I want to know how some seem to just ignore the fact that America is a racist country?

[RB TexLa]

Do you just ignore the fact that the average white American is a racist, or do you for some reason believe that is not true?

[DemocratSinceBirth]

1. You Do Realize That Racism Is Not Endemic To The United States

Almost every nation has in and out groups and tension between them...

Also, I like to operationalize my terms so we can work with them... Please provide a workable definition of your "average white American"...

[Marrah_G]

2. Bullshit- the average white person is not racist

Nor is racism confined to just white people.

There is racism out there and it needs to be dealt with every day. Hopefully someday it will be stomped out, but there is a ways to go.

However- your claim about the "average white person" is just wrong, in my opinion.

[reflection]

3. What is an average white person?

I've never heard an answer to this.

[RB TexLa]

5. If you see a group of whites, more of them than not are racists

easy.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

7. Do You Have Empirical Proof?

~

[RB TexLa]

9. If you don't think they are that's fine. I guess that's the answer to what I asked.

No one has shown you empirical proof, so you ignore it.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

10. There's A Difference Between Saying

There's a fundamental difference between stating:

-there are racists in America

-racism is still a problem in this country

-racism still permeates many areas of American life

and

-the "average white American is racist"

Do you understand the difference?

[RB TexLa]

12. Yes I understand the difference, the difference doesn't make it not true.

[Marrah_G]

17. Bullshit- Just because you think that doesn't make it so

This says far more about you then anyone else.

[reflection]

20. Ai yi yi.

I certainly hope your tongue is planted firmly in cheek, but I fear it is not.

How could you possibly arrive at this conclusion?

[lumpy]

40. In itself, your statment is racist.

x

[DemVet]

4. Racist thread.

[uponit7771]

6. unnn, I think Obama's whole campaign says the OPPOSITE about the avg white person imho

[RB TexLa]

8. How so? Because people who have chosen to be active in or vote in a Democratic primary aren't

racist? Hardly proof this nation is not racist at it's core.

[qazplm]

11. I think you confound the definitions

of racism and prejudice. Almost everyone has prejudices. Against blacks, whites, women, gays, something/someone.

Racism is a much more severe form of prejudice we generally reserve to those severe, intransigent and unrational hatred or belief in the inferiority of another race.

[RB TexLa]

13. Haven't confounded anything.

[MethuenProgressive]

14. "average white American is a racist" Link that bit on Obama.com, please?

Race baiting flame bait.

[MethuenProgressive]

41. Still waiting for the link - IWFTL

[RB TexLa]

43. What link?

[MannyGoldstein]

15. Do You Have Evidence That The "Average" White American Is Racist?

Some, I think... but not most.

[Bad Thoughts]

16. Why do misogynist societies elect women?

Just because there is racism in America does not preclude people from voting for a black man. There racism may express itself in different ways, such as a simple desire not to associate with black families, not to have them as neighbors, but otherwise are willing to support their empowerment. What is dangerous is when people use racial differences to polarize the electorate, insisting that there is one voice that represents a particular ethnic group versus another. Some Americans may feel uncomfortable with Obama's ethnicity. Saying he cannot represent them is another matter.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

18. Just because there is racism in America does not preclude people from voting for a black man.

Ha ha ha

I remember sitting in a graduate level political science course at FSU taught by Thomas R Dye and we were discussing a survey about racism...My friend and fellow graduate student noticed an oddity in the findings...More white Americans would vote for an African American than approve of one dating their daughter...

[Bad Thoughts]

22. Not all racism is political

And the black man in your house is more a threat than the one holding the launch button.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

25. I Think It's More About Social Distance

~

[crankychatter]

19. is this another "Don't vote for Obama because he'll lose in November" thread?

jeezus get some new material

[QueenOfCalifornia]

21. I think MOST white people

everywhere are racists -

Not just in Amerika.

And I do not agree with the nay sayers who do not see the subtle racism that I observe.



sorry

[TexasObserver]

23. You state as fact that the average white American is racist.

If you had said the average American is racist, your comment would not be racist. However, your comment is racist, because you have stereotyped white Americans in a manner that is silly at best, appalling at worst.

