Science What is a racist?

As an old white man, I have been told I can not know. Perhaps this is true but I might learn if someone knew! And could explain!

The dictionary is rather terse;
->
Noun:
A person with a prejudiced belief that one race is superior to others.

Adjective:
Based on racial intolerance
or
Discriminatory especially on the basis of race or religion

->
Lumping race and religion under the same term is ridiculous so let us leave religion for another time.

I don't even like the Noun description of "superior" or not. While differences can be superior or not, they can also be assets, or not. Teamed together, they even can be complementary, or not.
Saying it is only color is silly, it is simply illogical and non observant.

So when you fling the Racist term, can you define why? Or is this just a Political weapon to unsheathe, more often than not.

Then other say, you can not know, unless you experience racism. And then they say, old white men can not.

 

This would be my understanding of it...but given that humans have common ancestors I think it's something that we all should get over...for instance the Hawaiian word Haole means empty of color or no soul....The Chinese phrase for anyone not Chinese has always been Guai Lo or barbarian ...yet both are accepted uses that most indigenous peoples don't think apply...I think any oppressed people's who've endured slavery or indentured servitude relate it to the European conquistadors that enslaved or basically grouped them into servitude or Hitlers ethnic cleansing bullshit in WWII....but literally this would apply to African slave owners and well as Irish indentured servants or Gauls enslaved by Romans ...etc....I think the whole term should be examined in context but our own American history has such a short span and modern day outcome that American slavery is seen differently from say...Roman slavery...it's a complex question...I taught a course in Taiwan medical college about topics of controversy and this one of the syllabus classes...the difference between race, culture and nationality....Native americans enslaved native americans...and on and on...to evolve as a human society of tolerant diversity I believe we should move on to better relations with all peoples...intellectually modern society spouts high ideals but emotionally we are not caught up to them would be my take. Ignorant behavior keeps these things from evolving...the book Guns Germs and Steel touches on some of this...in some ways racism is a distraction from classism or say the cast system in places like India where minority groups are actually called "untouchables"

 

Time to begin old white man! This shit is intolerable to observe.

 

This maybe bullshit too.

 

It definitely is ...but it's an upper class attitude that seems to have prevailed throughout the world...The Mandarins in China look down on the Hakka people and many other Chinese ethnic groups..the difference would be that Chinese have 10,000 years of written history and American history or German history has fresher wounds from genocidal behavior.

 

I've been married twice interracially...which is in itself a rebellion against racism. I'd have to say that all of my many friends who are also interracially married are by no means prone to racist dialogue or behavior.

 

They do the same in Japan, look down on the Ainu. In Britain the English looking down on the Irish is well known. Or it was.
So the this means for sure racism is not due to skin color. Ha! Well at least unless that is all the dumb ass can observe.

So it might be a class thing? Hard to believe, most of us or our progenitors got to this place in the bowels of a ship, not the upper class deck.

 

But the captain of that ship and his officers had the whips, chains and weapons in most cases...abuse of power leaves a bad taste in the folks below deck...

 

Well I won't object to your choice. But the I would not or did not do the same because I like and expected to see my Green eye'd Blond haired Grand Children. I like that. I find no error.

 

Oh I think you speak of a slave ship, mine came in the bowels of ship maybe 60 or 70 years later. No whip needed, completely by choice. Well correction, perhaps need, maybe even desire.

 

I have no problem with choices....my path led to a different choice that my father did not support until his deathbed....which I found sad but in the end I forgave him ….he wanted me to marry the green eyed irish girl who's family was prosperous that I took to prom in high school...I was attracted to dark haired women from the start. It was a point of contention for many, many years between us.

 

Even the Titanic had the lower birth folks in the cheap seats locked up until the rafts were filled with the first class passengers

 

Ha! I too like those dark hair lasses. Even avoided the green eyed girls.
Best that way. If I had married that green eyed, red haired girl, my grandsons would burn too easy. I need complementary solution not a dominate gene either way it was not possible or too overwhelming.

But hell this is known progeny selection not understanding of racist. How do we get to the point of slinging this sword daily.

 

We lead by example and live inclusive lives would be my answer

 

Yes that is well known class distinction. But we hear little of that today, mostly racism.

 

That is asking much of people whom are of the introverted type. But then I think you skipped my point of slinging the racist sword daily. I see no end to this game or profit to be had.

 

We live in a time when we haven't evolved or resolved stereotypical behaviors...hopefully teaching the youth will eventually make these things go away..I don't expect to see it in my lifetime

 

By god old white man, I don't think we should let this slide so friggin easy. Heal yourself, you have work to do.

Now we shall hear how little we know.