Racism

[NIGHTS OF BAGHDAD]

you know sometimes i sit and think how latins have there on channel stations, indians have there stations, blacks have there own station bet, what if they made a station called wet=white entertainment television..lol

[r8rfan121]

LOL, I've thought about that too, or if there was a white history month, lol. I must say tho, spike tv is finally a counter to lifetime, which is great where i'm from because lifetime is 28 and spike is 29

[liquidglass]

Well I'm not going to interject too much because I'm tired. But here are a few thoughts, if you disagree, cool, no worries.

1) The biggest problem with Affirmative Action is it creates more racism. No I'm not talking about "reverse racism" I'm talking about how people feel about AA. If a white business owner is pissed off at AA, he'll hire as many white people as possible even when they are less qualified simply because he doesn't like the concept. On the flip side if a business owner of another race, black for this example, loves AA he'll hire as many minorities as possible even being less qualified. Depending on his viewpoint of it.

When you set a spike in the road of diversity people will veer off to their respective sides rather than congregating in the middle. It doesn't take much for people to pick a side and live it full heartedly. (Look at the Stanford experiment)

2) I believe people are judged based on their appearance regardless of race. Examples

*These examples are using JUST ME*

- if I went out in a business suit I get tons of respect from every race, because of the way they perceive me

- if I go out in rocker gear, I get respect from the people who like rockers

- if I go out "thugged out" then people who have preconceived notions about this are mean to me and show me no respect. (The same people who treated the business man with reverence)

I've actually done these as experiments before simply to gauge the reactions of people for a social experiment, it's astounding how people react to things as simple as clothing and a non verbal attitude.

However, to solve these issues we have to get to the root of the problem, why people perceive others in these ways. Most low level crime is committed by people poorly dressed (not poor, but messy) so when you look like that, that's how you're treated. People trust people that look powerful/in control, unless they've been screwed over by a business before. Solve that problem and you'll save the world.

[VorFan]

See, the thing that gets me going is what you pointed out, that people often mistake facts or opinions for racism.

If i were to say that areas where there is a higher black population have a higher crime rate, that would be considered racist, however its just a fact.

Anytime a white person says they are proud to be white, its like people look at them like there a racist, but if a black person puts his fist in the air and screams black power, no one thinks twice, hes not a racist, hes just proud of who he is.

I got news for ya, black people can be racist too.

It's like whites are almost supposed to feel guilty simply for being white. Why cant i say white power, right next to a guy saying black power, and both of us go hang out afterwards?

Just because im white and proud to be white, doesnt mean that im a racist.

[NIGHTS OF BAGHDAD]

lets be honest here, black people are more racist then white people..do you know how many movies ive seen where black people call white people cracker,white boy,whitegirl, pasty,bird shit,ghost, man tons of them..why does it make it ok to say that about white people? but god forbid someone says something about black people then the world is up at arms, you got oprah doing a special about it and then you got maury povich donation $100,000 to united negro fund, the world goes crazy..racisim goes both ways its a two way street..in my opinion..this is my opinion the most racist people in the world are black people...all they do is talk shit and make racist remarks about white people..and they are allowed to get away with it..

[VorFan]

i have to agree with you there

[Remy]

Posting in this thread way late to say that race is a made-up concept. It was invented long ago to divide the poor class, to make the poor white people think that they were more like the rich white people than they were like the poor black people. But the truth is theres no difference between us aside from the obvious (skin color) other than that, a white man is no more different from a black person than he is another white person.

And the reason we have things like Affirmative Action is to even things out. We all have different starting lines, and back when the first suburbs were being created, blacks weren't allowed to own homes; they had to rent. Then once they finally were allowed to purchase homes the simple fact that they were moving in lowered the overall value of the entire neighborhoods (which is why we had white flight, white people could either take the money and run or stay in their neighborhood and watch the value of their homes degrade)

So then instead of passing on wealth from generation to generation like white people, they were instead passing on debt... thats where we have the different starting lines, and why typical black neighborhoods are very poor and 'ghetto'.'

