Why are people labeled racist if they don't like a groups beliefs and it has nothing to do with race?

Answer 1

Well, if clearly the dispute is over beliefs, or credo or those kinds of things, (i.e., Protestants taking issue with Catholics over religious doctrine), than it becomes obviously absurd at face value to introduce the "racism" card into the dispute.

The problem becomes a little more fuzzy when the set of beliefs in question are clearly associated with a particular ethnic group...does the objecting party only have an intellectual disagreement with claims and tenets, or is the underlying motivation for the disagreement have to do with more personal reasons?

Consider, for example a white Southerner taking issue with a group of African Americans seeking reparations for slavery - if the Southerner claims that as a matter of principle reparations are not applicable, or that the practical matters of calculating appropriate amounts, or whatever, is objectionable in principle...is that really the issue? Or does any possible underlying racial prejudice actually fuel his objections? How do you know?

That brings up the last problem - and perhaps the most troubling. Consider the example above - what happens when the group of Blacks calls the Southerner "racist"? There's no way for the Southerner to defend himself! It's the ultimate trump card in today's uber-correct culture. Even if there isn't a racist bone in the Southerner's body, and even in (in some of the most absurd, true cases), the Southerner was African American as well, there's no way to PROVE that a person isn't a racist.

This is perhaps the most damaging part of introducing the ultimate non-defensible epithet into the dialogue.

Answer 2

Good question
The reason is pretty simple.
Take a look at the example of the "group" of illegal immigrants. I don’t know of anyone who had a problem with legal immigrants no matter where they are from or what race they are.
The reason people dislike illegal immigrants is not because many of them are hispanic but because they are breaking the law and are hurting this country. But because calling someone a criminalist (like racist but against criminals) wont score you many points or win the public to your side. So those in favor of illegal immigrants simple play the race card and hope the majority of people are too stupid, or not paying enough attention to see the truth.

Answer 3

Give a specific example,
or an instance using specifics that you felt didn't merit the lable.

for all i know, you could be right,
or completely wrong.

Racism has taken on a new form, as it is not ok to out in the open about it with Blacks,
it slowly is with Latinos because of immgration and

definetly with arabs and people of middle eastern backgrounds.
we have entered an age where raghead is becoming more common a term.


so you were saying...

Answer 4

Because racism is easy to understand. When people believe one point of view strongly enough, it just seems so obviously right to them that they can't fathom any decent, sane person having a different point of view. So rather than trying to see the issue from a different perspective, they find it easier to simply label the other person as stupid, racist, or whatever.

Answer 5

Because people fail to figure out that a "RACist" is someone who discriminates other people based on their RACE and not other things.

Answer 6

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Answer 7

Ignorant people use a lot of terms without knowing what they mean. They blindly follow a line of thought, without applying any of THEIR own thought.

It is another form of mob mentality.

Look and "worldwise1"s example. She strikes out, even using the very same word you question. She neither read your questian before jumping in, nor uses the term in its proper use. She sees others, in Yahoo Answers, striking out and feels it is perfectly appropriate for her to do so.

It is a knee jerk reaction. (I don't mean to use THIS term in any personal way, but let us see if she, or others jump on the term, "jerk.")

Answer 8

If you don't like a group's beliefs, for example, if you hate the what a religious faith teaches, you have a right not to like it. But, if you say that all who believe in that religion are stupid, that's being stereotypical, which I like to closely link to prejudice and racism.

Answer 9

Ignorance.

Answer 10

Because we live in a stupid sociaty...which calle's itself civilized! If I say that Hungarians are bad people, I would be called a rasist...but if you met such people then you would know what I'm talking about...people in general just interpret things...they don't have a clue about what the real thing is, but they give their opinion..