Who defines racism - the racist or the victim?

Question

I've seen questions and answers from those who profess to be 'not racist'. Do these people have the privilege to tell their victims what they should term racist? Do they really know how their actions affect the victims of racism? Are they really that clueless?

Answer 1

The victims define it, the racist is the source. Some are clueless the evil ones know what they are doing.

Answer 2

The sad part is when a person (the racist) ask a question about minorities(the victims) They only choose the best answerer that agrees with them which shows racism because the one that they have chosen made a racist offensive remark shown hypocrisy. I believe the victim defines racism because they have experienced well enough to know. Minorities are being stereotyped or profiled on Y! answers. Racism still exist unfortunately. These people do not have privileges to tell any minorities on whether how the term racism is used and done. They don't realize their action therefore they are clueless on whether they have hurt or offended minorities and some just don't care. Shalom

Answer 3

This could go both ways, depending on the mental strength of each party (racist/victim). If a person is allegedly a racist, then they may define what they are racist against. However, if a person is being discriminated against and may prove it, they are defining racism. If a person feels they are being discriminated against but cannot prove it, and more than a second party view the matter differently, perhaps they are only picturing the situation that way, when the truth is the latter, in which case, the "racist" is defining racism (e.g. "it's cause im black", and the "racist" person answers, "no, it is because you are inappropriately dressed or being a disturbance, or something of the like)

Answer 4

I don't think one should characterize "these people" as clueless. That is very stereotypical in itself! Victims might actually be over-reacting in some instances. However, I guess I really think racism is defined maybe ~75% by the "victim" and ~25% by the "racist", perpetrator, or truly innocent person. However, I also think we should all try to practice tolerance, not looking to injure others with our beliefs, words, or actions, but also not expecting racist actions, words, or beliefs from everyone we encounter. Open-mindedness; tolerance; caring for everyone: those are the things that would serve all of us.

Answer 5

Ooohhh, good question. In my humble opinion, if you have not been exposed to racism, you might not perceive a particular act as being discriminatory, while someone who has been subject to racism, may view the same set of circumstances and see an act of racism. I also believe those terms are used to freely today, and care should be taken before someone is labeled a racist or racism played a role in an event. I've seen a post on a message board where someone believed he was being discriminated against because a woman posted an ad that she was attracted to blond hair/blue eyed men. I do not see racism or even discrimination there, to me it is a matter of personal preference. However, this person says he has been exposed to discrimination his whole life and just sees this as another form of it. If a woman turned me down because she is attracted to dark hair and olive skin, I would not consider this an act of discrimination nor would Iabel her a racist. However, I do have blond hair and blue eyes, and have never experienced racism before, so I cannot equate it to past experiences. But what if I grew up on the short end of racism. Would I view this as another form of it? This is the point I tried to make in my opening paragraph. I'd like to hear thoughts on this. Regards all!

Answer 6

neither, society does. And everyone is a victim of racism and a racist at the same time. Just because someone asks a question that you find offensive does not mean they are trying to offend you, but are looking for an answer. If you give them an honest answer, and tell them that the question offends you and why, they will stop asking racist questions.

Answer 7

The impartial observer = me
A lot in life is opinion, but I think any logical person raised in a un-prejudiced household can see its just skin and ideas but unfortunately any one can be brain washed if it starts at an early age and gets reinforced by friends and misfortunate events, it doesn’t mean their definition is right, I think that racism is the one thing we can be sure isn’t opinion, its fact (the fact being the racists are completely wrong), racism is racism on the racists or the victims side.

Answer 8

As early as January, the state Air Resources Board is expected to overhaul its regulations, moving away from electric cars and emphasizing promising new technologies instead. Which would be like very clean gas engines that produce very little smog. The new technologies, which were not anticipated when the electric-vehicle program began in 1990, are just now beginning to come into their own. Despite the failure to produce electric cars, the progress on other fronts has buoyed hopes that ultra clean, if not battery-powered, cars are on the horizon.

This relates to economics because it is dealing with the factor of cost. Like how much is all of this testing and experimenting going to cost. I bet it will cost a lot and that a lot of the taxpayer’s money will probly go towards this effort in making better air quality cars. The opportunity cost that these people will have to endeavor will be horrendous. Because lets say they mess up on something that cost a lot, then they will have to take the other route in which they had to give up in order to take that route in the first place. I wouldn’t say that there is scarcity of knowledge with dealing with this new car technology. These people are well trained and know what has to be done in order to get a finished product out that will actually work and make a car better and more gasoline efficient. As well as air quality. The labor will be tremendous. The work hours will be incredible, because the design of an air quality machine is going to be very hard to think up.

I think that the air quality idea is a good one. I live up on a hill, and it seems that that is where all of the smog accumulates and stays trapped. It’s terribly bad for your lungs and so that means it cant be good for you. They should especially design those for bid trucks and buses because it seems to me that those vehicles produce the most smog and pollutants into the atmosphere. So hopefully the new clean air engines will be out soon so we can all breath cleaner.

Answer 9

ok I was putting away laundry watching tv and some show was on, this little black kid came home from school and said I want to be white. so the parents freaked and tried to change the kids mind about it. they played a game about black history all well and good. the next day the kids goes to school and starts telling all the white kids they are gonna die if they go in the sun because they aren't black and the white skin doesn't protect them from the sun. black people are so much better than white people because black people invented everything. the principal of the school calls the parents and the mother freaks out again and calls a black politicion and naacp and a whole bunch of other people. they get there and the principal says that the little boy was telling all the other little kids how much better black people are blah blah. my point being that the parents freak out cuz they think its something racial against black people and as it turns out the black kid caused the problem. they televise racism as a joke and in my opinion black people take racism so much harder than anyone else.

I work with a black guy who constantly makes jokes about the kkk and all this other crap. yet one time I made a joke about him and you would think I killed his kids. so its not I'm the victim of racism its the fact that black people will blow it out of proportion from time to time. I'm not racist I hate equally. I make jokes about everyone. I think black people take it harder because of slavery and 400 years of oppression. well I'm sorry but I didn't own a slave nor do I want one and I think since the 400 years are long over they should let it go. If my opinion doesn't sit well with you I'm sorry but its my opinion and last time I checked we are all entitled to one. there is no victim of racism there are buttholes and cry babies

Answer 10

I think the Victim defines racism. Most racists are clueless....