I watched a sociologist speak about race and at the end of his speech he said something that was very powerful. I'm paraphrasing horribly, but he basically said that while some of you may think "Why should we have to give them Affirmative Action, we weren't alive back then! We aren't responsible for the disadvantages they were dealt back then!" Well, imagine you are the new owner of a corporation-- You can't just ignore the debt that the previous owner worked up and only work with the profits; you own all of it, the good and the bad.

[r8rfan121]

[quote name='Remy' date='Nov 20 2009, 07:43 PM' post='430444']
Posting in this thread way late to say that race is a made-up concept. It was invented long ago to divide the poor class, to make the poor white people think that they were more like the rich white people than they were like the poor black people. But the truth is theres no difference between us aside from the obvious (skin color) other than that, a white man is no more different from a black person than he is another white person.

And the reason we have things like Affirmative Action is to even things out. We all have different starting lines, and back when the first suburbs were being created, blacks weren't allowed to own homes; they had to rent. Then once they finally were allowed to purchase homes the simple fact that they were moving in lowered the overall value of the entire neighborhoods (which is why we had white flight, white people could either take the money and run or stay in their neighborhood and watch the value of their homes degrade)

So then instead of passing on wealth from generation to generation like white people, they were instead passing on debt... thats where we have the different starting lines, and why typical black neighborhoods are very poor and 'ghetto'.'



I think that's horseshit, because it seems to me too many people use the fact they have "different starting point" as a damn excuse for the way they act. The way I see it, I've met African-Americans who were born in the "ghetto", worked hard, and got out, and then I see that persons cousin, who grew up across the street from him, and now does nothing but drink and use drugs and uses money from his welfare check to do so. that also seems to be the guy with 7 kids from 6 women Everybody needs to man up, wash the sand out of their vagina, and take responsibility for they're own damn actions. I'm sick of hearing horseshit excuses about why they are the way they are. If you work hard and keep your sights set on something, you'll achieve it. Fuck. Edited November 22, 2009 by r8rfan121

[KyleTheJustin]

Much of what I have read throughout this thread outlines "discrimination" and not "racism." There is, and has always been, a huge difference between the two. I find it even more interesting that caucasions, much like myself, feel we can justify the abolishment of Affirmative Action. While I and plenty of my friends who aren't of the same race agree on this topic due solely to the fact that it doesn't promote equality, but instead reinforces old stand-bys that are still in place to say "we have to" instead of "we want to." It also tickles me green that we, as caucasians in this thread, have the audacity to say that WE are the majority, when in fact we are quite the opposite on a global scale. Furthermore, the idea behind assimilating the "majority" with the term racism/t is, in itself, a discriminatory act. People from all walks of life are racist: black, white, green, Smurf, it doesn't matter. I had a black professor when I was going for my undergrad that completely despised white people, and for good reason, given our track record over the past 100 years. However, he was able to see past color differences and provide a fantastic class for each and every student he had. He made jokes about white people on occasion, but his comments were drowned out by the white vs. black bullshit that I still hear to this day going on. One of my students wrote her paper on how she couldn't have a black roommate because it would, "take away from her ability to concentrate due to smells, loud music, and a different style of life." Needless to say she was told to re-write her paper, but the idea is most certainly still engrained in the mind of the youth. And finally, when it comes to being "suspicious" of people who are dressed differently, that is pure discrimination regardless of the color of one's skin. It saddens me that it's damn near 2010 and people are still sketchy about how people dress. Grow up and realize that not everyone wears business suits and ties when going to the fucking super market. Not to pick on anyone in particular, but I see this shit all the time and it irritates the hell out of me.

The only solution I see in sight is to most certainl abolish Affirmative Action but do so with all the BEST intentions in mind. Most people don't understand that the black community still doesn't have the resources to project themselves out of the working/lower class, so to say that their job needs to be based on "ability" presupposes that they are undoubtedly receiving the same education. You can bitch, bicker, and moan about how minorities get jobs/loans/scholarships over you, but that's just the way competition goes. If, however, they--being the institution--does this solely for "numbers," they themselves are just reinforcing the status quo which undoubtedly is NOT working.

