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Some people who don’t have racist parents end up becoming racists. My answer is that for certain combinations of personality, pressure from family/friends, and first hand experience is what causes it.
I grew up in a non-racist household. We were military and I was surrounded by non-whites. Went to a lot of predominantly non-white schools. And we used to make fun of my grandmother because she was racist. Not overt, like calling names, but it was clear she didn't want us playing with the black kids. I enjoy playing basketball and had multiple black friends growing up.
In my youth I never gave race much thought, it simply didn't matter to me. And hearing someone use the "n-word" really bothered me. I wouldn't have come out and said it bothered me, but it did, and I would have never used it myself, and I still don't.
Racism is just an opinion. Most people really don't have a lot of opinions. They either like something or they don't, but they're not thinking about things philosophically. They're just living their lives.
You can be friends with black people even if you're racist. Just like you can be friends with a dog, or a cat, or a horse, or a pig, and be a racist. Friendships are basically transactional. You benefit. What most people call friends are really just acquaintances. People they work with or go to school with, who are there because their lives overlap for the time being. But the moment they cease to have overlapping interests is the moment they cease to be friends, and usually cease to ever talk to each other again.
You can even be a racist and date someone not of your race. Racism is merely the belief that ancestry matters, that genes do something. When I look back at my life with the mentality of a racist, all of my experiences make sense. When I know what to look for, it is all I can see.
The question to me is not whether race is real, but whether it matters.
There was a pastor I read about several years ago, he was talking about interracial marriage. And he said something like, "Marriage is really hard and incredibly important. Why make it even harder?"
He was criticized for being racist, but was he wrong? I think similar people tend to get along much better than dissimilar people. And while it is noble to desire equality, it cannot exist. This pretension of equality merely undermines the best foundations of our happiness.
We have a world of fools who think they're doing good. Their intentions may be noble, but they are doing the devil's work. And because they are convinced of their own righteousness, they refuse to see what they're doing.
Both the racist and the antiracist believes they are on the side of the angels. But they can't both be. At least one has to be mistaken.
I think it's when a individual continually see's the worst of a group. If one lived in areas controlled by cartel gangs, and saw daily the ruthless violence they might develop some angst for people from Mexico, or Central America thinking that those groups are all like that. If one saw daily, violent assaults, shootings , drive by's , car jackings , etc they might tend to develop angst for whatever group is continually commiting these crimes, thinking that the entire group of people is like that.
You are assuming racism is necessarily a negative opinion. Racism can also be a positive opinion. For instance, most "racists" believe Asians score higher than whites on IQ tests, that they tend to be better at math, and even that they have good impulse control, are less violent, and less likely to break the law.
Anyone who has spent much time with both blacks and Asians must have recognized a difference.
I think the word racist gets thrown around all too often and it diminishes the experiences of people who were actually victims of racism. I could point to many laws that are on the books now that are well meaning but have unintended outcomes that disproportionately affect certain demographics. The laws aren't racist, nor the creators of these laws but we call it systemic racism even though most of the time it is the poor who are impacted not just certain races. I believe the word racist should be used for actual things like bias attacks or Klan meetings instead of politics.
Agreed. People forget that they should probably use the word prejudice. Not racist for many things that go on. Just because your prejudice doesn't mean you want to hold somebody down.
If a white person is bullied in school by black kids. I could understand he will grow up to have a prejudice against black people. And if he chooses to not want to be around them he'll get called a racist but in reality he just has a prejudice that IMO is justified given his life events.
Just like I can understand a black women growing up in the south. Seeing her family members terrorized by the KKK & police. If she doesn't want to be around white people I understand. She's not racist but she does have a prejudice.
You are assuming racism is necessarily a negative opinion. Racism can also be a positive opinion. For instance, most "racists" believe Asians score higher than whites on IQ tests, that they tend to be better at math, and even that they have good impulse control, are less violent, and less likely to break the law.
Anyone who has spent much time with both blacks and Asians must have recognized a difference.
Understood. And actually, what I posted isn't really racism. It's more stereotyping, as is your example.
There was a pastor I read about several years ago, he was talking about interracial marriage. And he said something like, "Marriage is really hard and incredibly important. Why make it even harder?"
He was criticized for being racist, but was he wrong? I think similar people tend to get along much better than dissimilar people. And while it is noble to desire equality, it cannot exist. This pretension of equality merely undermines the best foundations of our happiness.
Or what about parents that just want there child to marry within the same race? Not because they think there race is better but there culture & beliefs is that you marry somebody that looks like you.
I've told people before that one of the many reasons we have race issues in this country is the double standard. If a white father tells his daughter to only date white men because he would prefer there family stays white because that's just how he feels it should be he'll get called a racist. But if a black father wants the same it's okay & he'll never get called a racist. Same with asian families too. I'm sure many of them have been put in conflicting situations when it comes to asian women & white men over the years.
You are assuming racism is necessarily a negative opinion. Racism can also be a positive opinion. For instance, most "racists" believe Asians score higher than whites on IQ tests, that they tend to be better at math, and even that they have good impulse control, are less violent, and less likely to break the law.
Anyone who has spent much time with both blacks and Asians must have recognized a difference.
A racist would believe the Asian is born smarter than other groups. But I believe they are smarter because of their families. Unless you have seen the way they raise their children with the emphasis on education and respect for others you won’t understand. Just like I know that student will outperform a black or white child who has one parent who doesn’t care about his education and probably won’t read a book to him before he starts kindergarten and his career of disrupting classrooms and breaking the law.
I always keep wondering if there are gains or benefits for being a racist. Does being racist makes one live a better quality of life, have things easily and makes one's life more happy and fulfilling? I really want to know because the division and destruction caused to innocent people and businesses by acts of racism is getting very alarming and I want to know if the benefits for being a racist surpass such negative aftereffects of such acts. Just a curious individual wanting to know what the benefits for being a racist are.
Care to elaborate on specific racism that is causing destruction.
The only thing that comes to mind is the BLM rioting, looting and destruction.
I happened to be reviewing some comments online last night about dating sites and interestingly enough, the dating sites noted that black women and Asian men have the hardest time finding matches. Is it racist if someone doesn't want to date a black woman or an Asian man and selects another race? No more than if someone says they want a woman with red hair or a man who's at least 6 feet tall.
I find MOST people that shout racist should look in the mirror... That is where it begins.
I agree. Racism starts at home. Racism is a learned trait that is taught.
I think everyone starts off on equal footing but they then become a victim and their minds change. It is curious how one incident say of a mugging or a bad experience with a cop can turn someone into hating all black people or all white people.
We are seeing it now where the rioting fools are being racist against "the Blue". It doesn't matter if you are male/female, black/white/brown, if you put on that blue uniform there is a level of hatred that is aimed at you by the "protesters" that want to rip your head off.
Racism is a form of ignorance that is fueled by anger, rage and desperate fear .
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