Poll: Does being racist instantly make you a bad person?

[FirstPersonWinner]

The person in the description IS a bad person. Sure they are nice to YOU, and maybe they donate to charities that help people like them, but (Dramatic but truly) Nazis did that too! Just because they make jokes that you think are funny does not mean they are not bad, and maybe it is just me (As a skinny white nerd) but people who are racist make me want to rip their face off.

 

[Jamash]

No, in fact it's completely normal (but I'm not saying it's acceptable) to be racist. It's simple, tribal reactions that have stuck with us as a culture. Back when we lived in tribes, it was ever tribe for itself. Everyone distrusted the other tribes because, given the chance, the other tribe would quite happily storm in, rape their women, steal their crops and kill their men and children.

This distrust of people from other cultures and countries is still with us today, however we should be civilised enough to ignore those feelings and accept that the guy over there with darker skin than you is most likely a friendly, family man, and isn't about to eat your entire family and pet dog.

So they aren't a bad person, they just need to accept that they're no longer right to be wary.

That's Xenophobia, which perfectly acceptable and natural.

Racism is slightly different, because it involves a conscious decision to discriminate against, or worse, hate someone else because of their race, which is bad.

I met someone one who was so racist, he'd has racism so deeply ingrained into his psyche by his family, that he refused to drink coffee without milk. I said to him "We've ran out of milk, will you take yours black?" and he shot me a look of pure disgust, proudly proclaiming "I don't take anything black".

I had to leave the building I was laughing so much.

Back to the question posed by Sparrow, without knowing exactly what this person said and the context of it, it's hard to answer. It could have been simple Xenophobia with a dash or ignorance (which wouldn't make them bad) or it could have been full on racist hatred, which would make the bad.

 

[Edorf]

Personally I think we're making racism a much too big deal.
Think of it in this way: If your friend said he hated people who listened to metal, would he still be a bad person?
If he said he hated people who spent more then 2 hours a day on the internet, would that make him bad?

But then again... The argument "You cannot change your skin colour" comes up...

 

[Sir Bob]

Racism is about not giving people from a certain part of the world a chance to prove themselves more than just the bad things people call them. Therefor I'd say its bad to be a racist.

If X/Y Minority walks into a store, are they automatically shoplifters, just because they are X or Y, and ONE person of said minority ever shoplifted?

 

[Hunter6475]

Not exactly a "bad person" but if it was the first time I realized they were racist, then I would reconsider how I see them as a friend. But in general you can't really do anything to ignorant people that are racist because everyone is allowed their own opinions, so just ignore them. It is only if they commit a "hate crime" based on color of one's skin; is when you can validate that person as bad.

 

[The Maddest March Hare]

No, in fact it's completely normal (but I'm not saying it's acceptable) to be racist. It's simple, tribal reactions that have stuck with us as a culture. Back when we lived in tribes, it was ever tribe for itself. Everyone distrusted the other tribes because, given the chance, the other tribe would quite happily storm in, rape their women, steal their crops and kill their men and children.

This distrust of people from other cultures and countries is still with us today, however we should be civilised enough to ignore those feelings and accept that the guy over there with darker skin than you is most likely a friendly, family man, and isn't about to eat your entire family and pet dog.

So they aren't a bad person, they just need to accept that they're no longer right to be wary.

That's Xenophobia, which perfectly acceptable and natural.

Racism is slightly different, because it involves a conscious decision to discriminate against, or worse, hate someone else because of their race, which is bad.

I met someone one who was so racist, he'd has racism so deeply ingrained into his psyche by his family, that he refused to drink coffee without milk. I said to him "We've ran out of milk, will you take yours black?" and he shot me a look of pure disgust, proudly proclaiming "I don't take anything black".

I had to leave the building I was laughing so much.

Back to the question posed by Sparrow, without knowing exactly what this person said and the context of it, it's hard to answer. It could have been simple Xenophobia with a dash or ignorance (which wouldn't make them bad) or it could have been full on racist hatred, which would make the bad.

Maybe the people I've experienced have been less extreme than you have met (and, from that story of yours, they certainly are), but I've always found that racism is caused by not making the conscious decision to hold your tongue when Xenophobia, the natural instincts, kick in. I'd say it makes a person ignorant, but not necessarily bad, to act on their Xenophobic feelings against someone else because of their race.

Fear of something we are told is acceptable often turns to hatred, and the more ignorant the person the higher chance they will not hold back on those feelings.

