Racism - Ignored?
- Thread starter s0nny80y
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///M-Spec
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I agree with a lot of Foolkiller's post. I think racism is primarily social-economic, particularly tied to education. Even though I have the same personal experiences as danoff, I don't believe minorites are more inclined toward racism. I would rather say that poor(er) and less educated people are.
I don't think I've ever heard someone with a Master's Degree say "damn (insert racial sterotype here), there goes the neighborhood)." But I have heard of lot of people who dropped out of highschool blame the people from XYZ for all their problems.
Think about it. Poor black people complain rich white people keep them down. Poor white people complain that Mexicans are stealing their jobs.
I'm from a blue collar, working class, lower income, mostly Black/Latino neighborhood in New York City. If you've ever seen a movie based in New York where the graffiti covered trains run on tracks over the streets lined with delis and laundromats; that's where I grew up.
And I've seen, heard, been on the receiving end of some fairly nasty stuff (though I'm not proud of it, sometimes I was the one dishing it out). And yes, like danoff, I've heard Blacks and Latinos utter some amazingly racist things. And I've also heard Irish and Italians do the same thing. And Koreans. And don't even get me started on the Chinese.
It really didn't matter who you were or where you came from, there was always someone out there who didn't like you. But everyone had one thing in common: we were all poor.
Once I moved to Manhattan for school, that little neighborhood across the East River seemed like another galaxy, even though it was less than 10 miles away. The City was too damn effin busy to be racist. People there are too preoccupied trying to get where they needed to be on time.
Here in the South, I've found the same thing applies. Live in a semi-cosmopolitian government or university town, and you'll rarely --I mean rarely-- see it. In the 10 years I've been here, I only recall one, perhaps two instances of a reference to my skin color.
Drive 50 miles out into the woods where homes are made of plywood and come on wheels and you're much more likely to run into it.
Since I've opened the door to a tangant, I should follow up and say while racism is useless, devisive and stupid thing --ultimately (as dan so estutely pointed out) it is the same conceptually as judging a person based on how much money they make or where they live.
So I guess instead of me being racist, it makes me class-ist. And that's quite possible. I wouldn't say that being uneducated nessessarily makes you racist --I almost never use superlatives-- but rather it makes you more inclined. I wouldn't say there's a cause-effect relationship, but at the least, a correlation.
Just like I notice that driving a BMW makes you more inclined to be a raging tool
C'mon dude, say it with me: Azyan Pryde!!! Y0!
M
I don't think I've ever heard someone with a Master's Degree say "damn (insert racial sterotype here), there goes the neighborhood)." But I have heard of lot of people who dropped out of highschool blame the people from XYZ for all their problems.
Think about it. Poor black people complain rich white people keep them down. Poor white people complain that Mexicans are stealing their jobs.
I'm from a blue collar, working class, lower income, mostly Black/Latino neighborhood in New York City. If you've ever seen a movie based in New York where the graffiti covered trains run on tracks over the streets lined with delis and laundromats; that's where I grew up.
And I've seen, heard, been on the receiving end of some fairly nasty stuff (though I'm not proud of it, sometimes I was the one dishing it out). And yes, like danoff, I've heard Blacks and Latinos utter some amazingly racist things. And I've also heard Irish and Italians do the same thing. And Koreans. And don't even get me started on the Chinese.
It really didn't matter who you were or where you came from, there was always someone out there who didn't like you. But everyone had one thing in common: we were all poor.
Once I moved to Manhattan for school, that little neighborhood across the East River seemed like another galaxy, even though it was less than 10 miles away. The City was too damn effin busy to be racist. People there are too preoccupied trying to get where they needed to be on time.
Here in the South, I've found the same thing applies. Live in a semi-cosmopolitian government or university town, and you'll rarely --I mean rarely-- see it. In the 10 years I've been here, I only recall one, perhaps two instances of a reference to my skin color.
Drive 50 miles out into the woods where homes are made of plywood and come on wheels and you're much more likely to run into it.
Since I've opened the door to a tangant, I should follow up and say while racism is useless, devisive and stupid thing --ultimately (as dan so estutely pointed out) it is the same conceptually as judging a person based on how much money they make or where they live.
So I guess instead of me being racist, it makes me class-ist. And that's quite possible. I wouldn't say that being uneducated nessessarily makes you racist --I almost never use superlatives-- but rather it makes you more inclined. I wouldn't say there's a cause-effect relationship, but at the least, a correlation.
Just like I notice that driving a BMW makes you more inclined to be a raging tool
a6m5
C'mon dude, say it with me: Azyan Pryde!!! Y0!
