I don't 'get' Racism...

[UnrealCanine]

Way back in pre-civilization times, man hard to hunt for food and essential resources were harder to come by. We knew that grouping up had it's advantages, i.e. hunting is easier, but that too many had its disadvantages as well, i.e. not enough to fill a stomach.

Instict provided us with an "Us or Them" responce. If two tribes met over something, the winners would survive, the losers would die (through battle or stavation)

Skip forward to today, and we still have that instinct preserved. Think you're not a racist? How many have you have argued in a PS3 vs 360 debate? How many of you think PC gaming is superior to consoles? How many of you think 'x' forum is full of twats?

 

[Nuke_em_05]

Race A comes across Race B, Race B looks and behaves differently, so Race A considers Race B as non-human.

Race A will also assume it is "more advanced" than Race B, and so assume that Race B is inferior.

Over time, most folks in Race A realize that Race B is pretty much exactly the same, and adjust behavior accordingly.

Exceptions in Race A, motivated by fear, hate, or profit, continue to consider Race B as inferior non-humans and teach those "values" to their children.

Tada!
Racism.

 

[Da Orky Man]

Pretty straight-foward, i just don't understand racism.
Why are people Racist?
What is it about the colour of you're skin that makes you 'better' than others?
I just can't put my finger on it, why is there racism in the world?
To me it doesn't make any logical sense.
So, what are your thoughts on this?

If you look at it from a purely statistical view, it can be logical. By far the most crime committed in the US is committed by black African-American teenagers.
Means you should be more wary, but otherwise, not it doesn't make much sense.

 

[101194]

Pretty straight-foward, i just don't understand racism.
Why are people Racist?
What is it about the colour of you're skin that makes you 'better' than others?
I just can't put my finger on it, why is there racism in the world?
To me it doesn't make any logical sense.
So, what are your thoughts on this?

Xenophobia is a survival trait (this is just my personal educated opinion based on what I understand about biology) It's more about culture, most racism comes from mis-information and stereotypes. We fear what we don't know or are incapable of understanding, this is why we're afraid of death ect...Even if you don't realize it, you might hold some cultural "Racism" even at the most minor level. Really isn't that hard to understand.

 

[Sizzle Montyjing]

Race A comes across Race B, Race B looks and behaves differently, so Race A considers Race B as non-human.

Race A will also assume it is "more advanced" than Race B, and so assume that Race B is inferior.

Over time, most folks in Race A realize that Race B is pretty much exactly the same, and adjust behavior accordingly.

Exceptions in Race A, motivated by fear, hate, or profit, continue to consider Race B as inferior non-humans and teach those "values" to their children.

Tada!
Racism.

Racism made easy
That was good, but i couldn't help feeling that it was done with hand-puppets...

 

[boyvirgo666]

Hopefully we'll see an end to racism within a generation or two. Some of my friends parents are racist, and depending on the intelligence level of my friends, some of that rubs off. But that generation is fading away, good riddence.

The proudest moment in my life was when my son told he he couldn't give a shit what colour a persons skin is, because it makes no difference. He knew at 8 what a lot of adults still don't understand.

I wish i had your hope for humanity. I really really do, but in 2 more generations we will still have racism, Because in general people are idiots. We all stick to stupid ideas for no reason. Such as people who dont play video games because they think its a waste of time but they still watch TV.
Congratulations on raising your son though. That is the kind of person the world needs. Less people clinging to ideas that frankly just slowly create a cancer in human society...man i need to stop reading robert heinlen before posting. i sound like an ass

 

[Brandon237]

Racism is only practised by those who are ignorant, not able to rationalise, not willing to rationalise or from a generation / family where the idea is so deeply struck into them that they can never really help themselves. I find that a person's core personality and ability to think is FAR more important than anything else, My group of friends is: 2 white guys (myself included), 1 coloured guy, 1 white girl, 1 Indian girl, 1 Chinese girl. And everyone gets along well, and they are all great.

Unfortunately my parents can be quite racist Drives me up the bloody wall... and they are both sexist too... I give up sometimes...

 

[Sizzle Montyjing]

Racism is only practised by those who are ignorant, not able to rationalise, not willing to rationalise or from a generation / family where the idea is so deeply struck into them that they can never really help themselves. I find that a person's core personality and ability to think is FAR more important than anything else, My group of friends is: 2 white guys (myself included), 1 coloured guy, 1 white girl, 1 Indian girl, 1 Chinese girl. And everyone gets along well, and they are all great.

Unfortunately my parents can be quite racist Drives me up the bloody wall... and they are both sexist too... I give up sometimes...

