What defines racism

[Priest]

black people liking chicken

who the fuck doesn't like chicken? I think pretty much everyone goes apeshit for a bucket of KFC.

[Kwaurtz]

black people liking chicken

who the fuck doesn't like chicken? I think pretty much everyone goes apeshit for a bucket of KFC.

Nah, I'm from Kentucky. Most folks around here don't even like KFC. Its too greasy and shit, I make my own fried chicken.

[crypto]

It is most definitely not racist to call someone what you define as a racial slur. They are simply insults similar to calling someone trash or ignorant. I didn't just argue that point, I proved it to be correct through use of the dictionary which is available to you too.

No, racial slurs are patently racist. Calling someone an idiot is insulting that person by taking a shot at his or her intelligence. Calling someone a **** is insulting that person by taking a shot at his or her "race."

Seeing as ANYONE can be insulted, calling someone gay is not prejudice against homosexuality.

It absolutely is. When you know the meaning of a word and go on to use that word in a derogatory fashion you are expressing relevant prejudice. The statement you make is prejudiced regardless of whether or not you really mean it.

[Holy]

It is most definitely not racist to call someone what you define as a racial slur. They are simply insults similar to calling someone trash or ignorant. I didn't just argue that point, I proved it to be correct through use of the dictionary which is available to you too.

No, racial slurs are patently racist. Calling someone an idiot is insulting that person by taking a shot at his or her intelligence. Calling someone a *DO NOT BE RACIST* is insulting that person by taking a shot at his or her "race."

Seeing as ANYONE can be insulted, calling someone gay is not prejudice against homosexuality.

It absolutely is. When you know the meaning of a word and go on to use that word in a derogatory fashion you are expressing relevant prejudice. The statement you make is prejudiced regardless of whether or not you really mean it.

According to your logic, it's racist when you call caucasion or mongolian a n.igger in the sense of lack of intelligence or social status? I just can't believe that to be true. Racism is, like you said, a shot at one's race, and I agree with that. I'm saying if you mean the word in the manor of someone who is an idiot, then it is not racist at all.

Same with the word gay. Gay can also mean happy, if you call someone gay based on how happy they look, then it is not prejudice at all. It does indeed matter how you mean it. Most words have multiple meanings, including racial slurs. Cracker is a prime example as it could mean the cracking of a whip (which is where the term originated from) or it could mean a dry food usually coated with salt.

[crypto]

"****e_" dehumanizes blacks.

You call a black person a ****e_. "****e_" dehumanizes blacks, ergo you are dehumanizing, or insulting, that person.

You call someone who is not black a ****e_. "****e_" dehumanizes blacks and you are directly comparing that person to blacks, ergo you are dehumanizing, or insulting, that person.

In the first instance it is racist toward blacks in general and it is both racist and insulting toward the black individual you are confronting. In the second instance it is racist toward blacks in general and it is insulting, though not racist, toward the individual you are confronting. In both cases it is insulting by virtue of being racist; in one of the cases is it racist toward the individual who receives the insult.

Please wax philosophical to me about the non-insulting definition of "****e_" because I'm not aware of such a thing.

[crypto]

Actually, let me put it this way.

Same with the word gay. Gay can also mean happy, if you call someone gay based on how happy they look, then it is not prejudice at all. It does indeed matter how you mean it. Most words have multiple meanings, including racial slurs. Cracker is a prime example as it could mean the cracking of a whip (which is where the term originated from) or it could mean a dry food usually coated with salt.

When you use "gay" as an insult happiness is not part of the equation. The insulting essence of the word isn't drawn from that definition; it's drawn from the definition regarding sexual orientation. Whether or not "gay" has multiple meanings is irrelevant. At this point you are arguing that because it does have multiple meanings, it is not prejudiced, when in reality the only significance of multiple meanings is that it can be misused in a given sentence.

[Holy]

Obviously you are having a hard time understanding the point I am trying to make to you. Your logic is making no sense to me at all. It's impossible to come to terms on such a lack of understanding of eachother..

You are wrong about what I am arguing. I am saying that depending on HOW you use the word determines if it is or is not racist. I can't be any simpler.

If you say using the word period (in every meaning) is racist then that is flat out ignorant. You are ignoring the rules of the english language to prove a point. When you base a point off something that is obviously wrong then that point must also be wrong.

Here is some logic:

[Root word] = [How word is used] = [Is this offensive?]

