Racist... Does anybody actually know the meaning of the word?!?

Question

Racist. Racism. These are words that are used so freely every day, but does anybody know what it means? Really? I'm not sure how it is everywhere else, but at home (England) everybody seems to be all caught up in this political correctness crap.

I think its a load of crap, simply because theres no need for it. I think people generalize far too much, put people in groups, too opinionated to see that people of different races are just people.

Now I'm mixed race. Half white/ half black. I don't think either side of me is superior to the other. I don't think that there is a race out there, that stands above the rest. We are all equal. The same.

Racism is discrimination against a group because of their race. Because of their colour, may it be white, black, green, blue, whatever. Judging somebody because of their colour.

Thats my understanding of it. Lets embrace our differences, because thats what makes us unique. We are one race. We are the Human Race. We stand together as one

California girl...

Just because you don't care to comment on the subject, doesn't mean nobody else does.

And even if nobody actually cares, the purpose of Yahoo! Answers is that questions can be answered, unless you completely missed the point.

Here, without our country leaders telling us what we should think, we can address issues safe in the knowledge that real people, with real opinions are able to voice their opinions.

Which is exactly what you have done. Thankyou for your input. :o)

Answer 1

Racism isn't limited to the color of the skin. In Asia the Japanese are extremely racist towards the Koreans and the Chinese and vice versa. They look pretty similar. Nazi Germany was racist towards many groups of people, many of whom were historically German.

Answer 2

Well racism is the act of discriminating against other ethnic groups, I put it down to plain ignorance and personally, I think England isn't all that politically correct, just watch stuff like Little Britain and Borat (who called starving African chlidren little chocolate boys... on Red Nose Day!). Politicians are politically correct because they have to be. The rest of us 'normal' people I think, and hope, are much more relaxed.

As far as putting people into groups, we do that ourselves. Ethinic minorities with similar cultures will naturally group together. I remember in secondery school and college. Blacks hung out with blacks, oriental with oriental, asian with asian, etc. None of them were racists, it's just that they had more in common with people from their culture.

I live in London, and I can say that, as a person of ethnic minority myself, racism in this city is extremely rare.

p.s. The blacks and asians who complain that police are more likely to stop them because they're racist is a load of bull. Now I know I'm not racists and I'm not saying all blacks and asians are criminals, but even though I don't generalise, I do deal with percentages and averages, and as I see it, in South London, if you're black you ARE more likely to get shot, stabbed, beat up.

Answer 3

Actually racist is someone who believes there are differences between the races. This whole idea that racists discriminate against people because of their skin colour came from political rhetoric. Same goes for the idea that racists hate. It's all just propaganda that has gotten out of control to the point that no one even knows the meanings of the words they throw so casually about.

Answer 4

I only respond on this issue when morons say something disrespectful about other people on a stereotypical or cliche'd basis. I think that you make a very good, and humerous point. If it were natural to separate "different" races (bearing in mind that there is techinically only one), you would be in a constant state of self-hatred and polarisation. LOL!
I think that the racists on here are truly pathetic and weak, and Yahoo's response to them is as pathetic and weak.
We should stand together as one, but the inadequates simply can't concieve of that. Their daddies were dissappointing.

Answer 5

Yes, I do. A racist is someone who hates others (or group of people) solely because of their race. Racism is when you discriminate against people because of their race. I have grown up believing that I should love all people, even though others around me really didn't feel the same.

Answer 6

Any -ist or -ism indicates a biased, judgemental and discriminatory standpoint. Can apply to race, sex, age, etc.

The thing to always remember is that we're all prejudiced (includeing being racist) to some extent. It's just whether or not we can control our gobs and have any tact in the world.
Each to their own. But we don't need people telling us what we should say, we should already have our own ability to speak right in certain sitautions.

Answer 7

Well...that was nice....

I've never called anyone a racist. That's a strong word.
Prejudiced, maybe.
I notice that many people are somewhat prejudiced but not racist.
To me racism is just----a whole 'nother level.

I don't make a big thing of either. Racism and prejudice are learned behaviors.
....and what you learn, you can UNlearn.

Give people time. They'll come around.

Answer 8

Its a word that Muslims have adopted and think that it only occurs to them. It is the excuse of every foreigner to get their own way

Answer 9

A racist is someone who wins an argument with a white liberal or a a-hem "person of color" (colored people).

Answer 10

If everyone thought like this the world would be a much better place.