every on is racist i believe its the level of extremity that is the problem?

Answer 1

No, everyone is prejudice in one way or another. Not everyone is racist.

Prejudice can be based upon any criteria that the subject sees fit, but racism is strictly a prejudice of race.

I am not the slightest bit racist, but I am quite prejudice against individuals that violate what I hold as my personal moral/ethical code.

Answer 2

This is a tricky one.

I think human beings are constructed psychologically to be wary of strangers. This is a survival mechanism from long ago - if you live in a cave you don't want to invite just anyone in in case they beat you to death with a mammoth bone.

I think racism probably has it roots in there somewhere.

Everyone is a bit wary of everyone else until you get to know them. And I think the more similar someone is to you maybe the quicker you will trust them (because you've never had problems with that sort of person before).

I think the crucial thing is to separate out what you may feel from what you do.

You may well feel a bit apprehensive when faced with someone who is very different from you. But so long as that is just a feeling inside your head it is harming no one.

Racism arises when people feel afraid or threatened and take it out on a person who is different. There is never any excuse for that.

Answer 3

Yes, I think you are right, I think we are all racist to a degree, it is the level of our individual racism, our attitude toward it, and what we do about it that matters most.

I think people misunderstand the term racism. For me racism refers to a preference of one race over another and/or a level of ignorance of one race or another.

From this position it seems pretty obvious to me that it is nigh on impossible to not be racist to some degree, for most though the level is relatively low. The issue here is what people do with their level of racism, do they keep it in check and challenge it as appropriate, or do they foster their feelings and defend their prejudice?

The bigger issue here I think is that people automatically equate the terms racist and racism to more extreme displays that few of us are guilty of such as people openly vilifying a racial group, or abusing people on grounds of race, these are extreme examples. So when people here the word racism directed toward them, they react strongly feeling attacked as if they were an offensive bigot.

Answer 4

We humans tend to associate ourselves more with people who have similar physical features and cultural behavior. So race is one of most important factors that binds us (or divides us, the way you look at it). Other but less infleuntial factors are religion, nationality, etc. So it is vey common for people to prefer their own race than another.

Racism is slightly different. It is the belief that people of a different race are by some reason inferior and should be subjected to a different treatment from another race. It means different laws, different public facilities and different social stature simply because of gentic makeup. The segregation in the south and apartheid in South Africa is racism. Abercrombie not having black or asian models is not.

Most of what is now accused as racism is in fact just prejudice. That doesn't mean that we should condone it. The progress of human society is actually the empowerment of individuality and freeing us from our genetics, nationality and culture, everything that we did not get to choose for ourselves

Answer 5

I agree with you. I don't see how we cannot be. I'm not English and although I have good friends here, there is a difference. And it doesn't bother me particularly.
I think we are all aware of the differences in other people. Its when we treat them with disrespect because of those differences that it becomes prejudice. Redheads come to mind, besides the more obvious black/white, Muslim/Jew, Christian/Atheist. How can anyone make another person's life a misery because they have red hair is totally beyond me.

Answer 6

Really? I would have thought it was just an excuse because whoever was offended. If no offense was taken is it really racism? For example if I called you a cracker does that mean you are salty on the outside, you crack easy and are flaky or soggy when exposed to liquid?

Answer 7

speak for yourself! Being biased and prejudiced is different from being racist my friend!

Racism: "The belief in the superiorty of one race over another"

PS: there is no such thing as a super race!

I, on one hand, I'm not racist! and I know alot of people who aren't! Know what? you need to experience more of the world... get to know more poeple... and avoid those "drinking buddies/ ignorant philosopher friends" that helped come up with such an OUTRAGEOUS idea!

Good luck :)

Answer 8

I do half agree with you and then again i dont. First of all you can't say every1 is racist because you haven't met evry1 in the world so you cant catogerize them as racist. Although I do believe that extremists do affect people's opinions of religions as they might think that group/religion is bad because of the extremists belonging to that ethnic group/religion.

Answer 9

nah, i don't belive everyone is racist. i think most of it is just insult slinging like when 2 opposing football team squaring off. if some steelers fan calls patriot fans pinheads, then me a steelers fan is going to call a patriot fan a mfer, the same applies to racism.

Answer 10

You might just be right! Some people are racist within their own race 2!