Is it racist??

Let me start by saying that I do not consider myself a racist person. These are my own beliefs and opinions: Unfortunatly I do believe we are living in a racially divided society, and always have. You may befriend someone of another race, but deep down you will still have racial prejudice, whether you like it or not. You may not even realize it. If we were not a racially divided society, no one would have thought twice about Eminem being such a famous WHITE rapper. Why was that a big deal? Because white men typically can't rap that well. Do you not look at a white man living in the ghetto and wonder what he's doing there? Do you not think the same thing of a black man living in an upscale neighborhood? When you see a white woman dating a black man, do you not feel it's slightly unnatural? Have you ever noticed that black people can call each other the N word, but if a white man said that to a black man he'd get his @$$ whooped? When I was a teenager in school, there a name for the white boys who wore their pants around their knees, "wigger". A white boy acting black. If a company chooses a white man for the job over the black man, the black man will think it is racist. If it were the other way around, the white man would assume the black man was more qualified than him. Black people feel that they begin life as the underdog and have to work twice as hard to recieve the same things as white people. They say white people will never understand this feeling. Whites have always been the majority, and therefor have an easier life. This is completely my opinion, but I think in time we will find ourselves facing segragation again, only this time, it will be whites who are segragated. There are all black schools, colleges, clubs, television channels (BET, Black Entertainment Television). Even a black history month. If white people tried to have an all white school, imagine the fuss the black community would have? But the blacks are able to do it without anyone saying a word. Companies are even choosing to hire blacks before whites, regardless of qualifications, so as not to be sued for racism. Think what you will of me, that is my opinion. I am a white woman. I did not live during the time of slavery, but I have seen Roots. I did not live during the time of segragation, but I have read the books and heard the stories. My ancestors may have treated black people unfairly, but I have not. I do not wish to be punished or judged based on things that happened before I was born. Perhaps I'd feel differently if I were a black person, but black people my age were never segragated. There are no black slaves alive today. Blacks have just as many rights as white people, if not more. But the world will never be color blind.

Racism is a fact of life and much of it comes from a lack of education about it.Racism happens in every country in some form or another.It has since the beginning of time.But it is still up to the indiduals what they do and how they do it.When you are racially discriminated against(and you have and will be),HOW do you handle it?Our feelings determine our actions.I have been taught since birth that you judge a person on thier actions.And that is still what I TRY to do now.I say try because sometimes I find myself making a judgement on someone based on hearsay or labelling.I try to catch myself and re evaluate my thoughts when these happen .Racism will never be eradicated but hopefully we can work together to limit its effects on all of us.

I can see how it would be confusing but unless you know more about the people and their situations a decision of racism can't be determined. In my opinion anyways. You are speaking of racism between black and white people but every race has their own set of racial pregidice. People often will jump to the conclusion of racism when there is no way to tell without more information. It's a flaw that seems to ripple thru society in general. This flaw is as old as god and I fear will never be gone. Unfortunately I can not come up with a plausible plan to stop this kind of behavior in the human race. At least not one that would be acceptable to every race in our wonderful world today....Mamablaze!!

It's hard for me to tell which does involve racism or not. Here in Canada, things are more peaceful. People aren't scared by black people...they are just friendly like the others. I wouldn't say that the black man raping the white girl would be a racial issue because some people from different background do this. As for the police shooting that man, I don't know :/ I see peole no matter what color they are, they are treated equally. But here, things have changed alot. My mother is from Asian background and my dad is latino. So the white people here welcomed latino but not asian. So my mom was a victim of discrimination pretty often. That was in 1986. A coworker would treat call her by names, would ask straight to my dad why he married an asian in front of my mom, it happens alot. I even remember when I was 4 years old, there was a public swimming pool and i played with this white girl. Everything seemed fine but i think her grandmother didn't really liked it. I saw her whispering something to her grandaugther to tell me to stay away from her. But when i started to go to school, the teachers have taught us to not be racist. So we grew up accepting more this view than racism. I think we should explain children at young age because they get easily influenced. I think in our generation, things will be better or maybe in the next generation. I hope they will be taught the same I was and things will change. I hate when people generalize things. They put a whole bunch of people in the same category. Maybe the only issue here, it's the white people who are victims of discrimination. It's like a reverse of situation... I think it is also wrong. Anyway, I hope all parents on mylot here and teachers will give good moral to children. have a nice day :)

I don't see either scenario as being racist, I do see a scared man in the first scenario and a man feeding on women for the power of control, but either situation could of been both white or black and the same outcome could of happened and probably would of happened. As far as calling a coworker a name and it hurting her, I think every person has those few words that would hurt and they vary depending on your background, and who you hang out with, not on the color of your skin.

