be annoying. When I'm near a foreign person with an annoying accent (usually when they talk in english) and they speak, I sometimes think, "Shut the fuck up, jeez!" Maybe its because I'll be tired on that day, that always makes me short-tempered and easily annoyed, but it even happens when I'm feeling happy sometimes.

[Diocletian]

Whatever happened to the Shadow of March 2008?
Yeah, I know. Then I'll rip their [racists'] throats out.
Maybe he grew up.

Anyway, on the racism issue: I see nothing wrong in wanting to preserve your own kind. Just don't get in other people's faces about it, end of story. That's the idea that White Nationalist groups like the KKK haven't been able to grasp. There are a few truly genuine people in their ranks who believe that Whites shouldn't be guilt-tripped all the time, should be allowed to reproduce with only Whites if they choose, etc. However, these people are overwhelmed by the violent KKKists, neo-Nazis, and such who want to force others to believe the same as they do. That's the problem.

Same goes for the diversity crowd, actually. They need to learn not to force their views down everybody's throat.

[Rafael Domination]

See, people have to accept the fact that we're not all perfect. We will discriminate against someone one way or another. The least we could do is not force anything on others at their expense. If it's your choice to be a purebred white, then, you have free will, do it, and like Dio said, don't get into others faces about it. The moment someone takes action against his fellow human being because of discrimination, then it's on.

[jordanisonfire]

Maybe he grew up.


Yeah, funny thing that prople often, ah, GROW a bit in body and mind during adolescence. :P

Wait, Raf, did you just say, "it's your choice to be purebred white"? I may be terribly wrong here, but I think you just said something on the lines of you choose your own ethnic background. O_o

[appleofmyeye]

Near where I live we have a lot of gang crimes/shootings. And they're not normally by white people. Now, I don't assume all black people abuse their girlfriends or start gunfights in the movie theatre (no, they aren't stereotypes I just made up, that was on the news last night). And I don't think the people that do those things do it because they're black. They do it because they're stupid. If a white person did the same thing, I'd think they were trashy idiots. But when I hear stories that it's the black people that when they are getting FEMA food stamps they go back in line to get more, that it's the black people who are publicised for drug crimes and rape, what am I supposed to believe? I'm led to believe it's black people, and black people exclusivly, that are the reason for crimes. I know this isn't true, but it is a stuggle. If anyone knows about New Orleans East and the Ninth Ward, they know it is where the poor people live. The majority of people that live there are African American. That is also the highest crime concentration.

What am I supposed to believe?

[Walkingcompilation]

It's not the race, although it may look like it, that causes this stuff. Consider that a large majority of black people in America are under the poverty line. Crime, ignorance, gangs etc thrive in these environments. I'm in no way suggesting that poor people are naturally evil here, but the lack of oppurtunities is going to cause people to make their own, which results in gangs. A rich white boy with a university degree is less likely to join a gang or rob a store than someone from a deprived area. He'll go into business and steal with the law on his side.

[Rafael Domination]

Yeah, funny thing that prople often, ah, GROW a bit in body and mind during adolescence. :P

Wait, Raf, did you just say, "it's your choice to be purebred white"? I may be terribly wrong here, but I think you just said something on the lines of you choose your own ethnic background. O_o


No, I meant that if someone wanted to keep his bloodline white by marrying someone white, or wanted to mix it up (like I do: my parents keep egging me to marry a Filipina, but I want French) then it's his or her choice, and no one should interfere. Now, if that person's son/daughter choses a spouse of a color or race that his/her parents don't agree with, and said parents take action against the love of the two, then they've got another thing coming.

It'd be neat (in some ways to choose your ancestral and ethnic background) though. I'd be related to Caligula, Abe Lincoln and Einstien if I had the chance. :D

[jordanisonfire]

Ah, now I see. I thought you were talking about you, as an individual person, could choose your ethnic background.

[Walkingcompilation]

Then, someone said to her " Alishia, I love your lips, there so big, I love black peoples lips! Oh and hope we have that white bus tonight," They went on the same bus. "That dark one was so small and slow." Coincidance, yeah.

Is that not just a little bit dodgy? Racism doesn't have to be malicious to be racist. That could be seen as patronising for one thing, and your friend quite clearly pointed out a physical stereotype here, and that could be seen as offensive whether or not the offense was intentional. They might not have intended to offend, but it strikes me as a somewhat ignorant thing to say. The bus thing is just plain unfortunate.

[ScottyMcGee]

Racism is a logical fallacy. There's nothing justifiable about it at all and is clearly ridiculous.
It really all started with slavery, but not just slavery of the Africans, I'm talking about centuries ago like when the Egyptians had the Hebrews as slaves.
Racism isn't so much about color per se, but it really comes from the fallacy that another "race" is stupid because they never developed such a grand civilization or the same customs and traditions that we have. When in reality, all races have the same capacity of knowledge to create such a civilization. For example, Native Americans weren't stupid. They merely adapted to their environment differently than the Europeans across the seas. In fact, most natives in Central America, like the Aztecs and Mayans, had a civilization to rival the Europeans.
Such was the way of Africa. Africa used to be very rich and all with their tribes. I'm no history teacher, so don't take my word for it, but supposedly then things went downhill and they scattered kinda. Then the Europeans came and considered them "primitive" and took them in as slaves.
So it's really all about ego. How we want to imprint our way of life, considering it "superior", to more "primitive" people.