The reality is that racism is a problem in America, and it is not the exclusive domain of whites. There is no reason to believe that racism among Hispanics, blacks, and Asians is any more or less than that found among whites.

[panhead1961]

24. Not in the Intelligent America

Just in the same America that thinks Obama is a Muslim.

Ignorance is rampant in the red states. The same people that don't believe in evolution are The same people that are racist.

[aquarius dawning]

26. We're a nation comprised of many races with differing perspectives, goals, norms, situations, etc.

It is unrealistic to think that such a diverse group of individuals can be represented equally by a single candidate as our ethnic differences aren't always completely compatible. This complexity is compounded by a diminishing sense of national identity which exacerbates ethnocentrism and American balkanization. It's unfair to simply label all whites as "racists" while pretending that the same sentiments aren't equally represented in the other races; furthermore, your blanket accusation also fails to distinguish between "racism" and "racial identification". The average white isn't racist in the sense that he or she would condone the activities of true racists such as Nazis or Klansmen nor is the average member of any other race. However, the average person does identify to a greater extent with members of his or her own race. Birds of a feather flock together in other words.

[Mike L]

27. Is 91% of African Americans voting for Obama over Clinton racist?

Statistically, the answer is "yes."

[TexasObserver]

28. No. Blacks usually vote 90-10 for the Democrat over the Republican.

Oh, snap!!

[Mike L]

29. Doh!.....BOTH are Democrats. em

[TexasObserver]

30. No, they're not. Obama is the Democrat. Hillary is the Republican DINO.

[aquarius dawning]

31. Wow, we didn't see that coming.

:eyes:

[mrreowwr_kittty]

42. Al Sharpton got 20% of the black vote in 2004......Doh! nt

[ampad]

33. Oh whatever

Some of you are just fucking pathetic.

[PBS Poll-435]

32. They typical white people in my circle

are not racists.

And I find your OP very insulting.

And just who keeps bringing up race. Constantly. Hmmm

[Alexander]

34. What is this crap? You realize people of all races can be racist, right?

Don't give the Shillbots ammunition.

[ampad]

35. Quite a few people want to ignore that fact

because they want us to focus on the sexism of this country. You know that is the reason why the monster lost this election, sexism. You know the same person who never lived in New York, who didn't really have any political experience, the same person waltzes in to New York and wins a Senate seat. Now that the majority of this country is on to her it is because we are all sexist and now the new meme is most black people are racist because they refuse to vote for her. The same black people that helped her big mouth husband get elected twice. Most people know that America is a racist country.

[TeamsterDem]

36. Uhhh, I'm white and "average" I guess

and I'm not a racist. I am however offended that you've labeled me as one.

Just out of curiosity: Did it strike you that your "average white American" statement is quite racist in and of itself? You're generalizing a group in a pejorative way based on race, and that's the definition of racism. Food for thought.

[bigbrother05]

37. Don't believe any sentient person doesn't recognize the racism/sexism

But it is less than helpful to trot it out at every turn or paint with a broad brush. Obama clearly has seen it first hand, but is running to move beyond that as the sole discriminator for our country. After living in AL for a while, could never say that there wasn't racism, but it was clear every day in the simple interactions of blacks and whites that mutual respect and public tolerance should be possible throughout our country.

edit to add: Didn't mean to imply that only saw racism in AL. My point was that in many small ways, saw ordinary folks of both races living their lives together without the kind of adversarial relationship some (average whites?) would expect in a "racist" society. Just normal people living their normal lives with a minimum of fuss.

[raebrek]

38. quit it n/t

[BlooInBloo]

39. If white folks successfully blockade discussion of it, then it's not true! It's MAGIC!

:rofl:

In any case, we're about to find out just how big of a deal it is in America. The jury's still out.

[MethuenProgressive]

44. So, the typical white person is racist?

Barack's 'typical white person' grandmother included?