I, Racist
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I, Racist
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Re: I, Racist
#2Uh, this is like a blatantly reverse-racist article.
Re: I, Racist
#3Point is well argued and carries a lot of weight. It's uncomfortable reading.
As a white person coming from the UK to the US, I noticed a stark contrast in black participation in society between the two countries. While not claiming Britain is perfect, my metropolitan southern experience included a lot of black people on an equal or senior footing on various axes of professional, financial, social, etc. That experience simply didn't carry across to the major east coast city I moved to. It is unusual for me to interact with black people at client meetings, in my middle class neighborhood, when I need professional advice from a doctor or a lawyer, really anywhere other than public transport or as a customer of a service function.
While I can't discount that my ignorance of any racial tension around non white people in England was a simple function of youthful naivety, I'm absolutely more aware of 'difference' now I live in the US and I'm a lot less comfortable as a result.
In short, it's obvious to me on a superficial level that the black experience in the USA is pretty bad, but this article is a deeper look at something that's quite hard to confront.
Re: I, Racist
#4Uh, this is like a blatantly reverse-racist article.
Ironically, your comment is the reason the article was written.
Re: I, Racist
#5Uh, this is like a blatantly reverse-racist article.
Feel free to explain why please.
Re: I, Racist
#6> White people do not think in terms of we. White people have the privilege to interact with the social and political structures of our society as individuals. You are “you,” I am “one of them.” Whites are often not directly affected by racial oppression even in their own community, so what does not affect them locally has little chance of affecting them regionally or nationally. They have no need, nor often any real desire, to think in terms of a group. They are supported by the system, and so are mostly unaffected by it.
This explains why some are moved deeply by things that occurred to strangers. The obvious solution would be to help all people view themselves more as individuals rather than belonging to this or that cultural identity. This includes less personal identification with any group as well as viewing others as individuals.
Unfortunately, the power players that make a living off racial tensions would prefer to keep it that way to maintain their influence.
Re: I, Racist
#7 White people have the privilege to interact with the social
and political structures of our society as individuals. You
are “you,” I am “one of them.”
Re: I, Racist
#8What I have been noticing is that a large number of people seem to be redefining "racism" and "racist".
"Or even worse, we’re told that we are being racist (Does any intelligent person actually believe a systematically oppressed demographic has the ability to oppress those in power?)"
People are adding the requirement that to be racist or racism that an oppression element must coexist with the thought or behavior[1][2]. That's not completely true. An element of superiority or inferiority must exist. An oppressed person can still be racist is they believe they are superior to their oppressors.
The comment from the story above turns people off and away from hearing what is being said because it is offensive and a fallacy.
EDIT: formatting
EDIT: Clarification "(Does any intelligent person actually believe a systematically oppressed demographic has the ability to oppress those in power?)" No. But you're conflating two issues; thinking of oneself superior to another based on race and oppression. One can be racist without [directly] oppressing others. In fact, that's what the article is trying to point out.
[1] https://www.google.com/search?q=racism the belief that all members of each race possess characteristics or abilities specific to that race, especially so as to distinguish it as inferior or superior to another race or races.
Re: I, Racist
#9If whites were
1) running the country and 2) racist
then the immigration policies of this country would have kept the USA as a white majority country.
Instead, white people are becoming a minority in the USA and European countries.
"As Of Today, California No Longer Has A White Majority" http://thinkprogress.org/immigration/2013/07/01/2238421/cali...
Re: I, Racist
#10If whites were 1) running the country and 2) racist then the immigration policies of this country would have kept the USA as a white majority country. Instead, white people are becoming a minority in the USA and European countries. "As Of Today, California No Longer Has A White Majority" http://thinkprogress.org/immigration/2013/07/01/2238421/cali...
Sure, but that's couched in racist ideology: you are black (or non-white) if you have any fraction of not-white blood. As the great melting pot processes along, its inevitable that 'pure white' folks will disappear.
And that's a problem, why?