Stop Using The Terms "Racist" And "Racism". Use "White Supremist" Instead

[norml]

Or "White Supremism" The term "Racist" And "Racism" are too easily used by the evil ones to call any addressing of the issue of race racism. It is too easy for them to call anyone addressing the issues of race,racists,and racism a racist. The use of the terms "White Supremist" and "White Supremism" are more precise. Please adjust your debating language accordingly. By the way, is it "Supremist" or "Supremest" ?

[Maddy McCall]

1. I'm a professional historian...I use the words "racist" and "racism"

all of the time.

There are many forms of racism, though, so it depends on which form is being discusses as to which term should be used. Paternalism, discrimination, segregation--all are forms of racism.

[louis-t]

2. I think it would be 'Supremist".

[Cornus]

3. Any member of any ethnic group...

can be a racist and practice racism. They certainly would not be "White Supremists".

[norml]

5. Then they would be supremacists for whatever ethnic group they are.

Such as when some Japanese look down on other ethnic groups,such as Koreans,they are being Japanese supremacists. There are also male supremacists,and Christian supremacists. It is really much better to describe things this way.

[noamnety]

4. The word is supremacist

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?r=2&q=supremacist

[mattclearing]

6. It's supremacist.

And this is a lame idea, mainly because racism takes all forms. There are racists of all colors. Racism is the correct word for someone who is biased based on race.

If you think only white people are racist, then you are guilty of racism yourself. Would you call yourself a white supremacist?

[norml]

7. Your words, "racism takes all forms" and "There are racists of all colors"

Only prove my point of what an empty, easily turned around term "racism" is. If a universal term is needed I would like to see the term "Prejudiced" come back into more common usage. To be literal about it, addressing race has the potential, in Freeper logic, to make you a racist, for addressing race. But if you address prejudice, it would be much harder for them to call you prejudiced, for addressing prejudice.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

8. Prejudice is a silly word.

It's possible to define prejudice loosely enough that virtually any view can be described as a prejudice.

It's possible to define prejudice tightly enough that it's automatically a bad thing.

A lot of people say "X is prejudiced and therefore bad", switching between definitions half way through, and generating a cheap and virutally unrebuttable attack.

I think it's better to use more tightly defined terms; the tighter the better. Saying "This policy is racist" or better yet "this policy is racially discriminatory" is far more substantive than saying "this policy is prejudiced", and therefore more useful.

[Lone_Wolf_Moderate]

9. I've always thought it was "supremacist."

[Spider Jerusalem]

10. It's "supremacist".

And there are racists and bigots of every ethnicity, not just white, therefore your suggested change leads to not only imprecision but also falsehood.

[gmoses]

11. racism is not always the same thing as bigotry

one is a state of affairs, the other is a personal motivation,

that's why white supremacy is usually a more precise designation to use when speaking of a state of affairs

because, for one things, white supremacy is a state of affairs to which many non-bigots contribute, often quite effectively

as in "I'm not a racist, I just think civil rights has gone too far" etc.

[zyx]

19. how can a right go too far if it doesn't violate another right

[Lefty48197]

12. I call them conservative right wing Republicans

.

[StrongbadTehAwesome]

13. I definitely think more precision is necessary.

Trying to debate with my white supremacist brother gets interesting when he says, "everyone's racist to some degree."

Technically, yes, he's right, but in saying that he's changing the definition of the word from the way I was using it before.

Also, BECAUSE the language is the same, he has the notion that black anger at white privilege is no different than his belief that skin color is connected to intelligence/industriousness.

No, we wouldn't have one overarching term (except maybe "bigot"), but at least everyone would know what everyone else was talking about.

[Pithlet]

14. There's a thread going on in GD right now.

That could use some of that. Too bad it's a rule violation. I think it also may violate the rules to say exactly which I'm talking about or post a link, so just think "saltine". I honestly can't believe the attitudes about racism that I see here at DU. It's shocking.

[jeffrey_X]

15. Yes...it is very shocking.

It just shows you how much further we have to go.

Keep fighting the good fight!

[Name removed]

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[Name removed]

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[tucoramirez2005]

18. Colin Ferguson (of LIRR fame) isn't white

He's just a racist.