Racism

I believe racism is in our genes, albeit in the more 'primitive', i.e. older genes. They make us re-act to somebody who looks different and foreign to those people in our own tribe. It was basically a defense mechanism. I don't want to excuse racism with it, brute force is in our genes, too, and I don't condone it, either. Racism is also known as xenophobia, from greek 'the fear of the stranger'. So it's basically our fears of different people we have to overcome in order to eradicate racism.

Wow....I have to say that even though I have ZERO tolerance for racists (partly because I'm 1/2 black and partly because it just sickens me to know ppl are like that and sometimes to dangerous levels of the extreme) I personally find it quite impressive that you admit you are somewhat of a racist and you admit it WITHOUT excuses! Kudos for that, seriously... To answer your question..I honestly dont think that we are all racists to any degree, I feel it is a learned behaviour...We're all judgemental to some degree or another but not racist...to me being a racist is just another way of saying you are a hater (for whatever reason) and hate in that form is something learned not something we're born with..

OF COURSE!!!!! No matter how "GOOD" we try to be.... if someone does something we dislike, or don't agree on, or is just different in a way we don't understand, I believe that to be racist. Now weather we say something about it out loud or to ourselves, I believe that tells us what kind of person we are.

I am kinda thinking there is a bit of a racist in all of us. I know for most of my life I have done my best to accept each person and the individual they are but I have seen as I've gotten older that one area I have a problem is 'young kids' like teenagers - all I need to do is see the over sized shirts and sagging pants and I see 'trouble'. I know this is wrong of me and I'm pre-judging them by their cloths and I am trying not to do that but it doesn't always work. I guess that's not really racist but predjudice.

I think there is a little part in all off us that can be a little racist whether we like to admit it or not. Unfortunately all races have sterotypes and a lot of people are quick to judge based on those sterotypes. I also live in the south and I have seen lots of racism. Whether it be from my family or friends or just people I don't know. I try not to be that way and I try to get to know a person for who they are and not what race they are. But I agree with you that racism can tend to be stronger in the south. There are a lot of old fashioned thinkers here.

Yes, actually I think in everyone there is a bit of ethnocentrism. I may be wrong but I think so. I mean I hate to admit but I have said some racist comments before. But like you said I try not to be and just respect people for who they are or as there own person.

ei..you need to consult a specialist...racism is a very big problem you know that...think of the sins you've made...my god!!have a life!!

As a Human animal we all have basic instincts and such instincts provide us selfishness in survival issues. Otherwise we have history of racism and it shows that racism was developed by us. Civilization has contributed in that area. Some how culture also played little role and the religion also has promoted racism in some area. We all have basic instinct regarding teritory, just like animal; but we have made it humanly more intense and more effective. So we cant understand right now that nationality is also has one kind of boundary we have createed. Identity also based on colour has racism in its original form! But at the same time we are provided wisdom and by that we have overcome these issues individually and some time community base also. When time comes for integrity in real sense the racism issues come up because without removing those we cant go ahead in that matter. So some how our integrity-aproaches are going slow in establishing its impact considering reality! The irony is this: We have developed this kind of racism to make our identity and it has given us superiority and then in the name of nationality and other related things we indirectly promoted the racism. So when we are going to unite as a world solidarity these issues are coming up to combat to deal with those from the root area. And we can hope to defeat it by our wisdom!

I believe that there is a tinge of a racist in me, too. There are some groups of people, or individuals belonging to certain tribes, whose presence gives me some uneasy kind of feeling. Then I start to think why are they like that. I must admit that there are times when I say something odd about how they behave and talk. Or,maybe it is just a reaction to my observations or their actions. I am not really very sure about this.

Oh I know what you mean! I experienced the racism down in Alabama years ago when I was just a teenager.Like a stupid kid I did not have any idea this way of thinking existed.And like a kid does I may have pushed it, 'cause I made friends with any make model or different nationality I wanted to.I had some colored friends and we went into a fast food restraunt and oh my gosh...if looks could kill...and I couldn't understand it.We were having a good time and didn't care what color differences there were, it was not a problem.But evidentally some people still think there should be problems with those things...that's sad and a real shame.We can learn so much from eachother and our differences.I still do not care to this day about skin colr or differences in nationality and I am very blessed to say I live in a place where there are all sorts of people from all over....it's a melting pot.Things like that don't matter.I am definetly not racist.

