I showed a friend at work the below Yahoo Answers question and her take on it wsa that white people have historically acted better than other people and she wished she wasn't white. She also said she wished she was "her own race". I disagreed and reminded her that throughout history nation has fought against nation and peoples of all races have been discriminated against because of differences, I gave the example of "Irish need not apply". But her reasoning seemed to be that since white Americans were the "last people" to exhibit that behavior, then we are most guilty of it. This person is only 26 years old, is white with a northern European ancestry. Is she exibiting "White Guilt"? And, if so, how can I help my friend get over it?
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Aj2i0aZ20nybMXnWG306oB7sy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20071101031413AAs4mku&show=7#profile-info-AA11824468
2007-11-01 11:03:34 · 13 answers · asked by Princess of the Realm 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Cultures & Groups ➔ Other - Cultures & Groups
Oh, I'm not a "dude", I'm a princess. A chick. And I asked a question based on the comments a friend made, not on my own thoughts.
2007-11-01 11:12:26 · update #1
It's guilt. But it's mostly ignorance. People of ALL groups are fanning the flames of racism and discrimination. No one has the market cornered, and people might begin to realize this if they would finally come to terms with what it means to be a racist. For one thing, the definition isn't based upon skin color. Anyone can be a racist. Secondly, one need not hate other races or believe that other races are inferior in order to be a racist.
Racism is a form of prejudice. It is race based prejudice. Prejudice inhibits impartial judgment. To be prejudiced is to form adverse judgments and opinions without knowledge of and/or consideration of facts. Prejudice is irrational suspicion and preconceived judgments. And racism is the culprit when all of the above is based upon race. Am I saying that feelings of racial superiority don't exist? No. Am I saying that no one embraces ideals of racial supremacy or that no one believes in racial separatism? No. But neither of these are prerequisites to being racist. The user who said that all whites are racist is a perfect example of a racist who (apparently) doesn't have supremacist or separatist beliefs.
Honestly, I truly believe that one reason why racism is still such a problem is because it seems that so few people even comprehend what in hell it is.
2007-11-01 11:52:27 · answer #1 · answered by SINDY 7 · 11⤊ 2⤋
Yes. She's got textbook White Guilt. She has internalized the propaganda that her cultural background is inferior. Her cultural background is a group that may or may not have committed acts of discrimination. I have a few questions and then a bit of advice for your friend. The questions are: (1) is an individual guilty of behavior that they did not do but other members of their group may have done? (2) if it's wrong to hate specific groups and whites are a specific group then isn't it wrong to hate white people? (3) would the victimized groups have treated their oppressors any differently had they switched places? (4) is discrimination really a worse crime than murder or rape? (5) If you are so easily convinced that white is bad, then, the next time around, will you be as easily convinced that black, brown, red, and yellow are bad? THE BEST WAY TO GET OVER IT it is not to listen to idiots who want to control the way that you think. Get out of the ivory tower of college and the newspapers, see how things work in the real world, and think for yourself.
2007-11-01 19:38:54 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
White Americans are not the last people to act ugly to their fellow man. There are still race crimes happening all over the world. North Korea and Africa. The Untouchables of India. We are all capable of brutal acts. Guilt will not cure these ills. Thus the Tutsis slaughter in Africa.The slaughter occurred in town of Kibye, Rwanda. This was a conflict between two African tribes, the Hutus and Tutsis.
This massacre occurred at the Church of St. Jean-Pierre. Hutu militiamen heaved grenades at the confined crowd of Tutsis inside; also Hutu militiamen dismembered many with machetes. Thousands of Tutsis were buried in mass graves after the bloodshed. More than 7,000 people were murdered in this act of genocide. For about 100 days, the Hutu militias, known in Rwanda as interhamwe, followed what evidence suggests was a clear and premeditated attempt to exterminate the country's ethnic Tutsi population.
When the bloodshed stopped, an estimated 500,000 people had been killed.
2007-11-01 18:17:33 · answer #3 · answered by mavrachangawoke 3 · 7⤊ 0⤋
Authentic guilt has to do with an authentic conscience, without which one need not and cannot feel guilt. Humans can justify anything they want--that is the horror of humanity. People justify war, rape, murder, etc. on a daily basis and as long as the human mind gives it the "thumbs up" it will continue. There's no need to assess it.
2007-11-01 19:27:20 · answer #4 · answered by stream of signifiers 2 · 3⤊ 0⤋
This is not a good forum to have an intelligent conversation. The opinions of white people are vehemently opposed and construed as racism
2007-11-01 18:18:15 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 8⤊ 0⤋
she has no need to feel guilty about things that happened year ago and that she had no control over. you cant tell your parents what to do so how where you going to tell your great great great grandpa how to act. all we can do about it now is treat everyone you meet the same do not judge people by race. and for all you how think ALL WHITES are racist I'm betting its you that is the racist you are making a racist comment about white people.
2007-11-01 18:20:30 · answer #6 · answered by I love my DIRTBIKE! 4 · 5⤊ 1⤋
It's not guilt, it's ignorance. What does she mean the last people to exihibt this behavior?
Historically they have stolen, looted, robbed, infected, killed, taken over, enslaved, tourtured in the name of exploration and discovery.
Now, should contemporary folks feel/take on guilt for the behaviors of those in the past? No. But don't patronize other people by pretending that your ancestors weren't the ones to initiate destructive behavior.
2007-11-01 18:08:46 · answer #7 · answered by Cali Lady 3 · 9⤊ 4⤋
*seetheworld* is such an idiot and very annoying
2007-11-01 18:17:06 · answer #8 · answered by I'm a Mommy!! 4 · 6⤊ 0⤋
I dont get it............well I am only 15 so I probarly woudnt understand at least I answered!
2007-11-01 18:08:06 · answer #9 · answered by ✿ Nene ✿ 3 · 2⤊ 6⤋
i'm black...and yes your friend is exibiting "guilt"...to get over it, she should simply treat others how she would like to be treated....it's that simple
2007-11-01 18:08:07 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 11⤊ 2⤋