Unconscious Racism is a Personal Failing, Not a Moral Failing

[tcG]

Prejudice/suspicion toward other groups different from our own is an unfortunate remnant of our evolutionary past, which acted as a survival mechanism to quickly identify threats. Like other adaptations such as preference for sweet food or quickness to anger, it is an underlying tendency which we as enlightened modern humans do our best to suppress and fight against.

What does this mean for our current debate about race in America? It means that as much as we strive for MLK's ideal of judging people as individuals rather than by their group/racial identity, the fact that we fall short is not entirely within our control. So when somebody unfairly judges someone, this is usually a personal failing, not necessarily a moral one.

I think people are too hasty to attribute malice where there is only misjudgment. The truth is that most people want to live and let live, most people strive to treat all humans as equal. In most cases when we fall short is a failure of intelligence, a failure of our own judgment faculties, not a moral failure.

 

[blackangst1]

Racism is taught.

/thread

 

[tcG]

Racism perhaps in the sense that it is a belief, but not necessarily prejudice, which is a behavior.

Prejudice is an intellectual failure that can be caused by a lot of factors, and it's something we are all subject to.

 

[JSt0rm]

conservatives are an unfortunate remnant of our evolutionary past

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

When I was a yout, I was prejudiced against developmentally disabled folks mostly due to fear of the unknown. I learned better after working with them. I also believe the armed services are one of the few successes we've had in the war against racism. They have been successful because the culture within the military doesn't accept it. There is a lesson to learn here in our respective cultures.

 

[justoh]

Racist Christians are racist because they're part of a racist cult. As it is with our Muslim and Jewish amigos. If created, then why not unequally? You're either explicitly told you're superior and privileged or at least the basic premise of creation allows for inherent differences. Could have been a baking incident. Fuck nose.

If you aren't religious then racism isn't even really possible. There's no gene for race. There's no method for classifying us into discrete races. Racism is simply untenable. It's a non issue, unless you're religious.

As for "unconscious racism," that's just ridiculous. Do they mean religious people?

 

[WelshBloke]

Prejudice/suspicion toward other groups different from our own is an unfortunate remnant of our evolutionary past, which acted as a survival mechanism to quickly identify threats.

That's a pretty big assumption to hang the rest of your argument on.

 

[Hans Gruber]

This is more of an argument over political correctness. When the politics change the viewpoints differ. History like politics is very ugly.

 

[Puffnstuff]

Racism is taught.

Yep its a nurtured attribute and until you change at the individual level it will continue to be the status quo. I've noticed that some of the most ardent accusers of others being racist are themselves at the same level or worse than those they point fingers at.

I see people as individuals and judge them by the content of their character irrespective of their physical appearance. If everybody would do that the world would be a better place.

 

[evident]

Racist Christians are racist because they're part of a racist cult. As it is with our Muslim and Jewish amigos. If created, then why not unequally? You're either explicitly told you're superior and privileged or at least the basic premise of creation allows for inherent differences. Could have been a baking incident. Fuck nose.

If you aren't religious then racism isn't even really possible. There's no gene for race. There's no method for classifying us into discrete races. Racism is simply untenable. It's a non issue, unless you're religious.

As for "unconscious racism," that's just ridiculous. Do they mean religious people?

Maybe there are more religious racists in America but I'm sure around the woris there are racist secular peoples... For example, I'm in Japan there are a ton of racists but I wouldn't call anyone here religious in terms of what you're thinking...

 

[Puffnstuff]

If you aren't religious then racism isn't even really possible. There's no gene for race. There's no method for classifying us into discrete races. Racism is simply untenable. It's a non issue, unless you're religious.

I completely disagree with you there as some of the most racist people I've encountered are not religious in any way. Racism is taught so when a person sees this role model they are shaped into the very same thinking. When a person is nurtured into this line of thinking they will hold fast to it for a lifetime.

 

[Atreus21]

I think we should define racism before we discuss it.

 

[justoh]

I completely disagree with you there as some of the most racist people I've encountered are not religious in any way. Racism is taught so when a person sees this role model they are shaped into the very same thinking. When a person is nurtured into this line of thinking they will hold fast to it for a lifetime.