My opinion with the cop shooting the guy is that the cop was just extremely scared. But i do believe if the victem was white there would have been no shots fired because for some reason people have far less tolerence and understanding when it come to people or things that they don't understand. im black and i know that i get stereotyped by strangers while in public so i try not to put myself in situations where i have to deal with bigoted people and/or law enforcement.

It is both racial and and the cop was scared and the rapist was ignorant.It depends on the back story of both of them.People will always see things differently. With some people it will be a matter of race and with others iy won;t

Cyn, although our parents were different from each other in many ways, they were identical in raising us to be color blind. When something is wrong it's WRONG whether it's done by or done to a person who is black, white or purple. I remember when the whole Rodney King beating took place when I saw the video for the first time I thought how awful it was for a human being to be beaten that way; I didn't give a thought to the race of either the victim or the cops doing the clubbing, I'm not sure anymore if I even was aware of their color. The same thing with O.J. Simpson's ex-wife, when it first happened, before O.J. had been charged I was like everyone else, wondering if he'd done it, etc. and although I'd seen Nicole's picture all over the TV news and in newspapers and knew she was white that wasn't an issue with me. Of course, the King case turned into nothing but a racial conflict and in some ways so did the Simpson case. Again, before O.J. had been arrested and before I'd thought of it as anything other than a young woman and young man having been brutally murdered a coworker of mine made the comment that "Well, it's this simple - a (n-word) killed a white girl". I honestly don't "get" racism at all. I mean, what gives any of us the right to think we're superior to another human being because of an accident of birth? None of us chose our race or our nationality or the religion we were born into. What I DO "get" is how someone who has been discriminated against throughout his or her life or has grown up hearing stories of discrimination his or her parents had gone through would feel a bit - I know this is a touchy word but I can't help it - BITTER. Sadly, there are examples of blatant racism every day in this country. I have no doubt there are some police officers who are more likely to fire at a black suspect than a white one. Sometimes it may be based on his experiences on the job and he may be as you said above very frightened but sometimes it may be simple racism, I don't know. I'm certainly not saying all or even a lot of cops are like this just that it likely does happen. I really wish we could get past this way of thinking and become a truly color-blind society but I doubt it will happen completely in my lifetime. Annie

Unfortunately the racism is still available. I can see these everywhere. I don't like it at all. People shall be judged by their personality, rather than his/her race, nationality etc. When we were children, we didn't see the difference between each other. But after we grow up, we are taught and we set up the walls. I hate the people try to say they want the peace, but in the reality they are racists. If so, the peace will never come. There is nothing wrong to be a black person. That's his/her look only. I love China

It is rather interesting to hear the word 'racist' used by certain people. There are so many people with the perception of the term meaning this or that. All can agree that the action of racism is nothing short of hurtful and destructive to our society. My background was rather sheltered as I did not 'encounter' my first person of 'color' until third grade. Since my time in the army and now a teacher in a larger city I have experienced many cultures and have come to the conclusion that there can be alot of cunfusion about culture which can lead to distrust which leads to suspision which leads to hatred. It is sad. If I am ask something from your view. I have heard a couple people say that there are many African Americans out of work because of the government. I was always taught it was up to the indiviual to find work, get educated and do what they need to do to care for their family. What do you think?

I think that some words are extremely offensive to most women nomatterwhat our color or skin, bi**h and cu*t are two of them and I am not at all racist. I have black friends asian friends, americn frienss chinese friends but they all dislike those words you used above. And overuse of them still does not take the sting out of them

On the first scenario, we have to know if what was the police thinking when it happened. Did he do it because he felt that he is in danger or because the man is black. On the second scenario, I would ask the same thing; did the man do it because the girl is white or it's the call of nature. Racism is still present up to this moment but it's up to us to eliminate it. Let us not generalize. If a black man committed a crime it doesn't mean that all blacks are like that, same as with the whites or other race. Maybe we have to look deeper than ones color or race. Let's not be a fault finder of other race. Let us respect each other whether it is someones race, religion or belief, or opinion.

