Racism, is it used as a defence these days?

[Bezza27]

In this day and age, anything offensive said to a non-white person will be labelled as "Racist!" by some politically correct people. Now, I'm not saying I'm racist, but, when I said something offensive about an Asian person who punched me and disfigured my face I'm apparently being "racist" even when it wasn't a racial comment. And he didn't punch me because I was racist. And whenever anyone white says anything to do with another race it's racism. And if I had hit the person who hit me, my school would have expelled me for racial abuse, but because the white guy got punched its just common assault.

I just want to know, are we too quick to judge things as racism or use it just as an accusation when the comments aren't meant to offend people's race. For example, if I said (and I am not saying I would say this, I am using it as an example) "That fucking ****** is a prick" I would consider that racist, but if I said "He is a prick," and I was talking about someone who happened to be black, I would also be called racist.

 

[Pearwood]

It's usually bored white people with unsatisfying lives who think like that.

 

[Luthir Fontaine]

Same way back in 05 when any one said anything bad about the war we were labeld antiamerican...people like to over overgeneralize alot.
I dont think its rasict when you call some one a prick. Now if you bring in his/her race, nationality, and/or family backround then yes your being a rasict.

 

[l3o2828]

Those people who call you racist for insulting an asian person because he attacked you are clearly victims of a frontal lobotomy done with a rusty axe.
I HAVE been guilty of this, but only because people mention Race instead of Ethnicism and i take it as they're deliberately trying to be offensive.
I only think something said about someone is racist or ethnicist when in directly insults the color of their skin or maybe their culture.

 

[Harbinger_]

Its the same thing with sexual orientation and its not just done when it comes to violence or verbal abuse. It happens when it comes to interviews for jobs as well. Take for example the casting for The Hobbit movie.

A casting director if I remember correctly got fired because they wouldn't hire a non-white person for the role of an extra in the movie.

In the Lord of the Rings series hobbits are depicted in the books as white but this day in age we are supposed to make exceptions no matter what lest we be seen as racist.

 

[Zac Smith]

I think if a black person was hit by a white person, saying it was racially provoked to me seems like a way of trying to gain support in your favour. Which statement looks better for the black guy "He hit me because I was insulting him" or "He hit me because I'm black"

Its the same thing with sexual orientation and its not just done when it comes to violence or verbal abuse. It happens when it comes to interviews for jobs as well. Take for example the casting for The Hobbit movie.

A casting director if I remember correctly got fired because they wouldn't hire a non-white person for the role of an extra in the movie.

In the Lord of the Rings series hobbits are depicted in the books as white but this day in age we are supposed to make exceptions no matter what lest we be seen as racist.

Very similar with the black guy in the thor film, I can't remember the character or actor's name, but people we're upset that the creators of the film were taking political correctness over authenticity.

 

[farscythe]

And if I had hit the person who hit me, my school would have expelled me for racial abuse, but because the white guy got punched its just common assault.

quote]

over here common assault will still get you expelled racial or not
but meh here in the uk its pretty hard to tell racism from just mates having a laugh anyway
racial slurs getting slung about left right n centre and mostly its just friendly banter.

sooo..i guess it aint racism till someone takes offense

(tho im by no means defending racists here jus saying that racial slurs dont make a racist)

[edit] one day ill get quotes right

 

[Iron Mal]

It's usually bored white people with unsatisfying lives who think like that.

Sometimes, it is exactly this.

Sometimes it's a legitimate problem and ignoring and dismissing it as 'oh those silly white people and their self entitlement' is in itself a racist stance to take (it is in fact possible to discriminate against white people, a vast majority of us indirectly do in the form of double standards).

Some people do try to excuse otherwise inexcusable behavior or actions by discrediting the person criticising them, and in our 'enlightened' day and age, an easy way to discredit someone is to make them look like a biased and uncaring bigot (which isn't as hard as it sounds).

 

[clangunn]

This is an incredibly complex question that tends to results in hyper-simplistic conclusions from nearly all stakeholders. However, that being said, Movie Bob did a rather good job of summing up a lot of key points about "political correctness" and "double standards" as they relate to the topic of race/ethnonationalism in his Big Picture clip at the below link:

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/the-big-picture/3183-Skin-Deep

Ultimately, it boils down to the fact that historical oppression of all non-white people by white people for hundreds of years - as epitomized in the USA with a very particular brand of slavery - has significantly skewed American society's perception of race/ethnonationalism to the point that yes, as a white male you are the recipient of hundreds of years of privilege that have been intentionally denied to all non-white males in America since before the founding of our nation. It has taken multiple Constitutional amendments and well over a century (for race) for our society to begin to address some of these imbalances in the human- and socioeconomic-capital. This gives rise to a natural backlash - no way around it that myriads of sociologist, anthropologist, political scientists, economists, or even spiritual leaders have yet stumbled upon.

