Institutionalized Racism in America

[manifold]

What is it?

Is it bad?

Is it thriving, extinct or somewhere in between?

If necessary, what can be done about it?

So many questions, so few answers.

What say you USMB?

 

[JBeukema]

What is it?

'Affirmative Action' is the most obvious example. Other examples can be found here

Is it bad?

Yes

Is it thriving, extinct or somewhere in between?

Thriving. To question it is politically incorrect and gets one labeled a racist

If necessary, what can be done about it?

Abolish it.

 

[manifold]

JB,

Could you perhaps expand on that just a little bit?

 

[JBeukema]

Example: We had a thread some time ago about a city willing to risk the lives of everyone in it in order to hire persons who performed less well on the test to become firefighters instead of hiring more qualified persons. The reason? Racial quotas- they needed to hire blacks, not good firefighters.

Furthermore, AA encourages blacks to rely on their skin to succeed instead of relying on their own efforts and truly striving to better themselves and their condition. It also encourages schools, employers, and blacks to view things through a racial lens. It is racism and it encourages racism. It is counterproductive if one's goal is to end institutionalized racism, enact a meritocracy that is blind to skin colour, and move beyond America's past racial tensions.

 

[mudwhistle]

Warning: Discussing this topic may lead to accusations of racism.

 

[Ravi]

What is institutionalized racism?

 

[Tank]

What is institutionalized racism?

The way you view minorities.

 

[Sheldon]

Affirmative action is the obvious one. And another example would be the Rooney Rule in the NFL. Teams are required to interview at least one non-white person for a vacant head coach position--so it's similar but not the same as affirmative action.

Rap music is drawn largely along racial lines. Time Warner, Sony, etc have a vested interest in signing artists with street cred. That's what sells. So this excludes about 95% of whites from being visible in the genre, at least at this point in time. Of course Eminem and the Beastie Boys are the glaring exceptions--but they both effectively marketed their unique twists on the "crazy white boy" trope, and built their cred through raw lyrical ability. I actually thought Eminem was a black duo the first time I heard "The Real Slim Shady" on the radio.

 

[mudwhistle]

What is institutionalized racism?

Try consulting a dictionary

 

[Ravi]

So no one knows?

 

[Sheldon]

So no one knows?

I think it's racial discrimination that society in general sees as acceptable or at least tolerable, and/or is also codified into law.

Good enough?

 

[Ravi]

So no one knows?

I think it's racial discrimination that society in general sees as acceptable or at least tolerable, and/or is also codified into law.

Good enough?

But if you are referring to Affirmative Action I don't see how you (or anyone) could consider it racist as it covers everyone, regardless of "race, color, religion, sex, or national origin."

 

[mudwhistle]

So no one knows?

Two bigtime examples:

The only way one can be authentically black is one must be a Democrat

Muslims that hate anyone who isn't.

A couple more is groups like the NAACP and isolated Black churches that preach hatred of whites and Jews.

 

[Ravi]

So no one knows?

Two bigtime examples:

The only way one can be authentically black is one must be a Democrat

Muslims that hate anyone who isn't.

A couple more is groups like the NAACP and isolated Black churches that preach hatred of whites and Jews.

Having a chip on your shoulder doesn't qualify as institutionalized racism.

 

[mudwhistle]

So no one knows?

Two bigtime examples:

The only way one can be authentically black is one must be a Democrat

Muslims that hate anyone who isn't.

A couple more is groups like the NAACP and isolated Black churches that preach hatred of whites and Jews.

Having a chip on your shoulder doesn't qualify as institutionalized racism.

I agree.

Are youi speaking of yourself or somebody else you know.

 

[Ravi]

Two bigtime examples:

The only way one can be authentically black is one must be a Democrat

Muslims that hate anyone who isn't.

A couple more is groups like the NAACP and isolated Black churches that preach hatred of whites and Jews.

Having a chip on your shoulder doesn't qualify as institutionalized racism.

I agree.

Are youi speaking of yourself or somebody else you know.

I was talking about you, but whatever.

I'm still waiting for someone to explain what institutionalized racism is and where it exists.

 

[Sheldon]

So no one knows?

I think it's racial discrimination that society in general sees as acceptable or at least tolerable, and/or is also codified into law.

Good enough?

But if you are referring to Affirmative Action I don't see how you (or anyone) could consider it racist as it covers everyone, regardless of "race, color, religion, sex, or national origin."

If AA is used as a preferential tool in employment or admittance, then yes I believe it is discriminatory by race--as far as what's relative to this thread. I see it this way because I try to flip it around: what if the policy was a hiring/admittance preference given to whites. As illogical as that would be in the real world, it's the principle that I'm going after. And that hypothetical policy seems blatantly racist to me, so as a matter of principle I try to apply that same feeling to the policy as it actually is.

This is not to say it's necessarily unjustified. I believe there was a study done a few (?) years ago that said something to the effect that, if an applicant has a non-European sounding name, they're half as likely to get the interview than someone who does. I don't remember the year, could be from the 70s for all I know.

I have to go run some errands, but I'll check in around dinner. This could be an interesting topic, but I have a feeling it's going to get shit on by our horde of stormfronters.

btw, probably the better argument for why AA doesn't fit in this thread would have been that institutional racism can only be done by those who control the institution, aka--cracker ppl.

 

[Ravi]

I think it's racial discrimination that society in general sees as acceptable or at least tolerable, and/or is also codified into law.

Good enough?

But if you are referring to Affirmative Action I don't see how you (or anyone) could consider it racist as it covers everyone, regardless of "race, color, religion, sex, or national origin."

If AA is used as a preferential tool in employment or admittance, then yes I believe it is discriminatory by race--as far as what's relative to this thread. I see it this way because I try to flip it around: what if the policy was a hiring/admittance preference given to whites. As illogical as that would be in the real world, it's the principle that I'm going after. And that hypothetical policy seems blatantly racist to me, so as a matter of principle I try to apply that same feeling to the policy as it actually is.

This is not to say it's necessarily unjustified. I believe there was a study done a few (?) years ago that said something to the effect that, if an applicant has a non-European sounding name, they're half as likely to get the interview than someone who does. I don't remember the year, could be from the 70s for all I know.

I have to go run some errands, but I'll check in around dinner. This could be an interesting topic, but I have a feeling it's going to get shit on by our horde of stormfronters.

btw, probably the better argument for why AA doesn't fit in this thread would have been that institutional racism can only be done by those who control the institution, aka--cracker ppl.

If there are incidences of whites being discriminated against then, by law, the affirmative action laws must cover them as well. That this doesn't seem to happen merely means that white people aren't discriminated against on a regular basis.

If we NEED this law is another question entirely...but the way the law is written it covers everyone (except gender benders).

 

[manifold]

Ravibility doesn't even know the difference between affirmative action and the Civil Rights Act, so how can she be expected to speak intelligently on this topic?

 

[mudwhistle]

Having a chip on your shoulder doesn't qualify as institutionalized racism.

I agree.

Are youi speaking of yourself or somebody else you know.

I was talking about you, but whatever.

I'm still waiting for someone to explain what institutionalized racism is and where it exists.

Several have, but that chip on your shoulder must be obstructing your view.