Is this racist, does my teacher have a right to punish me for this?

[VredeJohn]

My advice, for what it's worth: Be a d*ck about it and write the paper on how humankinds natural tendency to trust and like people who look like themselves, affects who we are attracted to romantically and physically (with a focus on skin color of course), and how we might never overcome this barrier - but how peoples obsession with small stuff like that undermines the focus on the very real issues of racial hate and discrimination, by fogging up the racial debate and filling it with non-issues.

You get to explain yourself, and show her how she was wrong, while following the letter of the punishment. Though speaking to a counselor or a parent might be easier.

 

[Makon]

She was the only one to see it. And then she called me to her desk during class, while everyone else was working, and starting chewing me out about it, and THEN everyone heard it, and of course she basically turned "Prefers white skin" to "massive bigot who hates black people"

With that in mind, I REALLY would go to your principle then, and NOT write her paper (at least the one she intends). At that point, she's publicly causing you defamation of character (I know, I'm not a lawyer, but still), and that can sometimes lead to some problems that higher-up staff at the school doesn't want to tolerate. It's bad for student grades and reported averages to higher up staff who control budgets, it's bad PR, and in some bad enough cases, can lead to legal accusations by the student body (LONG stretch, but it is a possibility).

Like an above poster said, do NOT write 'her' paper. If you write anything, write about how political correctness is the bane of modern culture, society, and the death of any intellectual human being and modern civility. Writing a paper on her topic is essentially saying 'Yes, I understand I am a bad man'. Do not do it.

 

[lord.jeff]

Your not racist, I prefer light skin tones myself. The real question is, should you stick up for yourself?

 

[Cormyre]

I would have filled it out with bogus info because, well seriously no way I'm telling a teacher my attractions they're mine, if you fit the criteria there may be an extra apple on your desk every now and then. But yes, if I would've been handed something like that I may have even put something like "blue skin"...? what maybe I have an Avatar cosplay (...or cold postmortem) fetish? didn't want to know something like that? don't have me fill out a paper asking.

 

[Madara XIII]

Well here's my response to your Teacher



Honestly, you're damned if you are politically correct and you're damned if you aren't
CAN WE F*CKING REMOVE THIS RACIAL TENSION!?!

 

[BloatedGuppy]

Well here's my response to your Teacher



Honestly, you're damned if you are politically correct and you're damned if you aren't
CAN WE F*CKING REMOVE THIS RACIAL TENSION!?!

No matter what your situation is in life, there's a quote from The Wire that applies perfectly.

 

[F'Angus]

No not racist at all. I say show your teachers or someone this forum to show them the general consensus.

I'll say I find white skin more attractive, I don't particularly like people who've tanned them selves orange..perhaps a better way for me to say it is I find pale skinned girls more attractive.

Personal preference really. And it is something you notice when you date someone. It really is no different to someone saying they like red heads or girls with an accent.

 

[ChocoFace]

You are morally clear for saying that. It's just like you said: skin color is part of appearance, much like eye or hair color.

Now, your essay should discuss the overly politically correct attitude regarding different races and how it actually prohibits people from true racial tolerance, or rather acceptance.

Because if at the end of the day you get in trouble for mentioning a preferable trait of your potential mate and get in trouble for it, who's the real antagonist here?

 

[Madara XIII]

Well here's my response to your Teacher



Honestly, you're damned if you are politically correct and you're damned if you aren't
CAN WE F*CKING REMOVE THIS RACIAL TENSION!?!

No matter what your situation is in life, there's a quote from The Wire that applies perfectly.

Indubitably me ole china

 

[Bomberman4000]

I would've gone so far as to even write the sex of the people I find attractive. I guarantee you if you had written "female" down in your description (even though it was implied in the assignment) she would've made you write a paper on being tolerant of homosexuals, since CLEARLY you hate gay people.

Or what if there was a gay student in the class? Would she have punished them for not following the directions of the assignment exactly?

As a soon to be teacher, I feel her jumps to conclusions are unjustified and if you went through the proper channels, I'm fairly certain you could make a case that your teacher reacted inappropriately and singled you out for your preferences.


It's a shame. I've participated in psychology classes where we had similar discussions, but they turned out to be far more productive than what you experienced.

 

[Woodsey]

That's not racist.

I am always somewhat dubious towards these things in regards to how much this has been edited in your favour, however.

 

[Viking Incognito]

I don't think she should have punished you for that, and I don't feel like joining any of the sub-conversations this has spawned so I'll leave it at that.

