Are you racist?

[Maguspk]

Nowhere in my post did I say he wasn't black but it's extremely interesting you seem to think I implied it by addressing his light skin tone. I was discussing colorism, it's role in relation to racism, and how even if he does become president it doesn't mean racism is absent from all aspects of society, including but not limited to, presidential elections.

Just because a man with a freakin light tan (note he's light black not dark black, colorism is definitely a big role in his success) might be president doesn't mean that America doesn't harbor racist thoughts.

So that was two separate thoughts in one sentence? Saying he 'has a light tan' is implying that he's not black, last time I checked.

And this colorism thing...lol. If you're going to bring up some idea like that at least back it up with something... anything, really.

I guess you just aren't familiar with the idea of colorism since you think it has to be qualified even when the word "racism" is thrown around without any need for qualification... but hey, I'll play:

With colorism, usually lighter skin tones are preferred and darker skin is considered less desirable although it is possible for the opposite to also be true. An example of this phenomenon in the United States occurs in African-American communities, where it is often called color consciousness. In the U.S., the phenomenon also occurs in other populations, such as among Chicanos and other Latinos and Indian immigrants.

Also labelled as colorism, but rarely discussed, is the phenomenon of darker skinned people discriminating against lighter tones within the same ethnic group. This most often occurs in African-American communities. It seems to stem from residual anger from perceived historical discrimination against those with darker skin tones by those with lighter skin, who were often favored by white people dating back to slavery. While colorism still exist in the U.S. it has greatly diminished since the black power movements.

Also saying someone is a light tan or has a light tan doesn't mean they are any less "black". This only further exemplifies the ignorance among the majority, apparently. OMG Black people can be tan too? No Wai!

[Maxxthepenguin]

rofl colorism talk about shit that nobody really cares about

[Andarvi]

rofl colorism talk about shit that nobody really cares about

I can speak from experience that everything that colorism post speaks about is 100% true in some instances and that unfortunately a lot of people (black in my case) care about it.

[Maxxthepenguin]

Ok, I'll bite, tell me about it. From the outside it seems like one of two things: A) Black people saying somebody 'isnt black enough' only this time being literal or B) Another way for black people to victimize themselves (see: the story about my boss and what he told me)

[Andarvi]

Ok, I'll bite, tell me about it. From the outside it seems like one of two things: A) Black people saying somebody 'isnt black enough' only this time being literal or B) Another way for black people to victimize themselves (see: the story about my boss and what he told me)

You're pretty close. I am half white/half black, am very light skinned, and have got quite a bit of shit from certain cliques of black girls on my campus for not dating black girls in college. They used to say shit like "he only dates white girls" when in my college career I have only dated an Indian girl and a Chinese girl on campus. As far as they were concerned, if the girl I wasnt dating wasnt black, she wasnt right, and may as well be white. Funny thing is my mom is white, but they obviously dont give a shit.

All im saying is that in many black communities, both ghetto and educated (moreso ghetto in my experience), black women especially have issues with black men dating outside their race, which is at times phrased as "not being black enough" as you say.

[Demosthenes]

"he only dates white girls"

I get that a lot, and I go "No you fucktards, I only date people that speak proper english." If you cannot speak it, you will never meet my mother. If you will never meet my mother or anyone in my family, then I'm not even going to waste my time dating your broken english speaking ass.

[Faris]

I was called "faggot" "Poof" "Lebo" "dirty arab" "nigel" blahblah a ton in high school and once again, "Ok, you called me a fag, now what?" happened. The people kept saying it in attempt to insult but it just wasn't working so eventually they stopped, some would look for a different word to keep going, but I just felt sorry for them since nothing was really working.

I'm sorry, but i disagree with this. If people are throwing rude, racist comments at you just because the way you look, and you take it, does not make it right. They are the ones with the problem, I cant possibly just walk away if some random dude calls me a dirty arab or any rude shit, in the intention to insult me.

Why not confront them? I mean it doesnt have to be physical.

I strongly disagree with the attitude of: "I'm not wrong if you just accept it"
On a wider scale, if we imply that attitude on other issues, "Hey, its not wrong if i fuck your wife. She obviously wants me, so why not just accept it"

or "Hey, its not wrong, im just going to kick you in the nads, just take it as fate, and accept it"

Respect for other people, and their feelings, i call it.