I think most of us are racist to some degree, whether we want to be or not. I dont want to be racist at all, and pretty much I'm not. But I know I'm guilty of seeing different groups of people in certain ways..even my own race, I see in a certain way. Sometimes in a certain "negative" way. Humans are strange creatures..we sort of get in our own groups and decide that anyone different from our group is for whatever reason inferior to us. Are we strange or what? I really wonder why we do that, where it comes from, why it prevails, and why it's so intense sometimes that people actually kill others because of it. It makes no sense. To me anway.

the answer to your question could be yes but as a higher life form we all must fight that part of us as for Alabama i have recently moved from that area of the south and believe me it is not just found in the south !

It weird that you say this because I have a friend from Alabama and although she's a Christian, she's also racist and seems proud of that. I know at times when she's talking about the Mexicans in her area, it's better for me to just bite my tongue and say nothing. I think to a degree, we're all racist. it exists within us all. However, a lot of whether it comes out or not is how we're brought up. My mom is racist to a degree but both her and my Dad taught us never to say anything against these people. Dad in particular taught me that having different colored skin was no reason or excuse to make fun of these people. So to that extent I've grown up very open minded.

there isnt a part of us that is racist as much as there is a part of us that recognizes the differences between our race and others' races. But, we don't stop at just the observation of differences, we have to think up reasons and try and explain why people are different from us. I am a person that tries not to judge people upon their appearance when i first meet them, but sometimes I find myself hard pressed to dissociate the person i am looking at from the stereotype of that race.

Hmm, that's a very good question. I don't consider myself to be a racist as I don't have a problem with other people's skin colour, but upon seeing someone of different colour it is going to be one of your first thoughts. However I don't think I'm better than them. It only becomes racism when you start having negative thoughts. I think it's great that you acknowledge the fact that you can be a bit racist and don't want to be that way. There are lots of people who couldn't care less about wanting to be a decent person.

I wouldn't say that there is "some part in all of us that is racist". Racism is a conditioned behavior and if a person grew up in an environment that's not open to other cultures and practices then that person will have some kind of negative response to people different from him/her. Whilst a person who grew up in an environment condusive to understanding towards different people then that person will grow up with an inkling to how other people are and to respect them.

I think we all to some degree or another notice the differenced between people either with race or culture or both for that matter. It's just human nature to noitce that. Now what we do with it is whether or not we are racist. If we use those differences to put other down or to elevate ourselves then that is racism. If we use it to keep us seperate then it is racism. However if we are just noting it but it doesn't change how we interact with them then it's not racism. I looked up the actual definition of racism and they had 2 of them: 1. The belief that race accounts for differences in human character or ability and that a particular race is superior to others. 2. Discrimination or prejudice based on race. So even though we notice the differences we might not be racist.

i think everyone has a part of them that is. it maynot be about a race it maybe about a belief, a way of dress, a way of living. you can classify it in so many ways. i live in arkansas and well here people are very rasist it drives me nuts. we are mainly black and white we have a few hispanics but not enough to really notice they are here that is how small an amount. people here are very racist though and it is not just about color either. a town only about 30 mins from me they just took the old hanging tree down in. it wasnt long ago a man was hung there for being the wrong color after dark in that town either. i dont agree with this at all. when we have family reunions i look around and think hmmmmmmmmm what are we lol? that is how mixed the whole family is lol. i cant stand stuck up snobs and i am totally against them. i cant stand peopel that thinkt hey are better cause where they live or work etc. i am not trash by any means but i am not rich or anything either. i am me take it or leave it lol.

I find that it is hard to not be a racist when it is a part of our identity. I try to respect each individual on their merits no matter what culture or race that he/she belongs with. As a child I did not understand why the "colored people" had to go to a different restroom than white people. It was confusing to me, but it is something that I accepted. Because of the slavery issue I am afraid there will always be some form of hatred among blacks and whites. I believe we should strive to eliminate this hatred as both of our races must live on this planet together.

Not, racism is inhuman and intolerable. It must disappear.