People who have no idea what racism really is....

[draggar]

Before posting I decided to look upo the actual definition of "racism" and this is what I found:

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/racism

–noun
1.a belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement, usually involving the idea that one's own race is superior and has the right to rule others.
2.a policy, system of government, etc., based upon or fostering such a doctrine; discrimination.
3.hatred or intolerance of another race or other races.

n.
1.The belief that race accounts for differences in human character or ability and that a particular race is superior to others.

2.Discrimination or prejudice based on race.

racism definition

The belief that some races are inherently superior (physically, intellectually, or culturally) to others and therefore have a right to dominate them. In the United States, racism, particularly by whites against blacks, has created profound racial tension and conflict in virtually all aspects of American society. Until the breakthroughs achieved by the civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s, white domination over blacks was institutionalized and supported in all branches and levels of government, by denying blacks their civil rights and opportunities to participate in political, economic, and social communities.

So "racism" itself means something along the lines of acting negatively towards someone based on the color of their skin. So it's not racist if I act positively?

If I find Asian women more attractive than black women - then this is racist towars black women but not Asian women (considering "less attractive" could be considered a negative though)? Because of this, I would be less likely to date a black woman (now my actions are based on the color of their skin, too!). Technically, according to the definition that is racism.

Sounds a bit one sided to me.

Another issue is that some are taking this to an extreme. When a local paper posts an article about a crime on their website if the suspect is white or Latin American, they'll say it. They rarely mention if the suspect is black - even if their picture is in the article.

[Plaidman]

Another issue is that some are taking this to an extreme. When a local paper posts an article about a crime on their website if the suspect is white or Latin American, they'll say it. They rarely mention if the suspect is black - even if their picture is in the article.

Well according to some above, it just should be implied that they are, because they only say different race when its different and not when it's used to describe everyday stuff. Since most papers have many articles on people of different race, and typically black people then they just doing what people above do. Not describe white because its implied its white, and to a paper, it should be implied it's black because they write alot of crime stories of black people.

[draggar]

Well according to some above, it just should be implied that they are, because they only say different race when its different and not when it's used to describe everyday stuff. Since most papers have many articles on people of different race, and typically black people then they just doing what people above do. Not describe white because its implied its white, and to a paper, it should be implied it's black because they write alot of crime stories of black people.

When describing a suspect in a crime it is rather important to note if they're black, white, Asian, Latin American, Middle Eastern, etc.

When I call the police about a suspicious person they ask "black, white, or Latino". Its a description and one of the more noticable charateristics.

[jackfaire]

Then, a PC enthusiast would reply with something like "I agree that he was an SC, but what does his race have to do with it? It sounds like you may have prejudged him before the encounter even happened."

That's another thing. If I'm describing a bad encounter with someone, and I happen to mention the fact that the person is black, female, Asian or whatever, it's a description, not a tacit admission of racism.

See online it's harder to tell but I know closeted racist people who if I say, "God the neighbor won't leave me alone" will respond with a sneer, "Was it the Mexican".

In real life this is one of the best indicators of someone's predjudice unfortunatly online it's harder to tell if it is just a descriptor like, "This blue eyed guy was bothering me" or "this SC with red fingernails."

I don't assume the person was white if someone doesn't mention their race no more than I assume gender. I only picture the person using details supplied me everything else is left blank.

[smileyeagle1021]

So almost everyone in your lobby is from the Church of England?

Did you ask them if they want tea and cake or death?

Perhaps that wasn't the best way of phrasing it, I guess I should use the more technical term Anglo-Saxon descent.

[Plaidman]

When describing a suspect in a crime it is rather important to note if they're black, white, Asian, Latin American, Middle Eastern, etc.

When I call the police about a suspicious person they ask "black, white, or Latino". Its a description and one of the more noticable charateristics.

We wer talking about people who just have to post the person's race when it comes to posting stories, when it has nothing to do with the story.


if you again, want to rant on about how your just describing it, then explain why you never explain what else they look like. What color are there eyes? What the hairstyle? What clothes do they wear? How age are they? Do they have wrinkles? Zits? Beards? No Beards? Are they growing boobs? Facial Scars? People don't add those, because they aren't important to the story, just like a person's race.

[Rebel]

I will admit that when I'm reading a story, any story, and no-one describes what the character looks like, I immediately picture them as being Caucasian with blue eyes and blonde or brown hair.
Why?
Because that's what everyone in my family looks like.

Peoples world views are formed by those that are closest to them when they're growing up. I didn't even see anyone with dark skin until I was a lot older, and that was my aunty Chandra. And this wasn't because my family was racist and were trying to keep us separate from anyone different, it just happened that the street we lived on was predominantly white, and as a young child, your home and your street is all you know. As I grew and went to school, my world view grew, but that doesn't cancel out your first impressions as a child.

When I write stories, I will write descriptions of the people involved. Saying that the person was Asian is just as valid a description as saying that the person was really tall, really short, fat, thin, etc. It's different from what my default setting is, or is unusual for the location where the incident occurred. It allows people to envision the story in it's original context. Unless I'm using racial slurs, I don't agree that it's racist.

To say that I'm racist for describing a persons race or skin colour in a story, is like calling me a Xenoglossophobic for thinking and writing in English.