However, like I said, it could easily be subjective. I've never met someone quite so racist as that person, so my take on racism could differ hugely. But hopefully you can see where I'm coming from with the Xenophobia linked to racism anyway.

 

[DSK-]

It's unfortunate that I know a great many people who are racist and say bad things towards people of different ethinicities/backgrounds. For the most part I ignore them internally or just nod and go along with their shit - all the while lamenting them and their racist bullshit. If it's someone I know well I would pull them up over it.

Then again I get a lot of racist joke texts. I laugh at them but don't take them seriously in the slightest. I often use racism as a joke with many of my friends - who are also of a different ethnicity to myself, all the while saying that I meant it as a friendly joke and it is nothing to be taken seriously.

Does this make me a bad person? maybe, maybe not. The idea or racism seems so fucking stupid to me. We are all the same biologically, we all live on the same planet, experience the same pain and anguish - so why the hell do we make light of the slighest differences with eachother?

Apologies for the rant.

 

[MinishArcticFox]

The best example of this is Rhodes he was an Englishman who set up the Rhodes scholarship but he was also racist.

 

[Kuchinawa212]

Yes. It means that you prejudge people and become biased in situations of right and wrong. Which means you might purposely make the evil choice to just not give the other person an advantage they should have had.

 

[Citrus]

My response was ninja'd back there, but I'll say it again: "Being racist does not make you a bad person, but acting on it does."

 

[EeveeElectro]

Uhm.. I don't like Asian men, not because of their skin colour, but because three tried grabbing me in town once, one tried mugging me and three tried to pick a fight with me earlier. People stupidly call me racist because of that.
As long as he doesn't act on it, he's not a bad person.

You are stupidly racist for not liking Asian men. If three white women grabbed you and tried to mug you would you suddenly dislike all white women? It's the discrimination of putting all people with some similar physical characteristics in the same boat - which is what you're saying you're doing - that's racist. Doesn't matter what you're reason for it is.

Yes I would actually. I've met a very small minority of Asian men I get a long with. I probably should have said "I don't like the majority of Asian men" but whatever. I know they're not all the same, but when most of them I meet do something like that to me, it's hard to like them.
Don't you dare call me racist. I hate it when morons throw that word about.

 

[Burst6]

By racist i assume you mean openly hating someone of different skin color. If this is the case then yes, yes it does.

But a little bit of racism isn't too bad, sorta like how drinking a lot isn't too bad, because most people drink.

Everyone is a little bit racist (Que song)

 

[Nickisimo]

Tough question. There are definitely people out there so racist that it's hard not to call them bad people no matter what else they do with their lives. Then there are people who are casually racist, throwing jokes around when no one who will take offense is present. Those people are mostly harmless but it can still be pretty ridiculous. There's definitely a difference between a joke and a snide remark though(e.g. "A priest, a rabbi and a black guy are on a stranded island" vs. "boy, it sure is dark in this part of town"). Being in South Carolina, I've seen some pretty bad racism. I think it's appalling but can I change this backwards culture? No.

I'll say this though: if it's late and I'm driving in a bad neighborhood, I'd rather see a bunch of white people walking up to my car than black or some other minority. I certainly don't think of minorities as criminals when I see them, but I'm just being honest.

 

[interspark]

Are they evil? no. I would say they are ignorant either that or stupid.

oh i absolutely agree, people who are racist are just idiots demeaning themselves

 

[Pink_Pirate]

ok well.. these days blatant racism is just plain funny, why do you think every second word on /b/ is ******, its a running joke.
Ok as for the person in the example, not liking people because of the skin colour is obviously racist, but depending on why they dont like people of said colour, they might be ignorant, thick, evil, stupid, be very bad at conveying sarcasm, victims (as in brain washed to be racists), or yes they might just be a bad person. Racism mostly tends to rise in hand with scapegoatism, so depending on where you are and what decade and century it is racism is either socially accepted or not. you should hear some brits go on about the poles. Its not considered racists by those people, because they genuinely blame poles for them not having jobs. Im pretty sure i was maing a point here, something to do with grayscale morality, but ive forgotten the specifics...

 

[Seventh Actuality]

Yup. There's no way to define a bad person other than as a person who thinks and does bad things, and racism is very much a Bad Thing.

That bad people can be friendly and endearing is just a hard reality to get over.

 

[interspark]

Everyone is a little bit racist (Que song)

speak for yourself, id never discriminate anyone cos of their differences, its pointless and stupid!