Racism - Ignored?

[Johnnypenso]

Well we live in a very global world now and things tend to spread to a much larger amount of people when before it would just get kept within the group. And racially charged derogatory comments do rile up emotions (and rightly so). So it is only natural that it would create controversy in todays world.

I grew up in a global world. My High School had Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Italian, Portuguese, Philipino, Central American and several other countries. I think it wasn't an issue for us because we didn't have Big Brother looking over our shoulder telling us it was wrong to poke fun at each other's ethnicity and racial backgrounds, we sorted it out ourselves. Once the government and media get involved in micro-managing every little conflict, all of a sudden every insult, every gesture, ever slight perceived or real, all of a sudden become a major issue and now Big Brother has to step in and resolve it.

 

[kennylmao]

I grew up in a global world. My High School had Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Italian, Portuguese, Philipino, Central American and several other countries. I think it wasn't an issue for us because we didn't have Big Brother looking over our shoulder telling us it was wrong to poke fun at each other's ethnicity and racial backgrounds, we sorted it out ourselves. Once the government and media get involved in micro-managing every little conflict, all of a sudden every insult, every gesture, ever slight perceived or real, all of a sudden become a major issue and now Big Brother has to step in and resolve it.

That's the way things should be, in my opinion.

I went to school in quite a mixed community. We handed each other racial insults and cuss words but we knew we were all joking. We were still friends no matter what was said. It only becomes a problem when some dude thinks he's better than everyone else and starts using racial insults; when someone thinks he's superior because of his race and starts to discriminate.

But you know what society now does? We turn it into a sensitive issue. Why? Because it's in a way much more 'convenient' to avoid rather than to accept. You are brown/white/whatever. I am yellow. That is the undeniable truth. What is there to avoid? What is there to get offended about? We are all humans. We are all the same. The problem only starts when you discriminate.

I think it is a sign of maturity when we can joke about race, religion and other sensitive issues. But the irony is, that mostly only happen when we were young and carefree. As we get older and enter into the 'real world', we get more sensitive because... society.

What a world we live in, huh?

 

[Encyclopedia]

I grew up in a global world. My High School had Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Italian, Portuguese, Philipino, Central American and several other countries. I think it wasn't an issue for us because we didn't have Big Brother looking over our shoulder telling us it was wrong to poke fun at each other's ethnicity and racial backgrounds, we sorted it out ourselves. Once the government and media get involved in micro-managing every little conflict, all of a sudden every insult, every gesture, ever slight perceived or real, all of a sudden become a major issue and now Big Brother has to step in and resolve it.

What I meant with global was that it's very likely that it'll spread outside the group. Social media and all that. Meaning that people not in on the joke will see it and react to it. I think that has contributed to the "climate" we have today.

 

[Villain]

Should the Washington Redskins change their name?

 

[Mikeybc]

Should the Washington Redskins change their name?

No, political correctness is getting completely out of hand. After 80 years someone is now going to complain ?

 

[disinfected]

Here we go again.

 

[TB]

Move along.

WHAT PART OF MOVE ALONG WAS THAT?

 

[Keef]

Here we go again.

Move along.

WHAT PART OF MOVE ALONG WAS THAT?

Why are we moving along again? Where are we going again? I must have missed a memo.

 

[TB]

@Keef - You missed some racism that I couldn't ignore.

And my "Move along" wasn't directed at @disinfected.

 

[disinfected]

But I got to give credit where it's due, "more like here YOU go again" was probably the most clever retort I've heard all year. Anyhow, back on topic..

 

[Johnnypenso]

What I meant with global was that it's very likely that it'll spread outside the group. Social media and all that. Meaning that people not in on the joke will see it and react to it. I think that has contributed to the "climate" we have today.

Then it's up to us to say "buzz off, it's none of your business what we do and say amongst ourselves". In the last few years with the explosion of the internet, social media etc. it's somehow become everyone's business to comment on everything. That's fine, nothing we can do about that, freedom of speech and all that. But so long as I'm not breaking any laws, it's still nobody's damn business how I conduct my personal life and I would not pay one iota of attention to any comments from people I don't know butting into my private business that somehow became public.

 

[Encyclopedia]

No disagreement there.

 

[hogger129]

Racism is not ignored unless it's directed at white folks.

 

[Encyclopedia]

Racism is not ignored unless it's directed at white folks.

Got any exapmles?

 

[hogger129]

Got any exapmles?

The entire media circus over George Zimmerman is one example. How they tried to say he was a 'white' hispanic.

 

[Encyclopedia]

The entire media circus over George Zimmerman is one example. How they tried to say he was a 'white' hispanic.

