What is racism? A poll.

[meowse]

A) Racism is a form of bigotry which involves treating people differently based on their perceived ethnicity (often via skin color or stereotypical facial features, accent/syntax/word choice, or other external evidence

Comments

[xavoc]

Is it racism if you are generally disappointed by all people, races, and sociological ideals that people claim to embrace but really only do in their own limited definition of said ideal?

Personally I loathe people equally regardless of color, race, or creed until they prove themselves worthy of not being loathed. This applies whether you're a black thug, a white elitist claiming to be educated and therefore right, or well, anyone who has inflexible ideals about anything.

But then again I firmly believe that racism is really only a problem as long as you treat any subject as taboo or forbidden due to racial concerns. Just because someone else finds something racist doesn't mean I need to empathize or agree with them, and me disagreeing with them doesn't make me inherently racist.

I find it perfectly acceptable for someone to say, "I hate gays, or blacks, or whites, or republicans, or people who eat meat." as long as that person understands that this is an expression of opinion, and as such I do not need to share their opinion, agree with them, or expend any energy upon that subject of my own in any manner.

[meowse]

Mmmm. Acceptable to say in what sense?

I will definitely defend someone's legal right to say that they hate gays, or blacks, or etc. I would, in fact, rather they say it out loud than keep silent but act on it.

But I also won't have them as a guest in my house. They can be racist, sexist, or homophobic somewhere else--but someone who honestly thinks it's okay to hate someone because of the color of their skin, their gender, or who they like to sleep with (as long as it's consensual) is someone I just don't want to spend time with or have in my house.

Does that match at all with your definition of "perfectly acceptable"?

[xavoc]

Inviting or tolerating things in private is completely different. It's your choice. I'm just generally amazed at how many people support freedom of speech until they hear something they personally don't like.

[meowse]

Meh, that's silly. Freedom of speech only has meaning unless it's freedom to say things that are unpopular, offensive, etc.

[agrumer]

What do you mean by "support freedom of speech"? I run into people all the time who regard criticism of their speech as an infringement of the right to speak.