[judgeposer]

Much of what I have read throughout this thread outlines "discrimination" and not "racism." There is, and has always been, a huge difference between the two. I find it even more interesting that caucasions, much like myself, feel we can justify the abolishment of Affirmative Action. While I and plenty of my friends who aren't of the same race agree on this topic due solely to the fact that it doesn't promote equality, but instead reinforces old stand-bys that are still in place to say "we have to" instead of "we want to." It also tickles me green that we, as caucasians in this thread, have the audacity to say that WE are the majority, when in fact we are quite the opposite on a global scale. Furthermore, the idea behind assimilating the "majority" with the term racism/t is, in itself, a discriminatory act. People from all walks of life are racist: black, white, green, Smurf, it doesn't matter. I had a black professor when I was going for my undergrad that completely despised white people, and for good reason, given our track record over the past 100 years. However, he was able to see past color differences and provide a fantastic class for each and every student he had. He made jokes about white people on occasion, but his comments were drowned out by the white vs. black bullshit that I still hear to this day going on. One of my students wrote her paper on how she couldn't have a black roommate because it would, "take away from her ability to concentrate due to smells, loud music, and a different style of life." Needless to say she was told to re-write her paper, but the idea is most certainly still engrained in the mind of the youth. And finally, when it comes to being "suspicious" of people who are dressed differently, that is pure discrimination regardless of the color of one's skin. It saddens me that it's damn near 2010 and people are still sketchy about how people dress. Grow up and realize that not everyone wears business suits and ties when going to the fucking super market. Not to pick on anyone in particular, but I see this shit all the time and it irritates the hell out of me.

The only solution I see in sight is to most certainl abolish Affirmative Action but do so with all the BEST intentions in mind. Most people don't understand that the black community still doesn't have the resources to project themselves out of the working/lower class, so to say that their job needs to be based on "ability" presupposes that they are undoubtedly receiving the same education. You can bitch, bicker, and moan about how minorities get jobs/loans/scholarships over you, but that's just the way competition goes. If, however, they--being the institution--does this solely for "numbers," they themselves are just reinforcing the status quo which undoubtedly is NOT working.

Earlier I posted about Thomas Sowell's research, which found that that middle and upper class blacks gained the most benefits under the affirmative action regime. Now, after further research, I have found some conflicting, but not necessarily refuting data on affirmative action's beneficiaries. Although I haven't read the studies themselves, most of what I have encountered recently suggests that affirmative action has benefited white women more than their male and minority counterparts. While potentially conflicting, these two strands of evidence do agree that affirmative action's chief beneficiaries happen to be at least middle to upper class minorities, be them women or blacks. A conceivable explanation is that to benefit under the various affirmative action initiatives, one still has to have met basic requirements of education, and also have the skills to research how they can take advantage of those initiatives. This leaves the poor and working class of any racial category less capable of seeking and even from applying to programs of the affirmative action regime. Put more simply, poor high-school youth, many of whom happen to be black, do not have the guidance, resources, or even basic academic pedigree to apply for or gain admission to elite schools that have developed affirmative action programs, whereas middle and upper class blacks (who, despite their wealth and stability still score lower on standardized tests these same elite schools base part of their admissions on), and other minorities, such as white women and Asians generally can, and do. In any event, I do believe in the greater discussion about "racism," affirmative action is a red herring insofar as people marshal it as a policy benefiting minorities generally, or blacks specifically. Inasmuch as affirmative action programs seek to offer benefits to blacks generally, the data on actual beneficiaries does not show that such programs accomplish that goal. In that way, I think it's a non-issue really.

About racism vs. discrimination - I do agree that much of what has been posted refers mostly to discrimination, not to racism. Though, of course the two behaviors (racism and discrimination) overlap in complex ways. Whereas I do see something morally wrong with racism (and bigotry), if for no other reason than they seem fueled by irrationality, I do not see anything problematic or morally wrong with discrimination generally. Of course if one happens to discriminate exclusively between/among racial categories, this is suspect. Otherwise, discrimination based on prior experience seems to me how we simply live our lives. Making choices - a daily occurrence for all of us - seems in large part based on us discriminating one alternative to the benefit of another, but hopefully for a rational, and reasonable purpose. Discriminating against some because of what they choose to wear doesn't strike me as off, or otherwise unfair. Yes, it's discrimination, but why are ALL forms of discrimination bad? We can pretend to keep an open mind about such things, but really, I think that's self-delusion.

