Racism

Austing:

JustASadSong.:

It's horrible

I hate racist people

I shouldn't matter what colour someones skin is; everyone should have the same rights not matter what

You hate racist people?

Isnt that hypocritical?

"I hate you for hating lol"

It's the same with whole tolerancy topic. Tolerancy isn't tolerant to intolerance. So what tolerancy really means? (I hope you know what i wanted to say)

Hester Pryne:

No one says anything but everyone knows that I as a black person have to act different, better, to get the same respect that a white person gets.

I honestly think that is because of the current perception /representation of black people today. It has largely to do with the biggest representation of the race;rappers. Rappers who boast a life of crime, murder,drugs, hos,etc That, sadly, has become the representation of the race because it is such a prevalent image. In turn it creates stereotypes for all black people. Most people are afraid of black people because of this stereotype...or the "gangsta" stereotype. You just have to learn not to judge, because not all people are alike, and that goes for any race.

I_Mean_This:

Hester Pryne:

As to the word "cracker" being just as bad as "nigger" that is totally untrue. The word nigger was a derivative of the spanish word for black "negro" used when talking about black people in a derogatory way.

"Cracker" was the word used for South Georgian/North Floridian cowboys because of the whips they used on the cows ("cracker" has nothing to do with slave masters, fyi) to differentiate them from regular cowboys from the west/southwest. The term came to be synonymous with red neck and spread across the South, it is not necessarily or specifically a racist term for white people, especially since black and native american men could also be "crakcers" if they were cowboys.

nigger=racist slur
cracker=cowboy or redneck

Big Difference
_____________________________________________________

.

Despite the historical meanings, they are both just as bad. Both terms are used for hate, and are both racial slurs. They are both used in a negative way, and that can not be argued.

Nooo... not a racist slur, since being a cracker has nothing to do with being white, and is not necessarily used to be a slur. it just is. If someone thinks that's a bad thing then it is slur. If someone thinks it's good then it's not.

I_Mean_This:

Hester Pryne:

No one says anything but everyone knows that I as a black person have to act different, better, to get the same respect that a white person gets.

I honestly think that is because of the current perception /representation of black people today. It has largely to do with the biggest representation of the race;rappers. Rappers who boast a life of crime, murder,drugs, hos,etc That, sadly, has become the representation of the race because it is such a prevalent image. In turn it creates stereotypes for all black people. Most people are afraid of black people because of this stereotype...or the "gangsta" stereotype. You just have to learn not to judge, because not all people are alike, and that goes for any race.

The problem is, this perception existed before rappers did, and when someone sees a black person who is obviously not a rapper they still have this perception.

Cracker is definitely a slur.

Cracker: A poor, usually Southern white, usually used disparigingly.

*disparigingly= in a VERY bad way.

I should know because I lived in the deep south for 7 years and my dad was born there and let me tell you, I don't wanna be there for when someone calls someone else a "cracker." For you to say that "cracker" is not a slur is definitely an ignorant statement.

"No one says anything but everyone knows that I as a black person have to act different, better, to get the same respect that a white person gets."

Ummm, yeah. There's something going on in our country now called "reverse racism" which I personally think is a b.s. term because racism can go ANY way. And for you to say that since you're black you have to act "better" is not only a self-pitying statement, but also annoying.

And since we're throwing out the race card, I'll throw out the Jewish card. This as you all know definitely means that I have to act better than all the Austrians and Germans I know to be accepted. Boo. Hoo.

*eyeroll*

xXxsKiTtLe_QuEeNxXx:

Cracker is definitely a slur.

Cracker: A poor, usually Southern white, usually used disparigingly.

*disparigingly= in a VERY bad way.

I should know because I lived in the deep south for 7 years and my dad was born there and let me tell you, I don't wanna be there for when someone calls someone else a "cracker." For you to say that "cracker" is not a slur is definitely an ignorant statement.

"No one says anything but everyone knows that I as a black person have to act different, better, to get the same respect that a white person gets."