M
- 3,425
Racism has existed in the US since its founding . Blacks have not been the only target . Catholics , italians , Japenese , Chinese , Irish , Mexicans , etc. etc. have been targeted and have been the subject of State sanctioned or institutionalised racism . Blacks to my knowlage were the only " race ' to be bought and sold as slaves . The American Indians had genocide waged on them by the state. the italians and Japenese had their property confiscated and were put in concentration camps . One thing about the good old USA is we are equal oppurtunity racist .
That being said racism today is much less pronounced but still exist . On mostly subtle levels . Of course you still get the occasional " rope around the neck tied to a pick up truck type idiot "racist attack but new laws against hate crimes and society itself will not tolerate it ...for the most part. minority's still must struggle to be treated equally..unless "equally bad " is your Idea of equal .
In 1960 68 % of the black people in the US lived in poverty . today its 22 to 24 % depending on where you get your numbers . It took years of work and much civil rights legislation to address just this one bit of inequity .
I grew up in a time of race riots and bussing . I have seen black school children chased by my house by sword wielding looneys " protecting " the neighborhood from undesirables . I have seen whole neighborhoods burned to the ground by rioters and the slums that resulted. I have walked through housing projects and seen crime and criminals flourishing .
I have also seen the improvement from those years . Projects are a thing of the past ( here anyway ) . Everyone lives in fairly integrated neighborhoods . my children have no concept of racism..they do not see it they " hear " about it , or "read " about it .
I can see -touch and feel the changes over the years . All for the better. But make no mistake ....Racism still exist ...but at least its out in the light .
That being said racism today is much less pronounced but still exist . On mostly subtle levels . Of course you still get the occasional " rope around the neck tied to a pick up truck type idiot "racist attack but new laws against hate crimes and society itself will not tolerate it ...for the most part. minority's still must struggle to be treated equally..unless "equally bad " is your Idea of equal .
In 1960 68 % of the black people in the US lived in poverty . today its 22 to 24 % depending on where you get your numbers . It took years of work and much civil rights legislation to address just this one bit of inequity .
I grew up in a time of race riots and bussing . I have seen black school children chased by my house by sword wielding looneys " protecting " the neighborhood from undesirables . I have seen whole neighborhoods burned to the ground by rioters and the slums that resulted. I have walked through housing projects and seen crime and criminals flourishing .
I have also seen the improvement from those years . Projects are a thing of the past ( here anyway ) . Everyone lives in fairly integrated neighborhoods . my children have no concept of racism..they do not see it they " hear " about it , or "read " about it .
I can see -touch and feel the changes over the years . All for the better. But make no mistake ....Racism still exist ...but at least its out in the light .
Danoff
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While I admit that class has a certain amount to do with it. There are plenty of rich racist minorities. Pick almost any rapper or football player and you're very likely to have picked an enormously rich racist individual. Poor people do seem to be more likely to be racist. Using the white population in the US as an example, I'd say that the vast majority of white racists are quite poor. But I personally know a very wealthy white couple who are racist.
I think that racism among white people is about belonging to a class of elites. About feeling a sense of self worth simply due to skin color. The racism among minorities is different though. It offers not just a sense of community due only to skin color (rather than something more important like the contents of one's mind), it also offers a way to avoid responsibility for actions along with a general social protection.
That kind of incentive is going to create way way more racists... which is why I think minorities are far more likely to be racist. It's nothing personal, if white guys were a minority I'd expect them to be racist as well. The tribal mentality is hard to fight.
Danoff
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SwiftWe have the television to thank for that. Honestly. If it wasn't for TV showing what was LEGALLY happening to minorities in the 60's, who knows where this country would be right now.
Unfortunately we also have television to thank for the racism of many minorities. Every black person on TV that calls another black person "brother", any black person who pokes fun at white people, any hispanic person who does his nerdy white person impression... any TV drama that shows how the white police officers are holding down the black community, or depicts the black community as poor and helplesss are contributing to the general racist problem.
The black acheivement awards, BET, the soul awards. This is television causing racism.
- 3,052
danoff
So I guess that means Univision, HBOL and BSTZ are causing racism as well... 💡
You cannot make race a "non-issue" any more than you make social-class distinctions a "non-issue" (unless we're talking about communism, of course).
Danoff
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MrktMkr1986
Why can we not make race a non-issue? Does it actually matter? Does race actually make a difference? Maybe in some areas.
In most sports, the best athletes are black.
Hispanics are predisposed to get diabetes.
White people are more likely to get skin cancer.
