A guy I work with said he wouldn't want his daughter to marry a black guy. I told him it's hard to justify that as not be some what racist and his reason was he didn't want her subjected to the socialty issues that come with it.

 

That's a good example. Granted society has come along a lot further in the past few years but that is a good example.

 

My son's girlfriend's mother disapproves of their relationship and her reasoning has been totally racist about it. Her daughter moved out of her mom's house and into her father's house as a result.

A guy I work with said he wouldn't want his daughter to marry a black guy. I told him it's hard to justify that as not be some what racist and his reason was he didn't want her subjected to the socialty issues that come with it.

 

I believe that is one aspect of race that goes equally both ways - many white people feel like the person you cite and I am sure there are many black people who also wouldn't want their child to marry a white person. There is no doubt this has changed as dramatically as any aspect of race relations in the last 20 years. People are much more accepting of mixed marriages today than 20 years ago.

I believe that is one aspect of race that goes equally both ways - many white people feel like the person you cite and I am sure there are many black people who also wouldn't want their child to marry a white person. There is no doubt this has changed as dramatically as any aspect of race relations in the last 20 years. People are much more accepting of mixed marriages today than 20 years ago.

 

Very true. In my experiences the black people I have encountered who are against mixed marriages have been far more vocal and racist about it than the white people I have encountered against it. Granted it's likely to be that way for me because of my circumstances but it definitely goes both ways.

Is it racist for someone to not want there child to marry someone of another race?

 

I'd have to say partly even with the argument put forth that it's so that they do not have to experience ugliness in society. I think we need to give society a little more credit in most of the country.

 

I'd hate to the a parent who "steered" my child away from the love of their life just because of skin color. The white/white or black/black success rate isn't exactly high.

I'd have to say partly even with the argument put forth that it's so that they do not have to experience ugliness in society. I think we need to give society a little more credit in most of the country.

 

I'd hate to the a parent who "steered" my child away from the love of their life just because of skin color. The white/white or black/black success rate isn't exactly high.

 

:thumb: If they are happy and taken care of who cares!

Depends. It definitely comes off as racist. How are they in general towards the other race?

Black mom, black son (obviously). Mom works with whites and has white friends. But openly doesn't want her kids with white girls because "it's better for the black race to have black children."

 

My thoughts are I'm fine with her opinion but if the shoe was on the other foot, everyone would be appalled by the racism. That's my biggest beef with racism. It seems more accepted for blacks to not like whites than the other way around. I don't know why it is, but when I've been attacked verbally because of my race and called white "slurs" I laugh. Do black people secretly feel the same way or are they that upset as they act? These are things that perplex me.

Is it racist for me to say that black people are superior athletes? I would be putting them on a higher pedistal when it came to athletics but I am separating a persons ability based on color or ethnicity. Does that make it a racist thought? Is there acceptable and not acceptable racism?

 

I think making broad generalizations about racial groups, even if they are flattering, is shaky territory. After all, they are the other side of the same coin of the nefarious varieties, so it's hard to say one is valid and the other isn't or that they aren't rooted in the same thing.

 

But, this is different than making observations and attempting to understand them, I think. I'm curious to hear other opinions.

Can someone be born a racist?

Can someone be born a racist?

 

Who knows, but I suspect not. Opinions on race aren't indiscriminate from political views, which are largely dependent on our environment. What genetic possibility would account for the disparity between Southerners' and Northerners' historic views on race in this country? Or why Kentuckians are generally conservative where New Yorkers are generally liberal? It would seem opinions are conditioned by our environment and not inherent to us.

Who knows, but I suspect not. Opinions on race aren't indiscriminate from political views, which are largely dependent on our environment. What genetic possibility would account for the disparity between Southerners' and Northerners' historic views on race in this country? Or why Kentuckians are generally conservative where New Yorkers are generally liberal? It would seem opinions are conditioned by our environment and not inherent to us.

I don't think it's a genetic thing either. Same way I feel about homosexuality. If one would argue that it is innate, then I'd assume regional racism wouldn't matter. Simply a color issue, would you agree?

I view people as racists on a scale of 1-10, and as much as we all want to say we are "1's - meaning not racist at all", I think very few of us are true 1's or true 10's. Whether consciously or subconsciously we have all had a racist thought at some point in time. The higher your number, the more thoughts, and more likely that you have acted on your racism (and that doesn't necessarily mean that you acted with hatred).

I view people as racists on a scale of 1-10, and as much as we all want to say we are "1's - meaning not racist at all", I think very few of us are true 1's or true 10's. Whether consciously or subconsciously we have all had a racist thought at some point in time. The higher your number, the more thoughts, and more likely that you have acted on your racism (and that doesn't necessarily mean that you acted with hatred).

 

 

I kind of go along with the sliding scale concept. I propose one somewhat like this:

 

 

0 - absence of all bias and prejudice (very rare)

 

1 - 5 varying levels of mild prejudice/bias due to environmental factors, but overcome by education, diversity and sensitivity

 

6 - 9 higher levels of prejudice/bias not diminished, and acted upon covertly

 

10 prejudice/bias acted upon overtly and with intent to harm (racism)

I kind of go along with the sliding scale concept. I propose one somewhat like this:

 

 

0 - absence of all bias and prejudice (very rare)

 

1 - 5 varying levels of mild prejudice/bias due to environmental factors, but overcome by education, diversity and sensitivity

 

6 - 9 higher levels of prejudice/bias not diminished, and acted upon covertly

 

10 prejudice/bias acted upon overtly and with intent to harm (racism)

 

 

I'd say I am 3.5.

I'd say I am 3.5.

 

 

I would like to think I am in that range also.

This discussion made me think of this little clip from Christian comedian Michael Jr.