Gay = happy = offensive? That make's NO SENSE.

Gay = homosexual = offensive? It depends on the context of the sentence. So it could be offensive.

Gay = ****got = offensive? This statment makes sense.

[crypto]

That's not what I'm saying. You are arguing a meaningless point. Nobody here is saying that "gay" is always a prejudiced term.

If you use the word "gay" as an insult then you are making an attack on homosexuals, whether you are directing that insult toward homosexuals or not. You are not making an attack on happy people. When you use the word "gay" as an insult, regardless of whether or not you really mean that the target of your insult is gay, you are making an attack on gay people by virtue of lowering them to a form of insult. Same goes for "****e_."

[Holy]

That's not what I'm saying. You are arguing a meaningless point. Nobody here is saying that "gay" is always a prejudiced term.

If you use the word "gay" as an insult then you are making an attack on homosexuals, whether you are directing that insult toward homosexuals or not. You are not making an attack on happy people. When you use the word "gay" as an insult, regardless of whether or not you really mean that the target of your insult is gay, you are making an attack on gay people by virtue of lowering them to a form of insult. Same goes for "****e_."

Ok, so let's say what you just stated is true. Hypothetically speaking, let's call the word "gay" a punch for arguement's sake.

If I punch one person, then a whole group of people would be 'attacked' by the one punch at the one person I hit? I think not.

I'll even make it more literal for you...

If I call one person a **** then everyone around will take offense? No, some people may agree that they are a ****.

Oh, by the way, you just instigated that all black people are n.iggers. That was pretty racist of you. How? Well you just said gay people would be insulted because what they are (gay) is used as in insult. Through that and saying "Same goes for "****e_." You have just pretty much said that black people would be insulted because what they are (****e_) is used as an insult.

[monkeymac32]

There's a fine line between stereotypes and racism. Racism is a hate towards a race. (jews, blacks, whites, asians) People get kinda soft when it comes to stereotypes towards blacks although in American society black people sling around racial terms aimed at white folks all the time (cracker, cracka, and others) Making a "racist joke" is not really racism. Usually they are based off of generalized stereotypes of that race. aka black people being watermelon, kfc eaters with big lips and only like hip hop. Now these are untrue as I have seen black people listen to Screamo. I think I ran on a bit but anyways racism is what it is. HATING other races.

Being offensive to jews is anti-semitism, not racism, but is still discouraged.

[Klondor]

wiki's definition of race

"Race refers to the classification of humans into populations or groups based on various factors such as culture, language, social practice or heritable characteristics.[1]

Conceptions and groupings of races vary over time and reflect societal customs [2][3][4] in defining essential types of individuals based on perceived sets of traits."

so culture religion, and location are also taken into consideration

You would be making a valid point if it weren't for the fact that your source is wikipedia. Most every teacher in the world will tell you wikipedia is not a valid source of info due to the fact that anyone can edit it. If you took those definition from something like webster's dictionary and it said the same thing. I would see your point as acceptable and true. Not to say you didn't make a good point. However, the picture Kwaurtz posted helped support my arguement of there only being 3 main races in the world.

Popular belief is that race is based on appearance (this is where popular belief if actually correct,) nationality (which does in no way influences your genetic makeup, so it isnt part of race,) religion (which also does not influence genetic makeup,) culture (still no direct influence on the parent's genetic makeup.)

Scientifically, the only thing that can possibly effect ones race is the appearance and genes of the parents. Not the culture, not the nationality, not the religion. When you mix two of the main 3 races together you get your subraces. Mongolian is the most diverse among the subraces. You can be racist against the subraces and main races. In order to be racist, you must target something about their race that ONLY applys to their race. Any race can share the same religion, any race can share the same culture, any race can share the same nationality. Only one race can share the genetics to be of that race/subrace.

I'd be making a valid point???? last time I checked you were neither a teacher nor that this is a school. Although wiki may not have credentials like a professor with a ruler shoved up his ass would, wiki does have a basis of information collected from many other resources and the point your making saying anyone can edit is BS, they screen everything for factual information. Your point of  the classic reference to race is correct but the definition has changed over time

here's the definition  of racism from dictionary.com

-a belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement, usually involving the idea that one's own race is superior and has the right to rule others.

-a policy, system of government, etc., based upon or fostering such a doctrine; discrimination.

