Discussion: Prejudice, racism, and your feelings about others

[IceNine]

There have been a number of topics where people have labeled others as "racists" on here lately and I thought it might be good to start a topic about this sort of deal. Maybe we can discuss various stereotypes and things and find out why we feel the way we do about others. Mind you, I would really like people to be HONEST in their statements; no PC police, please. I really HATE the fact that people have to be afraid to say what they really think, for fear of the reaction of the PC police and being branded a "racist," even though they are nothing of the sort.

I have gone on record saying that I do not have anything against people's views of others, be they racist, hateful, loving, caring, or whatever. EVERYONE has the right to think how they want to think and like or dislike anyone they want for whatever reason they choose, as long as they don't hurt anyone else, it is their own deal. Just because I don't like what you think doesn't mean that you don't have the right to think it.

I will start the topic off... I am not a racist, but I absolutely do have prejudices and I am not ashamed to admit it. I would say that all my prejudices are based in my hatred of illiteracy, ignorance, criminality, and willful lack of education or desire to better oneself. I couldn't care less if you are white, black, brown, yellow, purple, pink or polka-dotted, I hate you if you are a criminal and love you if you are a decent/educated/non-criminal person.

Here are a few examples to get things started:

I don't hate white people, but I absolutely loathe the wife-beating, trailer-dwelling, white trash idiots who manufacture methamphetamines to sell to other idiots. These socially-inept reprobates are pathetic, but they don't represent the majority of white America. We certainly see a lot of these people on the news and in the newspapers, but they are overshadowed by other, violent, criminals. I also hate the fact that white people love to drink and drive. If you check the FBI's crime reporting, you will find that white people are really into drunken crimes.

I don't hate black people, but I absolutely loathe the members of the black community who celebrate "thug life" and gang crap. These idiots get the most publicity in the black community and make the other 90% look bad by association. There are a great number of really great black people out there who are very intelligent, responsible, and upstanding people, but they are not getting the exposure for some reason. I suppose we could blame the media and our entertainment companies for glamorizing the "thug" image of rappers and such. I am saddened by the fact that a rapper's career gets better if they get shot or go to prison. This is not what black people are about; it is what a very ignorant subset of black people are about.

I don't hate Mexican people, but I don't like it when Mexicans come into the country illegally and get government benefits. I am absolutely all for legal immigration and would like to see something done about illegal immigration. I also do not like the fact that many Mexican people don't care to learn English. I know that America does not have a national language, but still.

I don't hate Asian people, but I hate it when they refuse to adapt to our culture. For example, I had a friend who came from Korea and his mother absolutely refused to learn English or to become an American... she would answer the phone in Korean and would hang up when you didn't speak Korean to her. This is just not acceptable to me.


Those should get it started. Let's try to keep it civil and explore our actual feelings on these things.

[kalel1974]

I would just like to say that racism in any form sucks and really ruins this great country of ours.That being said I would just like to go on record and say that I am an equal oppertunity hater,I hate all ignorant people,and believe they should be sterilized to avoid producing any more idiots.

[ben1080p]

I <3 mankind. Period!

[redsoxlucas]

U.S. incarceration rates by race, June 30, 2006:

* Whites: 409 per 100,000
* Latinos: 1,038 per 100,000
* Blacks: 2,468 per 100,000

[zaphod]

Originally Posted by redsoxlucas

U.S. incarceration rates by race, June 30, 2006:

* Whites: 409 per 100,000
* Latinos: 1,038 per 100,000
* Blacks: 2,468 per 100,000

Beautiful. The numbers never lie, right? Social status, level of income, level of education, lack of economic perspective.... all those things have no influence on crime rates, obviously. It's just race.

Here's another thing: the vast majority of crimes are committed by men. With violent crime, the percentage is over 90%. So maybe we men should do our part for crime prevention and get rid of ourselves? Heck, the statistics don't lie, right?

[redsoxlucas]

Originally Posted by zaphod

Beautiful. The numbers never lie, right? Social status, level of income, level of education, lack of economic perspective.... all those things have no influence on crime rates, obviously. It's just race.

Here's another thing: the vast majority of crimes are committed by men. With violent crime, the percentage is over 90%. So maybe we men should do our part for crime prevention and get rid of ourselves? Heck, the statistics don't lie, right?

It's not my fault that they live off of welfare and choose to pro-create even though they can't afford to take care of their children.

It's not my responsibility to care for out of wed-lock babies whose parents are total degenerates. White, black, hispanic, whatever.

And no, the number do not lie.

Mexicans and African Americans are the ones most likely to commit rape, murder, grand theft auto, and any other violent crime.

That is why the mafia is/was great. My Italian ancestors (including my father) took care of things the right way.

[zaphod]

Originally Posted by redsoxlucas

(...) That is why the mafia is/was great. My Italian ancestors (including my father) took care of things the right way.

Freakin' unbelievable. First you denigrate blacks and Hispanics as being inherently criminal and then you idolize a bunch of murderous thugs. As far as I'm concerned, you have disqualified yourself from any type of intelligent conversation on the subject.

PS: Am I now going to get a visit from your uncle Vito?

[Detroit Tigers Fan]

Pride and Prejudice is a good movie.

[IceNine]

Originally Posted by ben1080p

I <3 mankind. Period!

No way. You can't actually love and respect murderers and baby rapists, yet they are part of mankind.

