Poll: Is it okay to pardon racism from a very old person?

[Mr. Eff_v1legacy]

What do you mean by "pardon"? What are you supposed to do otherwise?
A person's opinion is their own. As long as they don't harm anyone, it's their business.

 

[ObsidianJones_v1legacy]

well, are we talking 'racist' or racist?

Racist is now a catch-all term. Yeah, it means to hate someone due to their race, but people have bastardized the use to mean a misunderstanding of another race, or just plain prejudice.

 

[Ryotknife]

Like other posters have mentioned, pick the battles you can win. If it is your grandparents, try to take the rougher edges off. Any racism that actively hurts people should be confronted, but keep in mind old people tend to be set in their ways. It is easier to change a child's outlook than the elderly.

 

[smearyllama]

Depends. My grandma, and to some extent my mom, are some of the most tolerant people I know. My grandmother especially. She's probably the chillest person in the history of ever. Occasionally, though, I've heard them drop the word "oriental" into conversation. Not in a negative way, and not meaning anything. Just to say "Person of Asian descent". It's usually just a slip of the tongue, since that was the widespread term when they were growing up, and it's been ingrained into them for so long.
In that case, it is acceptable. It's just a fragment of the past seeping in.

 

[Daveman]

At least they'll be dead soon. Yay, progress!

tbh, it's not really an issue I've faced, my grandparents are all alright about race. We're pretty open minded stock, even the angry scottish side was marxist and so, yeah, we're crazy like that. That said, my dad seems to get more racist (well, less politically correct) by the day. I always call him out on it though and tell him he's a twat.

 

[Longstreet]

Like i said in another tread, people use the words racist (and discrimination for that matter) now whenever they get their panties in a bunch or someone sais something they don't agree with or goes against their opinion.

 

[Batou667]

A lot of it is pardonable as the world genuinely has moved on since the norms of some older people were engrained. What for our generation may be completely unremarkable - immigrants, gay marriage, secularism - are for some older people really quite radical concepts that they may not understand, let alone embrace. I suppose older people are predisposed to tend towards conservatism, in that regard.

Some of it is just relativism and the ever-shifting vagaries of the euphemism treadmill. Reading smearyllama's post above is a case in point: I hadn't realised that "oriental" was considered politically incorrect, and hopefully I'm not some belligerent old fogey. It literally just means "of the East", the counterpart of occidental, and we don't hesitate to call ourselves Westerners, do we? But hey, if somebody out there has decided that it's now an offensive word, then I guess that's cool with me. But you can see how easily unintended offence can be given. It's the whole black/coloured situation all over: which one is the racial slur and which one is the polite and progressive euphemism? Let's see, it's 2013, which isn't divisible by four, and the month has an "e" in it, so that means... *holds finger to wind*

And then again some old people are intentionally bigotted and abrasive old c*nts who feel they can say whatever they want and not get called out on it because of their age. Some of the rudest and most childish people I've ever met have been senior citizens. For these people, I say look on the bright side: they'll be dead before us.

 

[Patrick Buck]

My grandad died a few months ago, at the age of about 73 (Can't remember exactly).
He wasn't racist, and he came from another age. But he did say things that wouldn't be considered "PC" now. He still used words like "Coloured" and "Negro" but he was definitly, DEFINITLY not a racist. Nor sexist, nor homophobic. So no, I guess I don't think it is fair to say "Oh, they're from another age, that's why they think like that."

It is an interesting question though, props.

 

[Denamic]

If it was 'okay' in another age, it'd still be okay. It wasn't okay, so it changed.

 

[Amaury_games]

I didn't answer the poll because I don't feel the answers are totally suitable.
First of all, it is not true that you can't teach an old dog new tricks. Both figuratively and literally (for the literal version watch mythbusters)

But it is completely possible for an elderly person to change their worldview. As for if them being racist is ok, I think it depends on the situation. Obviously in any situation where it is actively harming somebody, then no it's not ok.

What I'm trying to get at is that, while I don't think old people should get away with being racist simply because their old, I also think that young people should keep in mind that these people are old, and they did grow up in a different kind of world, and that it's hard to change things that have remained with you your whole life.

In short, no it's not okay, but I don't think people should get angry or offended if it happens. Trying to calmly educate the person about how things have changed will most likely wind up better than openly calling them a racist.

i too didn't choose an option from the poll, because I didn't find the answer I'd give in there. I agree with this guy.

 

[Agayek]

Edit : What's up with the polls lately? Option 3 and 4 are both : i don't know

So what do you guys think . It's it okay to pardon racism from old people?

The problem with the polls is the apostrophe. Try using "don\'t" next time. \' is the special character form of ' in most computer languages. Not 100% sure it would fix it, but it theoretically should.

OT:
It's not really acceptable for anyone to be racist, even the old and decrepit.

But most people at that age are very set in their ways and it would take a minor act of god to get them to change. I'm all for trying, but don't expect much in the way of results. As long as they're not actively hurting anyone with it, I'd say it's acceptable to tolerate it as long as you make it clear to them that you don't appreciate the sentiment.

 

[Zombie Sodomy]

Old People Vote; a lot. When a disproportionate amount of the people who vote are racist I think it officially qualifies as a problem.

 

[Siege_TF]

I recall my grandfather bashing homosexuals once at the dinner table in responce to some story on the news. He did this once, and only once, because when he said 'they should be put on an island' I piped up 'Along with all the blacks, jews, and dentists?'
That shut him up, which was weird becuase I think I was twelve and he didn't usually take crap from twelve year olds. I think my balls may have dropped by the next morning.

TL;DR I think it's okay so long as you point out how foolish they sound after without actually berating them because they're still you're elders.

P.S.

Spoiler

I still irrationally hate dentists.

 

[Easton Dark]

Not everyone who is old thinks the same way. Some people aren't racist homophobic or sexist bigots in their 80's.

Just because it was the norm does not make it okay. So yes I'd confront them about it. Maybe the situation gets heated, I don't care.

It's impossible to argue with her and if she feels I've "disrespected" her too much she spits on me.

Oh fuck that. If an old bigot is spitting on me I'd get a permanent marker and write something disparaging on their head. See how much disrespect spitting at someone gets you.

 

[Shoggoth2588]

Old people aren't really from another time, they were born in another time. They grew up and watched as the world changed around them so one would assume they would be used to such changes by the time they have entered their golden years.

Than being said, I picked the 'who cares' option. These people are well past the ages of influence so they can't really do anything but talk under their breath, flip you off or (worst case scenario), say mean things at you. In 10 years you'll be in a better position (presumably), the world will have enjoyed a decade of progression (hopefully) and, the embittered, prejudiced old person will be dead (where nothing here will matter to them anyway).

 

[The Funslinger]

OT: Doesn't mater, they'll forget the next day anyway

I was going to say it doesn't matter, because they'll all be dead soon, anyway, but that works too