What is racism?

[ItNerd4life]

There have been many discussion regarding racism because of the Imus situation. Yet it seems to me there appear to be differing opinions or thoughts on racism.

My background is I'm white but have many friends who are black and I have seen racism towards them, first hand.

My objective with this thread is to come up with something that can be used as a standard definition or statement (maybe used by all Duers) related to what is racism, sexism or any other type of ism.

My definition: If the attack is personal then it's racist. (The same can be said if it's sexist, homophobic, etc.)

To me that's it in a nutshell. Here are some examples and reasons why I say this:
If I'm with my black friends and they tell me not to cook the ribs becuase white people don't know how to make ribs, I laugh. The joke isn't a personal attack on me.
If I push my black friends in the pool and tell them they're going to drown, they laugh. They know it's not personal.

The above 2 examples just make fun of the stereotypes, but they aren't personal insults. It's usually in the realm of sarcasm and we've known each other so long, we know it's not personal.

In some other DU threads, people talked about how a black person can meet someone for the first time and get 'the look'. (I've seen this myself with my friends) That to me is racism, it's a personal attack based upon the color of the persons skin. Imus attack was a personal attack, thus it was racist.

Personally, I consider it racist when a black commentator says that Obama isn't black. To me it's a personal attack and that makes it racist. When rap singers call black women hos, I consider that racist as well. But is it? Is the definition wrong if it's black on black or is it only racism if it's white on black?

What do other people think and can we come up with a single definition that we can use on a consistent basis?

I know the people here at DU are the smartest people in the world, so can we come up with some definition?

[TahitiNut]

1. How I see it ...

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/TahitiNut/378

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x646361


http://journals.democraticunderground.com/TahitiNut/377 is essential, imho, to thinking about this.

[jaysunb]

2. Sig line alert !

how will I recognize your posts without it ????????????? LOL !
:hi:

[TahitiNut]

3. (lol!) I'm immoderately fond of my sig graphic. (I know no shame, I guess.)

:rofl: :rofl:

:hi: :hug: my friend!

[jaysunb]

5. Well, it certainly ranks among the oldest

and most well known here.

Let's not be modest.....:rofl:

[TahitiNut]

10. "Modest"?? Me?? (Well, that's surely my only character flaw.)

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[JuniperLea]

6. I like this bit...

"Act in such a way that you treat humanity, whether in your own person or in the person of any other, always at the same time as an end and never simply as a means"

"In my view, the failure to act in this manner is at the heart of the objectification of human beings - an objectification that results in viewing another person without empathy, without respect, and merely as a means to sate one's own appetites, whether those appetites are in the sublimation of greed, anger, or even the perversions of lust."


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Seems to be people need to get back to the basics... The Golden Rule... good manners.

There's no thought police as yet. People will think what they want, and that is their business and their right. What they don't have is the right to foist their thoughts upon someone else.

If my great-granny ruled the world, we'd all be nice to each other.

What I'm tired of hearing is that I cannot possibly empathize with someone not of my own color. I find that thinking not only absurd, but counter productive, bigoted, and highly dangerous.

Just be nice to each other! If it's not nice, don't do it/say it.

Now someone will no doubt come along and tell me that nice is different for people with different skin color. Let me head that whole deal off... Nope. You are wrong. The definition does not change with melanin levels.

[TahitiNut]

9. There's something noxious about adopted perspectives that give license to antisocial behavior.

While I can easily comprehend the observations regarding a socio-political context that's inherently biased in a systematized fashion (and have bloodied myself working to change), I cannot condone lowering any bar for moral and ethical behavior. Indeed, nothing short of constantly striving for one's "personal best" in moral and ethical behavior will do, imho. Fighting hate with hate is like the discarded "eye for an eye" precept ... a world gone blind.

Unless the problem (at all levels) is understood and viewed from perspectives that lead to improvements - sky's the limit improvements - both personal and societal, then that perspective is nearly useless other than as an exercise in animosity. The most workable approach I found was in the demonstration of the enormous strength of diversity - leveraging my role as project manager and then manager in forming the most diverse teams and staffs I could. Taking on challenges deemed impossible and then meeting them was a heady experience. In two other contexts, the deeply-entrenched interests wouldn't even permit something like that - a career-limiting condition to say the least.

But it's not new to me ... and I've encountered more than a few people whose personal experiences were so traumatic that they adopted extreme, reactive perspectives. In the volunteer support work I've done, I've met tragic casualties and heroines both. Hyper-reactivity isn't unusual. And that's tragic. It's a matter of keeping on keeping on, I guess. (I've never felt comfortable in shining armor or any other kind of self-righteous warrior costume. I would've mad a piss poor Crusader.)

[jaysunb]

4. You may want to check the difference between

prejudice and racism.

Prejudgment of another doesn't automatically equal racism, but could easily be mistaken for it.

[ItNerd4life]

7. Interesting point.

I agree, prejudgement is different than racism. If someone looks at me funny because I'm dressed weird, that's prejudgement. But if they look at you funny because of your skin color, is that not racism?

But, the question is: What is the definition of racism?

Or maybe another way of putting it. Is how can we come up with a simple definition, so simple that even a repuke can understand it? :)

[jaysunb]

8. repukes are beyond saving...

so don't worry about them, try to make your own life an example that someone may emulate, and there will be the unsaid word you seek.

[Monkeyman]

11. Hate /N/T

[tech3149]

12. Simple answer

Racism is viewing one from another culture or race as being less than you and not deserving of equal treatment. We've seen it asince the hunter/gatherer and tribal days. Any time people with a limited understanding of the world come in contact with anoter culture or race it can happen. Until the time and effort is taken to learn who they are and why, it may always be with us.

edit: I should add that it can work in reverse when the other is perceived as better and envy takes over.