Are you a racist, but not be aware of it?

[Grace]

Just some food for thought.
The thread about the black man raping the elderly dying woman is what got this particular seed growing in my head. I didn't notice BLACK until someone else pointed it out. My first initial thought was...."why did this supposedly caring son send his dying mother away to die alone?". Second thought was the rape. Third thought and after reading a few replies was the race of the perp.

So now my mind is flittering hither and yon. Would I have noticed if the thread was titled WHITE man rapes elderly woman as she dies? Or WHITE man rapes BLACK elderly woman as she dies? What would have been my initial reaction to the post itself if that were the case? Would I have still first thought of the woman being sent away to die by her "loving" son? I would like to think so. But...I don't know for sure.

So that makes me wonder. Can one be racist to a certain degree and just not be aware of it?

 

[Grace]

I can't shut off my brain.
What if I were a member of a predominantly black message board and a black person made a thread such as the one in question. Would the same questions arise in me?

Someone make it stop.

 

[MikeK]

What exactly do you mean by racist? That word means different things to different people. I once heard a young girl who called a talk-radio program say, "My father is racist against cats."

 

[California Girl]

The OP made it about race with his thread title.

 

[The Infidel]

What exactly do you mean by racist? That word means different things to different people. I once heard a young girl who called a talk-radio program say, "My father is racist against cats."

I think you know exactly what is being meant by it.

The word is thrown around way too much.

 

[Grace]

The OP made it about race with his thread title.

After reading the OP's commentary after some posts..yes. I believe that as well. However, if he/she hadn't have commented further, I would not have thought it as racist. Why? Because when a crime is committed, a description is needed. Race.
If one is in a crowded pub and you are with your girlfriends and across the room a group of men were catching your interest.....how would you whisper to your friends which one you wished would come over to talk with you? What if they are all wearing tshirts and they were different "hues" of skin color? "The guy second to the left"? Or make it more obvious to say "the asian guy"...or "the black guy"...or "the white guy".

Does that make one racist?

 

[xsited1]

I've visited this topic before here:

http://www.usmessageboard.com/race-relations-racism/82095-who-are-the-biggest-closet-racists.html

 

[Grace]

An acquaintence of mine was at the post office the same time I was. It was a very long line of people. All "white". She came in and saw the line and we commenced to talk back and forth with numerous people between us. She said she was moving to Sedona Arizona and I said lucky her..it is beautiful there. We just jabbered, as acquaintences tend to do when they see each other. She then said "I hope there are more black people there than here" and I was surprised..so I said "huh?" and she said "well, since I'm black, I'd like to be around more blacks". The first thing that came to my mind and then immediately came out of my mouth was "OMG!!! You're...BLACK? And all this time I thought....OMG! You ARE black! There goes the neighborhood!" and she busted up...along with everyone else in line.
Then I hugged her goodbye before I left the PO.

Was she racist for saying that? Was I racist for making a joke out of it and laughing along with her?

 

[Grace]

I've visited this topic before here:

http://www.usmessageboard.com/race-relations-racism/82095-who-are-the-biggest-closet-racists.html

Thanks for the link. I'll check it out.

 

[Grace]

I glanced at it. This thread isn't to "out" any supposed presumed racist members of USMB. I am questioning myself and wondering if others feel as confused as I am when it comes to racism and maybe not being aware of it. I don't think I am. But maybe I am in some ways but am not aware of it.

 

[Mini 14]

I glanced at it. This thread isn't to "out" any supposed presumed racist members of USMB. I am questioning myself and wondering if others feel as confused as I am when it comes to racism and maybe not being aware of it. I don't think I am. But maybe I am in some ways but am not aware of it.

Everyone (and I do mean EVERYONE) is racist at a subconscious level at least. It is human nature, and we have yet to find a cure for being human.

From there, societal experience amplifies it. TO what degree depends upon the person and their experiences.

 

[Tank]

An acquaintence of mine was at the post office the same time I was. It was a very long line of people. All "white". She came in and saw the line and we commenced to talk back and forth with numerous people between us. She said she was moving to Sedona Arizona and I said lucky her..it is beautiful there. We just jabbered, as acquaintences tend to do when they see each other. She then said "I hope there are more black people there than here" and I was surprised..so I said "huh?" and she said "well, since I'm black, I'd like to be around more blacks". The first thing that came to my mind and then immediately came out of my mouth was "OMG!!! You're...BLACK? And all this time I thought....OMG! You ARE black! There goes the neighborhood!" and she busted up...along with everyone else in line.
Then I hugged her goodbye before I left the PO.

