why?

<font color=deepskyblue>Ignorance. [img]graemlins/dontknowaboutyou.gif[/img] </font>

<font color=deepskyblue>Ignorance. [img]graemlins/dontknowaboutyou.gif[/img] </font> </font>[/QUOTE]Fear of the unkown.. people are uncomfortable with things they do not understand

<font color="#f683ad">The only answer to "Why" is "Because".

and if you want to get deeper into it...in the early days of man, it was a survival thing..my tribe hates your tribe because you use resources...we want them so screw your tribe....</font>

Why? Because the human mind functions by grouping things and spliting things and catergorizing things. You only know a couch is a couch by basing your idea of couch upon your brain's filing index of couches you have seen before. It is the way we assimilate information. Absent racial prejudice, our minds we simply seek other ways to define "us" and "them." But, try as we might to avoid it, there will always be and "us" and a "them." It is human nature.

True, Timber, but it's not just that, I think.
The pure hatred, revulsion and disgust some people feel towards certain groups is much stronger than a simple instinct to divide people into groups and establish to which group they belong themselves.
Technically, I divide people into men and women (that is, I know which ones are male and which are female and subconciously make a distinction. Although I do live in Amsterdam where it's sometimes hard to tell ;) ). But I don't hate men or regard them as "the Other". What you describe is probably the first step to a much more complex problem.

<font color=white>

I think it's a combination of:

bad experience - something they saw that cause disgust, fear or prejudice. this can be from the television to rumurs to real life contacts.

cultrual shock - inability to absorb and understand different cultural habbits.

jealousy - envy is often a source of anger

bad education - though often not true but I believe it is for some cases. The behaviour of racism is lack of social awareness. But the existence of inner prejudice is for above reasons.

</font>

hmmm hard one, but I belive it is the way you are raised, if you grow up beliving that a dark skinned person is evil, they are a different color, so they are not like you or me, so forth and so on, plus say like a soldier who has watched his best friends due to a soldier from the enemy, then they become racist thanks to blocking their emotions, the enemy is wrong, so there for i am right and since the enemy is another race then the whole of that race are to be hated, * note, yes even americans have a problem withother americans, the north despies the south, the south despises te north, the neutral despies both because they despises each other

<font color="#f683ad">One of mans first fears was of the dark...to this day anything dark has an evil sinister reputation...this could be the origin of the caucasian/black disconnect.....If you think this kind of folk lore is silly...try being left handed in a traditional Catholic environment.....</font>

<font color=lime>Racism is fear. We can overcome fear through education. </font>

well said mate [img]tongue.gif[/img] I think racism is stupid. I don't get how u can dislike someone just because he isn't like u. Well people have to live their way and I'm not gonna get involved in that discussion, I've had enough of it already [img]tongue.gif[/img]

<font color="#f683ad">I think you are hiding from the truth..this is going on all the time all around you...THE only reason people don't like other people is because they "are not like you" in some way or sense..</font>

[ 05-19-2003, 01:05 PM: Message edited by: MagiK ]

Read "To Kill A Mocking Bird" - By Harper Lee. Has a lot of good quotes about racism...

IDIOTS!

I've never personally been subject to racism, but I want to gut the people that are racist. They're just completely unreasonable!

I'm not going to get into it......

Well racists are so stupid. They think they are the best yada,yada,yada.
I wonder how they would feel if someone would be like they are?
Eh?Eh?

<font color="#f683ad">
Just out of curiosity....***puts on devils horns and tail*** do racists not have a right to their opinions just as anyone else does?

Personally, Im of a mind that opinions are allowed, actions are not. Seems to me that by being so hatful toward the racist, you are becoming just as bad.

Edit: Who has the right to an opinion...and who does not...in a free society should there not be tolerance for all ?</font>

[ 05-19-2003, 03:30 PM: Message edited by: MagiK ]

Yes, with limits. (1) The constitution prohibits the gov't from "sponsoring" or supporting discrimination. (2) The civil rights act prohibits discrimination in the workplace and insists public places of business be open to all regardless of race, color, creed etc. (you've heard the list before). (3) In some states, hate crime laws stiffen penalties for violent acts committed on the basis of racial hatred.

