what is racism?

Question

I think the whole affair is rubbish and has resulted in all white people being slaves if they say one word wrong the whole rent a mob cry racist lynch him and he has to stand in stocks go on his knees and say sorry for nothing done. It has created a form of racism due to this fact. I am terrified of black people and avoid them to avoid being put in stocks for saying one wrong word.

Answer 1

you answered your own question i agree totally.you do realize that this question will probably get deleted by some whiner on this site.so my statement to all the whiners out there if you get someones answer deleted or questions deleted for no other reason other than ooooohhhh that offends me i hope many of your close relatives die painful deaths

Answer 2

a number of those responses are ridiculous. As an American, i'm beginning as much as comprehend how racist Britain actual is. include variety relatively of thinking "Oh no!! they're taking on". I literary have friends from very almost each way of existence possible, and it has in reality made me a extra effective guy or woman. Even the deep south of the US, which has a bad acceptance for racism, isn't close to as undesirable as what I see on a number of those message boards. I grew up in an area the place i became into the only white newborn, and that i became into at situations discriminated against, yet i don't make generalizations of all minorities using fact of it.

Answer 3

Racism.
Being white we are told it was the way we treated ancestors of the slaves of our American history.
It is actually the dominate race of people where ever you live and how the dominate race become privileged over the lesser race.

Example: I remember when whites were looked down upon in Hawaii. Whites were given a derogatory name of Haole by the natives. The color scale went something like Native, oriental, black then white. White was the bottom run.

Racism works both ways.
If you are black and living in a black neighborhood the derogatory put downs are just as mean and frightening as a black child being picked on in a white neighborhood.

It became popular to claim racism during the years when the US Government tried to equal out opportunity for a financial lifestyle in the US. The black race were the minority because of the overall racism throughout our country. With employers being forces to hire a percentage of black employees, the other races petitioned to join the list of minorities. Hispanics joined, American Indians and before the end of this bill being enforces to give equal opportunity and privledges to people of race, we had encluded women in business in any color. Like everything, we tend to abuse anything that comes down the pike.

It is my opinion that the word racism will have two meanings. One from our history and another that it turns into.

My defination is that racism is a term screamed by any person who feels that if they label how they are treated with this term, it will automatically establish that they are in the right and the other person is totally wrong.

The term racism has been overused and abused and will have no true meaning. Close to follow is the term "politically correct". It is a term and a reaction that all colors and all races in our country need to rid our selves. It is happening but there are always a few odd balls that hang onto things like this.

I think the main subject of your question is fear. Remember, don't get your fear of legal or mob reprisal entangled with the color of people's skin or what country is the birthplace of their parents.
"Mob action" is to be feared because it becomes mindless. Mob action tends to grow and lose reason. Watch where you hang out and leave immediately when you see the signs.

Don't confuse fear of this negative emotion with if/why you fear someone because of their race or color. Unreasonable fear hurts you more than it will ever hurt others.

Joining into racism or the fear of the "different" is a sign of igorance, a lacking of your self esteme, a lacking of education, a person that fears change, an insecurity you have in the way you feel about yourself. Learn to understand it. Like your fear of the boogie man as a child. We all have to own up to foolish base fear and work on our reaction to such fears.

Answer 4

To respond to your question or rather comment it is important to know about racism and the history of this country.

Racism is a form of predjudice. To respond to your comment though, racism can also be defined as predjudice that has power. Refer to the term hegemony. One reason why it worse for White people (as you put it) to have consequences for racism is because their racism has the power to affect people's lives significantly.

If you understand the history of this country racism has affected several people's/nation's lives in extreme ways. Entire peoples and cultural practices have been terminated because of it, so it should have strong consequences.

And today racism still has strong consquences. Just a few years back Supreme court cases were being decided using blatantly racist reasoning (see: "Like a Loaded Weapon" by Robert Williams).

To deal with your fear more education would be powerful. The more educated you are on racism and cultural stereotypes the less likely you will be to accidentally say something wrong, the more you will understand racism, and the less fear you are likely to have.

Answer 5

Wow talk abou feel sorry for yourself...and if you are terrified of black people that is your problem. How can you say racism is rubbish?? Open your eyes...have you not read about people being killed just because of their skin colour? And if someone is racist they deserve the treatment they get. Your question is not even about what is racism it is about you being scared of a race for no apparant reason.

