Are young folks racists?

[Swede]

I am copycatting my own post,but it had me thinking. Us lily whitebread folks should examine ourselves sometime.

[Journeyman]

1. See my response to your original post. . .

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=4995116&mesg_id=4995255

[ultraist]

14. I agree with your post

Some white kid wore a shirt to my son's Middle school the other day that said, "I used to have Black friends until my dad sold them." Outrageous.

[cloud_chaser1]

2. I dont believe that racists just happen out of the blue.

I think its the environment they grow up in....how their parents react to people of other colors or faiths. Its how you are taught that determines how you will act.
But I also believe that once you realize that you may be racists, you can shake it off....but it takes time, determination and a true desire to treat all people as equals.

:grouphug:

[funflower]

18. Very true, but much of our culture still contains threads of racism.

Often, we don't even realize it.

Welcome to DU, cloud_chaser1!

:hi:

[clydefrand]

3. Yes, they are very much so, but less so than when I was

growing up. I taught school for 32 years. I saw prejudice against African Americans in one school where none was enrolled for most of the time that I was there from '82-'96. These elementary children were more prejudiced, having learned this from their parents, than the children that I first taught in the mid 60's where there were many more African Americans enrolled than the other 3 schools that I taught in combined. I found that the poorer and less educated the families were, the more prejudiced they were.

So there you have it...ignorance and prejudice beget ignorance and prejudice.

[NaturalHigh]

4. Racists come in all age groups,

religions, social classes, and races. Racism is not confined to any one group of people.

[roguevalley]

7. fear and ignorance make racists. anyone any age can be one. its

an equal opportunity cancer.

[lastknowngood]

5. Yea I hate the human race

n/t

[melody]

6. We're all racist to some extent

People who think critically can see around their own prejudices. It's important to keep the potential for it in mind, though. It helps keep us from sounding too much like Mr. Bennett.

[IntravenousDemilo]

8. It's like that song from "Avenue Q"

"Everyone's a Little Bit Racist'...

Actually, I think we could eliminate racism in society quite effectively if we could just separate children from their racist parents at an early enough age (say, six) and then put them in public boarding school or some other controlled environment in which racist ideas were scrupulously and ruthlessly sublimated.

Social engineering? Yes, but so what?

[Catherine Vincent]

20. oopsey

[free2decide]

9. what is racist?

some people say anything racial is racist, so for instance the naacp would be by that scale. What is racism? We all are racial/rasist to some degree. It has to do with basic evolution. You throw a bunch of men in a cage, like prison and the band together by race. This happens in every prison in the USA. Young children in diverse schools naturally make friends with the people who look like them, and break apart in racial groups. Racism is naturally built into us, the theory of evolution proves it. Animals desire to carry on their own genes and eliminate others.

[Swede]

10. Yes of course.

I think I have moved past my teachings. The aunts are old now,I do not think they're thoughts are evil,just unimformed.

[ultraist]

11. That is such BS

Racism is not naturally built into us and it certainly isn't evolutionary.

Racism is a sickness that is LEARNED.

Your comments sound like watered down, "Bell Curve" remarks. Total BS.

[ovidsen]

17. You speak the truth!

When people claim to me that racism is an inevitable part of being human, I say BULLSHIT... look at Cuba. A common observation made by nearly every Cuban of color who plays major league baseball in the US is how pervasive racism is here. It's no longer loud and perverse. It's subtle, but it's unavoidable. As opposed to Cuba, where the color of your skin is apparently the last thing other people notice about you.

What a concept! Proof to me that racism is learned.

Now, I've never been to Cuba, and while I don't hate Castro, I'm not his biggest fan. But if Cuba under Fidel has accomplished this, then he deserves a Nobel.

[Catherine Vincent]

21. What do you know, you're tombstoned?

Nice knowing ya!

[FrankX]

23. Racism isn't built into us. It's taught.

[IntravenousDemilo]

26. Carefully Taught

You've got to be taught to hate and fear.
You've got to be taught from year to year.
It's got to be drummed in your dear little ear.
You've got to be carefully taught.

You've got to be taught to be afraid
Of people whose eyes are oddly made
And people whose skin is a different shade.
You've got to be carefully taught.

You've got to be taught before it's too late,
Before you are six or seven or eight,
To hate all the people your relatives hate.
You've got to be carefully taught.
You've got to be carefully taught.

--Oscar Hammerstein 2nd, from South Pacific

[FrankX]

24. Is Darwin's Theory of Natural Selection racist? Survival of Fittest?

"Racism is naturally built into us, the theory of evolution proves it. Animals desire to carry on their own genes and eliminate others."


The idea that some races are more advanced than others was discussed in the Descent of Man by Darwin. Some buy into this idea, including Haeckel and Nazi Germany. These ideas seem racist to me. Desiring only your own type of genes and eliminating others is racist to me.

[cynatnite]

12. What's the difference between racism and bigotry?

I never know what to consider my mother. She is against different races marrying. She thinks it would be too hard on the couple and whatever children they might have. She also believes that it just isn't right.

I've never understood it. People ought to marry who they want so it made little sense to me.

This is the only instance I can think of with her so I lean towards her being a bigot. Some here may believe she is racist for her views.

[ultraist]

15. Opposing interracial marriage is definitely racist n/t

In fact, the reason cited for dismantling laws that outlawed interracial marriages, which didn't occur until the 1970s, was racism.

[Balbus]

16. I believe that would be racism...

since it involves a racial issue. Bigotry, I believe, is when it would involve a defined group of people where race isn't the issue - such as gays, christians, violinists, etc, etc...

[Catherine Vincent]

22. Is she against it with a specific race or is it all races?

And as long as the babies come out human she doesn't have anything to worry about.

[cynatnite]

25. It's with all races actually...

I kept quiet about it because I figured it would turn into an argument plus my neice is married to a black guy and they have two children together. She doesn't know about it since it's on my hubby's side of the family.

I don't get why it's a big deal with her, but about half the family on her side share the same ideals about interracial marriage.

:shrug: go figure.

[IntravenousDemilo]

27. Racism is a subset of bigotry.

So your mum can be both, and you're right either way. Generally a bigot, specifically a racist. Just don't call her that to her face; that wouldn't be nice (unless you're really angry one time, in which case you can let it all out).

Is she also against equal marriage rights for gays? Actually, that's probably a stupid question -- of course she almost certainly is, if she's against something as mundane as interracial marriage. So, yes, bigot as well as racist.

It's always struck me as odd that the same people who don't want blacks and whites to marry because they're too different also don't want two men to marry because they're too much the same. It's like Goldilocks and the three bears.

BTW, you should tell your mother about your niece and her black husband. She's going to find out eventually anyway, and she'll wonder why you "kept this from me all this time". And maybe she'll learn something about acceptance, too. That would be a nice side benefit.

[sendero]

13. I think....

.... that the problem with "racism" is that everyone has a different definition. I think the definition is becoming more relaxed than the one we grew up with, which was basically "if you acknowledge any difference between the races you are a racist", which is of course utter bullshit, and younger folks know it.

[manic expression]

19. Some of the stuff I've heard from my "peers"...

is absolutely sickening. Base. Disgusting. Sub-human.

Seriously, MANY kids today are racist, and far more are hopelessly ignorant and callous on the subject of diversity and tolerance.

[tigersumtin]

28. In a perfect world

One day there will be no racism, everyone will be the same color. It might be a while but it will happen. What will they call it then?