Racism is not just about the color of your skin...

Racism consists of ideologies and practices that seek to justify, or cause, the unequal distribution of privileges, rights, or goods amongst, or otherwise exhibit hatred or prejudice towards, different racial groups. It is often based on a desire to dominate or a belief in the inferiority of another race.[1][2] Modern variants are often based in social perceptions of biological differences between peoples. These can take the form of social actions, practices or beliefs, or political systems that consider different races to be ranked as inherently superior or inferior to each other, based on presumed shared inheritable traits, abilities, or qualities. It may also hold that members of different races should be treated differently.

There are many forms of racism and many ways to be a racist. The notion is often followed along the lines of color, but it is so much more convoluted. Political correctness is just another form of racism, semantics, using a different word that sounds more palatable does not change the racist undertone.

Discrimination of any kind is racist. Even if it is just me telling you something as simple as "I hate the color of your dress".

Anytime we choose to have an opinion about anything it can be interpreted as being racist if the opinion is contrary to another.

By this definition, we are all racist to some varying degree whether we want to admit it or not.

Just pick any topic and offer an opinion and it becomes racist.

Sure, there are certainly more disgusting forms a racism and I personally refrain from those, I still have to own the fact that I am human and therefore prone to racist thoughts if not racist overt actions.

a reply to: soulpowertothendegree

Discrimination of any kind is racist. Even if it is just me telling you something as simple as "I hate the color of your dress".
Anytime we choose to have an opinion about anything it can be interpreted as being racist if the opinion is contrary to another.

Only if it pertains to prejudice against a particular race. Not all discrimination is racist, I'm not sure if I'm reading you right?

If I hate a girl's dress, that's my opinion. If I prevent her from getting a job because of her dress, that would be discrimination (and bonkers) but if I hated her because she was a different race than me, that would be racist.

Racism can only pertain to issues of race, it's not a general term for discrimination. Is this what you mean?

originally posted by: beansidhe
a reply to: soulpowertothendegree

Discrimination of any kind is racist. Even if it is just me telling you something as simple as "I hate the color of your dress".
Anytime we choose to have an opinion about anything it can be interpreted as being racist if the opinion is contrary to another.

Only if it pertains to prejudice against a particular race. Not all discrimination is racist, I'm not sure if I'm reading you right?


If I hate a girl's dress, that's my opinion. If I prevent her from getting a job because of her dress, that would be discrimination (and bonkers) but if I hated her because she was a different race than me, that would be racist.

Racism can only pertain to issues of race, it's not a general term for discrimination. Is this what you mean?

prej·u·dice [préjjədiss]
n (plural prej·u·dic·es)
1. opinion formed beforehand: a preformed opinion, usually an unfavorable one, based on insufficient knowledge, irrational feelings, or inaccurate stereotypes

dis·crim·i·na·tion [di skrìmmə náysh'n]
n
1. treating people differently through prejudice: unfair treatment of one person or group, usually because of prejudice about race, ethnicity, age, religion, or gender

ra·cism [ráy sìzzəm]
n
1. animosity toward other races: prejudice or animosity against people who belong to other races
"I am a Muslim and ... my religion makes me against all forms of racism." (Malcolm X Speech, Prospects for Freedom 1965)

If you will notice none of these definitions reference color when describing what each consist of. We are all in fact from the same race, the human race.

Interesting how a reference to a dress color was your focus, racism is not about color it is about discriminating and prejudice of all kind, including an opinion about a dress color. What religion or gender or color you are is not the basis for racism, it his having a contrary opinion to someone else that makes something racist.

The problem you are having is that racism is and always has been used to create barriers between people of color, we are all the same race and there can be no distinction, so instead of concentrating on what racism is just accept that we all do it to each other daily.

To varying degrees. Over many different issues. Including what racism is.

a reply to: soulpowertothendegree

Interesting how a reference to a dress color was your focus,

It was your analogy?

racism is not about color it is about discriminating and prejudice of all kind, including an opinion about a dress color. What religion or gender or color you are is not the basis for racism, it his having a contrary opinion to someone else that makes something racist.

No it isn't.
I happen to agree with you, that the term 'race' is an outdated concept, but the concept of racism refers explicitly to prejudice against someone of a different race. Having a contrary opinion to someone else is....a conversation?

originally posted by: beansidhe Having a contrary opinion to someone else is....a conversation?

or an argument/debate

a reply to: soulpowertothendegree

Well according to the definition you supplied a liberal wanting to distribute wealth from workers to non-workers, from rich to the poor is racist.

a reply to: ChesterJohn

Yes very true.
Although by the OP's paramenters they have labelled themselves a racist because they disagree with others about the meaning of the word 'racist'.

So anything goes, I guess.

a reply to: soulpowertothendegree

It is a difficult thing to articulate because the difference lies within the spirit, will, or intent.

Going by the definition, someone who only dates blacks is racist because racism doesn't express intent. But in truth, if someone prefers blacks because of qualities they only see in blacks, it isn't really racist, since there is no ill will towards other races.

Technically, since racism (and other -isms) aren't defined properly, science, or rather, reality itself, is racist.

i don't like how you pick and choose which definitions to quote to fit your argument.

would that be discrimination towards other contextual use of the word? yes.

2. recognition and understanding of the difference between one thing and another."discrimination between right and wrong"•the ability to discern what is of high quality; good judgment or taste."those who could afford to buy showed little taste or discrimination"

see the context of your discrimination here, nothing to do with race, on the other hand all to do with how you presented your argument ( it could have been an argument about anything, it happens to be race in this case)

racism is just about race, hence the word.

1. prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one's own race is superior.

you are maybe mistaking discrimination that is motivated by 'race', or discrimination motivated by other things, not race.

i sometimes approach certain situations with extreme prejudice, I'm sure you've heard this term before, again using it in this context, probably has nothing to do with race.

however, prejudice can be motivated by race as well.

---

so my contribution to your argument is that i disagree with in your OP:

Discrimination of any kind is racist. Even if it is just me telling you something as simple as "I hate the color of your dress".

and i elaborated why.

a reply to: soulpowertothendegree

I think it might help if you tell us whether you actually agree with this state of affairs. You are offering technical definitions without supplying personal opinions on the matter other than "it is what it is." It's as if all you're trying to do is lower the bar on what racism is and give people pause that they can actually be racists about anything they disagree with. Widening the chasm between peoples if you will.

If that's what you're trying to do friend, that's total and complete bulls**t.





BTW........this IS a conspiracy website. I'm allowed to do that.

Thank you for this post. It helps reveal the world around me more clearly. I have a hard time understanding how many people think or see things. Please don't get me wrong. It's obvious you are probably caring and concerned person. The world needs more of this and I salute your effort.

However...I cannot agree with much of which you discuss regardless of how I may feel on the subject.

Discrimination of any kind is racist

No. This is not accurate by any means. That's why we have the two different words.

Anytime we choose to have an opinion about anything it can be interpreted as being racist if the opinion is contrary to another.

Strangely this statement is accurate sometimes. There are people sufficiently challenged out there for whom this is a way of life. However, contrary opinions do not automatically make people racist.

...instead of concentrating on what racism is just accept that we all do it...

So even though a definition may be nebulous and subjective, I have to accept and dance with it? An analogy might be being accused of a crime and not told what the crime is, when it happened, where it happened, but just go along that I am guilty.

We are all in fact from the same race, the human race

Outstanding!!! I agree with this later clarification and your distinction between race and racism. But I will offer this; if the concept of race is indeed outdated and biologically indefensible, why not work on an update? Instead society throws the term around assuming we are all supposed to "get it". Kind of insulting, no?

a reply to: ABNARTY

Racism is pertaining to race but not color. People make it about color, but it goes much deeper than that. I did put a blanket on all of us and the way we react to opinions as having a racist undertone because semantics play a role.

Modern variants are often based in social perceptions of biological differences between peoples. These can take the form of social actions, practices or beliefs, or political systems that consider different races to be ranked as inherently superior or inferior to each other, based on presumed shared inheritable traits, abilities, or qualities.

This definition suggest different races when in fact we are all of the same race, just variations, so, it was my reasoning we all exhibit prejudice, discrimination and racist attitudes towards our race, which by assimilation makes us all racist to some degree.

Racism is discrimination based on skin color/genetic markup that is not gender specific. There are other forms of discrimination by they are not racist.

You can be discriminating against religion/spiritual view and still be not a racist since you accepting of all skin color and make no difference based on body difference.

But since racist is such a good emotional word for making people feel bad about their behavior. The racist definition is used wrongly to include other duality problems to push people to behave in a way the people calling them racist wants them to act.

You do not need to lie/deceive to discuss duality problems. Only people who have no logical arguments to support their views need to stoop to emotional blackmail to push their view.

Just because there is a duality grouping problem do not mean it racism since racism is only one of the duality grouping problems.

Religious prejudice do not equal to racism.
Gender prejudice is not equal to racism.
Homophobia is not racism.

All of these issues should be discussed and are important but they should not be one single issue.

a reply to: Bleeeeep

Makes me think of this song. .

Stephen Lynch Vanilla Ice Cream


But it does make you think. Where if the line between preference and racism?

a reply to: soulpowertothendegree

This definition suggest different races when in fact we are all of the same race, just variations, so, it was my reasoning we all exhibit prejudice, discrimination and racist attitudes towards our race, which by assimilation makes us all racist to some degree.

Then the word you are looking for is misanthropic, not racist.

a reply to: LittleByLittle

That's exactly my point:

OP can see the definition doesn't make sense, so to try to make a point, (s)he is overly generalizing based on an overly generalized definition; and it is not the OP's fault, but the definition, itself.

That is, because every human belongs to a race, every quality of a human must therefor be a quality of a race. So, by the extension, and because of the definition, if you are prejudice against any quality of a person, you are prejudice against a race. It is like saying all balloons are red, so if you dislike red, you must therefor dislike balloons; and it would be true as per the definition, and people would call you a balloonist, but in truth, you aren't a balloonist - you just dislike red.

And then debates like OPs start up and it turns into having a glass is half empty debate, and everyone calling each other a container hater, when the actual topic is about water levels.

Another way to look at it is to ask yourself what motivates you. Does fear control you? And most people will say, "no, love controls them", but some ass of a scholar (the definition) will demand that your motion towards love actually be about you moving away from something you hate/dislike/fear.

Another example: God chose the Jews as his people, so he must be racist, right? Wrong, when Moses married an Ethiopian (a black woman) and Miriam and Aaron spoke against the marriage for her being a different race, God cursed Miriam for it - because it isn't about the race but about being equally yoked/willed/spirited/doing the same work - it is about love and what is right - not race - and not stereotyping.

In short: The definitions are too broad. Racism as it is used politically is not about race, prejudice, or preference - racism is about definitions being too broadly defined and applied - it is about overt ill willed stereotyping; and it's coming from both sides of the argument: The truth, on both sides, needs to be defined by the person's intent/spirit. Even if you don't like blacks or whites for their skin color, or any other attribute, that doesn't make you a racist - not unless you are overly generalizing or overly stereotyping with ill intent -- and the same goes for all the other political correct nonsense too.