-the belief that races have distinctive cultural characteristics determined by hereditary factors and that this endows some races with an intrinsic superiority over others

-abusive or aggressive behavior towards members of another race on the basis of such a belief

Now the definition of race


1.  A local geographic or global human population distinguished as a more or less distinct group by genetically transmitted physical characteristics.
2. A group of people united or classified together on the basis of common history, nationality, or geographic distribution:
3. A genealogical line; a lineage.
4. Humans considered as a group.
5. Biology
a. An interbreeding, usually geographically isolated population of organisms differing from other populations of the same species in the frequency of hereditary traits. A race that has been given formal taxonomic recognition is known as a subspecies.
b. A breed or strain, as of domestic animals.
6. A distinguishing or characteristic quality, such as the flavor of a wine.

definition based on Webster  classifications

1 : a breeding stock of animals
2 a : a family, tribe, people, or nation belonging to the same stock b : a class or kind of people unified by      shared interests, habits, or characteristics
3 a : an actually or potentially interbreeding group within a species; also : representing such a group b : breed c : a category of humankind that shares certain distinctive physical traits
4 obsolete : inherited temperament or disposition
5 : distinctive flavor, taste, or strength

and now by dictionary.com


1. a group of persons related by common descent or heredity.
2. a population so related.
3. Anthropology.
a. any of the traditional divisions of humankind, the commonest being the Caucasian, Mongoloid, and Negro, characterized by supposedly distinctive and universal physical characteristics: no longer in technical use.
b.an arbitrary classification of modern humans, sometimes, esp. formerly, based on any or a combination of various physical characteristics, as skin color, facial form, or eye shape, and now frequently based on such genetic markers as blood groups.
c.a human population partially isolated reproductively from other populations, whose members share a greater degree of physical and genetic similarity with one another than with other humans.
4.a group of tribes or peoples forming an ethnic stock: the Slavic race.
5.any people united by common history, language, cultural traits, etc.: the Dutch race.

[Klondor]

There's a fine line between stereotypes and racism. Racism is a hate towards a race. (jews, blacks, whites, asians) People get kinda soft when it comes to stereotypes towards blacks although in American society black people sling around racial terms aimed at white folks all the time (cracker, cracka, and others) Making a "racist joke" is not really racism. Usually they are based off of generalized stereotypes of that race. aka black people being watermelon, kfc eaters with big lips and only like hip hop. Now these are untrue as I have seen black people listen to Screamo. I think I ran on a bit but anyways racism is what it is. HATING other races.

Being offensive to jews is anti-semitism, not racism, but is still discouraged.

the basis of antisemitism is indeed racism, lets break down the definition of  Websters
Anti-semitism
: hostility toward or discrimination against Jews as a religious, ethnic, or racial group

Ethnic and racial group being the keywords now lets dive further by breaking down the definition of ethnic

a.  Of, relating to, or characteristic of a sizable group of people sharing a common and distinctive racial, national, religious, linguistic, or cultural heritage.
b. Being a member of a particular ethnic group, especially belonging to a national group by heritage or culture but residing outside its national boundaries:

[crypto]

Ok, so let's say what you just stated is true. Hypothetically speaking, let's call the word "gay" a punch for arguement's sake.

If I punch one person, then a whole group of people would be 'attacked' by the one punch at the one person I hit? I think not.

I'll even make it more literal for you...

If I call one person a **** then everyone around will take offense? No, some people may agree that they are a ****.

Punches and racial slurs, let alone insults in general, are not analogous. A punch is not a slur that draws from prejudice toward the masses to insult the individual. When you use a racial slur, you are insulting someone via insulting a "race," regardless of whether that someone is a member of the "race." This is a very simple concept. I don't think I can break it down any further. Your argument makes zero sense.

Oh, by the way, you just instigated that all black people are n.iggers. That was pretty racist of you. How? Well you just said gay people would be insulted because what they are (gay) is used as in insult. Through that and saying "Same goes for "****e_." You have just pretty much said that black people would be insulted because what they are (****e_) is used as an insult.

"****e_" is a racist term applied to black people. "Cracker" is a racist term applied to white people. Etc. It is not racist of me to acknowledge that fact. Jesus Christ. For such an ambitious debater you are frustratingly immune to basic logic.

[Klondor]

 

[Jorgen]

some1 gonna lock this soon or? i smell necro and, alot of long posts