Do you really even see "color" anymore?? (racism, solution, speech)

[Reads2MUCH]

You know, the question of racism and who is and isn't racist is a puzzling one these days. Back in the earlier years of this nation, racism was as plain as the nose on your face. But these days, I find it harder and harder to tell who the really racist people are. Could this be because more and more of us have finally just stopped seeing color.

You see, I know from my life's experiences that there are racist people out there. But I also know there are many, many people like myself who just don't register a difference between myself and other people based on their race. Keep in mind that I am only 30, and my entire life has been spent playing, socializing, and working with people of all different colors, shapes, and sizes. And while I can't say I never picked on other kids as a child or teenager, I can say race never played a part.

So my question to you all is this: Do you think the barrier between the races has been substancially cut down over the last 30 or 40 years. Or do you think we just have a lot of racists out there who keep quiet for fear of persecution? Personally, I think we are seriously tearing the barriers down despite the constant attempts of the media to put supposed racism in our face. Sure, I know it still exists. But I think for the most part we have let go of the old stigmas surrounding race and embraced each other as human beings.

Please, tell me what you think but do NOT try to hijack this thread and turn it into a big racist rant. Think about your posts and really mean what you say. No one liners please. Now, with that said, hit me. I am all eyes.

[kb09]

Originally Posted by Reads2MUCH

You know, the question of racism and who is and isn't racist is a puzzling one these days. Back in the earlier years of this nation, racism was as plain as the nose on your face. But these days, I find it harder and harder to tell who the really racist people are. Could this be because more and more of us have finally just stopped seeing color.

You see, I know from my life's experiences that there are racist people out there. But I also know there are many, many people like myself who just don't register a difference between myself and other people based on their race. Keep in mind that I am only 30, and my entire life has been spent playing, socializing, and working with people of all different colors, shapes, and sizes. And while I can't say I never picked on other kids as a child or teenager, I can say race never played a part.

So my question to you all is this: Do you think the barrier between the races has been substancially cut down over the last 30 or 40 years. Or do you think we just have a lot of racists out there who keep quiet for fear of persecution? Personally, I think we are seriously tearing the barriers down despite the constant attempts of the media to put supposed racism in our face. Sure, I know it still exists. But I think for the most part we have let go of the old stigmas surrounding race and embraced each other as human beings.

Please, tell me what you think but do NOT try to hijack this thread and turn it into a big racist rant. Think about your posts and really mean what you say. No one liners please. Now, with that said, hit me. I am all eyes.

I believe that the occurance and amount of racists and racist tendencies have greatly decreased over the years. They are a dying breed and are becoming more non-existant by the day. Sure, racism still exist but it's not as widespread and prevalent in today's society as it has been in the past. When I meet new people or talk to my friends, I don't see race; I just see the person. Now when jesting with a person I might make jokes about race (I'm black btw) or use the race when describing a person but that's about it. A few years ago, my geometry teacher told us that if you lined up everyone in the world from the fairest skinned to the darkest, you wouldn't be able to pin point where once race begins and the other ends. We are all just different colors of the same race; the human race.

[RangerDuke08]

Good question my simple answer is sadly no, there are racists and there will always be racists. But there are certainly less provacative racism today for 3 reasons IMO, the first and foremost it's not politically correct, most people who are racist will just keep it to themselves and thus it is less contagious as well. I mean if a skin head wants to go out and lynch people it's harder to find a fellow skin head since all the racists are in the closet racists. I know this because I used to mentor high school kids at a below par school here and met some of the most racist kids ever who would said stuff like F--- (insert minority group here) all the time, but they would never hurt another person, they would just keep it to themselves or say it to one another.

Secondly, our society has changed, it's become more fast paced, urban centered and more impersonal. Thus people have better things to do than lynch each other, today people have to work, take care of their families and attend evening school, they are preoccupied with more important stuff. It's as one theory goes, the solution to racism is wealth. No it does not distinguish hate or racism, rather people are better able to see each other as equals when their societies main goal is reaping wealth and there is no disparity. It becomes a strong "live and let live" philosophy as people don't really care about one another, but neither do they have time to hate one another. Good or bad, your call.

Lastly, civil wars have increased throughout the world since the 1990s, generally on former satellite nations with one tribe fighting another. See through education and nurture and such we certainly can be more tolerant, but human nature is the same, people are inclined to choose sides, now in a society like the U.S. it's not necessairly based solely on race, a lot of it is economic factors really, but after choosing sides, there are territorial factors, perhaps in third world they call it tribes in the U.S. it's called cliques, this causes a rift among divisions (ie. rich and poor, sunnis and shiites) which doesn't need to be that way, but at times does lead to discrimination, racism, hate crimes. Basically in our society human nature has never changed, only the terms have.

[tallrick]

Racism is such a general term. I believe that to some extent all are racist. Most have racial preferences for things like sexual contact, and this is a good thing. The long-term trend has been toward class discrimination not racial discrimination. Here in the US we have economic discrimination, and certain racial groupd tend to be in higher or lower income groups.