Asians are more likely to put large spoilers on their cars and buy "Type-R" badges.
But these are facts , not generalizations (well maybe not all of them). Only in statistics should we talk about race. Everywhere else it makes no difference.
This maybe "facts" for you, but not around here. Almost every time, it's whites and hispanics around where I live.
- 3,052
danoff
I agree! However, eliminating BET/BSTZ/HBOL/Univision is no different than shutting down a Chinese restaurant in my opinion.
Anthony
That's because Robert Johnson -- the only other black billionaire (for a few years anyway) sold the company.
WHY?! 
Danoff
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MrktMkr1986
It would be a little different. But you're right that it is the freedom of the owners of those stations to do what they want. Even if it is racist. That's fine with me - it just means that it propogates racism that's all.
I wasn't saying they shouldn't be allowed to do it. Only that it's destructive. But I already illustrated why it is profitable for them to freely engage in that kind of destructive behavior. The real harm done is by the people who choose to watch and support those stations and the racist messages that come from (some of) them.
Blackbird.
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Not to offend anyone at all it's not ment to be offending but It seems more like african americans talk about our race (caucasions) more then we do about them. It's got to me a little bit.
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- swift-bass
MrktMkr1986I agree! However, eliminating BET/BSTZ/HBOL/Univision is no different than shutting down a Chinese restaurant in my opinion.
That's because Robert Johnson -- the only other black billionaire (for a few years anyway) sold the company.
You answered your own question bud.
- 3,052
What?!
Grrr! 
<<< Very offended!
j/kPerhaps, though one could argue that learning more about another race/religion etc. will lead to a better understanding of each other thus eliminating racism.
I know that.
You'd never suggest anything that would imply an initiation of force. 
Perhaps... though, I must admit I've never watched any of those channels (with the exception of BSTZ)... They always have good movies on.
Anthony
Not quite as he is no longer a billionaire (from $1.3 billion to about $600-700 million). Probably as a result of his divorce! 💡
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- swift-bass
MrktMkr1986Not quite as he is no longer a billionaire (from $1.3 billion to about $600-700 million). Probably as a result of his divorce! 💡
Right, but originally, he was a billionaire.
And yes, I think TV portrays very racist views in very subtle ways. Infact, I think the Cosby show was one of the first to level the playing field.
- 3,425
What gets me is you want to get people to stop being racist BUT you call every concievable action " racist " so that after a while people just roll their eyeballs and say" here we go again with this bunch of radicals " etc. by calling everything racist you devalue the term until it is almost meaningless . it gets to the point where the message is not getting through because the people you want to reach run for shelter as soon as you open your mouth . It seems counter productive. People are not idiots they know racist when they see it or hear it . people like that rap idiot who get on tv and blurt out stupid statements drive away the very audience a sensible person would want to reach .
- 1,262
Good point ledhed- Is there a word equvalent to the "n word" in reference to a white guy? I forget?
in reference to a white guy? I forget? 
- 418
When I see an African American male, the first thought that comes to mind is, "Hey look, a black guy." Does this mean I'm racist or just stating an observation?
Same thing with an extremely fat man. Of any race. I think, "Dang, that's a real fat guy." Am I predjudice or just stating an observation?
On another note...
Is it an unproven fact or a racist thought to think that the crime rate in America would be less if there were no African Americans? Please, don't post if you're just trying to be politically correct. I want to hear your thoughts, not the ones you want people to hear because you're afraid of not impressing a certain person(s).
I'm not saying I'm agreeing with the above question, just a question I thought of. Save the flaming.
Same thing with an extremely fat man. Of any race. I think, "Dang, that's a real fat guy." Am I predjudice or just stating an observation?
On another note...
Is it an unproven fact or a racist thought to think that the crime rate in America would be less if there were no African Americans? Please, don't post if you're just trying to be politically correct. I want to hear your thoughts, not the ones you want people to hear because you're afraid of not impressing a certain person(s).
I'm not saying I'm agreeing with the above question, just a question I thought of. Save the flaming.
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- david_perel
the_undrtaker89Good point ledhed- Is there a word equvalent to the "n word"
In South Africa you would be called a 'White Ass'...
- 603
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- david_perel
Yes, when you hear that word and understand the meaning behind it you shudder. The 'n' word is puny compared to it.
- 383
Swift
The Cosby show is not a good example. The characters in the show where not representative of average black americans and did little to break-down preconceived prejudices. It was more about 'fitting in' than acceptance.
Oh, and IMO 'Honky/Honkey' is no more offensive than 'Gringo'.
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- david_perel
That would be the one
