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caboose

- 3 years ago

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Racism; in this day and age?

I'm a white guy, but I have some friends that get mistreated all the time. I also know some people who are closet racists. I grew up in a particularly racist town and I just never understood it. I could go on and on, but I'd rather know what everybody else thinks. Will there ever be a cure for racism?

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I think skin racism is being gradually replaced by social racism. Otherwords, we have grown accustomed to seeing people of all races within the sphere of social structure but now we are more and more judging people on their economic status. And the way the U.S. is heading, it's bound to get worse. The more the higher incomes are taxed, the more resentment there is towards those that are dependent on the system for income. The lower incomes despise the higher ones for being selfish. The higher incomes ask "why should I work" only to have it increasingly taken away. (good question) the lower say "I cant find a job worth the hours". I wish I could have an answer to this, but I dont. A tax revolution may be coming.

It's funny but I was just thinking about that! And the more I thought about it, the more I realized slavery is still a very recent occurrence in our history, relatively. I mean the Emancipation Proclamation was signed around 150 years ago. Dr. Martin Luther King spoke for equal opportunity for blacks in the '60's. Really, this isn't that long ago. I have a great grandma, who recently became a great great grandma, who is 90, and I was thinking, she was alive when blacks had separate bathrooms, drinking fountains, and even schools. I can understand if people are still getting over racial tendencies. Not that I am being tolerant, but it's understandable that it would still be a problem. Think about it.

Yes, death. Only when we die will we come to a place where we can look past our learned prejudices and moral failings. I wish this was sarcasm, but it's not.

No. So long as we have ignorance, we can't get rid of racism. Irritating, but true.

According to my social psych class, to overcome prejudice people must have a common goal across boundaries that requires a sense of cooperation, a sharing of experience and forging of relationships, to which people feel they have a CHOICE to participate in or not. (Without a choice, people feel forced to take action and then do not feel the need to change their contrary beliefs.) The issue of global warming to me is a perfect opportunity for a community to be founded among all people. We are all affected and impacted by what we individually do to this planet that we all must share. Pollution does contain itself within country lines, nor does it care about race or color. We are all affected and we are all needed to stop the damage and attempt to repair what has been done.

My grade school teachers always used to tell us that we shouldn't notice what other people's skin color is but how can I not? If I meet someone, I notice right away that they're Asian, black, white, or Hispanic. I don't judge them but I register what their nationality seems to be. If I see a dog, am I supposed to repress my thought of, "Oh, look, it's a poodle/terrier/greyhound/black/white/red/brown/any other type of breed?" Of course not. So why do it when it comes to people?

This is probably not the most popular opinion on the matter but people are entitled to their opinion no matter how ignorant. So long as there's tangible equality (ie no segregation or workplace/housing discrimination etc) I really don't give two s***s about racism. As long as people aren't acting on their negative thoughts or steriotypes then I really don't care. I live in the south... i'm not from here and yeah, it's a backwards narrow minded area full of dumb hick rednecks (see steriotyping),but they can think whatever they want about whoever they want, they're entitled to their opinion... as long as they're not denying other people their rights then really who gives a sh*t what a bunch of idiots think? Even if the racism disapeared over night people would still find a reason to catagorize people negatively... like those damn woman drivers, or those punk kids, or them damn city folks, or those inbred hicks, or those yuppies in the suburbs... or heartless greedy conservatives, bleeding heart libral democrats, or the damn dirty hippies.

Nope. Been going on for centuries. we humans have always got to have a target, known as "the other".

