re: Please Explain: What does "everybody is racist" mean

quote:

---

I have never denied anyone job opportunities or education

---

I know you've been engaging in kind of a reawakening in some of your engagements on race here. I certainly applaud your attempts to do so. Sometimes the herd mentality on these boards is tough sledding for someone on what is perceived as the wrong side of the political spectrum.

However, I seized upon this line because of your historical support of Affirmative Action - you would agree, would you not, that taking race into account in offering any job or educational opportunity is doing exactly this to those on the "wrong" side of the diversity spectrum?

However well-intentioned, it is racist in intent, effect and outcome because immutable characteristics outside of these folks' control (i.e. race) is being used to value some more highly than others - inherently - and is detached from merit (actually substitutes for merit in many cases).

quote:

---

I think AA is wrong and that it should be abolished.

---

I think we're in agreement, then.

To your broader point - what I think people say, and they're at best awkwardly conflating 2 loosely related concepts - prejudice and racism.

For example, I think I can safely say you're approximately the age of my children (mid-20s to early 30s?) - and probably have a number of things in common with them that you don't have with me because of generational differences.

Let's say I take a stereotypical scene of urban life:



I would also assume you have aunts, uncles, or parents the same age as me (~50) - and based on your posts and education, I'm also assuming your people are generally classifiable as middle class - so if one of your folks and I were driving down this particular street in Baton Rouge when the above incident was taking place, we would react in similar ways. For similar reasons. And, unfortunately, a bad thought about certain people of color might involuntarily creep across both of our minds.

Now, is that all black folks represented in the picture? Of course not. Not even most. Probably representative of a fraction - 10%, 15% and even then, poor folks caught in those urban hellholes don't always have an easy way out and being caught there does not always equal de-evolution to the lowest common denominator. But I digress.

However, if one is not careful - this becomes the portrait of "black" life (whatever that is) in the collective subconscious because most people are intellectually lazy to begin with. The media does nothing to counter this laziness because fear sells - almost as well as sex (and doesn't require good-looking people).

And that's how you end up with the argument that everyone is racist. Unfortunately, that's how you also get lots of people who go looking for racism (where none exists) to excuse their own bad behavior or other deficits.

quote:

---

For example, I think I can safely say you're approximately the age of my children (mid-20s to early 30s?) - and probably have a number of things in common with them that you don't have with me because of generational differences.

---

quote:

---

I would also assume you have aunts, uncles, or parents the same age as me (~50) - and based on your posts and education, I'm also assuming your people are generally classifiable as middle class - so if one of your folks and I were driving down this particular street in Baton Rouge when the above incident was taking place, we would react in similar ways. For similar reasons. And, unfortunately, a bad thought about certain people of color might involuntarily creep across both of our minds.

---

You are correct on both accounts.


As for your image and explanation, I totally agree. Environment matters, and humans are still tribalistic by nature. We are more advanced and conquered other animals because we are capable of using logic and reason, to the point of denying certain aspects of our environment and to accept cultural superiority.

However, nothing can change our biological programming. Most people, including myself, would come to the conclusion that "these people are bad" unless they looked at it in a subtle context (which has to be learned and is not natural)

What you are referring to is the basis of ego, superego, and id in psychology. Superego was developed homo-sapien trait but id is our more base, default nature.


Here is something from quora that further highlights the point .

quote:

---

Classical Racism

Racism, part 1. Lots of white people are either super-overtly racist (I don’t want my kid going to school with those people) or semi-overtly racist (It’s not that I don’t like black people, it’s just that I don’t want my kid going to a bad school) or vague-covert racist (What if my daughter starts dating one of them?) When black people start moving into a school, these white people get out.


Racism, part 2. Lots of white people believe that when black people move into a neighborhood, property values will go down. They believe that they need to sell quickly or else they will lose the investment they’ve made in their home. Since schools are typically populated by neighborhoods, flight from neighborhoods translates to flight from schools.