Personally I have never used race to influence business decisions, or my friendships. However, although I am asexual, there is no denying that the only humans I have ever found physically attractive were whole or part caucasian. Racism will never disappear, but it is up to Government to assure that every citizen gets equal treatment under the law.

[princesasabia]

I know Im racist, but mostly towards my own race. Its horrible I know, Im working on it, but its hard when you see so many stereotypes that in most cases are true. More people should be like you Reads2Much.

[TrekRockStar]

Originally Posted by RangerDuke08

Good question my simple answer is sadly no, there are racists and there will always be racists. But there are certainly less provacative racism today for 3 reasons IMO, the first and foremost it's not politically correct, most people who are racist will just keep it to themselves and thus it is less contagious as well. I mean if a skin head wants to go out and lynch people it's harder to find a fellow skin head since all the racists are in the closet racists. I know this because I used to mentor high school kids at a below par school here and met some of the most racist kids ever who would said stuff like F--- (insert minority group here) all the time, but they would never hurt another person, they would just keep it to themselves or say it to one another.

Secondly, our society has changed, it's become more fast paced, urban centered and more impersonal. Thus people have better things to do than lynch each other, today people have to work, take care of their families and attend evening school, they are preoccupied with more important stuff. It's as one theory goes, the solution to racism is wealth. No it does not distinguish hate or racism, rather people are better able to see each other as equals when their societies main goal is reaping wealth and there is no disparity. It becomes a strong "live and let live" philosophy as people don't really care about one another, but neither do they have time to hate one another. Good or bad, your call.

Lastly, civil wars have increased throughout the world since the 1990s, generally on former satellite nations with one tribe fighting another. See through education and nurture and such we certainly can be more tolerant, but human nature is the same, people are inclined to choose sides, now in a society like the U.S. it's not necessairly based solely on race, a lot of it is economic factors really, but after choosing sides, there are territorial factors, perhaps in third world they call it tribes in the U.S. it's called cliques, this causes a rift among divisions (ie. rich and poor, sunnis and shiites) which doesn't need to be that way, but at times does lead to discrimination, racism, hate crimes. Basically in our society human nature has never changed, only the terms have.

100% correct. It is not profitable to be racist, so why do it?

Seriously OP, the reason it seems racism is going down is because of a more impersonal world(with its own set of consquences).

[calipoppy]

Originally Posted by Reads2MUCH

You know, the question of racism and who is and isn't racist is a puzzling one these days. Back in the earlier years of this nation, racism was as plain as the nose on your face. But these days, I find it harder and harder to tell who the really racist people are. Could this be because more and more of us have finally just stopped seeing color.

You see, I know from my life's experiences that there are racist people out there. But I also know there are many, many people like myself who just don't register a difference between myself and other people based on their race. Keep in mind that I am only 30, and my entire life has been spent playing, socializing, and working with people of all different colors, shapes, and sizes. And while I can't say I never picked on other kids as a child or teenager, I can say race never played a part.

So my question to you all is this: Do you think the barrier between the races has been substancially cut down over the last 30 or 40 years. Or do you think we just have a lot of racists out there who keep quiet for fear of persecution? Personally, I think we are seriously tearing the barriers down despite the constant attempts of the media to put supposed racism in our face. Sure, I know it still exists. But I think for the most part we have let go of the old stigmas surrounding race and embraced each other as human beings.

Please, tell me what you think but do NOT try to hijack this thread and turn it into a big racist rant. Think about your posts and really mean what you say. No one liners please. Now, with that said, hit me. I am all eyes.

I really like your outlook regarding race in America but I must add the following:

1) As a Black person, I do not wish that other people would not "see" my color. My wish is that I would not be prejudged because of it.

2) There will always be an instinctive clannish need (for some) to prefer and to protect their "own kind". This can manifest into "racism", a caste system and or a generic class differentiation.

3) The issue is much more complex than "Will Whites see everyone as equals in America?" There is discrimination that exists even within racial groups - stereotypes and barriers exist within our own communities that need to be addressed.

4) Even though there aren't many public klan rallies or cross burning type acts of racism - it is very much alive and well. Racism isn't just about someone being called a racial slur; it is about the subtle differences in the way people are treated (even if it isn't overt) In my personal experience, the people who are self-professed liberals are the most racially prejudiced people of all.

[Reads2MUCH]

Originally Posted by calipoppy

I really like your outlook regarding race in America but I must add the following:

1) As a Black person, I do not wish that other people would not "see" my color. My wish is that I would not be prejudged because of it.

2) There will always be an instinctive clannish need (for some) to prefer and to protect their "own kind". This can manifest into "racism", a caste system and or a generic class differentiation.

3) The issue is much more complex than "Will Whites see everyone as equals in America?" There is discrimination that exists even within racial groups - stereotypes and barriers exist within our own communities that need to be addressed.