Quote:

Personally, Im of a mind that opinions are allowed, actions are not. Seems to me that by being so hatful toward the racist, you are becoming just as bad.

Well, yes. I find myself often saying the only thing I absolutely will not tolerate is intolerance. ;) As with other obvious conundrums faced in my often-contradictory existence, I get over this and move on. :D

Quote:

Edit: Who has the right to an opinion...and who does not...in a free society should there not be tolerance for all ?</font>

Well, again, does that mean tolerate the intolerant? You can throw most arguments on their head this way. Besides, just because they have the right to hate based on race, I have the right to hate based on hate. :D The Dixie Chix found out recently that having the right to say what you please does not make you immune from people disagreeing. ;) I am permitted to hate the hateful, and love to do so.

Well, at present we've got a big problem with racists over here - the British National Party are thriving in Northern Britain, much to the despair of the vast majority of people. If we knew all the reasons, or were prepared to accept all the reasons, then the problem would be solved. For my money, the reason these people have a foothold is that on a very superficial level they're right...

Ok, now I don't mean what you think I mean by that - when they proclaim that mixed race communities in Northern cities aren't working they're right. But the communities aren't failing *because* they're mixed race, but because integrating any large group of people simply by dumping them into a poor community is just simply not going to work. People in Burnley and Oldham are not enjoying a particularly good standard of living at the moment, as the region has been systematically screwed by the powers that be for years. So when another large group of people show up to share in the poverty its very easy to see them as in some way responsible for the situation, as opposed to being equally subject to it.

Anyway, basically, if we knew (and I mean really *knew*) all the reasons and were prepared to act on them then I think there wouldn't be a problem any more. The questions a poser in other words, its hard to give a complete answer.

<font color="#f683ad">Barry....where did the big bus load of new comers come from? Just my curiosity...I mean we get boat loads of asians here and of course the odd raft of cubans...but I have only heard vague rumors of migratory herds of people in europe [img]smile.gif[/img] </font>

People are ignorant, they have petty arguements over something as minor as skin color. I have no problem with anyone, no matter if they were black, white, brown, purple, aqua, so forth because I don't narrow my mind to a point where I pin how one person acts to their entire race. People that act different from one another with it bothering another set of people makes them angry, so they go for blaming skin color and what they don't realize is, is that just because one person acts like that doesn't mean that the other million acts like that too.

It's weird though, a person can even look down on their race as if it were inferior and think they were another, it's just all a matter of opinion in the long run.

Anywhere and everywhere MagiK, but the real antagonism in Burnley and Oldham appears to be between whites and asians - there are very big Indian and Pakistani communities in those towns. Its not like these people all turned up at once, to clarify, they've gradually come to make up a significant portion of the population there. And as the towns are extremely poor its not hard to find people looking for someone to blame. So the idea has arisen, thanks to the BNP, that these towns are secretly run as an anti-white conspiracy by the asians. They, apparently, simply use the resources of the town and council for their own benefit. Even the most cursory glance at the area shows how completely wrong that idea is, but it provides an easy way to blame someone so it gains a lot of support. All in all, very depressing.

i just watched series of boston public (do any of you guys watch this?) anyway for those who dont know, this is about a group of teachers going about thier everday lives interacting with thier students.. its not science fiction or fantasy like buffy or angel, nor is it comedy like friends all the time..

*note: i hope you guys are open minded to this, im just telling you what i saw*
anyway back to topic:
one interesting episode just happened 2 days ago. it was interesting because it was bordering on racism.. some student (called A) got into an argument with two other students because a "white" person called his "black" friend using the word "■■■■■■". student A, who was black, didnt like white or any other skin color using the word ■■■■■■ yet it is ok for black people to use them. i found it very interesting.. since for a black calling another black person using the word "■■■■■■" is ok even brotherly but when a white or asian or any other color uses it its degrading. now, the teacher , who was white, wanted to explore this controversy, but in doing so, earned the ire of the black teachers and the principal (who is also black btw) because the principal is worried it may spark a series of recism around the school grounds.

i know this is only an episode but i believe it is related to the topic and its also kinda real in a way

your comments??