I think if someone develops a fear of, say, those who wear baggy jeans and over-sized white tees because in that person's experience that form of dress indicates someone likely to disrespect, commit crime, or some other such behavior, then that fearful person has made a reasoned discriminatory judgment. It would be unreasonable, however, if that fearful person were closed-minded to the possibility that someone who dresses like that can behave uprightly. In other words, I do not think it's morally wrong or otherwise unfair to make initial judgments, even discriminatory ones, if we base those judgments on reasonable evidence, including prior experience. It would be unreasonable, to continue the analogy, to foreclose in our minds all those who dress that way as incapable of being upright individuals.

[rj_skillz]

I deal with alot of this crap here in London,U.K.! I have my own family business where it is open 17 hours a day which means Im there half the time when Im not at university. And the amount of young aged kids..the way there mind thinks is just bizarre!

When they ask for ciggarettes, and If I believe they look young, I ask for Identification..not because they are wearing saggy pants or whatever! I ask ginuwinely..and when they say they dont have it or give me a threatening look with the quote ' YOUR A RACIST '..

I laugh in there face! We get it alot here in London..where there is even a political party called the BNP which wants all coloured people out of this place. Nick griffin is a joke and so is the party! I hate racism and if you think your abit of a racist, then keep it to yourself and ask why do you feel that way? Due to past experience, e.g. a black boy hit you because your the white boy?

Shit happens..and thats life simply! I hate racism and I hate people who promote racism..It angers me up so much that I wouldn't even be shocked to see fumes come out of my ears. As funny as it sounds, but..its the racism that diversify's us..and we need more common likes/hobbies e.g. HOOKAH, MUSIC..to bring us back together. R.I.P jackson!

This is a very complicated subject to talk about but Il end it off simply as my opinion. Were all humans..We all eat,sleep and shit! Let one another continue what they have to do without calling them racist names. Oh yeah and another thing, The programmes/movies that are shown on television to young people are making it easier for them to believe that using racist words is okay to do. We are glued to the media to what it tells us.

WERE ALL HUMAN! Lets live our lives instead of disrupting others.

Im sorry if any of my comments may sound extreme or go too far or offend anyone. I can promise you that there was no harm in it, If I did. Im a real humble guy with a big heart to anyone..whether if they are white,black or blue.

[KyleTheJustin]

Much of what I have read throughout this thread outlines "discrimination" and not "racism." There is, and has always been, a huge difference between the two. I find it even more interesting that caucasions, much like myself, feel we can justify the abolishment of Affirmative Action. While I and plenty of my friends who aren't of the same race agree on this topic due solely to the fact that it doesn't promote equality, but instead reinforces old stand-bys that are still in place to say "we have to" instead of "we want to." It also tickles me green that we, as caucasians in this thread, have the audacity to say that WE are the majority, when in fact we are quite the opposite on a global scale. Furthermore, the idea behind assimilating the "majority" with the term racism/t is, in itself, a discriminatory act. People from all walks of life are racist: black, white, green, Smurf, it doesn't matter. I had a black professor when I was going for my undergrad that completely despised white people, and for good reason, given our track record over the past 100 years. However, he was able to see past color differences and provide a fantastic class for each and every student he had. He made jokes about white people on occasion, but his comments were drowned out by the white vs. black bullshit that I still hear to this day going on. One of my students wrote her paper on how she couldn't have a black roommate because it would, "take away from her ability to concentrate due to smells, loud music, and a different style of life." Needless to say she was told to re-write her paper, but the idea is most certainly still engrained in the mind of the youth. And finally, when it comes to being "suspicious" of people who are dressed differently, that is pure discrimination regardless of the color of one's skin. It saddens me that it's damn near 2010 and people are still sketchy about how people dress. Grow up and realize that not everyone wears business suits and ties when going to the fucking super market. Not to pick on anyone in particular, but I see this shit all the time and it irritates the hell out of me.

