Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.
Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.
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?
Do you? I wonder why you believe that.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.
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?
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?
Perhaps it's different for you, but not every thought that pops into my head is something I would consider reasonable or moral.
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?
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"?
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"?
That's pretty much a silly question. Sex of a human being isn't a skin color.
Insert eye roll here.
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"?
That's pretty much a silly question. Sex of a human being isn't a skin color.
Insert eye roll here.
I think he was trying to say that the race of a person or their sex is not a label but rather facts about a person.