If I was wearing a tee shirt that said "My life matters. If you're not wearing a mask, stay away from me.", and you read it,

You deserve Asker’s Pick. 

~

Thanks. :)

OK

You don't wear a mask? Shocking. Oh, yeah...I forgot.

Very few cases in my county. We are still under 50 total. Less than 1/2 active. Now if I have to travel to a hot spot...yes I would wear one. 

 

 “ . . . the more coloured a person is . . . ”

No human beings have transparent skin, none are colorless.  All human beings are pigmented, even Caucasian people. I know that you’re Australian and the word “coloured” is or may be acceptable there when referring to some people’s race, ethnicity or skin colour. In the US, however, it has been out of favor for a few decades, and its use today is considered both insulting and demeaning. 

“ . . . the darker a person is . . . ”

Or

“ . . . the darker a person‘s skin/pigmentation is . . . ”

~

 

Sorry, Randy. I didn't mean to use offensive terminology, and I'll take care to use the correct descriptors in future.
I made the mistake because I've often heard the term used in America films and T.V. Clearly, because I don't live there, I've missed nuances of meaning.

Here, if we need to refer to someone's geographic origins, we name the place or culture they come from rather than their colour.
It's okay here to refer to someone as a blackfella (friendly), black person, Aborigine or Torres Strait Islander -- but only if one doesn't know where they come from. And it has nothing to do with colour. Many Aborigines are white to look at and you'd never know unless you know their familial identity. If you do know, you call them by the name of their mob (tribe). A Gunditjmara person has family who comes from the Western Districts of Victoria. A Bundjalung person comes from family from around where I live - but will also identify with a local-familial sub-group such as Ngarakwal, Githabul or Midjunbul.

I agree that most people's skin has some pigment, and even different kinds of pigments.

It would be irrelevant and silly of me to mention albinos because of their rarity, and because they too are often persecuted for their lack of pigment.

We're a weird species, we humans.
The USA may have plenty of racism, but then there is also racism in just about every other country in the world. I don't know of one that isn't afflicted with it.
I believe education and working and living together full-time is the best answer --
but honestly, I know I don't know enough.
I wish there was a permanent and universal cure for all forms of hatred and prejudice.

 

  Thank you for your caring response filled with detailed information that helps lead to more understanding on my end also.  At no point did I think you were being offensive nor intentionally using offensive language, because as I stated, cultural differences between countries is a reality, and you are not directly aware of all the nuances and idiosyncrasies of life here.  [When I was in Perth, an Australian man was addressing me and my buddy, a Mexican-American man, and made a reference to a tourist attraction that was far from the city.  He said, “It’s so far out that you’d need a black tracker to find it.”  I didn’t even catch what he had said or what he meant, it’s an expression that doesn’t exist in the US, but the man’s wife lost all the colour on her face and made her husband apologize to us. Had she not mentioned anything, I never would have even noticed what he had said.]

  I can only imagine what types of horrors are broadcast worldwide from US movies and television  programs that give inaccurate or embarrassing perspectives of life here (The Jerry Springer Show immediately springs to mind).  Prior to the 1970s (approximation), the word “colored” was in common use, in the 1950s and before, it was “Negro”. If there are media images that project either of those, I’m willing to bet they are older programs. 

~

Thanks, Randy.
I've tried to edit my original post in line with your advice.
Would you mind checking it for me?
If I could would it better, would you tell me how to improve it?
It would also help for my future posts.

 

  Wow, that is extremely conscientious of you to even consider editing it, and even more so that you carried it out. I had not expected you to do that based on what I wrote, I feel out of place because your words are your words. Like I stated, culturally and in line with customs and societal norms, your wording may be appropriate in its setting there, but I do admit that on the receiving end here, it cut close to the quick personally. 
  Having stated all of that, and after reading your edited version, I really have to hand it to you, it’s beautifully rewritten, such to the point that now I believe that I should delete all of my posts that followed it!  No vestiges of what I discussed remain in the edited version, making my protestations echo off of empty walls. Pay me no mind on that, I will reserve deleting until I hear from you or others if you believe it’s warranted. Whether I delete anything or not, all of what you and I have written here can possibly be of assistance to many other people, opening up perspectives that perhaps they had not considered previously. 

