What is your definition of a racist?

Night Observer wrote:

type c wrote:

This a great example of type c........i have something to say but i'm too cowardly to say it, but.....you know, I kinda want to get credit and a pat on the back for thinking it.

You missed the point.

Let me explain further and I will be willing to discuss this if anyone disagrees with my point.

The Racism and race relations is a taboo subject for white people. Many white people are afraid to discuss the subject and many are even afraid to think openly about the subject. They fear being judged negatively by others and even judging themselves harshly. Many blacks are not interested in white perceptions or ideas. They figure whites haven't experienced what blacks have so their ideas aren't that important. They want whites to listen to their experiences. They don't want an open discussion they just want an opportunity to be heard. That's not healthy.

I think there is a pre- and post-civil rights definition of racism. Pre-civil rights, racists believed that race was an immutable genetic trait that determined a whole range of traits beyond appearance. As societies have integrated significantly since the 1960s, racism is becoming much less about genetic and much more about a belief that cultural choices are responsible for the same outcomes as far as certain traits that previously were believed to be genetic. For example, every time I hear someone claim that African Americans are more prone to commit crime, they are quick to note that they are friends with an African American who went to a prestigious college and is very successful. Their point is that there is no genetic inferiority. It is simply a cultural choice whether to work hard in school and succeed or to drop out of school, do drugs and commit crimes.

This kind of racism may actually be worse and more dangerous. The pre-civil rights racism was easy to disprove with science and easy to defeat through an appeal to universal human rights. But the idea that certain traits equated with race are nothing more than a cultural choice provides cover to people to proceed as the pre-civil rights racists did, just without the cover of de jure racism.

Luv2Run wrote:

One who believes one race of people is inherently superior to another or others.

This was it but it also extends to people who act based on racial biases they might not be aware of. Someone who fits into a pattern of racism might not understand some of their distinct advantages for not being a POC.

No politics please wrote:

No politics please wrote:

It's sounds racist because it is racist. "Leave it to white people"??? You are so immersed in racism, making unflattering associations to people based on color, that you can't help yourself and you are blind to it.

I think you would be the last person to effectively discuss race relations in a meaningful way.

The sad part of this is that you honestly think you have ideas that would improve race relations. I know I am picking on you, but I see you as part of the problem. I can explain more, but I don't think you would be open to it.

I can guarantee you have already dismissed any idea I might have because you quite incorrectly think I am a white racist.

I don't know you, but I am guessing you have some racist beliefs, that's right. I'm sorry you find that so incredibly hurtful. I have stubborn racist prejudices and assumptions as well, which emerge to my surprise and dismay when reading the paper or having a conversation with my wife.

I don't care that you think you're "picking on me"--whatever that means. I do care that you seem so opposed to investigating your own racism. This does not have to be a shameful thing; our country was founded on genocide and slavery, long before you were born and likely before your ancestors came here. You, personally, are not responsible for that. But you are the inheritor and the beneficiary of a racist legacy, and no harm will come from you hearing that (especially from people of color, as opposed to another white person) and questioning how you might disburse some of that inheritance.

If I'm wrong and you're definitely not racist, that's great: I'm wrong; you're not racist. I don't want you to be a racist, so I'd be thrilled.

But you seem categorically opposed not only to the suggestion that you might be racist but to the suggestion that other white people might be racist. You just seem defensive, rather than collaborative. It's like this whole thread is basically about finding the most neutral, inoffensive, sixth-grade "definition" of racism so all the sensitive white people on this board can feel exculpated. You're hoping for a definition so static and historicized that you can pretend it's all in the past--or at least has nothing to do with you. And that's a shame.

You cleaned up your language and that is an improvement. In your other two posts you kept making gross generalizations such as "whites think......" Or" white people feel" as if because we are white we all think and feel the same. That's why I felt you were racist and couldn't make a good contribution to speaking about race.

And you and some others miss the purpose of this thread entirely. Its not to find the best definition of racism, it's to understand that different people mean different things when they say racist. The purpose was to enhance understanding.

There have been some very interesting posts how people view racism. The contrast between use of racist versus bias is enlightening.

