what is racism?, page-15

I believe that being 'racist' or making a racist remark includes making a judgment or value call.

I try not to do those things while mentioning the persons sex, colour, race, creed, religion or culture for example.

And thats about as good a non-racist as i know how to be.


Someone might say:

"That stinky mongolian black man".

Well the man is also from a town, why mention his country unless... it is magnified issue in your mind?
He might also be tall...why mention that he is black and not mention his height...or his shoe size...or his T-shirt?

Thats how i understand it.

Saying that Whitey has a Falcon with a stinking smokey exhaust pipe....
Doesn't ring as racist to me. It doesn't place judgement on his colour.
But to say that Whiteys in general have stinking smokey cars is racist, as anyone can have a stinking smokey car and you could have described the person by way of anyhting about them and not just their whitey-ness - but it was chosen within a judgement.

When we say X is this or that wrong with them, or that X or Y are offensive about that person, why dont we mention their eye colour or their T-shirt instead of their colour or the country they are from?

They are only people, regardless of where they are from or their colour. Unless the race bit or the colour bit is required to inform the statements points, then why bring it up?
Or else one of the points you are making within that total statement is a race point...or a colour point.
And often its a naff aspect which only paints you as discriminatory based on race or colour.

Sometimes we dont mean it because as someone else said, "it is taught".
- It is also untaught if you care to sit in the class.




L