Ummm, yeah. There's something going on in our country now called "reverse racism" which I personally think is a b.s. term because racism can go ANY way. And for you to say that since you're black you have to act "better" is not only a self-pitying statement, but also annoying.

And since we're throwing out the race card, I'll throw out the Jewish card. This as you all know definitely means that I have to act better than all the Austrians and Germans I know to be accepted. Boo. Hoo.

*eyeroll*

It's not self-pitying, it's true. If the truth is annoying to you that's your problem. Studies have shown that even now. I'm not saying that there isn't "reverse racism" (which I also think is a stupid term) because that also hapened to a friend of mine. I think racism in general is wrng, but it cannot be denied that african-americans hold a "special" place in America's heart. And about the "Jewish" card, I'm not saying that racism doesn't exist against Jewish people, but usually no one can tell that you're Jewish just by looking at you. I was just using racism against black people, because that's the one I'm most familiar with. Racism in general is stupid.

Hester Pryne:

As to the word "cracker" being just as bad as "nigger" that is totally untrue. The word nigger was a derivative of the spanish word for black "negro" used when talking about black people in a derogatory way.

"Cracker" was the word used for South Georgian/North Floridian cowboys because of the whips they used on the cows ("cracker" has nothing to do with slave masters, fyi) to differentiate them from regular cowboys from the west/southwest. The term came to be synonymous with red neck and spread across the South, it is not necessarily or specifically a racist term for white people, especially since black and native american men could also be "crakcers" if they were cowboys.

nigger=racist slur
cracker=cowboy or redneck

Big Difference
_____________________________________________________

Acutally, the historical background of racial slurs is completely insignificant because of what they are today. Just because "cracker" meant something else years ago doesn't mean that you can still go by that term today. Words evolve. Meaning that cracker is, indeed, a racial slur. And no matter how you put it all racial slurs are equally hurtful and hateful. One racial slur is not better or worse to say than any other...

bloodredruby69:

There is no such thing as racism against Jewish people.

Racism - 1. Belief in the superiority of a particular race; predjuduce based on this. 2. Antagonism towars other races.

Jewish is not a race, it is a religion. Black, white, asian, native, you can still be Jewish.
Discrimination towards Jewish people is then, not racism, but predjuduce.
Just to clear that up.

Stopcheck.

I am aware of the background of my own faith, thank you. It's a good thing we were blessed with the presence of the most helpful user and her blessed fountain of knowledge to educate us on the Jewish Faith.

My point merely was, it's stupid to use the excuse that black people have to "act better" than white people to justify the use of the word "cracker". I decided to throw out something that makes me "diverse" since that seems to be the thing to do on this thread seemingly in order to gain sympathy.

So in other words: STFU.

EVERYONE catches crap, no matter what colour they are.

There should be ABSOLUTELY NO EXCUSE OR EXCEPTION to use slurs of ANY KIND, NO MATTER WHAT COLOUR/RACE. I don't care if you're black calling another black the "n-word" (you know I can't type that out fully cos I'm white, right?) or if you're a white person calling another white person "cracker" or if you're Mexican calling someone else who's Mexican "wetback" because upon doing so, we are enabling people of other races to offend people of different ethnicities with the SAME SLURS which we are ALL OFFENDED BY.

There it is.

Learn from it.

bloodredruby69:

There is no such thing as racism against Jewish people.

Actually its called Anti-Semitism...

xXxsKiTtLe_QuEeNxXx:

There should be ABSOLUTELY NO EXCUSE OR EXCEPTION to use slurs of ANY KIND, NO MATTER WHAT COLOUR/RACE. I don't care if you're black calling another black the "n-word" (you know I can't type that out fully cos I'm white, right?) or if you're a white person calling another white person "cracker" or if you're Mexican calling someone else who's Mexican "wetback" because upon doing so, we are enabling people of other races to offend people of different ethnicities with the SAME SLURS which we are ALL OFFENDED BY.

I completely agree except you saying the word nigger in the way you were going to would not have offended me at all. You were simply using it as an example and not in a derogatory way.

"Reverse-racism" is a stupid term invented used to define racism against whites, and I say it's stupid because racism is racism, no matter who it's against.