The only solution I see in sight is to most certainl abolish Affirmative Action but do so with all the BEST intentions in mind. Most people don't understand that the black community still doesn't have the resources to project themselves out of the working/lower class, so to say that their job needs to be based on "ability" presupposes that they are undoubtedly receiving the same education. You can bitch, bicker, and moan about how minorities get jobs/loans/scholarships over you, but that's just the way competition goes. If, however, they--being the institution--does this solely for "numbers," they themselves are just reinforcing the status quo which undoubtedly is NOT working.

Earlier I posted about Thomas Sowell's research, which found that that middle and upper class blacks gained the most benefits under the affirmative action regime. Now, after further research, I have found some conflicting, but not necessarily refuting data on affirmative action's beneficiaries. Although I haven't read the studies themselves, most of what I have encountered recently suggests that affirmative action has benefited white women more than their male and minority counterparts. While potentially conflicting, these two strands of evidence do agree that affirmative action's chief beneficiaries happen to be at least middle to upper class minorities, be them women or blacks. A conceivable explanation is that to benefit under the various affirmative action initiatives, one still has to have met basic requirements of education, and also have the skills to research how they can take advantage of those initiatives. This leaves the poor and working class of any racial category less capable of seeking and even from applying to programs of the affirmative action regime. Put more simply, poor high-school youth, many of whom happen to be black, do not have the guidance, resources, or even basic academic pedigree to apply for or gain admission to elite schools that have developed affirmative action programs, whereas middle and upper class blacks (who, despite their wealth and stability still score lower on standardized tests these same elite schools base part of their admissions on), and other minorities, such as white women and Asians generally can, and do. In any event, I do believe in the greater discussion about "racism," affirmative action is a red herring insofar as people marshal it as a policy benefiting minorities generally, or blacks specifically. Inasmuch as affirmative action programs seek to offer benefits to blacks generally, the data on actual beneficiaries does not show that such programs accomplish that goal. In that way, I think it's a non-issue really.

About racism vs. discrimination - I do agree that much of what has been posted refers mostly to discrimination, not to racism. Though, of course the two behaviors (racism and discrimination) overlap in complex ways. Whereas I do see something morally wrong with racism (and bigotry), if for no other reason than they seem fueled by irrationality, I do not see anything problematic or morally wrong with discrimination generally. Of course if one happens to discriminate exclusively between/among racial categories, this is suspect. Otherwise, discrimination based on prior experience seems to me how we simply live our lives. Making choices - a daily occurrence for all of us - seems in large part based on us discriminating one alternative to the benefit of another, but hopefully for a rational, and reasonable purpose. Discriminating against some because of what they choose to wear doesn't strike me as off, or otherwise unfair. Yes, it's discrimination, but why are ALL forms of discrimination bad? We can pretend to keep an open mind about such things, but really, I think that's self-delusion.

I think if someone develops a fear of, say, those who wear baggy jeans and over-sized white tees because in that person's experience that form of dress indicates someone likely to disrespect, commit crime, or some other such behavior, then that fearful person has made a reasoned discriminatory judgment. It would be unreasonable, however, if that fearful person were closed-minded to the possibility that someone who dresses like that can behave uprightly. In other words, I do not think it's morally wrong or otherwise unfair to make initial judgments, even discriminatory ones, if we base those judgments on reasonable evidence, including prior experience. It would be unreasonable, to continue the analogy, to foreclose in our minds all those who dress that way as incapable of being upright individuals.

