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Dear Community,
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
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Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
am I racist?
I've really been asking myself this question for the past few weeks after I wandered in to a race topic on this board.
I've never really thought about it. But the more I read, the more ignorant I realize I am and the more fearful I become about saying anything with respect to race. I obviously don't go around vocalizing racial slurs or making Andrew Dice Clay-esque remarks, but I can imagine myself saying "well meaning" things that have come up on this board that are, apparently, racist.
The more I think about it, the more it seems like it is almost worse to be a dope who doesn't know any better but should than the balls-out racist who stands by his/her beliefs.
promised myself I'd retire when I turned gold, and yet here I am
Re: am I racist?
I think the important part is knowing that you are ignorant about some things, and being willing to learn.
The racists are the ones who think they are right and stand by their beliefs.
It is far better to be open to learning new things about different people.
Depends. If you're ok with this, then I'm going to Yes for $500 Alex.
I'm sorry, you'll have to phrase that question form.
My great-grandpa was born around 1900 (and has since passed). He was also southern, from a southern family (as in we lost a plantation in the civil war south).
I remember him saying at one point, can't recall why, "oh yes, the colored people love to dance".
Erm.
Do you mean like that?
He certainly didn't mean it in a negative way, but its still judging people based on color/race.
Everyone's a little bit racist, sometimes.
I general I think the term is thrown around too much. Everyone has such a visceral reaction to the word (understandable) so that it generally makes conversation difficult which is unfortunate because to me talking about racial issues is how we learn.
I think biases / prejudices are common. Yes that is based in ignorance as well, but I think it misses the element of hate. Everyone has some bias. I think those that question themselves and try to grow from experiences are not the ones I label as racists.
I was just about to post this!
I think that almost everyone has racist thoughts on occasion, but that doesn't make them "a racist" per se. Does that make sense?
For example, a few months ago when I went to board a plane, there was a large # of Arab men boarding the same flight. I had a moment of "OMG! They could be terrorists!" before wanting to punch myself in the face for judging them based on nothing other than the fact that they were Arab. I was honestly mortified because that was a total racist moment.
Am I A racist? NO. I never judge someone based on race. But I certainly did in that moment. I dont know if its any better because I realized what i was doing and was mortified?
Does that make sense?
I completely get that. I often feel this way as well. And because we and others feel this way (and don't communicate our thoughts out of fear) it doesn't help move race relations further along. It's such a chicken and egg situation, isn't it?
...one of the best meals I ever had was potluck after services at a Sikh temple.
It would be bad to go back just for the food, right?
I am the 99%.
Stuff White People Like...yeah, some of that.
I am not sure why stereotypes are helpful when you need to make a snap decision.
Only white people like to line dance?
<a href="http://www.thenest.com/?utm_source=ticker&utm_medium=HTML&utm_campaign=tickers" title="Home DKindly elaborate on this, please.
<a href="http://www.thenest.com/?utm_source=ticker&utm_medium=HTML&utm_campaign=tickers" title="Home DIf a non-white person agreed with that (joke?), would it, alone, make them racist?
Isn't the dancing to, say, "Cha Cha Slide" or something to that tune, similar to line dancing?
Ok, so the student I am working with now likes to watch videos of babies crying (in addition to other things). Do you think I should show her your siggie? lol
ETA: I just found the longer version...it gives you a different idea of what was going on there.
Not if she's a babist!
This is just some random blog, but I think it gets across the point I was trying to make.
http://www.meaningtowork.com/2010/10/the-benefit-of-stereotypes/
An example...I hold a stereotype that individuals who drive trucks/SUVs with large tires and lifts tend to drive erratically. I know this stereotype is not true in all cases, but I can think of specific instances where this was the case. If I am at a 4-way stop or using pedestrian crossing I am going to make damn sure they see me before I go, maybe adding a little more caution than if the vehicle had been say, a minivan.
Not necessarily. Does the agreement come with a dose of the hatred noted in PP?
No, but I didn't see that as a required condition in the later connections to stereotyping and their implied...uh...implications.
I don't think recognizing racial stereotypes = racism. Acting a certain way based strictly on racial stereotypes or flat unwillingness to reexamine racial stereotypes and modify your behavior according to how the world really is (with all its complexity where people don't fit into tidy little boxes) = racist.
I agree. It kind of seemed (as wrong as it may have been) that the consensus on this thread was that finding/recognizing stereotypes equaled racism.