So even you're mother is sexist?
Are they sexist to each other's gender, or only one in particular...
because i've never understood women who demote themselves.

Oh and WTF!?
The captchas have adverts now!?

 

[Mr Shrike]

I think Racism is a stupid fucking idea & the sooner people forget about it, the better.

Judging someone solely on the colour of their skin is pure idiocy.

CAPTCHA - whole shebang ...Best CAPTCHA ever!

 

[zhoominator]

I do know where I fall on the racism thing anymore. Before I didnt care, now I seem to be a bit more racist. Not as ad as some, but I jsut think natives shold make up the majority of a place. I read abouthow whites will be a minority in 2050 in America, and what if that happens to Europe ? I dont like the idea of my race being diluted and vanishing. Africans should have a majoriy in Africa, Asians get Asia, whites should be the majority in Europe, etc.

I dont care if America ends up with a completely different race, but its kind quick and thats what I dislike, and I just dont want that happening here until its just black people and asians populating the earth, and my race ends up liek the neanderthals.

Sorry, but this argument is complete nonsense. Assuming you are from the US and you aren't a Native American, well obviously I could easily argue that you aren't a native to the country that you think natives should make up the majority of. Better pack in the US government and send half of them back to Europe now! Oh, but wait, many aspects of culture that Europeans now possess come from other places again (Christianity, a primary religion in many European countries and the US, kind of comes from the Middle East) so where exactly should we send them? People's of the Earth shift around, they've done it since forever and really the only difference now is that we've just found ways doing this faster. Every culture you see is really a mish-mash of other cultures that have popped up in these geographical areas over the years.

I wouldn't be surprised if "whites" became a minority in the not so distant future in places. Why? Because of mixing in the gene pool. Just like I wouldn't be surprised if people with the really dark skin colours started to disappear too (outside of isolated African countries I mean though). Eventually, we may all end up a very similar looking species, with enough cross breeding that we'll all look like a mixture of every race (although that would take a crazy amount of time to happen if it does). Evolutionary wise, this is a GOOD thing.

I do understand that people also have a dislike of different things for evolutionary reasons and this is the root of most racism, then cemented by ignorance and teachings of parents and others. Unfortunately, for this reason, the world will never fully be rid of racism.

 

[Brandon237]

Racism is only practised by those who are ignorant, not able to rationalise, not willing to rationalise or from a generation / family where the idea is so deeply struck into them that they can never really help themselves. I find that a person's core personality and ability to think is FAR more important than anything else, My group of friends is: 2 white guys (myself included), 1 coloured guy, 1 white girl, 1 Indian girl, 1 Chinese girl. And everyone gets along well, and they are all great.

Unfortunately my parents can be quite racist Drives me up the bloody wall... and they are both sexist too... I give up sometimes...

So even your mother is sexist?
Are they sexist to each other's gender, or only one in particular...
because i've never understood women who demote themselves.

Oh and WTF!?
The captchas have adverts now!?

Mother is sexist against men, father is sexist against women. It only really shows when they are driving and at the slightest hint of anger the curses and the bigotry come out.

Sexism and racism are both multi-directional. And I am not just saying that as a white male atheist because I am always teh evil one

Just skip to the next Captcha then XP

 

[Sizzle Montyjing]

Sorry, but this argument is complete nonsense. Assuming you are from the US and you aren't a Native American, well obviously I could easily argue that you aren't a native to the country that you think natives should make up the majority of. Better pack in the US government and send half of them back to Europe now!

Hey!
We don't want them!
They made their choice, no going back.

 

[UFOROMANTIC]

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/UncannyValley

Yes, I know it's TVTropes and I know how some of you feel about this, but you should take a look at this. It explains a scientific theory that may provide a biological explanation as to why racism exists. Of course, it is inexcusable, but it will help to stamp out racism if we understand why it occurs.

 

[Stublore]

I understand that I might come off as nosy or arrogant by assuming I can intervene here - please excuse me for doing so if this causes any offence:

I think you're taking a few errant words far too seriously here - you're putting words into someone's mouth based on your own perception of what they quite casually typed out on a forum, and now you're judging them (or at least their stated view) based on an interpretation of it that is entirely yours, without first waiting for the other party to confirm or deny that is, indeed, what they were trying to say.

I'm afraid I don't see the logic here.

How can you be nosy?
It's a forum for open discussion, not a private discussion between 2 people.
Other points of view are always welcome

I can only go on what's posted.
Anything else is illogical, right?
I don't believe I have put words into anyone's mouth.
Of the 2 empires given, which ruled on the basis of their views of "superiority", one was racist for this policy, the other was not.
I don't get the difference.
They both ruled on the basis of their superiority, so if they were superior, everyone else was inferior. Is that a good description of a racist view? I/we are superior to everyone else.
How is one different from the other?

