Zone1 What are “isms” - Racism and Racist

[Coyote]

From the dictionary:

noun

prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism by an individual, community, or institution against a person or people on the basis of their membership in a particular racial or ethnic group, typically one that is a minority or marginalized.
"a program to combat racism"

the belief that different races possess distinct characteristics, abilities, or qualities, especially so as to distinguish them as inferior or superior to one another.

The first definition applies broadly and encompasses other “isms” while the second is race specific.

Since people complain that ”racist” gets thrown around too readily, maybe it would be good to consider what it actually is or isn’t. This is my opinion.

This is some of what I consider racist:

The belief that races are superior or inferior based on inherent racial traits.

Singling out, holding responsible or blaming a particular race, as a whole, for social or cultural problems.

Treating one race differently based on perceived negative racial characteristics.

Propagating racist canards.

For an example of what is or isn’t racist…look at Obama. Accusations of racist got thrown around a lot.

What is not racist: criticism of his policies, positions, actions.

What is racist? Birtherism, calling him a Kenyan, refusing to acknowledge he was born in the US despite clear evidence. This is a standard no other president has been held to.

There is also a lot of grey area. For example, what about the legacy of policies that were created to exclude certain races? Even though they are no longer formal policies, they continue to have a racist effect. A example would be red-lining. Is this racist?

 

[Mac1958]

From the dictionary:


The first definition applies broadly and encompasses other “isms” while the second is race specific.

Since people complain that ”racist” gets thrown around too readily, maybe it would be good to consider what it actually is or isn’t. This is my opinion.

This is some of what I consider racist:

The belief that races are superior or inferior based on inherent racial traits.

Singling out, holding responsible or blaming a particular race, as a whole, for social or cultural problems.

Treating one race differently based on perceived negative racial characteristics.

Propagating racist canards.

For an example of what is or isn’t racist…look at Obama. Accusations of racist got thrown around a lot.

What is not racist: criticism of his policies, positions, actions.

What is racist? Birtherism, calling him a Kenyan, refusing to acknowledge he was born in the US despite clear evidence. This is a standard no other president has been held to.

There is also a lot of grey area. For example, what about the legacy of policies that were created to exclude certain races? Even though they are no longer formal policies, they continue to have a racist effect. A example would be red-lining. Is this racist?

I generally use two categories.

First is the dictionary definition of the term, the expressed belief that a race is somehow materially inferior to your own.

Second is a willingness to enable racism writ large by willfully ignoring, downplaying or dismissing it, and being unwilling to recognize or confront it.

It could be argued that the second is more destructive on a macro scale than the first.

 

[1srelluc]

Both are lame social constructs used as a means of societal control.

Race.....There is only one, period, end of story.

If you have a bone to pick with a certain ethnicity (over your ethnicity) then you are waxing anti-white, black, brown, etc.

 

[ReinyDays]

I think all humans should be put to death ... I hate them all ... therefore, I'm not a racist ...

In business I'm the opposite ... if your check clears, then I love you ... simple ...

 

[Coyote]

I generally use two categories.

First is the dictionary definition of the term, the expressed belief that a race is somehow materially inferior to your own.

Second is a willingness to enable racism writ large by willfully ignoring, downplaying or dismissing it, and being unwilling to recognize or confront it.

It could be argued that the second is more destructive on a macro scale than the first.

Interesting, I never thought about the second one. Good point.

 

[1srelluc]

Interesting, I never thought about the second one. Good point.

So you like social constructs?

 

[Mac1958]

Interesting, I never thought about the second one. Good point.

We certainly see it all the time here. That's not specifically racism to me, since I don't like overusing the word. But it's plenty bad enough.

 

[1srelluc]

We certainly see it all the time here. That's not specifically racism to me, since I don't like overusing the word. But it's plenty bad enough.

How do you "confront" a social construct?

 

[Mac1958]

How do you "confront" a social construct?

Don't. You just be you.

 

[Dogmaphobe]

The only definitions that should be considered are those that apply to all people equally. Creating phony definitions where some people are automatically exempt because of their race is an exercise IN racism rather than attempt to confront it.

People who exhibit a clear and consistent pattern of antipathy towards people based upon their race are racists.

Oddly enough, some of the worst racists are those who claim to be ANTI racist.

 

[Coyote]

The only definitions that should be considered are those that apply to all people equally. Creating phony definitions where some people are automatically exempt because of their race is an exercise IN racism rather than attempt to confront it.

