OCUK Forum Racial Makeup Thread

[cleanbluesky]

People are racist and i do not trust anyone that says otherwise.

If anyone says they have never had a racist thought go through their mind i simply don't believe them.

If you think everyone is racist, don't you think more likely you are talking about yourself rather than everyone else?

I've been saying this for years. Almost every single person in the world is institutionally racist, no matter how much they protest it.

Racism stems from misunderstanding of differences in other cultures. If you really don't want to be racist, the only way to achieve it is to expose yourself to as many different cultures as possible on as regular a basis as possible.

Everyone is racist? Expose yourself to other cultures as often as possible? Is culture and race the same?

I think you two have issues and are projecting them onto other people. Not everyone is automatically racist.

 

[Efour]

If you think everyone is racist, don't you think more likely you are talking about yourself rather than everyone else?Everyone is racist?

No, unless you have been brought up in a bubble. Can be on a totally subconscious level or full blown BNP membership.

 

[cleanbluesky]

No, unless you have been brought up in a bubble. Can be on a totally subconscious level or full blown BNP membership.

So what evidence do you have for the subconcious/unconcious racism?

How and why does it work?

Since everyone is racist, why don't you tell us the last racist thought you had. The last racist thing you did.

 

[Arcade Fire]

IMHO when yourself and Dolph declare race as skin colour only it shows an arrogance or personal issue because neither of you have seen fit to pay respect to the fact that people have different opinions. I have said before that "merely stating something does not make it so" but I think that what I meant is that it shows bias not to acknowledge to lbindly decry the opinions of others without acknowledging them.

I don't think that I've every said "skin colour == race". I just find it strange that people can be proud of the colour of their skin. Maybe I'm misinterpreting them - perhaps what they're saying is that they're proud to be white westerners, or white Europeans, or white British. Even then, though, I don't see what there is to be proud of.

It's entirely an accident of birth that I'm a white middle-class British male, above average height with ginger hair and brown eyes. I'm not proud of any of those things, because I recognize that they were entirely random.

I feel that the 'race is only skin colour' is more about being seen to adopt a value, because so far the minority that have taken this viewpoint have offered no evidence and failed to address or even acknowledge that others disagree. Dolph has others are arguing about skin colour (including myself) which clearly shows that he does not acknowledge the viewpoints of others.

There are two different approaches to the 'race is only skin colour' viewpoint, though. The first way is to say that it's patently false, because race encompasses other things, like attitudes towards friendship, family, employment etc. But the second approach says that these are cultural differences, and stem from differences in geography rather than differences in race (or skin colour).

There are undeniable physical differences between races (for example, on average blacks are better runners and worse swimmers than whites) but those are swamped by the inter-race variation in physiques.

 

[Bes]

Why the hell does it matter? I'm not sure I like the way this forum is going at all- a certain group seem to be coming increasingly obsessed with race and race- related issues... Just give it a rest!

 

[dirtydog]

I don't think that I've every said "skin colour == race". I just find it strange that people can be proud of the colour of their skin.

Your second sentence contradicts the first, and clearly implies that you think race and skin colour are synonymous.

 

[Efour]

I was thinking of an example and pictured a busy room full of coloured chaps and 1 white guy.

I thought i would probably try and drum up a conversation with him cos i perceive to have more in common with him that the 20 other blokes.
Its pathetic that i thought that for a split second.

last racist thing i did was probably refer to an asian bloke as a **** - but thats a whole another topic done to death on here.

 

[Arcade Fire]

Since everyone is racist, why don't you tell us the last racist thought you had. The last racist thing you did.

Last racist thought I had: Was walking through west London late at night, and passed a black teenager with a hood up. My first thought was to be wary of him - much more wary than I would have been if he'd been white.

Last racist thing I did: I don't know. I try not to let my unconscious prejudices affect the way I act when I know that they're unjustified.

