If I asked you to come with me to New York to live what would you say.
So this is something that I have been thinking about a lot and just feel like communicating it on a wide scale.
I think the problem with racism today is that the subject is too taboo. Lets face it over 90 percent of the population is racist to one degree or another. I am not saying ever white person wants to join the KKK or that every black person wants to kill whitey but everyone has some racist views. Like when you walk down the street and see a black person and are more nervous then if you saw a white person. Or when you see a white person and assume they are going to be prejudice against you or uptight. Everyone thinks these things whether they are core beliefs or a brief thought that runs through your head. Yet when the thought comes up rather then confront it usual the people just bury it deep down with some excuse like "Well I didn't do anything against them so it's ok" or worse "I am just being cautious." That is the worst thing you can do because you create this undertone of racism.
It's not the racist zealots that are problems, everyone knows that zealots are stupid. It's the person that says I like black people I just don't like Niggers, or the person that pulls the race card to try and get away with shit. It's those little racist remarks you only make around your friends because you don't want to look like a racist.
Racism is defined as a belief system or doctrine which states that inherent biological differences between human races determine cultural or individual achievement. Meaning the way you look determines the way you are. Which logically is retarded. You point that out to anyone with half a brain and they will agree with that. It's like saying green things will always break because they are green. The problem with racism is not that it's logical, so there is no need to disprove it. The problem is that it is easy. It is easy to believe that race will always act one way. It is easy because you always know how to act around them, it's easy because you always have a scape goat, it is easy because rather then looking at a situation and trying to determine why this person is acting this way you can simply say it is because they are (insert X race). When you hold a racist belief you remove the need to question what you don't understand about a race. Which makes dealing with that race a whole lot easier. So we don't need to disprove racism to racist. We need to show them why it is bad.
Now here is where I get to the point, because racism is so taboo if you mention to someone that they are being racist they immediately get defensive. Making it extremely hard to convey any ideas to them. When a person feels attacked they are too worried about defending them selves to even entertain any other ideas. Now if racism wasn't so taboo calling someone a racist is no big deal. Therefore talking to the person about there ideas and trying to understand why they feel the way they do would be much easier. You can never truly help someone with their ideas unless you understand where they are coming from.
So whats the solution? I don't know. However this is what I believe will help. Talk about racism more. Bring it out in the open. More so then that, question racism. When your mind thinks that racist thought try and figure out why you thought that. See if you have any facts to back up the claim. Are there any facts, or is it just a ingrown thought that you are so used to having. How many times have you been nervous about being jumped by a black guy walking down the street. How many times have you actually been jumped? The first number is way larger then the second. Things like that. Try and figure yourself out. See how much of you is based off of facts and how much of you is based off of other peoples opinions.
I think the problem with racism today is that the subject is too taboo. Lets face it over 90 percent of the population is racist to one degree or another. I am not saying ever white person wants to join the KKK or that every black person wants to kill whitey but everyone has some racist views. Like when you walk down the street and see a black person and are more nervous then if you saw a white person. Or when you see a white person and assume they are going to be prejudice against you or uptight. Everyone thinks these things whether they are core beliefs or a brief thought that runs through your head. Yet when the thought comes up rather then confront it usual the people just bury it deep down with some excuse like "Well I didn't do anything against them so it's ok" or worse "I am just being cautious." That is the worst thing you can do because you create this undertone of racism.
It's not the racist zealots that are problems, everyone knows that zealots are stupid. It's the person that says I like black people I just don't like Niggers, or the person that pulls the race card to try and get away with shit. It's those little racist remarks you only make around your friends because you don't want to look like a racist.
Racism is defined as a belief system or doctrine which states that inherent biological differences between human races determine cultural or individual achievement. Meaning the way you look determines the way you are. Which logically is retarded. You point that out to anyone with half a brain and they will agree with that. It's like saying green things will always break because they are green. The problem with racism is not that it's logical, so there is no need to disprove it. The problem is that it is easy. It is easy to believe that race will always act one way. It is easy because you always know how to act around them, it's easy because you always have a scape goat, it is easy because rather then looking at a situation and trying to determine why this person is acting this way you can simply say it is because they are (insert X race). When you hold a racist belief you remove the need to question what you don't understand about a race. Which makes dealing with that race a whole lot easier. So we don't need to disprove racism to racist. We need to show them why it is bad.
Now here is where I get to the point, because racism is so taboo if you mention to someone that they are being racist they immediately get defensive. Making it extremely hard to convey any ideas to them. When a person feels attacked they are too worried about defending them selves to even entertain any other ideas. Now if racism wasn't so taboo calling someone a racist is no big deal. Therefore talking to the person about there ideas and trying to understand why they feel the way they do would be much easier. You can never truly help someone with their ideas unless you understand where they are coming from.
So whats the solution? I don't know. However this is what I believe will help. Talk about racism more. Bring it out in the open. More so then that, question racism. When your mind thinks that racist thought try and figure out why you thought that. See if you have any facts to back up the claim. Are there any facts, or is it just a ingrown thought that you are so used to having. How many times have you been nervous about being jumped by a black guy walking down the street. How many times have you actually been jumped? The first number is way larger then the second. Things like that. Try and figure yourself out. See how much of you is based off of facts and how much of you is based off of other peoples opinions.