Much of your argument has a lot of importance, and I'm glad you structured it as you did. I, too, agree that experience most certainly does generate discriminatory feelings, which is wrong, but inevitably true. However, that being said, I do think that all forms of discrimination should be viewed as wrong. It's impossible and utopian at best to hope for, but it's how I view society and have for quite some time now. I've learned from experience that not everyone that dresses a certain way entails those stereotyped characteristics. Unfortunately, much like you stated, the image that coincides with an outwardly image contributes to 99% of discriminatory thought. I guess my point I'm trying to get across is that I see all forms of discrimination wrong, but there are most certainly ways around it. When one is denied the opportunity to succeed--be it in the workplace, school, or even in day to day society--I find a great deal of fault in that. I was once told by a black friend of mine when I was under this umbrella of "deny the color line" that it truly is more racist to deny the existence of color. Instead of pushing the issue under the table, the issue of race and class need to be asserted in a way that breaks down the barriers that seperates them through generalized stereotypes, discrimination as described above, and Affirmative Action which simply reinforces the issue of race separation. I don't mean to bring my boy Marx into this argument, but his quote holds the most weight currently: From each according to his ability, to each according to his need. Of course this quote is complicated by the fact that Marx himself was a masculinist, racist fuck, but hey, his ideas were alright! Uh...sometimes.

I try to live my lifestyle according to the "not all the apples on the tree are bad" analogy. All that said, I appreciate your viewpoint and COMPLETELY understand where you're coming from!

[Rani]

I think that's horseshit, because it seems to me too many people use the fact they have "different starting point" as a damn excuse for the way they act. The way I see it, I've met African-Americans who were born in the "ghetto", worked hard, and got out, and then I see that persons cousin, who grew up across the street from him, and now does nothing but drink and use drugs and uses money from his welfare check to do so. that also seems to be the guy with 7 kids from 6 women Everybody needs to man up, wash the sand out of their vagina, and take responsibility for they're own damn actions. I'm sick of hearing horseshit excuses about why they are the way they are. If you work hard and keep your sights set on something, you'll achieve it. Fuck.

You forget one very important determining factor in whether or not someone "climbs out". Self-esteem. Self-esteem is the foundation everything we do, or don't do, is built upon. And self-esteem is built not only by our immediate family but by everything happening to us and around us. If someone is constantly put down because of their racial heritage then they stand a lesser chance of growing up believing in themselves and having the ability to better themselves. Black women are bleaching themselves and straightening their hair because they don't feel they fit in which what society deems beautiful. That's only one example. Self-esteem has to be instilled and our racial attitudes aren't helping do that to our youth. To say all you have to do is set your sights assumes a high level of self-esteem and belief you can accomplish your goals. That doesn't exist in everyone in our society right now and it's unfortunately too often linked to racial heritage and societal views of that heritage.

'Rani

[T355]

The only way we're going to improve as a species is to stop fucking with each other and stop telling everyone how they should act and how they should think. Your freedom to look and act like a fucktard gives me the same freedom to think you're a fucktard. If you start taking away my ability to think people are fucktards, then you damn well need to equal that out with improving the overal levels of fucktardism in this world.

I am new to this forum but I'll take a bite at this subject.

While the above is not worded as I would put it, I strongly agree.

I grew up in the south, went to high school in the south, went to college in the south, and now live in the south. I believe racism is not as prevalent as people think it is. I can count on one hand and still have a finger or two to spare, the number of people I have met in my entire life that were TRULY racist. I am talking about people that would have the same view of the black guy that just robbed the bank, as the black doctor that just saved their life.

Racism and discrimination are two things people seem to get confused with each other. I could care less what race you are. What people do 'judge' you on is your appearance and your character. If anyone says they can view the 'thug' walking out of the liquor store the same as a doctor walking out of the hospital then you are truly a special human being. I find it hard to believe that the number of people that through the 'race card' out are truly treated different because of the color of their skin. I don't however, question the fact that they were treated different. It is all about how you present yourself. Edited November 23, 2009 by T355

[bellydancerakn]