 

[starscream]

I feel that the 'race is only skin colour' is more about being seen to adopt a value, because so far the minority that have taken this viewpoint have offered no evidence and failed to address or even acknowledge that others disagree. Dolph has others are arguing about skin colour (including myself) which clearly shows that he does not acknowledge the viewpoints of others.

What evidence can be provided to prove or disprove that race is more than skin colour? If it is more, what other charactaristics would change if a persons skin colour was altered?

 

[dirtydog]

I was thinking of an example and pictured a busy room full of coloured chaps and 1 white guy.

I thought i would probably try and drum up a conversation with him cos i perceive to have more in common with him that the 20 other blokes.
Its pathetic that i thought that for a split second.

Pathetic or natural?

 

[Arcade Fire]

Your second sentence contradicts the first, and clearly implies that you think race and skin colour are synonymous.

What? No it doesn't! Look, here it is again:

- I don't think that you can be proud of the colour of your skin.

- I don't think that race is the same thing as skin colour.

Where's the contradiction?

 

[dirtydog]

What? No it doesn't! Look, here it is again:

- I don't think that you can be proud of the colour of your skin.

- I don't think that race is the same thing as skin colour.

Where's the contradiction?

Simple. You said you were surprised why anyone would be proud of the colour of their skin. Has anyone said that they are? No. People have said they are proud to be WHITE. As in race.

 

[Efour]

Pathetic or natural?

I dont know. I assume it has everything to do with upbringing and influences around us whilst growing up.

You say its natural - im half inclined to agree going to say its environmental circumstances.

Humans are not born racist are they it is definitely instilled in us at some point

 

[dirtydog]

I dont know. I assume it has everything to do with upbringing and influences around us whilst growing up.

You say its natural - im half inclined to agree going to say its environmental circumstances.

Humans are not born racist are they it is definitely instilled in us at some point

Instilled by whom? Certainly the views I have are not shared by either my parents or by the peer group I had while growing up.

I think it is wholly natural for humans to identify more with those who are most similar to themselves, and vice versa.

 

[starscream]

There are two different approaches to the 'race is only skin colour' viewpoint, though. The first way is to say that it's patently false, because race encompasses other things, like attitudes towards friendship, family, employment etc. But the second approach says that these are cultural differences, and stem from differences in geography rather than differences in race (or skin colour).

I think such differences are far greater than skin colour. For example, if a baby born into a white middle class family in the UK was swapped with a baby born into a poor black family from Africa, what would be most likely to influence their psychology.

 

[Arcade Fire]

Simple. You said you were surprised why anyone would be proud of the colour of their skin. Has anyone said that they are? No. People have said they are proud to be WHITE. As in race.

Last time I checked, 'white' is a skin colour as well as a race, but it's unimportant anyway. I am now TELLING you that I don't believe that skin colour is the same thing as race. I'm not sure what privileged access you have to my mind that means that you know what I think better than I do.

P.S. You still didn't show me where the contradiction was between my two sentences.

 

[Efour]

Instilled by whom? Certainly the views I have are not shared by either my parents or by the peer group I had while growing up.

I think it is wholly natural for humans to identify more with those who are most similar to themselves, and vice versa.

So one day you just thought I prefer mixing with white British people. There must have been 1 event that made you think that. A reaction to something.

 

[dirtydog]

Last time I checked, 'white' is a skin colour as well as a race, but it's unimportant anyway. I am now TELLING you that I don't believe that skin colour is the same thing as race. I'm not sure what privileged access you have to my mind that means that you know what I think better than I do.

Okay, other people say they are proud of being white and you assume they mean merely skin colour. Perhaps it is you who is reading their minds?

 

[4T5]

White English Gypsy.
I can live with it, the question is Can You ?

 

[dirtydog]

So one day you just thought I prefer mixing with white British people. There must have been 1 event that made you think that. A reaction to something.

No, not one day. I've always felt the same and I personally believe that most people of all races, all round the world, are likewise.