 

[sergnb]

I think it's a pretty understandable human behaviour, it is nothing too complex that anyone wouldn't "get" why it happens.

You defend your homeland, because that's your duty. You were raised in the land and you feel obligated to defend it from the outsiders that want to invade it.

Your invaders seem to be black/brown/white so you act agressive against all people that might be invaders. Therefor, you are always on guard against people of that skin color.

Of course, this fairly simple and primitive behaviour has faded into a sense of fear, confussion and whatnot. Basicly, you just want to deal with people you know are gonna be good. When everyone you have ever seen during your childhood was brown, for example, you tend to have positive regards towards brown people. But when a complete alien white guy wants to talk with you, you are not sure. He isn't from "here". He is isn't a native. He must be an invader, that wants to take our children, women, and money.

I don't need to say this behaviour is REALLY primitive and should cease to exist, because it is obvious. I'm not defending racism. I'm just saying it's a human typical mechanism that is triggered under certain circunstances and we must understand why is it caused. We young people that have grown up in a multi ethnical and cultural society, have no problem accepting this situation. Those who haven't are the ones that have the problem. And their spawn will have it too, because childhood indoctrination works like that.


How to solve this: Cut the root. Strike the old people. The problem lies in there. Show them foreigner people are nothing to be afraid of. What do you think would happend if your father told you "this is a silly thing we are doing, son" after 40 years of complete and utter racism bullshit? You would question yourself. You would think about what you've done.

 

[Gustavo S. Buschle]

It's a natural animal instinct to try to smash everything that's not you.

 

[sinterklaas]

Racism is stupid. Every baby of every color is a blank slate. The problem lies with the cultures and individual views and morals of persons. Certain cultures with certain skin colors may be more prone to having ignorant views or annoying habits, but hating the whole race for that is just as ignorant. Hate ideas and individuals that support those ideas, but don't stereotype the whole race for it.

A black baby born in Sweden is different from a black baby born in Zimbabwe.

 

[Stublore]

Racism has to be taught.

I look at my 3 year-old daughter, and she plays equally well with kids of all races -- at her age, race doesn't even register as anything more that "my friend looks different than me."

It's only as children grow up and are taught that you shouldn't associate with "those people" that racism begins. Instead of embracing the "otherness," we're taught (either by individuals, or more subtly by society -- take a look at movies and television) to fear the "other." Once you begin to perceive anyone as something other than a person, as part of an anonymous group, it's easy to dehumanize them.

It seem like the majority of the posters see individuals as individuals, and judge them as such. To me, that is truly wonderful and amazing (since it's how I want my daughter to grow up)!

Boy you couldn't be more wrong.

How do researchers test a 6-month-old? They show babies photographs of faces. Katz found that babies will stare significantly longer at photographs of faces that are a different race from their parents, indicating they find the face out of the ordinary. Race itself has no ethnic meaning per se?but children's brains are noticing skin-color differences and trying to understand their meaning.
When the kids turned 3, Katz showed them photographs of other children and asked them to choose whom they'd like to have as friends. Of the white children, 86 percent picked children of their own race. When the kids were 5 and 6, Katz gave these children a small deck of cards, with drawings of people on them. Katz told the children to sort the cards into two piles any way they wanted. Only 16 percent of the kids used gender to split the piles. But 68 percent of the kids used race to split the cards, without any prompting. In reporting her findings, Katz concluded: "I think it is fair to say that at no point in the study did the children exhibit the Rousseau type of color-blindness that many adults expect."

http://www.newsweek.com/2009/09/04/see-baby-discriminate.html

That?s because new studies have found that by this age?three months?many babies start to prefer faces of people from their own race to those of another race. This early favoritism may represent the first glimmers of racial prejudice, psychologists say.

But don?t start fretting about racist babies yet. On the bright side, researchers also found that babies raised with frequent exposure to people of other races don?t develop this early bias. This discovery may help guide future research on how to counter racism, they suggested.

?Early preferences for own-race faces may contribute to race-related biases later in life,? psychologists wrote in a paper on a study published in the February issue of the research journal Psychological Science. Typically, ?by the age of 4 to 6 years, children already display racial stereotyping and prejudice in a variety of contexts.?

http://www.world-science.net/exclusives/060212_racefrm2.htm

 

[Sizzle Montyjing]

It's a natural animal instinct to try to smash everything that's not you.

But we are the human race, whether you're black or white.
Or maybe that's the problem people see.
Oh and our 'instinct' can be overcome, for example we condition ourselves to hold on to hot plates.