[quote name='Rani' date='01 November 2009 - 04:41 PM' timestamp='1257118882' post='423646']
Affirmative Action was always an uncomfortable subject for me. There was a time in our history when it was necessary in order to to enforce desegration in the workplace and university. My last long time employer, for example, was clear in that he preferred a certain race and he certainly didn't like women in any position above clerical. It's unlikely he would have hired mnorities or women were it not for Affirmative Action so it did serve it's purpose - [u]at the time.[/u] However it was always intended to be eliminated when it became nothing more than a legacy. Many protested that it was eliminated too soon, but I don't think that was the case. I would think it should have been eliminated as it was before it became completely redundant. Otherwise how would a minority candidate ever know for certain that they'd received the job based on merit rather than some quota? Those born after the civil rights movement and the death of Affirmative Action will I think be more likely to be nondiscriminatory because those events will no longer be a part of their internal unconscious. Yet we still have class standards haunting us. We assume the way someone dresses, or acts when out in public is the whole of who they are, and that's not necessarily the case. If you see a middle aged man skipping down the street in Small Town America wearing angel wings and carrying a fairy wand tapping people on the head as he passes them, most would assume he's crazy and watch him carefully for violent action. In Hollywood he's assumed to be a performance artist or bohemian. I have a friend many people think is oh so strange because of the way he dresses and how he seems very shady in his interaction with others. He has a mild form of autism and his affect is due entirely to his autism.

So I think the answer is for all of us to observe (not watch like a beat cop with his hand on his gun) without judgement and maybe we all learn something. However, whether we're ready for that or not in our society is another debatable point considering actions around the country and across the world. Maybe it's going to take at least another hundred years before we can observe without jumping to judgement and leaping to the conclusion that we're about to be the victim of anyone who's not exactly like us.

'Rani
[/quote]


Totally. I am a 20 year old woman and how my parents and I see race and gender are in two very different way. I don't notice color really. I mean I do, if you have dark skin, you have dark skin whopdedoo that means you don't get 2nd degree sunburns like I do (which means I hate you very very much [yes people that was said in a joking manner]). Like my parents were commenting the other day that there are more black people on TV than 10 years ago. I was like what are you even talking about? The fact that they noticed it and I didn't says something about my generation and their generation.
Also, I think that affirmative action is messed up. If there is a guy who has better grades than me then he should get the scholarship not me. However, I do have to say that I would not be opposed to getting a full ride scholarship because I'm a woman lol. But I wouldn't be mad and declare it was sexism if a guy got it instead of me.
My mom, who was born in 58' still sees a lot of sexism. She thinks sees a man get promoted and she thinks it's because he has a penis.

So yeah I get it.

[IainUM]

i didn't read everything posted here, so i hope i am not:
a) offending anyone when i say this and
repeating something, but

a lot of it is based on location. as far as i know (this being from my dad who travelled to europe so much he practically lived there half the year) for the most part the whole stereotype of how african-american people act is solely located in america, and black people in europe act no different then the white people. a lot of it is just america

also, as much as this might piss people off, stereotypes are generated from a somewhat true place. this doesnt mean that every person of one race or religion will be exactly like the stereotype, but, unfortunately, there are still people reinforcing these stereotypes. its kinda a lose-lose situation

[Cp44]

i aint racist i do own a colored TV

[IainUM]

i agree ^^^

[Zeusophobia]

I'm an extremely white jewish kid who went to a middle school that was probably 80% black, and the absolute worst area in the county (white people only went into their neighborhoods to buy drugs, and even when you're doing that 50/50 chance you get robbed).

Let's just say that 99% of the black people in that neighborhood did not care what normal society thought of them. They looked gangster, they would use obscene language in the classroom, they stole from people (I was strong arm robbed a couple of times when I went to that school, I learned to bring anything of value to school with me.) I could go on.

Yet every time a white teacher called a black student on something they pulled the race card. When a black teacher called them on something they said something to the tune of "you need to learn what color your skin and leave me the fuck alone".

It's not that they actually felt they were victims of racism, it's just that they like to use the race card as a crutch whenever possible.

I ended up leaving that school and going to private school and there was a black kid in there from that VERY SAME NEIGHBORHOOD, who talked like a thug beceause that's all he knew, but was far from it. Got straight As, was polite to everyone, ect. Never played the race card. Although we heard a good bunch of stories from him about how he would get jumped for walking through his neighborhood with school books.