Is any part of my definition phony?

People who exhibit a clear and consistent pattern of antipathy towards people based upon their race are racists.

Agree.

Oddly enough, some of the worst racists are those who claim to be ANTI racist.

Hmmm….yes.

 

[Trickster]

The definitions of racism and racist are actually very simple;

Racism is the belief that a man is to be judged by his genetic lineage and that the individual is only a small cog with no agency of his own in a larger "racial/ethnic machinery".

The racist is he who ascribes to this view.

 

[Coyote]

Both are lame social constructs used as a means of societal control.

Race.....There is only one, period, end of story.

If you have a bone to pick with a certain ethnicity (over your ethnicity) then you are waxing anti-white, black, brown, etc.

Race is a funny thing. And I agree it is largely a social construct designed to separate people along lines of superior and inferior. But there also differences among races such as tendencies towards certain illnesses.

 

[1srelluc]

Race is a funny thing. And I agree it is largely a social construct designed to separate people along lines of superior and inferior. But there also differences among races such as tendencies towards certain illnesses.

Nope, that would be differences between ethnicities. You know, like the sickle cell with blacks.

The sooner you get away from the whole different race construct the more clear things become.

 

[Trickster]

Race is a funny thing. And I agree it is largely a social construct designed to separate people along lines of superior and inferior. But there also differences among races such as tendencies towards certain illnesses.

"Race" is not a valid concept since it does not properly describe a thing that exists in reality.

"Skin tone" is a valid concept, but of course the deterministic racialists prefer "race" because it serves the purpose that you accurately describe above -- to group and rank individuals based on the content of their pigmentation and/or their ethnic lineage. It is incredibly primitive and truly disgusting.

A genius is a genius no matter his or her "race" and a bad person is a bad person no matter his skin tone and lineage.


All racists are barbarians driven by destruction and in no time in history has racism lead to anything but destruction, murder, misery and oppression.

 

[Coyote]

Nope, that would be differences between ethnicities. You know, like the sickle cell with blacks.

The sooner you get away from the whole different race construct the more clear things become.

Ethnic is usually culturally defined though.

 

[Trickster]

Nope, that would be differences between ethnicities. You know, like the sickle cell with blacks.

The sooner you get away from the whole different race construct the more clear things become.

"Black" is not an ethnicity.

Furthermore, "ethnicity" is a very fluid construct that often changes over time; for large parts of human history, we lived in smaller tribes in a sense regarded as their own "ethnicity" and before the emergence of the nation state, small kingdoms were viewed as their own "ethnicity" too. There was a time when, for example, those from Lombardy and Linguria were viewed as different, but today they are "Italian". There was a time when everyone who is now "American" was just an "immigrant", an "other" etc.

It is so bogus and serves no other function than to destroy.

 

[Trickster]

Ethnic is usually culturally defined though.

What do you mean by that exactly?

The brilliance of America is that it was founded on the principle of individualism to secure that no one is judged by the content of their DNA. Everyone who arrives is American and that is how it should be.

Today, people are trying to say that not evennthose who were born in America are American because their surname is "Gomez".

When all comes around, "ethnicity" does not matter in the real world and trying to ascribe significance to it is to treat human beings like dogs -- "Look, a Golden Retriver!"

It is yucky and immoral.

 

[task0778]

There is also a lot of grey area. For example, what about the legacy of policies that were created to exclude certain races? Even though they are no longer formal policies, they continue to have a racist effect. A example would be red-lining. Is this racist?

Yes. It is also illegal. Racism has a long a dark history in this country and even longer in other places. It's not as bad as it used to be but I think getting better as time passes. The term 'racist' has been thrown around so much that it has lost some of it's punch, pretty much everything that gets said, done, or even proposed is labeled as racist by somebody and often without justification. When you call everyone on the other side a racist, nobody cares any more unless it's some outrageous action or speech. But what happens is that legitimate criticisms and disagreements or new ideas may never surface for fear of being unfairly castigated by others. And that ain't good.

 

[MarathonMike]

For an example of what is or isn’t racist…look at Obama. Accusations of racist got thrown around a lot.

What is not racist: criticism of his policies, positions, actions.

Obama's goal was to USE Racism in order to divide and transform America. He was very successful in achieving his goal. I could care less whether he personally is or is not Racist. His policies exploiting Racism is what damaged America greatly.