[aaronwt]

Originally Posted by zaphod

Freakin' unbelievable. First you denigrate blacks and Hispanics as being inherently criminal and then you idolize a bunch of murderous thugs. As far as I'm concerned, you have disqualified yourself from any type of intelligent conversation on the subject.

PS: Am I now going to get a visit from your uncle Vito?

More proof of the type of person that redsoxlucas is.

[Snadinator]

Originally Posted by IceNine

I don't hate white people, but I absolutely loathe the wife-beating, trailer-dwelling, white trash idiots who manufacture methamphetamines to sell to other idiots. These socially-inept reprobates are pathetic, but they don't represent the majority of white America. We certainly see a lot of these people on the news and in the newspapers, but they are overshadowed by other, violent, criminals. I also hate the fact that white people love to drink and drive. If you check the FBI's crime reporting, you will find that white people are really into drunken crimes.

Your not prejudiced for disliking wife beating, and drug dealers... These people harm others. They are breaking the law!

I don't hate black people, but I absolutely loathe the members of the black community who celebrate "thug life" and gang crap. These idiots get the most publicity in the black community and make the other 90% look bad by association. There are a great number of really great black people out there who are very intelligent, responsible, and upstanding people, but they are not getting the exposure for some reason. I suppose we could blame the media and our entertainment companies for glamorizing the "thug" image of rappers and such. I am saddened by the fact that a rapper's career gets better if they get shot or go to prison. This is not what black people are about; it is what a very ignorant subset of black people are about.

I dislike the rap culture because it promotes violence and it's actually harmfull to the progress many african-american citizens have worked so hard to achieve. I'm sure Martin Luther King is rolling in his grave! Many african-americans are downright pissed off about this! Cosby is a huge outspoken critic of it. It's not so much the music itself, but they continue to talk like they are completly uneducated in public as well. This isn't limited to blacks... whites have joined this culture too.

I don't hate Mexican people, but I don't like it when Mexicans come into the country illegally and get government benefits. I am absolutely all for legal immigration and would like to see something done about illegal immigration. I also do not like the fact that many Mexican people don't care to learn English. I know that America does not have a national language, but still.

I wouldn't blame it on mexicans per say... any illegal immigrant is just that, illegal and not benefitting the country. I do think that an official language or two should be made for the USA. In Canada it's English or French. In some parts of Canada, mostly in many parts of Ontario, it is necessary by law to have all signs in both languages.

I don't hate Asian people, but I hate it when they refuse to adapt to our culture. For example, I had a friend who came from Korea and his mother absolutely refused to learn English or to become an American... she would answer the phone in Korean and would hang up when you didn't speak Korean to her. This is just not acceptable to me.

Which is why an official language need to be enforced so that everyone needs to learn the language before having the right to be a citizen. I take part-time Computer Science courses... I've seen plenty of Japanese and Chinese take courses with me. It's amazing how they manage to write an exam while holding an English-Chinese dictionary... I certainly couldn't do the same in their country.

My ancestry is from my fathers side, Indian (from India) and Anglo-Burmese, and from my mothers side, French Canadian. I've had the wonderfull opertunity to grow up sharing two cultures, and learning two languages. It is a fact that people who speak more than one language are more open minded to different cultures.

I've seen people up in arms here about the governement building a mosque for muslims. I always say, what's the big deal? Why can't they have their church? We have millions of Christian/Catholique churches... Why can't they have a sanctuary? What bloody difference does it make in our lives?

Their are prejudices here as well. The French speaking Quebec vs the rest of English speaking Canada. Both are largely born out of a lack of education; however the socialistic governement in Quebec try to push for sovereignty and seperate from Canada. They manipulate many in Quebec... espacially in the smaller rural communities where people have never left their own town. Their education and understanding of how the rest of the world is just not there... i've experienced it first hand and they were raised to dislike English speaking Canadians. In my city, we are 5 min from Ottawa, our capital... people tend to be far more educated, bilingual and accepting.

The problem is when we stereotype and generalize a race with an action. It's always a language or culture barrier that more education on the matter will help alleviate.

[TheAnalogKid]

"There is nothing more painful to me ... than to walk down the street and hear footsteps and start thinking about robbery, then look around and see somebody white and feel relieved."

Jesse Jackson - As quoted in US News & World Report (10 March 1996) and The Boston Globe (5 September 2007 )

American civil rights activist and Baptist minister, who according to an AP - "Black Voices" poll in February 2006, Jackson was voted "the most important black leader".

Racist or does he have inside information? You decide.

[TheAnalogKid]

"I've seen people up in arms here about the governement building a mosque for muslims."


Why is your government in the business of using tax-payer money to build churches of any kind?

Strange.....seems wrong to use public financing for an inherently exclusive club.

[Snadinator]

Originally Posted by TheAnalogKid

"I've seen people up in arms here about the governement building a mosque for muslims."


Why is your government in the business of using tax-payer money to build churches of any kind?

Strange.....seems wrong to use public financing for an inherently exclusive club.

But it's ok to build catholique churches?

[TheAnalogKid]

Originally Posted by Snadinator

But it's ok to build catholique churches?

Eh, Catholic churches would fall under the definition of "churches of any kind".

I don't have a problem with any churches being built, but I'm particularly wary of them being built with government/public funds.