[archibaldcrane]

Feeble attempt at rerail:

I answered yes. I don't have the belief that one race is superior to others, hell I don't even mutter things about "fucking niggers/spics/whatever" under my breath when an ignorant or obnoxious member of a race acts in a stereotypical manner. I understand that from a genetic point of view the differences between the races are largely superficial. When people exhibit cultural leanings, my expectations change given what I have experienced given others who exhibit similar cultural behavior, but it's not particularly tied to race.

I am, however, very racially conscious. People talk about being colorblind - I'm the opposite. I can be slightly neurotic about all things, overthinking situations, analyzing how I act and what I think, when, and why. I notice color, not as a passive "I could describe you as being of a certain race after you leave the room" but actively pingponging around in my head when I'm with people who aren't white.

I try to ameliorate my brain activity by talking with people - I not only am very racially conscious, but I am constantly interested in how people perceive race and racism, and I discuss it frequently and without filter.

All that being said, I also have a gut - an instinct, not regulated by rational thought, not something I can "enlighten" away, and in that instinct my brain and body respond. It's a primal thing - anxiousness, fear, these things are elicited in certain situations with certain non-white people, and I know that race is playing a role in my response. Through certain experiences in my life my instincts developed to this point. It's unfortunate, but it's real.

I wrote a book of a post about that in a thread last month here.

[Demosthenes]

Why not confront them? I mean it doesnt have to be physical.

While I am no expert on racism, I can see how that would not work. Ignorant people will be ignorant regardless of if you are talking to them or not. Personally I've only experienced racism once, and it was from another group of black people. "Look at that nigger trying to act all white." It hit me like a wall. Since when was there a way to act speak, and dress black? Heaven forbid that I come from another culture and I act the way I was raised, prim and proper. OH LAWD! I must be trying to act white. Am I supposed to forsake everything I have learned and forget how to speak my language to fit in? Am I supposed to wear my pants at my ankles to be accepted? Oh wait, I really don't give two shits what people think of me.

[Tour]

Feeble attempt at rerail:

I answered yes. I don't have the belief that one race is superior to others, hell I don't even mutter things about "fucking niggers/spics/whatever" under my breath when an ignorant or obnoxious member of a race acts in a stereotypical manner. I understand that from a genetic point of view the differences between the races are largely superficial. When people exhibit cultural leanings, my expectations change given what I have experienced given others who exhibit similar cultural behavior, but it's not particularly tied to race.

I am, however, very racially conscious. People talk about being colorblind - I'm the opposite. I can be slightly neurotic about all things, overthinking situations, analyzing how I act and what I think, when, and why. I notice color, not as a passive "I could describe you as being of a certain race after you leave the room" but actively pingponging around in my head when I'm with people who aren't white.

I try to ameliorate my brain activity by talking with people - I not only am very racially conscious, but I am constantly interested in how people perceive race and racism, and I discuss it frequently and without filter.

All that being said, I also have a gut - an instinct, not regulated by rational thought, not something I can "enlighten" away, and in that instinct my brain and body respond. It's a primal thing - anxiousness, fear, these things are elicited in certain situations with certain non-white people, and I know that race is playing a role in my response. Through certain experiences in my life my instincts developed to this point. It's unfortunate, but it's real.

I wrote a book of a post about that in a thread last month here.

Yes! I can relate to this a lot

I wrote a longer post but I'm going to pare it down a lot...

I used to think that I wasn't racist growing up, because I was a product of white, suburban school systems that prided themselves on teaching diversity. I've come to find that diversity isn't something that you can learn in a classroom, though. I was very comfortable being raised with the idea that everyone was equal and essentially the same, because, honestly, when they throw on that "essentially the same" bit at the end, it's not very hard to accept anyone. Moving into my adult life, and away from the comfort of abstraction, I find a completely different situation.

I've learned a lot about how different "essentially the same" can be, after finding myself in an interracial relationship (it's surprising how interracial white and half non-white can be). In all honesty, I had no idea what that term really meant before I was smack dab in it, and even now I recognize that I'm in the shallow end of a much bigger (deeper, murkier, et al) pool. Since then, it's been a slow awakening process, some of it good, some of it bad, some of it indifferent. I've found myself developing prejudices in a former job - I learned to expect a particular race to be more demanding than others. I also noticed, though exposure, that I didn't like a particular accent that's common in the area. I'm sure there are a slew of other little prejudices I've picked up along the way to eradicating the fallacy of "essentially the same", but it all comes down to these, the conscious but ultimately harmless judgements, are more serving as the hallmarks of understanding and gaining experience with other cultures, rather than a system of thought used to discriminate against them. In other words, though I recognize these little things, I don't let them effect me.