[Fryk]

Perhaps that wasn't the best way of phrasing it, I guess I should use the more technical term Anglo-Saxon descent.

So they're WASPS. Do we still call them that?

[guywithashovel]

if you again, want to rant on about how your just describing it, then explain why you never explain what else they look like. What color are there eyes? What the hairstyle? What clothes do they wear? How age are they? Do they have wrinkles? Zits? Beards? No Beards? Are they growing boobs? Facial Scars? People don't add those, because they aren't important to the story, just like a person's race.

In the past when I used to post SC stories on CS (when I still worked retail), I would sometimes give indications of what the customers looked like aside from race or gender. I would often give some indication of the person's age, but that shouldn't be taken as a prejudice against any certain age group.

Race and sex are usually the first things we notice about people when we first interact with them. I don't see why it's often taken as a tacit admission of racism to mention that an SC was Mexican, black or anything else.

[Plaidman]

Mark my words, I never said it was racism, just implied racism if all you do is talk about this race over all other races.

I don't see the point in mention race at all. It does nothing when it comes to these stories, as their race has very little to nothing to do with how they act.

[jackfaire]

Race and sex are usually the first things we notice about people when we first interact with them. I

Not me I think honestly colors, hair, eyes, and skin are the last things I notice.

[DrFaroohk]

Mark my words, I never said it was racism, just implied racism if all you do is talk about this race over all other races.

I don't see the point in mention race at all. It does nothing when it comes to these stories, as their race has very little to nothing to do with how they act.

Maybe it doesn't have anything to do with the story, but is it really necessary to omit it just because someone might possibly be slightly offended at the mention of awful words like "black guy" or "mexican"?

and of course we're straying from the main point, which was that it's just plain not racism. Maybe I don't need to mention that this dude at work I talk to sometimes is a big fucking black dude, which he is, but I'm not like "ewwww a black guy" it's just "Hey, this is moe, and he's extremely large, he's funny, and yeah, he's black."

And there's nothing at all wrong with that. In fact, in telling a story and saying "man, this puerto rican dude came in and was a total dick!", when someone gets all upset and cries racism, that person is the one giving the word the label and with it the power to hurt people's feelings and be racist. The word was fine until the so-called anti-racist dude made it racist.

[Plaidman]

It isn't racism. It just no real point to it when it comes to stories online, or even in person. Why is their skin color a important part?

Your friend Moe?

"My pal Moe is fuuuuuuunny! He'd make ya cough milk out of your nose. Just don't spit any on him, he's like ten feet talk and could crush ya".


See? Your exact description, just no skin color.

Skin color on a person isn't vital.

You want to get away with racism and all that? One minor stepping stone is to take away the fucking skin color, and treat a a person like a person.

Hell, even the size isn't that important ether! Or their clothes.

Their personality is what makes a person a person, not their size, not there clothes, not their family (though that may help form their personality), nothing on the outside should ever be used to describe someone.

I hate that with a passion. Everyone describes people by what they look like rather then what they are. It's what maikes the world so damn divided, because you put their preconvived feelings ahead.

People call me crosseyed. Thus I must be retarded.

I don't wear fancy clothes, thus I must be poor.

I don't cut my hair often, thus I must be a hippy.


Yeah, it may not be racism, but if you put that skin color, you still putting someone subconensously into a different catogry, for better or for worst on efveryone. It's subconcesious, not a choice.

Putting someone's skin color is not a detail. It's not important, (Unless your trying to describe somone to a police that this guy did this)

But introducing your friends? I've never once told any of my friends that this person is this skin color. I tell people what they did or who they are. People see their skin color when they meet in person eventally.

People's outsides looks and physically body is nothing. All that counts is the inside.

[Boozy]

Mark my words, I never said it was racism, just implied racism if all you do is talk about this race over all other races.

I know exactly what you mean.

Discussing an issue like this is difficult without specific examples. Mentioning race is not always racist, but when it is racism, you know it is. There's just something about the mention of race that seems odd sometimes, you know?

More specifically, there have been times when I've seen race get mentioned in situations that don't warrant it in any way, and coming from a person who has never made any effort to add description to their writing or set the scene in any way.

When someone says "It was a beautiful sunny day and I was polishing the windows at the front of the store when I see a tall black man get out of his Honda Civic and walk towards the door"...that's clearly not racism. That's descriptive writing. They're describing the weather, their activity, the guy's car -- and his race.

What has always struck me as racist is the mention of race when no other decription is offered, and the behaviour of the minority in question is unpleasant.

[muses_nightmare]

Skin color on a person isn't vital.

Despite what you may think, it is a pretty obvious detail about someone's appearance. Sometimes people like to describe the people they're talking about, omitting skin colour intentionally is stupid, especially if you're trying to write something interesting. It comes up. That being said, when I'm talking about my friends to people who don't know them I will occasionally mention race if it comes up (like when I say English isn't their first language and the person I'm talking to asks what language is their first), doesn't make me racist.

Separating people by skin colour isn't right and is racism, but simply describing someone and including their skin colour is not racist in the slightest. It is one of their distinguishing characteristics, just like if I'm describing someone with red hair or what have you. It's an observation, and for the most part it's not an important part of the story, just an added detail. Being overly sensitive does nothing.