Wasn't he?

 

[LeMansAid]

If the players themselves want to do it, it's nobody else's business. If people don't like it, don't go to the game.

The players wanting to, and feeling like they could express that they want to, may be two completely different things though.

Why on earth would the white team want to guarantee a loss by playing a black team? That's idiotic.

Extreme racism against blacks is part of my stereotype of Australia. I see it as a much more widespread thing than the regional problems we have in the US. The idea of a black vs. white sports game is more evidence of it. The idea isn't necessarily racist but the conclusions drawn after the game will probably be. The whole point of a sports game is to decide a winner and if the only difference between teams is the color of their players ten the natural conclusion would be that one is better than the other. That's a recipe for all sorts of retarded accusations that will inevitably get tossed around.

Absolute gold Keef. So, you begin with an assumption about sports superiority of black people. Then, go on to suggest that it's moralistically problematic to stage an event that would show "that one is better than the other".

Sometimes it's better to plough through, rather than dance around like a fairy. I've witnessed and engaged in fist fights where after a few choice blows were thrown, and the winner decided, the combatants shook hands (literally even) and buried the hatchet. Same result in mediation would have taken goodness knows how long. Maybe we need to grow up and be able to just say that race x is better than race y at z. Maybe we need to just get on with it, and stop all the fairy dancing.

Australia is sadly beginning to copy your super-sensitivity, and all I see is an infinite road to nowhere. I'm white, and perfectly happy for people to say that asians are smarter, and black people are more athletic. I'm even fine for people to say that white people have no rhythm, and can't jump. Just make it a two way street, get it all out, and we might get to somewhere real and meaningful.

 

[frenzal]

I think it may have been last year some time that I heard talk of a possible one off black vs white game in Australia's sport of AFL. It didn't happen, but do people here find that an offensive proposal?

After enduring hearing footy bogans trying oh so hard to sound pc, the stance that I ultimately ended up with was that if anything it'd be a sign of maturity to be able to stage such an event. To be able to view it as no more than an arbitrary point of difference, no different to: country vs country, state vs state, suburb vs suburb, or friend vs friend.

It is part of the celebration of Indigenous culture and contribution to the game. There is a similar concept gaMe in Rugby League as well. These were conceived as part of the move towards reconciliation given the horrendous treatment our aboriginals received after Australia was originally settled and over the years since. Some of the greatest players in Aussie Rules in particular have been indigenous, due primarily to the instinctive excitement and unpredictability factor they bring to the game.

Yet I guess it is due to the human factor that racism will ever die out in individuals...it is more the societal influence which is being sought to be changed.

 

[demonchilde]

First off, am I racist? No.
Second, do I think it's OK to be racist? Of coarse (it's your right to believe anything, as long as you don't hurt others or bend laws doing so.)

That said, now to the 'meat' of the post, lol.
I skimmed most pages of this thread to see where we stood as a whole, but did not scour it, so if I cover something already talked about, sorry.
I was raised by 2 hippy's who believed in love, equality, and peace for all creatures both human and animal. I have friends of most races, and religions, as I really didn't see anything besides their personalities apon growing close to them.
Are they different? Well YEAH, so am I. I'm 6 foot 4 and of Scottish heritage. Am I Scottish-American? NO! I'm Scottish because its in my blood. I'm American because I had no choice as I wasn't able to choose where I was born, lol. That is point #1 of my opinion.
Point #2; human nature/animal nature
If say, a wild wolf, goes foraging for food and a human throws rocks and shoots at it, it will remember. If 30 times this happens among different garbage cans and different humans, it will remember. If ONE human leaves food out for it, it will remember. But apon seeing a new human, it's instict and experience will tell it to run and hide.
If I get mugged by say, a nerdy white guy, I will remember. If I get mugged 30 times by nerdy white guys, I will remember. If one serves me coffee, I will remember. But next time I see a nerdy white guy, best believe I'm keeping my eye on him.
This is where life experience creates the look of racism, but is actually learned-prejudice-survival.
This creates actual racism, however, if I teach my children to stay away from nerdy white people because they are dangerous.
Anyone see my second point? Lol.
We are all one tribe. Your either human or your not.

 

[MXH]

Wasn't he?

Zimmerman is half hispanic on his mother's side and half white on his father's side, if I recall correctly. But the media loves racial tension so they probably never gave a crap about his actual racial background.

 

[Encyclopedia]

Zimmerman is half hispanic on his mother's side and half white on his father's side, if I recall correctly. But the media loves racial tension so they probably never gave a crap about his actual racial background.

Is hispanic seen as a race though? I thought hispanic people could be both black and white. Or maybe I'm thinking of latino?