[Rafael Domination]

Again I agree. Here's my stance on it: it's stupid, but it exists. We shouldn't do it, but it's unavoidable that we do it. We should try sincerely to avoid any racist comments, but we should also learn to let any aimed at us slip by. We should be on guard against idiots who ARE racist, but we shouldn't be too paranoid about it either. (I mean, seriously, to find racism in a COMPLIMENT to ones lips IS paranoia. Sheesh, girl!.Take pride in those smackers or I'll switch them with those belonging to 7000 year old egyptian mummy. See if you like that.) While I would prefer to eradicate racism completely, I will admit it is an impossible flaw about us humans. We will discriminate against someone else one way or another. It's wrong, but it's there.

[eriko]

Well I don't really know what racism is actually like. Just heard some stories that all. We don't have racism in India but then be have caste discrimination. According to me it really does not matter which type of discrimation it is. Discrimination basically exists when their are overlapping differences in the society. That is one community is poor and the other rich. It really doesnot matter if the white are rich or the black. The poor community is always going be over-sensitive about it. It is just like as if they are blaming the rich communty that you are white/black and that is why you are rich and we are white/black and that is why we are poor. And you are the reason for our poverty and hardship.

But anyways there is one example that I have which my mother told me about. It happend to this person in Canada. Well he was visiting his family in Canada who are settled there. So he was in the car with his brother. They were driving. Well he belonged to the sikh family. I mean the non-muslim turban guys. A white stopped their car and then he started saying, "Are you muslim..are you this are you that" and what not.

The guy wanted to take action; call the police. But his brother stopped him. And they just sat their listening they had no choice. As for why his brother stopped him from calling police or doing anything, I don't know. Maybe because it was too dangerous to do anything.

Socially I believe racism in your society is both way. But then there are some white organisations who believe in killing the people of other races. I don't have any kind of proof nor I am I sure about it. Well I have read in some those Sydney Sheldon kind of novels about this. But I don't know if the content is authentic. So I may as well add if I am wrong do tell me.

And I strongly believe that each one of us have has a racist side which comes up atleast ones a while no matter how good you normally are to people different then you. But we can still avoid being racist so some extent if we analyse properly why do we hate /dislike/said something bad to someone. For eg I ussually don't like people who are weak and because they are weak they are double faced as well. But then if I started to think that person is like that because he/she is beautiful/smart than me or I am beautifull/smart than him/her. That would be totally wrong. Actually I can't express this in English because of my limited vocab. But anyways you got my meaning. So analyse why you don't like someone and don't mix this with communal feelings.

[Fiction]

Have you ever been called a honky or a cracker? Or a chink or a nigger?
It hurts. Alot. And it can't be undone. Not with all the apologies and sorries in the world. Ever.
Here's an example.
One day, a mother bought for her son three apples: A red one, a green one, and a yellow one.
She asked him, "Which apple do you like best?"
He told her that he liked the shiny red one the best.
She peeled the apples, removing the perfect skins.
She asked again, "Which apple do you like best?"
He said he didn't know because they all looked the same.

Think about that one.

[Shaun]

Are you suggesting we skin everybody so we're all the same bloody mass of skinless humans?

[Bowie20049]

Yes, he is exactly saying that

[Draxzar]

There's an idea. Can we put that into practice please...

[Crocolyle]

Have you ever been called a honky or a cracker? Or a chink or a nigger?
It hurts. Alot. And it can't be undone. Not with all the apologies and sorries in the world. Ever.
Here's an example.
One day, a mother bought for her son three apples: A red one, a green one, and a yellow one.
She asked him, "Which apple do you like best?"
He told her that he liked the shiny red one the best.
She peeled the apples, removing the perfect skins.
She asked again, "Which apple do you like best?"
He said he didn't know because they all looked the same.

Think about that one.

Cool analogy, but most people who eat apples of different types would be able to distinguish the type based on taste an texture. For example Granny Smith apples are extremely tart, but very crunchy, where as a Red Delicious apple is far sweeter, but a little mushy. A Honey Crisp apple, is crunchy and sweeter, capitalizing on both apples good qualities, but being too expensive for me to buy very often...

But yeah, racism is bad... Like with apples, you should people not by the color of their skin, but by their taste and crunchiness.

[Fiction]

I'm just sayin' that we are alll the same. We are all unique in spirit, and we all have distinguishing marks that set us apart. But we all have the same body parts (no giggles). It's not like a black person has an arm coming out of their forehead, and neither does anyone else.

[Crocolyle]

I was just kidding with my talk of apples...

[Shaun]

I know what you were saying, Fictionwise, I just wanted to make a joke :P.

Croc: Feel free to send me one of your fingers for a taste test.

[Crocolyle]

I would, but how about you send me one of yours. I'm quite the connoisseur of human flesh.

[Shaun]

Can't, it's apparently illegal to send human flesh through the mail in California.

[Crocolyle]

Try UPS.