I appreciate all of your responses. This is something I've been thinking a lot about lately because of an awkward conversation between some friends. My wife and I were at a cookout with two other couples, and they are about 15 years older than us. They made some racist comments and it just blew my mind. Mostly because these are people we go to church with, and I guess I just take it for granted that people who preach tolerance would be tolerant. I just couldn't believe what I was hearing. It made me very sad. I have friends of all different ethnicities and I just never really think about it. Two of my friends, very very good friends, are married to white women and they catch a lot of crap all the time. Their wives getting asked where they adopted their children, dirty looks, snide comments. It just astounds me how ignorant people are. These two men, and their families, are incredible people. They are loving and caring and are a huge part of my life. I don't ever think of them by what color they are. It's incredibly cool to know that they are not from this country (one was born in the Philippines the other the Congo) and that they are proud Americans who have awesome stories to tell. It just makes me mad to think about the things they have to go through because of an exterior characteristic that doesn't really sum up who they are. I also feel a little sorry for those who are ignorant because they are limiting themselves to only certain types of people they will be friends with. They are missing out. I don't really think that racism will ever go away either. I just hope that it does.

No, because people are stupid and ignorant and are stuck living with their parent's ideologies of what our world should be. It's disgusting.

This might sound a little insensitive but i think people have to just care less about that sort of stuff. I mean I don't find myself to be racist but I know a lot of people are and I really don't get it. It's not like people of other races are aliens and are made a different way. I just try to nullify any sense of separation between people.

I'm Puerto Rican born in the Island and I live in Texas my husband is Puerto Rican as well but white and I look like a black person and I never experience racism believed or not. I'm pro people, pro culture, and everyone else are different but still the same racism is going to keep going, but can be stop by you in some ways. I can not label people as OCTOBERTHEHOTTIE say and quote "so moves latinos to take their place" That just racial. and because we have an accent, that not mean were are less we can speak two languages because that the reward when you come to do your best in this contry. No every latino is a thug, gang member, is a lot the good people in latinos, white, blacks, asians, jews ect, ect, ect....

Nope, as the African-American community becomes ever more an equal part of the community, so moves in the Latinos to take their place. Hmm, reading the responses though, I didn't realize there is still so much going against black people. The sad part is it isn't just about hate. I don't hate, so therefor I don't feel I am racist, but I will say that when it comes to foreigners, when it is hard for me to understand them and it seems the lines of communication are jumbled, I feel myself closing off, turning away, wanting to not deal with the problem and just wanting to 'deal' with someone I relate to better. That is no better than hate, it still causes hurt feelings and I would think that is where all this got started in the first place. It is hard, I myself cannot do it, but until we can really get on a level to legitimately feel equal to someone on the inside as well, beyond all limitations, then yes, this problem will go on...

I hope so but am not really optimistic. It is so "in your face" in the south, but exists EVERYWHERE. I live in NYC with my black husband and I know that he experiences it all the time. It makes me soo sad and scared for my daughter who will arrive in February. We hestitate to move elsewhere, because we know that it would be worse in other regions. This question is one that pains my heart EVERY DAY.

i don't think there will ever be a cure for racism because there would first have to be a cure for ignorance. i've lived in the south for 3 years now, spending the first 20 years of my life in new york, and while i'm not saying racism is only here....the type of towns that are inhabited by nobody other than klan members and uneducated rednecks, ate everywhere down here. nobody new is going in to these places; the already hateful racists, permanently set in their ways, just come out and share their ignorance with others. as long as places like that exist, racism always will as well. i don't really see how that could be changed... unless we quarantined those areas... even when they all get old and die off, they've already raised an army just like them.

@caboose Michigan

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Racism; in this day and age?

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Yes, death. Only when we die will we come to a place where we can look past our learned prejudices and moral failings. I wish this was sarcasm, but it's not.

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No. So long as we have ignorance, we can't get rid of racism. Irritating, but true.

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Nope. Been going on for centuries. we humans have always got to have a target, known as "the other".

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No, because people are stupid and ignorant and are stuck living with their parent's ideologies of what our world should be. It's disgusting.

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Racism; in this day and age?

Yes, death. Only when we die will we come to a place where we can look past our learned prejudices and moral failings. I wish this was sarcasm, but it's not.

No. So long as we have ignorance, we can't get rid of racism. Irritating, but true.

Nope. Been going on for centuries. we humans have always got to have a target, known as "the other".

No, because people are stupid and ignorant and are stuck living with their parent's ideologies of what our world should be. It's disgusting.

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