Was she racist for saying that? Was I racist for making a joke out of it and laughing along with her?

Would it have been racist the other way around?

 

[Tank]

Or WHITE man rapes BLACK elderly woman as she dies?

It's never happened

 

[William Joyce]

I glanced at it. This thread isn't to "out" any supposed presumed racist members of USMB. I am questioning myself and wondering if others feel as confused as I am when it comes to racism and maybe not being aware of it. I don't think I am. But maybe I am in some ways but am not aware of it.

Why are you convinced that racism is a bad thing?

 

[Grace]

Would it have been racist the other way around?

I didn't find it insulting when she said it to me at the post office. Maybe because of the way she said it. She was very jubilant and happy all the times I had run across her here and there. So maybe it depends on HOW something is said to be construed as "good" or "bad"?

 

[Grace]

I glanced at it. This thread isn't to "out" any supposed presumed racist members of USMB. I am questioning myself and wondering if others feel as confused as I am when it comes to racism and maybe not being aware of it. I don't think I am. But maybe I am in some ways but am not aware of it.

Why are you convinced that racism is a bad thing?

I don't like boxes. Or labels. People are people.

 

[xotoxi]

Just some food for thought.
The thread about the black man raping the elderly dying woman is what got this particular seed growing in my head. I didn't notice BLACK until someone else pointed it out. My first initial thought was...."why did this supposedly caring son send his dying mother away to die alone?". Second thought was the rape. Third thought and after reading a few replies was the race of the perp.

Same with me...the race of the perp was the third thing I thought of when I read the thread title.

My first thought was "bucs90 started this thread".

My second thought was "therefore, it must be a racist thread"

My third thought was "yep, it is a racist thread".

 

[Montrovant]

There's a huge difference between noticing or being cognizant of differences between people and racism. Using someone's race as an indicator to pick them from a crowd is no more inherently racist than using their gender is inherently sexist.

Even if you occasionally find yourself having thoughts you think are racist, it does not make you a racist person. If you recognize the racist nature of the thoughts and they aren't part of your beliefs, that is perfectly understandable. Pretty much everyone is exposed to racism of some sort as they grow up, be it from family, friends, peers, what-have-you. Even if you want to, the things you grow up with can be hard to completely purge.

I've certainly had thoughts or reactions that would be considered racist. I usually mentally berate myself for it immediately after they happen, but don't feel too concerned that I'm a racist person; I have no trouble getting along with family and friends of different races, nor any problem discussing race or racism with them, so I figure I'm probably good

Mini14, I disagree that racism is human nature. I think it's broader than that. Human nature is to notice differences in others and often to deride or attack them for those differences. It could be race, or religion, or nationality, etc. I don't think the specific difference is the issue, merely that there IS a different and we too often fear or hate what is different.

 

[William Joyce]

There's a huge difference between noticing or being cognizant of differences between people and racism. Using someone's race as an indicator to pick them from a crowd is no more inherently racist than using their gender is inherently sexist.

Even if you occasionally find yourself having thoughts you think are racist, it does not make you a racist person. If you recognize the racist nature of the thoughts and they aren't part of your beliefs, that is perfectly understandable. Pretty much everyone is exposed to racism of some sort as they grow up, be it from family, friends, peers, what-have-you. Even if you want to, the things you grow up with can be hard to completely purge.

I've certainly had thoughts or reactions that would be considered racist. I usually mentally berate myself for it immediately after they happen, but don't feel too concerned that I'm a racist person; I have no trouble getting along with family and friends of different races, nor any problem discussing race or racism with them, so I figure I'm probably good

Mini14, I disagree that racism is human nature. I think it's broader than that. Human nature is to notice differences in others and often to deride or attack them for those differences. It could be race, or religion, or nationality, etc. I don't think the specific difference is the issue, merely that there IS a different and we too often fear or hate what is different.

Isn't it kind of strange that you would have to berate yourself for naturally occurring thoughts?

 

[William Joyce]

I glanced at it. This thread isn't to "out" any supposed presumed racist members of USMB. I am questioning myself and wondering if others feel as confused as I am when it comes to racism and maybe not being aware of it. I don't think I am. But maybe I am in some ways but am not aware of it.

Why are you convinced that racism is a bad thing?

I don't like boxes. Or labels. People are people.

Uh huh. And yet there's got to be a limit to that principle, eh? Are you a "man" or a "woman"? Do you consider it to be a "label"? Would you consider dating a "person" regardless of their sex "label"?