Racism, part 3. Lots of white people are under the (incorrect) perception that minorities use more drugs, commit more crimes, are more dangerous, etc. In reality, drugs usage rates are almost identical (with some studies suggesting that white kids are slightly more likely to use than other groups). Crime rates tend to vary by community, not by race: people in affluent areas commit fewer crimes across the board, regardless of ethnicity. In poor areas, crime rates rise across the board.

---

They are referencing the "microracism" or whatever experiments. It's been proven that pretty much everyone wants to hang out with people that look amd act like them.

quote:

---

However, nothing can change our biological programming

---

I see what you're trying to say but your term is way off base. Biological programming would insinuate that one is born with it and it's not going to change based on other factors.

It isn't biological and it isn't genetic. It's a product of the thoughts and feelings of those around you and it's imprinted at a young age.

I'm too fricking tired to sit around and think of ways to hate someone because of their skin. Job. Kids. Life. Its a waste of time. There are plenty of other reasons to hate people. Pick one.

Everyone is prejudice and that's an survival trait built in. You can prejudge for a multitude of reasons.

If I have my kids with me and a sketchy arse group of young men that fit a profile (white or black) I'm damn sure going to react defensively. To act like everything is cool and OK and potentially engange this group so as to seem I'm not being prejudice is fricking stupid.

I'm pretty happy and love people. There are things around us which we do the best to be aware of. Especially for ones family's sake.

I wouldn't blame anyobe else from moving away from me walking and it has happened. I big an built like Sasquatch and when I had my big red beard and head shaved a lot of people would move away from me. White,black,male,female. Didn't matter. I understood and didn't bother me. I've tried to helps people change their tires on the aide of the road and they wouldn't even roll down their window.

It is what it is.

quote:

---

The only time I "judge" someone is by their character and how they treat me. 

---

Do you go to a gas station at 2 am in the hood?

I dont. Therefore i am racist according to society.

When in reality, i value my wallet and life.

quote:

---

Racism, part 1. Lots of white people are either super-overtly racist (I don’t want my kid going to school with those people) or semi-overtly racist (It’s not that I don’t like black people, it’s just that I don’t want my kid going to a bad school) or vague-covert racist (What if my daughter starts dating one of them?) When black people start moving into a school, these white people get out.

---

"those people" = probably racist

"schools will get worse when black people move in" = prejudiced

"What if my daughter dates one" = use of "one" is questionable, but otherwise unclear

quote:

---

Racism, part 2. Lots of white people believe that when black people move into a neighborhood, property values will go down. They believe that they need to sell quickly or else they will lose the investment they’ve made in their home. Since schools are typically populated by neighborhoods, flight from neighborhoods translates to flight from schools.

---

Again, prejudiced. But prejudice doesn't necessarily mean wrong. While the ideal would be to welcome your neighbors and not move until and unless things actually go awry, a) you can't control others' perception of your property values and b) a lot of people have seem demographic shifts before, and have good reason to expect the end result.

Still, it's not racism. Changing the definition of racism is intended to increase stigma on the term and empower people who wield it. Of course, its overuse is actually limiting the impact.

quote:

---

Crime rates tend to vary by community, not by race: people in affluent areas commit fewer crimes across the board, regardless of ethnicity. In poor areas, crime rates rise across the board.

---

It's just laughable that this is part of the rebuttal. They start saying "a lot of people believe" and then counter it with something that doesn't refute part of that belief system.

quote:

---

I am honestly curious as this is something I have seen on multiple message boards, not just this one.

I have never discriminated against anyone because of skin color. I am above that.

I have never denied anyone job opportunities or education, I have never kept someone from fulfilling their dreams, and I have never protested for taking away anyone's rights or safety.

The only time I "judge" someone is by their character and how they treat me.

So could someone please tell me how I am racist.

---

HAHAHAH -- now you know EXACTLY what every single white person is screaming these days.

Welcome to our media driven hell. Founded and supported, by liberals.