 

[MXH]

Is hispanic seen as a race though? I thought hispanic people could be both black and white. Or maybe I'm thinking of latino?

I've never been entirely sure regarding the term hispanic but I'd assume that as well. Though, I honestly never gave it much thought.

I'm lazy, so I'll just quote Wikipedia;

Today, organizations in the United States use the term as a broad catchall to refer to persons with a historical and cultural relationship either with Spain and Portugal or only with Spain, regardless of race. However, in the eyes of the US Census Bureau, Hispanics or Latinos can be of any race, any ancestry, any ethnicity, or any country of origin.

 

[Encyclopedia]

I've never been entirely sure regarding the term hispanic but I'd assume that as well. Though, I honestly never gave it much thought.

I'm lazy, so I'll just quote Wikipedia;

That last sentence in the wikipedia article is really confusing to me. It seems to suggest that it doesn't even have a definition.

Seems like there's nothing factualy wrong in calling Zimmerman white.

 

[MXH]

That last sentence in the wikipedia article is really confusing to me. It seems to suggest that it doesn't even have a definition.

The definition seems pretty loose and varies greatly depending on who you're asking. At least that's my own conclusion.

Seems like there's nothing factualy wrong in calling Zimmerman white.

Sure, but his physical traits tell otherwise.

 

[ShobThaBob]

Last I checked, there are only 3 real 'races' in the world. Negroid, Caucasoid, and Mongoloid. Zimmerman is definitely caucasian.

 

[Encyclopedia]

Sure, but his physical traits tell otherwise.

Do they? I can't tell any non-white traits in him.

 

[MXH]

Do they? I can't tell any non-white traits in him.

If George passes as white, he might as well be a poster boy for some obscure white pride group. I'm sure he will be given a warm welcome.



(just Google his parents. The peruvian is strong in this one.)

 

[BobK]

Pedantically, Hispanic is not a race at all; as @ShobThaBob pointed out there are only three of them. However, when filling out some government form, "hispanic" is one of the selections under "Race/Ethnic Background". More to the point, when it's some flunky filling out the form and questioning me, the question is always "Race?" never "Ethnic Background".

 

[Keef]

Absolute gold Keef. So, you begin with an assumption about sports superiority of black people.

Since you mentioned that you're okay with stereotyping - I am too - I'll just be blunt and remind you that the physical superiority of blacks is not an assumption, or at least wasn't. Surely you remember that American slavers bred blacks to be bigger, stronger and fit enough to do as much work as possible in the shortest amount of time. I'd argue that whites are only good at things like tennis and golf but even those aren't good examples. Swimming, maybe? Black people don't swim because slavers often drowned them as punishment so I guess that's all we have.

Then, go on to suggest that it's moralistically problematic to stage an event that would show "that one is better than the other".

There is a difference between the neighborhood boys getting together for some football in the park and a commericialized event. The audience of sport expects to see a winner and a loser, and the organizer is expected to provide that. People don't pay to see equality, they pay to see a winner. It's the nature of organized sport to either win or lose and to organize such an event based solely on race is to suggest there is a winner and loser.

Maybe we need to grow up and be able to just say that race x is better than race y at z. Maybe we need to just get on with it, and stop all the fairy dancing.

I'm pretty sure you're not referring to my attitude on race as "fairy dancing". I'm pretty sure I've made my points clear numerous times in this thread and I'm pretty sure you're one of very few who's felt it necessary to argue.

Australia is sadly beginning to copy your super-sensitivity, and all I see is an infinite road to nowhere. I'm white, and perfectly happy for people to say that asians are smarter, and black people are more athletic. I'm even fine for people to say that white people have no rhythm, and can't jump. Just make it a two way street, get it all out, and we might get to somewhere real and meaningful.

You're perfectly happy to say that all the other races do various things better than white people. But are you perfectly happy to admit that no race on the planet is as good at getting others to do what they say other than white people? Admit to me that white people are the ones who make the decisions on how this world is run and I'll be satisfied you aren't full of white guilt.

 

[demonchilde]

Pedantically, Hispanic is not a race at all; as @ShobThaBob pointed out there are only three of them. However, when filling out some government form, "hispanic" is one of the selections under "Race/Ethnic Background". More to the point, when it's some flunky filling out the form and questioning me, the question is always "Race?" never "Ethnic Background".

This is just one aspect of things that are wrong.
And quoting a dictionary that contradicts itself kind of seems redundant, no?

There are many " races " in the world, 'human' race being only one.
Ethnic background is the term in question. Doesnt it seem wierd to dislike or like someone simply based on where their grandparents-grandparents were born?