(Your explanation of the racist legacy is the common line of thinking and although there is truth to it the issue is so much more complex and layered)

I read something shocking today. I know this thread said "no politics", but this is more about viewpoints than actual politics:

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/30/us/politics/is-trump-racist.html

The relevant quote is: "When separated by party, 86 percent of Democratic voters classified Mr. Trump as racist while 91 percent of Republicans said he was not."

That's insane to me. I don't think I've ever seen such a polarized statistic. You could ask people if Florida is a planet or the earth is flat and 10% would probably say yes.

I don't know if this division represents a difference in values or if people are deluding themselves, but it was pretty interesting to me and made me wonder how the former could possibly be true.

correct answer wrote:

Racist: A white person who doesn't grovel. A white person who behaves in the same way we expect every other race to behave. A white person who cares about white interests, just as every other race cares about their group interests.

Found the incel!

Racism is pretty easy to define.

It is not about commenting on or recognising that someone is of race x or race y.

It is using the person's race to imply, infer or determine ability or character etc.

eg...no one in work place will say they are racist, yet when you do a study in most western countries, (as has been done already) you will find that people get more interviews simply on no other criterium than the race that the recruiter believes they would be...totally unseen and with all other abilities and experience listed being equal.

This is done sub consciously and is racist, yet almost all those recruiters would start the explanation with "I am not a racist, but...."

At a political level the law makers simply do what the people want, and what the people want is more often than not due to the dog whistling done by the politician, in a vicious cycle to 'keep the status quo', and keep the power and education in the hands of the so called 'superior' race.

cheers

I am Sam wrote:

It is not about commenting on or recognising that someone is of race x or race y.

It is using the person's race to imply, infer or determine ability or character etc.

But if you don't do the first quoted line then you can't do the second. If you regularly comment on a person's race/ethnicity/background then it becomes easier to do the second, especially if it comes with a cultural context.

There’s nothing “complex & layered,” providing definitions of racism helps the discussion & many have not heard these definitions. Including you, it seems. Keep reading, and if you’re not careful, you may learn something.

Making jokes based on racial groups;

Stereotyping of individuals based on their race;

The use of derogatory names, as well as racial epithets;

Using superficially positive remarks about racial groups, such as “Mexicans are hard workers” or “Jews are good at managing money.”

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jesseriley wrote:

There’s nothing “complex & layered,” providing definitions of racism helps the discussion & many have not heard these definitions. Including you, it seems. Keep reading, and if you’re not careful, you may learn something.

I started this thread with the hope to learn things. So yes I will keep reading with that purpose.

If you read what I wrote, I said the issue of racism is layered and complex. I stand by that statement.

David S wrote:

I read something shocking today. I know this thread said "no politics", but this is more about viewpoints than actual politics:

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/30/us/politics/is-trump-racist.html

The relevant quote is: "When separated by party, 86 percent of Democratic voters classified Mr. Trump as racist while 91 percent of Republicans said he was not."

That's insane to me. I don't think I've ever seen such a polarized statistic. You could ask people if Florida is a planet or the earth is flat and 10% would probably say yes.

I don't know if this division represents a difference in values or if people are deluding themselves, but it was pretty interesting to me and made me wonder how the former could possibly be true.

For the record while I will mention Trump by name, I am not saying anything about him.

Too many people assume what they hear on TV or read on some "news" site is true. This was part of the Russian influence on the 2016 elections, no? D's and R's have different news sources. Those who are D see and hear repeatedly on their news sources that Trump is a racist and made racist remarks. Those who are R see and hear that he is not/did not. Both D and R are predisposed to believe what they are being told, hence the poll results you noted.

DdfddddddDVD wrote:

It's someone who is biased towards one race over another (or many others).

For example, the majority of hobbyjoggers are racist because they think the marathon is a better race than a 5k.

Racewalking would be a better example of this.

People use the word racist when they want a word that has the greatest pejorative connotation. Hence the difference between trump supporters and detractors. But you would get the same split if you asked whether trump was an idiot or not.

I would be open to changing the direction of this thread to discuss the very complex issue of race relations in this country. It's not a simple issue and there are many layers to it.

It’s harder when you tell everyone what to say instead of accepting what is written.