Does our country have a double standard?

Question

I'm in no way racist...in fact many of my best friends are from different races...however this whole don Imus thing has really got me thinking...Does our country have a double standard?? Why is it okay for black people to make fun of white people whenever they feel, but white people are not allowed to open their mouthes. Why when their is a race issue the slavery card is pulled? Why are black people aloud to be racist, and it be considered cool or hip, but white people aren't allowed...also, if it were a black man making fun of white woman, what do you think would have happened? Where would jesse james and al sharpton be then? Again, I am not racist, and I am not in any way trying to offend anyone..but again, why do I need to include that if their is no double standard??

Also I would like to add, that I am a person that looks at another person for who they are, not for what color they are. Black is just a color, and so is white.

I am only talking about the white/black issue. And I am not meaning to sterotype all black people or all white people. I am not talking about every race or sexual orientation, that would be too long of a question. I am talking about the questions the Don Imus thing has brought up.

Answer 1

The double standard goes both ways, remember Hurricane Katrina when whites were looking for food and blacks were "looting"? I have plenty more examples of this..

Answer 2

I agree with you that there is too much black this and white that in this world.... we are all people... we are all Americans here... end of story. I have to laugh though because I was at a city hospital a couple of hours away from my home and had gone outside to smoke while some tests were being run on my very ill father. There were four or five of us adults, all white standing there when several black teenagers and young adults came walking up and were laughing at us calling us crackers... I did not even know people still used that term! What I found to be the strangest part was, as I said we were all adults and they were much younger, and were not intimidated or embarrassed at all to speak to older people like that! As far as the double standard goes, I think that there are a lot of things that are double standards... if we had a white college fund or something along those lines it would not fly, I am sure... I think everyone just needs to face it, we are all alike and not one of us was ever used as a slave... we cannot fall back on what happened to our ancestors, I do not even know anything about mine... they could have been black for all I know or care about the issue=0)

Answer 3

Yes there are a lot of double standards in the U.S. and not just about the black population either.
1. The fact that when a white person says a racial slur then it is considered racist while a black person may say a racial slur and it's considered funny.
2. During WWII, the U.S. was freeing the Jews in concentration camps, while they were still keeping Japanese in interment camps back in the U.S.
3. Also during WWII, the U.S. were trying to stop Hitler from killing all of the Jews while back at home racism was still an issue. During WWII many blacks recognized that they were treated like real people in France and they decided to move there.

Answer 4

To add to Kent-Shakespear's comments:
The double standard that is spoken of in the question is personal. It is from one person to another. But, the standards that Kent speaks of is Macro: they are perpetrated by people in power and have a worse effect for the one being subjected to such things.
Think about it:
if a black person makes fun of a white person, what recourse do you have?
You can get away from it.
But, the black person who is humiliated by a police officer, what recourse do they have?
When the double standard effects a groups of people and is perpetrated by those in power, it effects their economics, their sociaal status, and much more.
I agree!
No one should be rude or make fun of anyone.
And, to be honest, I have been on that end several times for various reasons.
But, the pendulum has not swung "too far the other way." If this were the case,
we would have a black president,
many more black business owners,
black policemen who beat white people,
etc.
And, to those who say, "Let's just forget about color,"
I disagree with you also.
To forget about color is to try and make everyone a drone.
Why can't we celebrate diversity and be proud of our color without making everyone else feel inferior.
I am "fearfully and wonderfully made."
I am white.
My sister is black and she is also
fearfully and wonderfully made.
I celebrate her color, her character and her life:
just as I do my own!

Answer 5

Yes, everything about our country has a double standard...The race is a huge issue in this country and will always be...

FYI (
Jessie James(Jackson) and Al Sharpton...where not elected by blacks as spokes persons...no other race has spokespersons...why would the white media assume blacks do....

By the way

The media always grabs those two because they are controversial

Answer 6

that is a very thought provking question... I know way more black people qualified to represent the dream of MLK jr than shady used car salesmen like al "let me accuse any one who is white a racist" sharpton and Jesse "I cheat on my wife" jackson. Those two guys dont realize that generation x and y are not racist morons like some of the whites before us. It is time for the double standards to stop and just have nothing but love and respect for those who deserve it.

Answer 7

easy to use that example, but it ignores other double standards.

there are still communities where police will pull over any black man driving through town.

there are still people of various races who are harassed and steotyped by employers.

there are black professionals who are assumed to be less intelligent or less qualified.

there are places where black men cannot take up jogging or running for exercize for fear of being shot by police who assume they are fleeing a crime scene.

a black man who steals $5 will be more severely punished than a white man who steals $1 million.

let's end all double standards rather than pick and choose which ones to critique.

Answer 8

There is a double standard.

First and for a long time it was the opposite way. Then in the '50s and '60s the Civil Rights movement kicked in. Now we're overcompensating the other way.

Answer 9

Of course!! However, there are double standards everywhere. Male/female, Gay/Straight, Black/ White...pick your poison. You are asking why is OK.....well its not. I don't agree with it at all. However it could be worse...

Too bad it is okay for my employer to give higher consideration to someone based upon their race and their sex. Too bad that people can be fired from their job based upon their sexual orientation. Too bad we need affirmative action so that schools and employers can't limit their acceptance and hiring to specific types of people.

Too bad that jokes can be made at another groups expense...........at least you get your promotion.

Answer 10

Okay yes our society does however have double standards but that's in just about every race in our society. However your question is racist about it okay for black people to make fun of white people. You are stereotyping and pin pointing one race.