 

[Makon]

Fun solution: Get Anonymous to go after your teacher, despite your own 'other' efforts. While you deliver a paper about political correctness, Anons will deliver boxes of KY Jelly with a rather 'tasteful' postcard.

...What? Some of their pranks can actually be rather amusing.

 

[GamerKT]

Bullshit. I PREFER black girls, but I'm not racist. She has no right.

 

[YawningAngel]

Honestly, even if you ARE racist, merely BEING racist is not a crime. There is no law saying you can't hate black people, nor should there be. ACTING on the fact that you hate a particular group is an issue, but just thinking something can hardly be held against you.

Spoiler: Ill just start with this

"You know what? A society where anyone can make jokes about anyone else and everyone laughs is a truly tolerant society. Political correctness charged censorship only services to engender distance between social groups."
-Ben Croshaw

Include that in your paper. In fact, make it a paper about why trying to force everyone to be PC is just as bad as racism.

First of all, it is in our genetic code to be racist at least for reproductive reason. Second of all, your teacher is blowing this out of proportion. Third, racism is only bad if there is malicious intent behind it. I.e. punching a guy because he is white, not hiring a guy because he is Asian, etc, but not wanting to date someone because they are black. Why am I (you or anyone else) a bad person if I don't want to have sex with someone outside my race? Especially if I can treat them just like everyone else.

p.s. Moral of the story: 100% honesty screws you over in the adult world.

I don't hate people just for being not white. I can find a black or asian or hispanic person extremely attractive and a white person incredibly ugly. I'm just saying that it's one of many traits that I notice and have a certain preference about, like hair color or height or intellect.

I'm not saying you hate them, I'm saying it doesn't matter a damn what you think provided you don't break the law.

 

[Vault Citizen]

I agree with the people who say that you should make your paper about the difference between being racist and having a preference for a certain characteristic. She didn't give you the chance to explain yourself at the time so make a situation where she doesn't have such a choice.

 

[teisjm]

While I really look down on racism with despise, i think your teacher is a retard.

When it comes to looks, sexual atraction is obviously a superficial thing, and as you stated, prefering one skin color over one another when it comes to what you find physically atractive is no more discriminating than prefering brunettes over blondes, prefering either small or tall over the other, or any other unalterable characteristics (i know you can dye your hair)

Ask her this:
Are you straight?
Then assuming she answers yes, based solely on statistic chance ask her:
So you find men more atractive than women? (or women over men if she's lesbian, you're screwed if she's bi)
If she answers yes, tell her she's as much a sexist, as you are a racist by her own logic. (if she's a female chauvenist, you're screweed)
But assuming she's not a female chauvenist, and that she's not bisexual, which statisticly would be the case, you intelectually pwned her. She'll probably just get pissed and ignore logic and reasoning though, a lot of people get that way, when you make them realize that they've acted stupid, while in a position of authority.

I wonder if she would've called it racist, if you had had a thing, for girls of a specific race, not your own, say white guy with a thing for black chicks for instance.

Also, props for the selfcontroll to not answer with a joke like "I prefer my women like i prefer my whiskey, 12 years old and mixed with coke" or something like that

 

[Erana]

one of the questions being about what we find attractive in the opposite sex.

Oh dear...
Was there really no option for all the homosexual teens out there? And what about asexuals, too? :/
This seems like a bad question in the first place....

Where in the world are you? I know that where I was raised, you're pretty much either racist or have a kneejerk reaction to anything that could be misconstrued as racist.

If this is the case, then in the future, just try to be more PC. It isn't logical, but in the South, not using language that blatantly observes political correctness implies that you are racist.
Its this mentality that the racist, homophobic and xenophobic "patriots" excercise their "American Rights" by saying whatever the Hell they want about anyone, and jumping down anyone's throat who dares to show any distaste to their language.

Not to say this notion doesn't pervade throughout the rest of the country; its usually a little less obvious elsewhere, though. Its stupid and is nothing but a whole bunch of social clap trap that distorts one's meaning, but its easier to just go with the flow.

Still, you're stuck in this uncomfortable position. I'd suggest taking up arms with the question itself- that it was shallow, and insensitive, and you replied with just as superficial a manner.
Do what you can to remove yourself from their interpretation of your answer.

 

[blaize2010]

"HE SAID HE LIKES WHITE GIRLS MORE THAT MEANS HE MUST BE IN THE KLAN! RACISM! RAAAAAAACISM! HERPDADERPDERPDERP!" my answer, in case you couldn't tell, is yes. you are a horrible person for answering a question honestly. you should be ashamed. racist.