Racism, when is it o.k for you to speak on behalf of another race.

First of all let me first start with, I am NOT racist towards anyone, of any nationality, if you happen to be another race and I don't like you, I assure you there is another reason, and I would have stated why.

Now with that said, I have seen lots, I mean lots of recent threads where race and racism has been thrown around as if it has been over for so long, it should be irrelevant. When you call someone out on their nationality or their color, and you are not of the same race, how is your approach?

Do ask the opinion of that person, or declare that they no longer have a leg to stand on because their ancestors haven't been in literal shackles for 200 + years? Sometimes when you think that you are speaking out for someone, you can actual be making the situation worse.

Here's an example, I had a co-worker once who has immigrated from North Korea, I happened to had seen a documentary about the atrocities there and wanted to ask her a few questions. I don't think that I approached her the wrong way, but she was reluctant to answer the only question I had, and that was, are the things I heard and saw real?

She seems frightened, and I felt bad, and told her in NO WAY was she obligated to answer my question, and I learned to understand that I could never in my lifetime understand what she went through. I had a huge amount of respect for her, and we later became friends, and it never came up again.

Now my example was in reference that most of us here in America cannot say that you can identify with, but the black and white issue is more at play here ( I don't even want to get into the illegal immigrant thing), and there seems to be a divide in who should have someone to blame, and who should take the blame.

Im sure that no one here is in need of a lesson on the past as far as slavery is concerned, and though it happened long ago, and isn't happening the same way now, does it give us the right to dismiss it as a whole?

I don't think that white people should take the blame for what happened years ago, as I don't think that if a person expresses the fact that it happened, even if it did so long ago, its not to demoralize the facts. In some countries you can get arrested for denouncing atrocities to a certain race, but here it seems to be a way to set the blame, on both ends.

Who you are today, no matter your race is a representation. If a white person senses racism from a black person, yes, they have the right to point that out, as it should be the other way around. As far as I know there hasn't been a set of rules that has been set for people to address each other, unless you think that political correctness is included.

Pride needs to come from your actions and not the color of your skin, or where your family came from, especially if you claim pride in the plight of those before you. To say well, white people went through the same, it doesn't give precedence to a black person unless the same was said.

We still live in a diverse world, and everyone will have their point of view, but speaking from what you heard and not what you know doesn't make it so. If I know 2 white people, that doesn't give me a pass to call them whitey, it just gives me the right to claim them as friends, I wouldn't even be able to speak on their behalf, unless I was there.

I guarantee you that what happened so many years ago with almost all of our ancestors is accurate, then we ALL have a story to tell, but its his-story, not your-story.

I am all for the rights of all black, white , Asian, gay, frankly I don't care about most of those things, I only care if your a good person, and you will not get that reaction from anyone if you first make an assumption, and you don't get to know them.

So, if you know first hand, or you can speak from experience, then maybe we can start a better form of dialog and avoid any future problems.

For every person that I see, if they are white, I don't automatically think racist, If I see a black person I don't automatically think a thug, it surprises me that when I come here and we cannot even have this form of discussion without the constant assumption, all that say's to me is that we are further away from progress then I thought.

For those of you who have felt violated, or even those who have violated someone based on their race, or spoke out without understanding someone else's point of view, this is just a perspective of a person that knows that our intent is not always the way it seems, and sometimes we need to take a look back and make sure, that we (either side) wasn't portrayed or portrayed themselves in a false and dim light.

Peace to you...

I see it happening today. I'm a Native American. 300 years ago white people were greedy for our land. Now they want our money. 30 years ago the only white person working on our reservation was the National Indian Health Service doctor in our clinic. Today with two casinos going strong, tax free cigarettes,alcohol and gas. My reservation employs 1500 people. 75% are white people. If they were respectful and didn't act like they owned the place, I wouldn't have a problem. They defile the land they stand on. I went to some friends to see if we could have the worst offenders banished. You know what they said," No, we can't do that, they're our slaves." I bear it.

Hi everyone,

It's not often mentioned on this site but has to be said 'There is no race within humans, we are all one race and its only an illusion that we are not'.

The very fact you believe in race shows you have racial ideas programmed in your mind but these are not correct. There is only the human race and within that geographical determinism shapes our outward appearance while social factors affect our thought processes.

Let's end the talk of race please, its not helping any, as to the OP, is it okay to speak on behalf of another person when they can answer for themselves?!?

Excepting that we are all one is almost impossible with the diversity of today, this is in reference to the up front in you face part of our day to day lives. Even for those who do not see in color, have a form of it in their face on a sometimes daily bases just in the media itself.

This is more of a speaking because you know, and less speaking because you heard. We are pretty much spoon feed our information on what to wear, who to care about, and what to think of each other, whether it be because of where you live, or how much money you make.

If people where to listen before they speak, this whole thing may get easier, of course Id rather live in a world, where these things were not important... but I don't.

Peace.

A perfect example for someone to NOT have a conversation on the AIR.
Dr. Laura's N-Word Rant: Radio Host Apologizes For Offensive Language (AUDIO)

Warning: Offensive Language-


Peace.