Answer 6

Yes, racism occurs now and then. Look around you. You will find it anywhere. White people ignoring blacks, unwilling to give cooperation and such. But you should never be terrified of a person just because he/she is from another kind of race. Instead analyze. See if the person of another race if worth talking to. I'm sure there are some good blacks around even though given their history people would think otherwise. My own experience of racism was somewhat very disturbing because there was this white couple on a four by four seat who refused to sit next to me just because I'm not a Caucasian. They went to the empty seats at the back. And back to your question, if you think you didn't annoy those blacks, why then would they even say you did? Maybe you just didn't realize that some of your actions might be some form of racism.

Answer 7

I think you're overreacting a little bit. As far as saying "one wrong word," it's easy not to. I don't mock my Jewish friends, my Asian friends, my overweight friends, or my redheaded friends- it's not hard to avoid mocking my black friends either. Even if you do "slip up," the majority of blacks are tolerant. They may get annoyed, but so would anybody else that you insult.

Honestly, I think that it is racism that is leading to your fears. You seem to be harboring stereotypes about blacks being violent, aggressive, or touchy, that just simply aren't true.

Mind you, there are instances of what you describe occurring. I really don't hate these people, though, I feel sorry for their pitiful existance. In a modern world where people of every race and color get voting rights, property ownership, and free public education, (the great equalizer,) there is almost no excuse for being unsuccessful. Race certainly isn't an excuse. The people that argue "but I'm black!" are simply overwhelmingly lazy, and are looking for a free ride. Guess what, guys? It's not coming. We see through your act.

Quite frankly, blacks ARE getting some preferential treatment. Nobody alive was a slave in the 1800s, and yet restitutions are still being doled out. Affirmative action is essentially a race-based advantage for blacks and other minorities. It is essentially a handicap applied to blacks. Unfortunately, this handicap is screwing over whites, and it's also screwing over blacks by refusing to require them to reach their full potential. It allows them to enjoy all of the success with less work, and that comes at society's expense. Even with Katrina, Nagin wants to rebuild a "chocolate city," and black victims are being overwhelmingly favored by local and national governments in terms of treatment. They are still living in government-paid mobile homes more than a year after the incident, and have the audacity to complain about it.

So yes, the problem that you address does, in fact, exist. However, you blew it out of proportion. I would certainly never call whites "modern slaves." You argue a reasonably point, but when phrased the way you put it, and when overgeneralized to talk about ALL blacks, you are simply proving the existence of racism against blacks as well. It is a fine line that you walk. Be careful, because (as you can see by other responses,) you WILL be hated for saying this stuff.

Answer 8

Racism is a belief system or doctrine which states that inherent biological differences between 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]

Some writers have used the term racism to refer to preference for one's own ethnic group (ethnocentrism), fear of foreigners (xenophobia), views against interracial relationships (miscegenation), and/or generalizations about a specific group of people (stereotype).[2][3]

Racism has been a motivating factor in social discrimination, racial segregation and violence, including genocide. Politicians are known to practice race baiting in an effort to win votes. The term racist has been a pejorative term since at least the 1940s, and the identification of a group or person as racist is often controversial.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racism

Answer 9

Racism is a form of hatred for certain groups of the human race that causes negative reactions ranging from suspicion to murder.
Avoidance of entire groups of people on the basis of their skin color or nationality is racism.

Answer 10

UM it was the other way around blacks were the slaves (and this is just plain old facts) and blacks got lynched. Oh well i dont know what blacks you know who are like that unless maybe you are maybe slightly stretching the truth when you say "for nothing done" hmmm i hope you understand what is considered nothing and what is not.

Answer 11

dear one,
please go somewhere where YOU are the only white person.
try it
I dare you
you will feel the crap you say is imaginary.
please stay more than 60 minutes and enjoy the fact that you are a human being just like others of another ethnicity.
try roller skating, a trip to any ethnic neighborhood, walk into the shops, see the merchandise, just like yours only probably more expensive, pay the high cost then donate the purchase to someone, this may help your psyche!
this experiment cannot be a drive by, speak to people they won't bite unless they smell the fear you may show unknowingly.
peace