What, really, is racism? (Obama, employment, voting, interview)

[Nomander]

Originally Posted by macmeal

"Racism" is on its way to becoming a totally meaningless term. It could mean an angry mob of KKK members chasing a family out of a neighborhood.....a large employer which has a policy of not hiring minorities....OR a person who lets it be known that he looks down on another for reasons of ethnicity.

ON THE OTHER hand, "racism" could mean something like a school official ordering a gang-attired 'punk' to pull up his pants and hurry to class......a scuffle between a police officer and a gang member....or the attitude of a nasty, rude retail clerk.

The bottom line is, "racism" today is a term applied to just about any offense, great or small, in which a member of one race disagrees with a member of another. As a result, the term is rapidly becoming meaningless.

The 'victim who cried racism' is becoming a little bit like the 'boy who cried wolf'. When the wolf finally DID come along, nobody listened.

I attribute the radical redefinitions to a failed educational system and a society that lacks ethics and integrity.

Kids are being taught (or have been for many years now, including in universities) that their opinoin is always valid regardless of circumstance. That its not wrong, just different and that leads to people using "What it means to me" with even the most basic definitions. Its a relativistic anarchy and society is suffering for it.

A person when they are wrong on an objective matter (something that can be quantified or is verifiable) should be told, they are wrong and shown the correction. On subjective or like matters, sure, a persons individual view can be valid, but we have taken the PC approach so far that telling someone they have the meaning of a word wrong is now considered offensive or if they deviate from a concept that is proven, we are to praise their deviation because it would be insensitive to proclaim them mislead. All that does is breed a society full of really stupid people. People who take clearly defined words and use phrases like "Well, what this word means to me" and completely change their meaning. It is pure insanity.

[Yeledaf]

Originally Posted by Nomander

I attribute the radical redefinitions to a failed educational system and a society that lacks ethics and integrity.

Kids are being taught (or have been for many years now, including in universities) that their opinoin is always valid regardless of circumstance. That its not wrong, just different and that leads to people using "What it means to me" with even the most basic definitions. Its a relativistic anarchy and society is suffering for it.

A person when they are wrong on an objective matter (something that can be quantified or is verifiable) should be told, they are wrong and shown the correction. On subjective or like matters, sure, a persons individual view can be valid, but we have taken the PC approach so far that telling someone they have the meaning of a word wrong is now considered offensive or if they deviate from a concept that is proven, we are to praise their deviation because it would be insensitive to proclaim them mislead. All that does is breed a society full of really stupid people. People who take clearly defined words and use phrases like "Well, what this word means to me" and completely change their meaning. It is pure insanity.

Agree 100% -- as in including homosexual couplings in the definition of "marriage."

[Huckleberry3911948]

racism is name calling. most powerful WMD since A bomb. works great on white people (76% of USA population) and nobody else, that is why people use it so much. FYI i am non white.

[macmeal]

Originally Posted by Nomander

I attribute the radical redefinitions to a failed educational system and a society that lacks ethics and integrity.

Kids are being taught (or have been for many years now, including in universities) that their opinoin is always valid regardless of circumstance. That its not wrong, just different and that leads to people using "What it means to me" with even the most basic definitions. Its a relativistic anarchy and society is suffering for it.

A person when they are wrong on an objective matter (something that can be quantified or is verifiable) should be told, they are wrong and shown the correction. On subjective or like matters, sure, a persons individual view can be valid, but we have taken the PC approach so far that telling someone they have the meaning of a word wrong is now considered offensive or if they deviate from a concept that is proven, we are to praise their deviation because it would be insensitive to proclaim them mislead. All that does is breed a society full of really stupid people. People who take clearly defined words and use phrases like "Well, what this word means to me" and completely change their meaning. It is pure insanity.

Well-stated, and all true. Not ONLY does it breed a society of 'stupid' people, it's also the source of endless resentment. Once the idea takes hold that 'my reality is anything I SAY it is', then the stage is set for a WHOLE lot of hurt feelings....which, since I'm always in the 'right', are perfectly justified.

[LLLL98]

Originally Posted by austinsmom

I think a big part of the problem is that what most people here and probably elsewhere call racism is actually prejudice. The definitions are below:
prej·u·dice Audio Help/ˈprɛdʒədɪs/Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[prej-uh-dis]Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciationnoun, verb, -diced, -dic·ing.
–noun 1.an unfavorable opinion or feeling formed beforehand or without knowledge, thought, or reason. 2.any preconceived opinion or feeling, either favorable or unfavorable. 3.unreasonable feelings, opinions, or attitudes, esp. of a hostile nature, regarding a racial, religious, or national group.

I think if people would learn the actual meanings of words and not throw around the most inflammatory word they can think of, it would be a lot better. I'll be the first to admit that when I see a young black girl with a baby, I think what a shame they can't stop that circle. Or if I see a black guy with saggy pants and tons of bling with gold teeth, I think gang banger or hood. Those are prejudices not racism. I don't feel whites are superior to blacks or any other group of people. But I will be the first to admit that I do have certain prejudices. I'll also be the first to admit when I'm wrong about someone too.

I wouldn't describe anything that you stated as a racist attitude. Having judgements of people is natural, but relying on your prejudices and discarding every other bit of evidence to the contrary would be racist. And as I mentioned before, the ugliest part of racism is that people do not usually announce themselve as racists from the get go, so you must sort of seek the context clues and read between the lines to really know who you are dealing with.

