The Racism Thread

[moeburn]

I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt and say you were just saying that it has an explanation, but not that this behavior is just fine and to be expected and accepted.

Precisely what i mean.

Take for example someone from a country where water is really scarce..so they have a tradition of not bathing often..merely due to unavailability of resources. Now they've carried on this tradition for years and one day families of this country pack up and move to the America where water is abundant and people can bathe (and do bathe) sometimes multiple times per day. Well, these new families may come in and start earning a reputation for being "stinky" and people may want to keep away...not because of race, but because now they have this reputation and while not all families practice this conservation of water practice they had before, the stereotype is formed. Now, racism comes in where you will just keep away from all people of this country without giving them a chance..some may smell just fine, but you won't give them a chance. This is where I hope we're educated and intelligent enough as a people now to recognize that you find some of everything in every race. But the counter point is, I hate when maybe you do come accross someone with a strong odor (still speaking on the example I laid out) and you really don't want to put up with the smell because you have a sensitive nose..then you shouldn't be forced to hang out with someone just out of fear that you'll be labeled racist. That's where I hate that us minorities will be quick to play the race card.

I'm not quite sure I agree with you hear. When you move from one country to another, you have to expect to leave some values and traditions behind, or adapting others. "This is our country, and we welcome you, but you're going to have to adapt to some of our ways and values". Would you feel the same for the immigrant family if they came from a society in which certain laws did not exist, I won't go into detail but you can use your imagination, and they think they should still be able to be unlawful in the new country.

[nomas]

The key difference is "laws" versus "values". I think you don't have to leave values/customs/ and traditions behind, necessarily. I do agree that you need to adapt to certain customs of your new country simply to give yourself an opportunity to be on even ground with the majority, to help you get ahead. You should, for example, learn the language tha predominates the land. You probably won't be a senior manager of a big corporation in the US if you cannot speak english. I understand that you do need to adapt, but you don't have to change traditions that you prefer to keep if you're not hurting others, as I've said before.

Freddie

[jane]

OK Mo.. I get it. I take back the sentence about me calling you a racist.. I guess to me because in my small way, I have witnessed and been part of the racism. Forgive me for jumping the gun.

[moeburn]

OK Mo.. I get it. I take back the sentence about me calling you a racist.. I guess to me because in my small way, I have witnessed and been part of the racism. Forgive me for jumping the gun.

Ah no problem. After thinking about it for a while, i realised i experience racism quite frequently. Being half Canadian, half American, I have to stick up for both sides when an argument gets going. The only thing is, I enjoy it. Nobody is getting killed, no body is being emotionally destroyed, i just enjoy ensightful arguments

[jane]

Couldnt agree with you more...

[cbee]

Being half Canadian, half American,

I'm confused I thought you said you were Irish & I was getting ready to crack the Guinness jokes!!!

Just to add my tuppence worth - I read somewhere, can't exactly where about stereotypes and surely it's stereotypes that impinge more on the way we see people. For example, if I'm in a car and I hear loud music in a car when I'm in a car then I sort of expect it to be being driven by a young male, probably from an ethnic minority with lots of jewellary. I'm not alway correct but 9 times out of ten I am. I don't set out to make these assumptions I just do.

Surely it's these stereotypes that are more incidious than racism as it's harder to see them and they are more likely to be formed after only having met one or two people from an ethnic minority as we are less likely to mix with them.

[moeburn]

My father was born in Detroit, my mother in Deep river, yet both have strong irish decents. I'm also a Sullivan

[jane]

I'm confused I thought you said you were Irish & I was getting ready to crack the Guinness jokes!!!

HEY! No Guinness jokes!!! What did the best beer in the world ever do to you?
lol

[cbee]

HEY! No Guinness jokes!!! What did the best beer in the world ever do to you?

Gave me a bloody bad hangover

[Kiechi]

I thought I would revive it.

[shh!]

I thought I would revive it.

I, for one, don't want to read through a bunch of posts from people who are probably long gone by now.

[Kiechi]

I, for one, don't want to read through a bunch of posts from people who are probably long gone by now.

What a sticky predicament... oh yeah i have a solution! don't read it. BTW, majority of people who posted in this thread are still active on this forum.

[Junket]

Damn, how did I miss this thread?

Come on let's start hatin' people.

It'll be fun.

[shh!]

What a sticky predicament... oh yeah i have a solution! don't read it. BTW, majority of people who posted in this thread are still active on this forum.

May be true, but the only one I recognized from this page and page 1 is Nomas. The sarcasm is unnecessary, by the way, although I see how you could be tempted. I simply am responding that since this discussion is currently going on in another thread, I am not inclined to repeat myself here. Others will certainly be game, I'm sure.

[Kiechi]

Reason I did it is to avoid any further off-topic in the other thread. However, whatever I do, going off-topic is simply inevitable.