What makes someone a racist and why?

Question

I think the try sign of a racist is if your in an agreement and the first thing that springs to mind is to attack the person about they difference's to you - I never do that cos i think i am educated enought to find something else to say

I can see from your answer's that no one wants to be labeled a racist! However some people are ignorant enough to think that they are not when they

actually are

Answer 1

Scientifically, race means nothing but the difference between shape and skin color of humans.
That's all I have to say

Answer 2

Well, you are doing the right thing and not bashing their brains in just because they are different from you....
There are only two reasons that I can think of, why someone can become classified as a "racist" the person may not think they are but in other people's eyes, they are.
The first: Personal Experiences
It may be as simple as people of a different race beating up on a different colored kid. OR something as traumatic as a family member being killed by someone of different race.
Second: Willpower
(let's just say they want to be anything but the dull one around the place and if their life isn't good enough for the other person then they just do whatever they want to do with the situation).

Answer 3

I think that a racist is a person who pre-judges another because of the race of the person. i.e. caucasian, negro etc. This is confused with prejudiced on national grounds. It is not possible for an Englishman to be racist towards a Frenchman because they are generally both of the same race. (no matter how tempting the prospect !) It is also sometimes said by the PC brigade that racial stereotyping is a form of racism, which in many cases it is not. It can also simply be observing general differences that exist between races.

Answer 4

I believe that one of the contributing factors to racism is an inability to face up to / deal with and or express problems that exist within the life of the person who takes up 'racial' issues as a focus for their attention.

Other races, or easily identifiable issues, that may be seen to detract from the life of the 'racist,' becomes a convenient hook upon which to hang their troubles.

Additionally: Racial Issues are also a legitimate venue for antisocial behaviour to find an outlet ~
Example: Accountancy could be a valid life for a Crook to lead, looking for 'legitimate ways' to beat the VAT /Tax man ~ and so keeping his own collar from being felt whilst on the wibbly~wobbly straight n narrow.

On the other hand, my experience of seeing the 'camp sites' of Gypsies, are those which are littered with the debris of what they had gathered about them (burnt out this n that) which they then left for the locals to clear up. That shifts my dandruff and raises my ire.........

And - Or -
Having witnessed them on a few occasions, Gypsy / Tinkers (usually 2 women with a couple of babies + 6 children in tow) 'storm through' a Charity shop and perform a well rehearsed version of mayhem ~ resulting in shoplifting and basic robbery.

And it's this kind of (minority) behaviour that gives some level of racism or Judgemental behaviour, a social validation.

Sash.

Answer 5

Unfortunately whenever you get two groups of humans which are identifiably different in any way, tension and hostility will develop between these groups. They will start to compete against each other.

It's called "hatred" and this is one of nature's ways of ensuring that the strongest always win.

( Mother Nature, apparently, doesn't believe that the meek shall inherit the earth)


Not that I'm a racist or anything!!!

Answer 6

To honestly answer your question one first must establish a definition of racism. The term has been hijacked by many to defend themselves in a defenseless argument.
An individual who expects more accountability from a certain race for themselves instead of accepting the status quo in my opinion is not being racist. To the contrary, that individual expresses more hope for those people than they themselves do.
Accepting nothing less than someones personal best is an act of Love, not Hate.
This is why I don't care if someone wants to label me as a racist because I know better and that's all that matters to me.
If me refusing to overlook the exploitation and manipulation of many of Americas black community by many of their very own people makes me "Racist" so be it.

Answer 7

"Racism is commonly defined as a belief or doctrine where inherent biological differences among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement, with a corollary that one's own race is superior and has the right to rule others.[1]

The term racism is sometimes used to refer to preference for one's own ethnic group (ethnocentrism),[2] fear of foreigners (xenophobia), views or preferences against interbreeding of the races (miscegenation),[3] and nationalism,[4], and/or a generalization of a specific group of people (stereotype); regardless of any explicit belief in superiority or inferiority embedded within such views or preferences. Racism has been used in attempts to justify social discrimination, racial segregation and violence, including genocide. Politicians are known to practice race-baiting in an effort to win constituents.

The term racist, when used to describe someone who supports racism, has been a pejorative term since at least the 1940s, and the identification of a group or person as racist is nearly always controversial."

This, and more on racism, from Wikipedia, the free, online encyclopedia at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racist

Racism can be far more subtle than an outward attack or thinking that your race is superior. Subtle actions include preference for one's own race in hiring, selection in acedemia or sports, and the like. To one degree or another, we are probably all, at least slightly racist. That is, you might select one of your own family members for some activity rather than a stranger. I think that most racism, the more subtle kind as well, is due to a lack of knowledge and appreciation of cultural differences.

Hope this helps! God bless!

Answer 8

I think for some people they might have had a bad experience with someone of a different race and others were raised to be racist by their family or peers.

Answer 9

lots of things can make someone racist. fear of difference is one. people are afraid of things they don't know about, or don't understand. they are afraid of people or things which are different to them. when people are afraid, they back away, and pretend the fear isn't there, or else they become agressive, trying to hide the fear from other people.

they can also be afraid of change. afraid of what might happen if they let down the walls they build to separate themselves from people who are different to them.

something else which can make people racist is stereotyping. if someone has had a bad experience with someone of a different race, for example, if someone of another race was rude to them, they may assume that all people of that race are like that one person. this would mean that the person now had bad feelings towards people of that race, and might not bother trying to get to know anyone else of that race.

most of all, what makes someone racist is ignorance. if you don't know anything about a certain race, you can't possibly begin to understand and accept them. ignorance leads to fear, fear leads to steroetyping, and steroetyping leads to racism.

Answer 10

I feel that what makes a person racist is their up bringing all this is a learned behavior they learned it from their parents and so on and so on until some one breaks the cycle this crazy behavior will continue forever. But I'm not trying to sound out of line but this is my opinion.