Never encountered any non-religious racists myself, but if you say so. Racism can only be taught to the credulous: children/adult religious people. Otherwise you'd be like, "where's the evidence, dad/mom/brother/sister?" "Why do we believe this again?" Questions religious people never ask about anything.

 

[Puffnstuff]

Never encountered any non-religious racists myself, but if you say so. Racism can only be taught to the credulous: children/adult religious people. Otherwise you'd be like, "where's the evidence, dad/mom/brother/sister?" "Why do we believe this again?" Questions religious people never ask about anything.

A lack of proper upbringing can lead to many problems and is not mutually exclusive to people who practice religion albeit they harbor some of the strongest confirmation biases around.

 

[MajinCry]

When I was a yout, I was prejudiced against developmentally disabled folks mostly due to fear of the unknown. I learned better after working with them. I also believe the armed services are one of the few successes we've had in the war against racism. They have been successful because the culture within the military doesn't accept it. There is a lesson to learn here in our respective cultures.

Well that's a complete load of revisionist bullshit.

Here's a bit of homework; which organization coined the terms Zipperhead and beloved patriot?

If WWII, the marker of the Greatest Generation is too far back, shall we look back at the Vietnam War? By and by, you still haven't gotten back to me on why you think the vets who testified in the Winter Soldier documentary are liars.

“You don't even think of them as human beings, they're ‘gooks’. And they're objects; they're not human, they're objects. The general rule was a Vietnamese who is dead is confirmed Viet Cong and one who is living is a Viet Cong suspect. And that's the way it was.”http://links.org.au/node/3343#_ftn23

Source: http://links.org.au/node/3343

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Well that's a complete load of revisionist bullshit.

Here's a bit of homework; which organization coined the terms Zipperhead and ************?

If WWII, the marker of the Greatest Generation is too far back, shall we look back at the Vietnam War? By and by, you still haven't gotten back to me on why you think the vets who testified in the Winter Soldier documentary are liars.



Source: http://links.org.au/node/3343

Nowhere did I say the military has always been against racism. Got any more out of date propaganda?

 

[MajinCry]

Nowhere did I say the military has always been against racism. Got any more out of date propaganda?

And the US' invasion of Vietnam wasn't an invasion. Right.

Do stop dodging the Vietnam question; why do you claim that the veterans that testified are liars?

Edit: Also, I'd like to know when you think the US' military suddenly made a heel-turn and threw away it's racist past? Or you just been watching war movies again?

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

And the US' invasion of Vietnam wasn't an invasion. Right.

Do stop dodging the Vietnam question; why do you claim that the veterans that testified are liars?

Do try to stay focused you blathering troll. We're talking about racism.

 

[MajinCry]

Do try to stay focused you blathering troll. We're talking about racism.

And you dodged both questions again. The one about racism, and yet again the one about the veterans that testified about the US' war crimes and racist methodology. Are you going to pull a PCGeek and continue to avoid the issues?

 

[J.Wilkins]

And you dodged both questions again. The one about racism, and yet again the one about the veterans that testified about the US' war crimes and racist methodology. Are you going to pull a PCGeek and continue to avoid the issues?

Stop being a twat, his point was that in the military has dealt with the racism *within the military* through discipline and camaraderie and it has worked.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

And you dodged both questions again. The one about racism, and yet again the one about the veterans that testified about the US' war crimes and racist methodology. Are you going to pull a PCGeek and continue to avoid the issues?

Sorry but, you lack the ability to define what the issues are. Start your own thread.

 

[MajinCry]

Sorry but, you lack the ability to define what the issues are. Start your own thread.

We're talking about racism in the military. Keep up.

 

[J.Wilkins]

Prejudice/suspicion toward other groups different from our own is an unfortunate remnant of our evolutionary past, which acted as a survival mechanism to quickly identify threats.

That is absolutely false since groups that were threats were neighbouring and very much the same. You can't use this to justify racism.

Tribalism is more like US vs Canada or Texas vs. California. Neighbouring tribes up to no good, ya know.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

We're talking about racism in the military. Keep up.

Troll, troll, troll your boat.

 

[MajinCry]

Stop being a twat, his point was that in the military has dealt with the racism *within the military* through discipline and camaraderie and it has worked.

If the military managed to abandon racism within it, then it wouldn't manifest outside it. Otherwise, the military is still racist, in a "Some of my best friends are black" manner.