I think everyone is a little bit racist. Quoting one of the songs of a Broadway play Avenue Q..... "Everybody is a little bit racist, sometimes. Doesn't mean we go around committing hate crimes. Look around and you will find. No one's really color blind. Maybe it's a fact we all should face. Everyone makes judgement base on race." If none of us are then we should have been living in harmony for a long time now

I must say that your topic was well understood.Is this Racist. Let me add as well "Is there Racial Hatred In America or Around the WORLD. In my Opinion,non of the exapmles or analogies we not fitting because i think,the actions are not what constitute the status quo-But it is the reaction of those affected,which inturn would open the gates of Hell on the Guilty and then WAR Lets look at my Question for a minute.Let us try to understand why is the media trying to link Reverend J W's sermon (snipplets or 30seconds soundbites)in order to heur Obama's chances of Being the FIRST BLACK PRESIDENT OF AMERICA.Isn't this true that first of all Clinton's Ruled the white House for so long and they have to Fight so hard to Beat Obama shows that the Media is really not looking at the issues, but they look at (WHAT IF'S) Supposed Obama wins the Nomination ,then all Democrats including Clinton's, and undecided voters Back Obama-They know for Sure he will BEAT McCain. In this, i see Clintons, who says they love Blacks and they Love the Country,after having served time in the White House would Play the Race Card to Prevent the Blue and White Colour White Voters to vote for him. Do not Associate the Reverends Remark to put Obama Guilty by Association. I see Racial Hatred.

Call one of us a cu*t, however and many of us would blow a gasket OOOHH someone dumb enough to call me that would get their throat slit that or the "n" word..I dont, won't and never have tolerated either of those... As for the scenarios you gave...in all honesty without knowing more of each person involved claiming whether any are or arent racist really isnt doable as far as I'm concerned...NOW.if the white cop had already shown other signs of being racist OR made racial slurs etc during the scene that would be different, if the black man showed other signs of hatred towards white women OR made racial slurs while raping her that would be different..But these scenarios as they stand are IMO neither racist nor not racist...Make sense? Funny enough I am a half black woman who sees things very differently to many other black women (particularly here in the U.S), I'm not a "our/my ppl, my black sister, my black brother" type of person.......but I'm also considered "whitewashed" by some of those same women which in itself is a racist slur IMO...which in turn makes them hypocrites LOL and yes its funny as all hell to me.. I dont see colour I dont see race I dont see sexuality, religion, disabilities whether physical, mental or otherwise. I dont see social status etc etc etc..I see PEOPLE..JUST people because as far as I'm concerned...thats all we are..PEOPLE..

This is a very difficult one as we all know , no matter how much we wish it were not true, that there are many racist and bigoted people in this world that seize on any chance to create conflict and division between races, cultures, faiths etc! The racists are not all white either, see I sometimes think that there is a misconception that the only racism there is comes from a white person which is not true at all and it is acceptable from no quarters. I think that some people are so hung up on the differences that they will perceive anything that happens to one of their own as being basically due to racism while that may be far from the truth whilst other times most people would believe that something was due to circumstances rather than race and the opposite is true! I am like you - I do not think it matters what colour, culture or religion we have we are all the same under the skin and there are good in bad in every race etc! Sorry this sounds so garbled I just could not find the right words tonight! xxx

All the cases you have put are very ambigous and I can't judge that is it anything racial in that. But I did discover that you are very serious about this. In our society blackness is often chracterized by the ugliness. Girls are rejected for marriage on basis of this. Every scoiety in the world is plagued by racisim.

Its a common problem. If someone is greedy he is called a "jew" if someone is stupid he is called another racial slur that blacks are usually called and a feminist male is called a homosexual. This coming from people who aren't racial or colorblind. Also I guess people were taught what words to take offense in or what words the people of their nation take offense in. Its a common mainstream problem, with 75% of them being ignorant or hypocritical.