*Bashes head* People, let's just point out that some racists can be really nice people. Usually, older people are *shrug*. My grandparents are very racist; I can't even talk about my German friend without them assuring me she's a spy (Esther? A *SPY*? WTF?). Once, when they were lost, my grandad said he would ask for directions. There were two people in the street at the time, a woman of Indian origin and an African. My grandad went to ask the Indian woman for directions, but my grandmother stopped him with, "Oh, Pat, why are you asking the Darkie? You know she's probably just got off the plane and don't speak a word of English!". I love my grandparents, but Crist, I got annoyed with her reasoning that Black University Graduates shouldn't be offered jobs until after the Brits had gotten them. Also, at my Dad's graduation, my grandfather noted the list of graduates for Mechanical Engineering and said in distaste, "There's only three English people here, the others are all "P*kys"". I hate this, but they won't listen to any of my arguements because, "You're only a teenager, dear, the blackies haven't been able to do anything yet". As for my German friend...She's half-Chinese, so OH MY GOD SHE'S GONNA MURDER US ANGLO-SAXONS IN OUR SLEEP! NOOOOOOOOOO! [img]graemlins/hehe.gif[/img] (Esther, am I scaring you now? Good, good.)

<font color="#f683ad">Hark. It is one thing for a minority to use a derogatory term in anger or disrespect and some times even friendly ribbing, but it is not ok for a non-minority to do the same thing. It is a dichotomy, counterintuitive and not really rational but hey, who said people were rational? </font>

oh yeah.. the chinese (here anyway) are very picky with the pure chinese part... i grew up around chinese poeple in a chinese school and know a few words here and there.. sometimes i get out of place since there are only 3 non-chinese in the class... sometimes i get angry since chinese should marry chinese.. grr... culture or not.. i find it racism.. but they are still my friends.

edit:
that i agree.. who is?

[ 05-20-2003, 09:24 AM: Message edited by: Harkoliar ]

To comment on Kaltia's post (I can't get this stupid quote thing to work!), people who are racist aren't necessarily all that. They can be nice, yet somewhat... blind. I had a great-grandfather (whom I vaguely remember...) who was a German soldier in WW2. He absolutely worshipped Hitler's views, but he would never believe, even after the war had ended, that any Jews or homosexuals or any other minorities were put into concentration camps. He just wouldn't accept it, and said it was all propaganda from the superpowers. But he was a really nice guy, and he even liked my mum (who's Chinese).

Racism is a very delicate subject, and you can never really even generalise the racist people in question. Everyone has their own personal reasons for being racist. My great-grandfather was propagandaed into it, some people make the conscious choice... I dunno. Do I make sense?

And to clear things up, I'm Esther.

SQUUUUEEEEE, you're here! *hugs*

Ahh, so you're the spy :bluewink: [img]graemlins/hehe.gif[/img]

I had a disagreement with my best friend in which we had to agree to disagree about the topic. He said "I don't have any problems with black people, but I'd never date a black woman". Now, I know he's ok with being friends with someone who is black because one of his best friend's is. But I told him, that based on that statement, he may not be as racist as someone who uses certain words, but he does still have a "problem" because he's still judging someone solely on the color of their skin, which I believe is the definition of racism. He thinks it's no different then not wanting to date someone because they're fat, that it's a matter of personal preference.
Maybe I'm just over sensitive on the matter because I'm Jewish, I have an uncle by marriage who's black, and an adopted aunt who's from Porto Rico (sp?).

<font color="#f683ad">Why does he have a problem? I don't like dating really large women, and I won't date someone with taller than I am. It isn't wether you would marry someone, it is how you treat the person.....IMOP</font>

<font color="#f683ad">Why does he have a problem? I don't like dating really large women, and I won't date someone with taller than I am. It isn't wether you would marry someone, it is how you treat the person.....IMOP</font> </font>[/QUOTE]I explained why in my paragraph. That's how I feel about it, and I feel no need to apologize for it. Given that he hasn't had a date in 7 years, maybe he should learn to not be so picky (he's my best friend, I'm allowed to rub that in [img]tongue.gif[/img] )

<font color="#f683ad">
That may just mean he has avoided a lot of bad dates....as someone who has...on occasion let my standards slip I rued the act every time [img]smile.gif[/img] Lucklily for me I found Mysticelt in a Dunkindonut shop :D </font>