~

I think it's best to leave the whole record.
Who knows when someone might stumble across it and learn something about the power of language?
I considered leaving the original post unedited for that reason - but then decided that, on balance, an edit would be more beneficial.
I'm immensely grateful to you for engaging in this discussion in this public forum.
I think it shows how people with different cultural experiences can come to understand and appreciate each other better...
and I think the whole world needs that.
warmly, Manna

Twenty-one murders in our city this year. 18 black victims...18 black perps. Black lives matter? To whom?

Ele, I'm shocked at hearing this from you.
You've had the education to know that cherry-picking is false logic.

Check out the statistics in this research: 
https://www.statista.com/statistics/737690/number-of-racist-hate-crime-victims-in-the-us-by-race/

Or have a look at the US govt's own database on crimes of whites against people with darker pigment. It clearly shows that per capita, darker people are 3 times more often murdered or violated by whites than whites are.

You might live in an area where there is relatively little anti-Semitism (I don't know). But I would imagine that if you were to remember back through the centuries during which Jews have faced pogroms, the Holocaust, and persecutions of all kinds, you would have to agree that Christians (and in certain circumstances Muslims) have treated them as if Jewish lives don't matter.

The issue for African-Americans is exactly the same. This post was edited by inky at July 2, 2020 3:58 PM MDT

Black people are overwhelmingly killed by other blacks.  This applies the same way to the other races as well. Whites also are killed by other whites. And Hispanics are killed by other Hispanics. 

The difference is blacks make up on about 13%  of the population. (Thanks to Planned Parenthood abortions) But nearly 1/2 of the murders victims each year and about 90% of the perps are black. 

https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2018/crime-in-the-u.s.-2018/tables/expanded-homicide-data-table-6.xls This post was edited by my2cents at July 2, 2020 11:50 AM MDT

I meant it as a statement of the lack of respect amongst blacks themselves. My brother-in-law, who is black, agrees with me.

Are you sure it's among blacks themselves? I mean, is skin pigmentation a factor or motive in violence between African Americans? 
When a white murders a white, we don't say it was due to lack of respect - although when it's domestic abuse of husband against wife it usually has sexism and hyper-macho values at its root.

Rather, when violence and murder is within a particular group, the causes usually track to drugs, mental illness, or extreme stress induced by multiple factors but often a bi-product of long term poverty.

It is not so simple as pigmentation. Anyone whose ancestry is from Africa is considered an African-American. My brother-in-law is very dark. My nephew and niece are very light, but are still 'black' in America. The crime is caused by many factors...mainly economics, drugs and gang activity. Where is the respect for life when a black man shoots another. This also goes for whites. Unfortunately 75% of the violent crimes in this city are blacks on blacks. I only state specifics. I know the Jews have a long history of discrimination...but I don't dwell on it.

Exactly - it's not so simple as pigmentation.

We do know it's racist when someone says racist things while committing an act of racism.
We also know it's racism when systems are set up to discriminate against people of other races.
And we know it's racism when the statistics are clearly and consistently skewed in ways that are disportionate.

But most violence has rage at its source. And one must ask where does such rage come from? What external pressures create it? And what internal thought processes and beliefs enflame it?

Most anger is not racist.
But among people who are full of rage and hate, racism and other forms of prejudice are a common problem.

The factors are entwined and complex.

 

  This actually opens up a whole other can of worms.  Among some black Americans, there is extreme and bitter, divisiveness over the topic of darker-medium-lighter skin. It can get as ugly as not wanting to intermarry, snobbishness in workplaces, etc. 
~