Because home is just home. When you travel, you notice how differently other people live. For example, you might know that Atlanta is 2/3 black, so it's a bit of a surprise to go to the ballet and only whites show up. Blacks go to the public park and play boom boxes. There were so many blacks carrying boom boxes that the city passed a law to ban amplified music in the parks. They still have concerts, acoustic instruments only, and only whites show up for them.
Ive lived in the South East for 30 years and all I dont see any racism here. I was standing in the grocery check out line the other day and this black guy standing behind me picked up a magazine and said, Rosane Bar sure got a lot of heat for a lot of nothing. Its all those whining Democrats that are trying to conjure up all this race hate in our country, and it aint gonna work. We both looked at each other and laughed, then he said, Isnt Trump doing a great job? I said, I think he is, then we both smiled at each other. The far left are trying to start a race war that isnt going to start. Weve come too far to go back now. It just makes them look like idiots, like everything else they do . They truly are an embarrassment to this country. They hate the United States and our President. Its laughable how ignorant they make themselves look on a daily basis.
To be fair, it can be difficult to see (or experience) negative behaviors such as racism if/when they are not perpetrated against you, against your group, or against your subgroup. Racism doesn't resonate equally to outside observers in the same way it does to victims of it. For instance, to frame an analogy, many people say that men cannot empathize nor sympathize with women who are rape survivors in the same way that another woman can. I cannot personably vouch for the the validity of that premise nor can I disclaim it, because I'm not a woman. If it bares truth, however, I believe that the same concept can be applied to racism. I'm black. When I hear non-black people make statements about the absence of racism against black people, it gives me pause. It's almost (not quite, but almost) as if I were to say that no black people have negative thoughts, feelings or desires toward non-black people.
DISCLAIMER: the word "racism" does not only refer to the black race and/or only to the white race. In my response here, I write from the perspective of a black man, but that doesn't mean the word is limited to any one or two races. ~
Another good question from you.. these things do make one think... Racism, is everywhere, to a lesser or greater degree. That's not to say it's worse in some places.
As long as we acknowledge that race exists, which of course it does, then we are "racist". Which is not the same thing as using race to exclude or discriminate. Or is it? How much of exclusion and discrimination will exist only because race exists? Do we exclude and discriminate automatically even if we consciously do nothing of the sort?
Good morning.. well afternoon here.. my answer to that is.. I haven't a clue! I wasn't sure if you were making general observations or were directing them to me? If to me I must apologise as I am afraid I am unprepared as I don't really know what you mean. I think sometimes the very slight language differences can be confusing. In trying my best to answer, some very interesting points you make, whether to me or generally, I am not sure that racist is the same as recognising racism.. I really don't know whether exclusion exists only because race exists.. I think it would take a better person than me to answer that - it's abit philosophical I think.. But my feeling is that seems to be a lot of exclusion and discrimination - and if it's not race it's something else, disability, gender, sexual orientation, hair style, clothing choice.. I am not sure whether that means that human nature is just that way inclined or whether we can be better human beings and not be that way? Lastly.. your point on discrimination even if we don't know we are doing it.. I can have a stab at answering that as in the field I am being trained in, we are taught that everyone, everyone, everyone has bias and judgemental thoughts.. We, of course all think we don't... but that's the point.. it often is so ingrained, so normalised that we just don't see it.. So I can try answering.... yes, we probably do discriminate even without knowing it
Hi! I guess I was responding to all the above answers and comments but specifically your writing that "racism is everywhere". I see people just trying to live good and meaningful lives to whom even any suggestion that they are "racist" would be anathema. So I do think everyone of us can be considered "racist" just because race exists even if we choose or try not to exclude or discriminate. So I do think it is an often misleading word. Right - many people will I guess discriminate only for their own comfort because we are not comfortable with one thing about other people or another.
Thank you for explaining..I think this is quite a deep subject..I think we agree somewhat and it's just a philosophical difference rather than a fundamental one.. Racism is everywhere.. that's for sure, even in the UK where things are slightly better.. it still exists.. but where the sticking point is that I don't believe that this means we are all racists or that we are racists because race exists; they seem two different things.. This is my thinking, there is discrimination against women and against those with disability or difference... does that make us all discriminators? No.But perhaps you are saying when you say racism exists because there is race? One could think that in some way you are almost blaming other races for our racism... but I don't think you are saying that.. I think, you are saying that if there weren't other races then there would be no racism? Perhaps true but I think that people, (not all people) would always find some difference to pick on... My daughter read a book, or I read it to her where a race had evolved on a ship and all were the same... same colour, same appearance... but... then they started to pick on the very slight differences... so I guess I am saying it's something that humans perhaps do.. but that doesn't mean its ok.. it isn't and we shouldn't accept it.. I also think though that even the loveliest among us have prejudices that cause us to discriminate even without meaning to... Again maybe that's human nature but I believe we can do better.. .we are better - we just have a way to go.. Perhaps we are saying similar things, just from a slightly different angle.
As usual, people are rattling off a code word with no particular meaning to it. One person assumes it means physical violence, another assumes it means grossly different cultural patterns, and some people use the word with no implied meaning at all.
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