4) Even though there aren't many public klan rallies or cross burning type acts of racism - it is very much alive and well. Racism isn't just about someone being called a racial slur; it is about the subtle differences in the way people are treated (even if it isn't overt) In my personal experience, the people who are self-professed liberals are the most racially prejudiced people of all.

I understand what you are saying because that is basically what I meant when I said I don't see color. Sure, I know the difference between a black man and a white man when I see them. There just isn't anything in my head that clicks and says "Hey, that's a black guy." If I met you, I'm sure I would realize you are a black man. But that is just an automatic surface identification. It would in no way effect how I treated you or have any bearing on whether or not we could become friends.

I will however concede that I, like many people, am a little wary of the "thug" persona which many black and white men have adopted. But it isn't the color of the person, but the way they carry themselves. These guys aren't like the fun-loving thugs you see on MTV, they carry themselves in such a way as to say "Hey, I'll mess you up." I suppose that sounds like some kind of stereotype that you spoke of in your post but it's just the way I have been made to feel through my own life experiences.

Basically what it comes down to for me is I judge people by (please excuse my speech robbery but it really says what I want to say) the content of their character. How a person acts and what a person does are far more important to me than what color a person is. And I really feel there are more and more people everywhere who feel the same way. And though the Klan and other hate groups still exist, they are ever more weakened by the awakening consciousness of the American people. Thanks for your post.

PS And thanks to all of you for your contributions to this thread.

[recycled]

I don't think I have stopped seeing the color of people that I see or deal with in everyday life. About half the people I know or associate with are of other colors, but in everyday matters it hardly occurs to me. There is such a variety of people in my area that a person would go nuts if every time they saw somebody of a different ethnic background their mind was processing a thought about that person's color.

Now, what applies in my location does not apply in some other places. If I take a trip to towns in the upper midwest (outside large cities), I take notice of the fact that almost all of the people in some of those places are white. That's just the way it is, these towns were settled by immigrants from Europe and they have not seen a big influx of people from Asia or Latin America, or from ethnic groups within other places in the US. This might indicate that I am so used to seeing a variety of people of colors, that when I don't see all those different people I am more aware of it.

Let's turn around this example. What about a person who lives in a place where nearly everyone they see or deal with on a daily basis is of the same color? In that case, I am guessing that they might take more notice of a person of a different color when they deal with that person. Nothing bad about it, it's simply the brain saying to them hey, here's somebody that looks a bit different than most of the people I see everyday.

[calipoppy]

Originally Posted by Reads2MUCH

I understand what you are saying because that is basically what I meant when I said I don't see color. Sure, I know the difference between a black man and a white man when I see them. There just isn't anything in my head that clicks and says "Hey, that's a black guy." If I met you, I'm sure I would realize you are a black man. But that is just an automatic surface identification. It would in no way effect how I treated you or have any bearing on whether or not we could become friends.

I will however concede that I, like many people, am a little wary of the "thug" persona which many black and white men have adopted. But it isn't the color of the person, but the way they carry themselves. These guys aren't like the fun-loving thugs you see on MTV, they carry themselves in such a way as to say "Hey, I'll mess you up." I suppose that sounds like some kind of stereotype that you spoke of in your post but it's just the way I have been made to feel through my own life experiences.

Basically what it comes down to for me is I judge people by (please excuse my speech robbery but it really says what I want to say) the content of their character. How a person acts and what a person does are far more important to me than what color a person is. And I really feel there are more and more people everywhere who feel the same way. And though the Klan and other hate groups still exist, they are ever more weakened by the awakening consciousness of the American people. Thanks for your post.

PS And thanks to all of you for your contributions to this thread.

I understand what you are saying but as a Black woman I notice the difference in the way that I am treated versus my White friends at times. Even with all things being equal (or even exceeded on my part) there are times when I will not be treated with the same level of service/respect/courtesy/etc as my White friends. I don't dwell on this, but I am aware that this is fact.

For me, I personally prefer the stereotypical "redneck". You know what they believe; there is an understanding about how they feel. What I can NOT stand is the ultra-liberal, "I have Black friends", "I believe in complete equality", "I would never use a racial slur" person. In my experience, these are the people who display the worst racism/prejudice because when they do, it is oh so very subtle but very telling about what they really think/feel/believe.

It is very unrealistic believe that one will be able to solely judge someone based on the content of their character. To use your example, the person with the "thug" persona. That person is being labeled by you as dangerous even before you know anything about them. It would be better to try to not judge people based upon your prejudices about the stereotypes that our society perpetuates repeatedly.

In the Black community there are quite a few middle and upper middle class Black men who have chosen to adopt the Hip Hop culture or as you would call it, the "thug" persona. For example, Ice Cube was raised in a middle class Black neighborhood in LA (not Compton) and graduated from USC. Things aren't always what they seem.