All that out of the way, I still think that I am racist. It has nothing to do with the petty prejudices I listed above, and comes closer to what Archibald describes in his "gut". I know that every day when I walk to campus, I'll come to a particular shop with several hispanic men standing outside, on either side of the sidewalk. Each and every time, unless I consciously try otherwise, I'll get genuinely nervous when passing them. I like to tell myself that it's just because their way of congregation is unfamiliar to me, or because I'm adverse to their "hip hop" culture, or that any men standing in the same position would have the same effect on me, but I've seen enough, and had enough other experiences by now to know that it's something much deeper. I don't revel in it. I don't like it in the least. I don't even imagine that it's harmless, like the prejudices above. It comes from a place of fear; racist fear that I know consciously is groundless, but still have a very hard time overcoming. Of course, I'm not trying to say that every time I see a non-white person I clutch my bag and cross to the opposite side of the street. Like every other guilty white person, I can point to a multi-ethnic rainbow of friends. The fact is, though, when I'm in a position where I feel vulnerable, the race of the people that I come across do have an effect on how those feelings play themselves out. I hate it, I really and truly do, but I can't seem to shake it from my subconscious. No matter that I won't act on it, no matter that I ignore it, no matter that I try to suppress it at every chance that I get, the feeling still comes unbidden when I would love to do nothing but forget about it. So yeah, I'm racist. Go go anonymous internet to get that out.

[archibaldcrane]

Tour - who are you on Midgard? I played there from NA PC launch til August of '07 or so (then worldshifted).

Erm, nm, I see a "Tour" on ffxiah, I assume that's you and we never met.

Anyway, it's nice to see my experience mirrored by someone else. Refreshing I guess.

[Deejay]

Tour, theres nothing wrong with getting scared around ghetto people. I wouldn't call that racism, lol.

Edit: Maybe what i'm trying to say is that it's not the fact that they're part of another race, maybe it's because they're just not putting out a "good" image in your eyes? If the 4 hispanic men were standing with blu tooth, PDA's, and a brand new suits would you have felt weird?

[Correction]

People are lying to themselves in this poll. The 'yes I'm racist' vote should still be winning by a lot, no matter where you're from.

[Creeps]

A little late to the party but lol @ people still working on their 4 year degrees calling a fucking LINGUISTICS PROFESSOR an idiot.

Edit: Also, I'm Irish and know the history of my heritage in America. The Irish were treated like shit by everyone too, having to work our way out of indentured servitude, not being able to find work, being beat up, spit on and abused, but I don't get offended if someone calls me a mick or makes fun of me being Irish. Do you know why? BECAUSE IT WAS HUNDREDS OF FUCKING YEARS AGO. You people seriously need to get over yourselves with this whole "nigger" thing. Guess what? You aren't the only race in history that's been oppressed. This shit is infuriating to me because it's basic logic that meanings of words change over time. The N bomb doesn't mean anything remotely close to what it meant in the past. Black people have gotten more shit from the government and US population than any other group of people, and for what? Because your ancestors were abused and put into slavery in 1840? Where's the damn reparations for the Irish then? Why isn't Egypt paying for the Jews to go to college? I hate all of you for making me even think about this.

[Deejay]

Creeps, just stop posting.

[sunb1ind]

I can't believe he tried to make a comparison of his Irish "oppression" to slavery...

[Creeps]

lol, of course the two biggest morons on these boards oppose me. And for your information, I wasn't "comparing" Irish oppression to slavery, I was comparing the idea of being offended this far in the future from the events.

You two seriously need to evaluate who is really ignorant in this thread.

Also sunb1ind, you've proven yourself to be fucking retarded many times over on these boards. No one takes you seriously here. Do yourself a favor and just shuffle off.

[Izzy]

Not racist, but I am biased against certain lifestyles.

White, Black, Orange, Purple: If you come up to me and threaten to "Lynch me and tie me up to your 4x4 while you watch NASCAR" or "Pump my cracka ass full of 9mm from yo glock", I'm going to hate you both equally.

[sunb1ind]

I was comparing the idea of being offended this far in the future from the events.

Like I said, I can't believe you're trying to compare the two.

[Charla]

Well duh it doesn't mean the same thing these days.

Then it meant: I'm better than you and I want to feel important
Now it means: I'm a retard and I want to feel important for the next 8 seconds until I get shot.

Go ahead and argue about smaller differences if you want, I'll keep on not getting shot, thanks.