The word holds very specific meanings and it's a shame that people use it as a last ditch attempt to argue a point or insult someones opinions. I have seen it used on this board in an inaccurate way (imo) but I have also seen it used in a way that I think is very appropriate, there are some who are racist and they will argue until their blue in the face (or until their fingers fall) that they aren't.

[Heaveno]

Originally Posted by jmarquise

I think they are pretty much the same. I look at the prefix in the word prejudice as prejudge. I think stereotyping is very much the same as being prejudice. I think they are both human nature. there are negative stereotypes out there, and there are some that are accurate. I am pretty good at guessing the race of a person driving a car just by the way the car looks!

Come to my neighborhood. That is a generational trend with the cars. I see both blacks and whites with cars jacked up all over place and that includes the loud music-thank you!! Maybe if you ventured out more you would see what I see!!

[hal512]

Originally Posted by LLLL98

Look at an electoral map. Many republicans either by choice or by circumstance of birth are living amongst other whites. This is not a insult to anyone, it's a fact. Look at the most diverse cities in America and you will find a lot more democrats than republicans. To say that this has absolutely nothing to do with the opinions that they share is to ignore a fairly obvious point.

You need a history lesson too.
Lincoln was a member of the Whig party which became the Republican Party and while the civil war was fought over taxes most Americans believe it started over slavery. Regardless the slaves were freed by the Republicans. Republicans were for the 14th/15th amendments giving freed slaves/black men the right to vote. Many Republicans moved from the north to the south to aid the freed slaves. The Democrat's could not allow slaves to vote and so the Ku Klux Klan was formed and they terrorized and killed blacks and white Republican supporters alike. After Lincoln was assassinated Andrew Johnson a Democrat became President. He vetoed all attempts to extend the Freemen's Bureau "The bureau was designed to protect the interests of former slaves. included helping them to find new employment improve educational and health facilities. the bureau spent $17,000,000 establishing 4,000 schools, 100 hospitals and providing homes and food for former slaves."
He also vetoed the Civil Rights Bill of 1866. Andrew Johnson was the first president to be impeached and Clinton was of course the second. Not a single Democrat in the house or senate voted for the 14th amendment the reason the 15th amendment had to give black men the right to vote.
"Until 1935, every black federal legislator was Republican, and it was Republicans who established Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday as a national holiday, and named the first black national-security adviser, secretary of state.
Current Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice has said: "The first Republican I knew was my father, and he is still the Republican I most admire. He joined our party because the Democrats in Jim Crow Alabama of 1952 would not register him to vote. The Republicans did. My father has never forgotten that day, and neither have I."
The largest Klan rally to ever take place was at the 1924 Democratic National Convention. That year the Democrats celebrated with a cross burning. The 1964 Civil Rights Act was held up by and voted against by 22 senate democrats including Al Gore, but still passed thanks to the Republicans. A little known fact of history involves the heavy opposition to the civil rights movement by several prominent Democrats. Similar historical neglect is given to the important role Republicans played in supporting the civil rights movement. A calculation of 26 major civil rights votes from 1933 through the 1960's civil rights era shows that Republicans favored civil rights in approximately 96% of the votes, whereas the Democrats opposed them in 80% of the votes! These facts are often intentionally overlooked by the left wing Democrats for obvious reasons. In some cases, the Democrats have told flat out lies about their shameful record during the civil rights movement.
Al Gore has voted against every civil rights bill that came to the senate floor. Republicans freed the slaves and have continued to support civil rights with a voting record of 96%. I believe we can all see that dems were founded on racism and are still promoting racism today. Republicans were and are the party that helps minorities. In San Antonio Texas if you are white you are a minority. What does it matter where we live? I have hispanic, oriental and Hindu neighbors and I live in an exclusive gated community. So what is your point?
Gateway Pundit: Dear Democrats-- A Letter From Lt. Colonel Frances Rice
KKK's 1st targets were <I>Republicans</i>
Ku Klux Klan
The Democrat Party’s Long and Shameful History of Bigotry and Racism

[Rathagos]

Originally Posted by Heaveno

Come to my neighborhood. That is a generational trend with the cars. I see both blacks and whites with cars jacked up all over place and that includes the loud music-thank you!! Maybe if you ventured out more you would see what I see!!

Outstanding point! I think it would almost be more accurate to say "I can guess what demographic interests a person may have based upon the car they drive".. but even that, at best, is vague and very possibly erroneous. I don't think many corporate CEO's of Fortune 500 companies would drive a large Cadillac with a hydraulic lift system, chrome chain steering wheel, and fuzzy dice. But you never know!!

[jmarquise]

I am sure I get out more than you. I didn't say anything about blacks and whites did I? I said I was pretty good at guessing the race of someone by looking at a car. there are more races than black and white. perhaps if you ventured out more, you would know that. also, you should learn to read what other post rather than making absurd assumptions. thanks for playing the game, you lose.

Originally Posted by Heaveno

Come to my neighborhood. That is a generational trend with the cars. I see both blacks and whites with cars jacked up all over place and that includes the loud music-thank you!! Maybe if you ventured out more you would see what I see!!

[jmarquise]

never said anything was 100% accurate. I said I was pretty good at it, and I would say I am right 90% of the time.

Originally Posted by Rathagos

Outstanding point! I think it would almost be more accurate to say "I can guess what demographic interests a person may have based upon the car they drive".. but even that, at best, is vague and very possibly erroneous. I don't think many corporate CEO's of Fortune 500 companies would drive a large Cadillac with a hydraulic lift system, chrome chain steering wheel, and fuzzy dice. But you never know!!