 

[Scizophrenic Llama]

Spoiler

If somebody tries to play the race card on me, I just ignore it and say it's not the 50's anymore. History is a ***** to erase though, and everybody who only hears how things were seems to think they are entitled to special treatment because of it.

Hell, I've seen a guy offer a black woman his seat because none were available and she tried to call him racist and was trying to make up for all the bad things his people had done to her people and whatnot.

Calling somebody racist is as old and tired as the very concept of racism. It's annoying and people need to grow the fuck up.

I can't help but feel like the minority because if I happen to say anything negative about somebody who isn't the same skin color as me they are suddenly entitled to not be treated like any other human being and learn to accept some form of criticism whether it be what they want to hear or not.

 

[SilentCom]

Political correctness and double standards are very much real and have a way with screwing up society. I would not call it racist unless there is clear evidence pointing toward racism. Calling someone a "prick" does not necessarily mean you are racist.

Its sort of funny because I have a friend who is half Guatamalan but looks white, and once in class he made a remark that the teacher quesitoned him out thinking it was because he's white. My friend then replied, "actually I'm hispanic" and the teacher became quiet XD

Sometimes I'm glad that I'm a minority, that way people won't be so quick to play the racist card on me

 

[Brandon237]

Living in South Africa, I feel this, a lot.
And yes, that does unfortunately happen Even in our bloody government. Our Youth League leader, one Mr. Julius Malema, is the most... wait for it... racist prick in a position of power in the last 40 years.
And one of his favourite lines is: "You racist". Beautiful irony.

Here is a nice video of it:

Spoiler: I warn you, hilarity and disrespect ahead

 

[Pearwood]

Some people do try to excuse otherwise inexcusable behavior or actions by discrediting the person criticising them, and in our 'enlightened' day and age, an easy way to discredit someone is to make them look like a biased and uncaring bigot (which isn't as hard as it sounds).

Well yes but in the specific case the OP described it would be uncalled for.

 

[N3vans]

If something is genuinely racist then I find it abhorrent, but I agree that on occasions a lot of people do jump the gun and label something racist when its patently not.

My philosophy on it is this: If you're acting like a twat it doesn't matter in the slightest what colour, creed or gender you are, you're a bell end.

I hate it when people pull the race card just to get their own way (while acting like said twat ^^) purely because they know it will work. It completely devalues the argument for people who have genuinely been subject to racism.

 

[Erana]

Yeah, sometimes people wrongly pull the race card.

But for all the abused political correctness moments, there are plenty or real examples of racism.
Its just an unintended side effect of the social progress that we have yet to fully achieve. If it protects people who really do have to deal with racial hate and discrimination, I think all us white people can deal with a few people who don't understand what racism is and isn't in exchange.

 

[Arehexes]

Dude me and my group of lovely color different friends make racists jokes all day but we aren't racists. It's just a way to get cheap fun lolz

 

[remedyX]

It's usually bored white people with unsatisfying lives who think like that.

Citation needed.

Sure it can be used as an excuse. Whats important is whether its an effective excuse, and whether its an excuse used excessively. I heavily doubt these.

What I will say however is that racism is an overplayed element of discussion within the media. Its very taboo and so has a lot of high emotions. The sensationalist medias that run our pretty little countries whip us into a frenzy with this 'Politically Correct' nonsense.

 

[Brandon237]

And if I had hit the person who hit me, my school would have expelled me for racial abuse, but because the white guy got punched its just common assault.

over here common assault will still get you expelled racial or not
but meh here in the uk its pretty hard to tell racism from just mates having a laugh anyway
racial slurs getting slung about left right n centre and mostly its just friendly banter.

sooo..i guess it aint racism till someone takes offense

(tho im by no means defending racists here jus saying that racial slurs dont make a racist)

[edit] one day ill get quotes right

Fixed that, the end of quote tag was missing the "[/"

Just press the quote button and be sure not to tamper with what is between the the quote and unquote tags.

Unless you intend to change their post for humour/ argument/ grammar nazism.

 

[Palademon]

I've been called racist before, and I had to explain to the person that just because I don't like one memeber of his race doesn't mean I don't like any of them. Also, the guy didn't even say he was of a different race until after he accused me.