EDIT: And also, Tas was right- it's called Anti-Semitism, and believe me, it's alive and well.

xXxsKiTtLe_QuEeNxXx:

My point merely was, it's stupid to use the excuse that black people have to "act better" than white people to justify the use of the word "cracker". I decided to throw out something that makes me "diverse" since that seems to be the thing to do on this thread seemingly in order to gain sympathy.

#1 Saying that black people have to act better because of stereoypes was a totally seperate argument from the history of the word "cracker" and if you'll look at my original post you'll see that. I was not trying to gain sympathy or pity, believe me I don't need yours, but the discussion is about racism, so that's kind of going to come up and I was simply answering the questions asked in the very first post. If you don't want to see or read others' experiences with racism and are annoyed by them why are you here? If you want us all to STFU, why are you still talking? Lead by example.

#2 The history of racial slur does matter, otherwise no one would care about the word "nigga" or "nigger" since it's major usage now (and for the past 20 years) is as a term of endearment or familiarity among black people. The reason people still have a problem with is what? It's history. That's what makes the word deplorable, the way it was used and what it meant years and years ago. So you can't say that the history of a so-called slur doesn't matter. If someone is offended by something I won't call them that, but that doesn't necessarily make the statement itself a racial slur.

bloodredruby69:

^That is what I thought it might be, but I wanted to make sure.
I wasn't saying that Jewish people are not discriminated against.
That is not the case at all.
I was saying that, as Jewish is not a race, discrimination towards Jews is not racism. It is predjuduce.
No less harmful, same family, but of a different name.

#3 Technically, modern prejudice against Jewish people (anti-Semitism) has little to do with religious practices, since the majority European and American Jews are non-practicing. The word "Jewish" can be used to denote either race (ancestry) or religion.The prejudice usually has to do with the ancestry of the individual, not their religion, making that prejudice racism.

Alright, maybe my saying STFU was a bit harsh/tactless and I do apologize. And I don't recall saying the history of the word doesn't matter. Take for example the history of the word "cracker." The term itself came (whether in part or completely I'm not sure) from pre-Civil War times when slave owners would use whips (hence the word "crack" ) on their slaves. To use the word "cracker" would technically be suggesting that the person on the other end of the accusation has no problem/objection to physical harm on someone of African origin OR that the person feels superior to a black person or both, which is most definitely an insult to me and any other white person who is non-prejudiced.

Also, I think that bringing up the history of these words only allows the perpetuation of hate and intolerance (I realise I just explained the history behind the word "cracker," but that was only to back up my statement with an example). I'm not talking about you guys in particular, but there are people out there who are quick to throw out things like "the white man" and other racial slurs and then back them up with things that happened YEARS ago, which only makes people feel angry and hurt. People seem to want to focus on the past instead of, as hippie and tree-huggery as it sounds, moving past it and coming together (think of the song "One Love." ) I just get tired of people using the stupid slurs, even when it's amongst people of a common race, and other people constantly being quick to accuse someone else of being "racist," and I also get sick of hearing people throw out either the self-pity card (not necessarily referring to you, Tas) or the self-reighteous card.

xXxsKiTtLe_QuEeNxXx:

Alright, maybe my saying STFU was a bit harsh/tactless and I do apologize. And I don't recall saying the history of the word doesn't matter. Take for example the history of the word "cracker." The term itself came (whether in part or completely I'm not sure) from pre-Civil War times when slave owners would use whips (hence the word "crack" ) on their slaves. To use the word "cracker" would technically be suggesting that the person on the other end of the accusation has no problem/objection to physical harm on someone of African origin OR that the person feels superior to a black person or both, which is most definitely an insult to me and any other white person who is non-prejudiced.

Also, I think that bringing up the history of these words only allows the perpetuation of hate and intolerance (I realise I just explained the history behind the word "cracker," but that was only to back up my statement with an example). I'm not talking about you guys in particular, but there are people out there who are quick to throw out things like "the white man" and other racial slurs and then back them up with things that happened YEARS ago, which only makes people feel angry and hurt. People seem to want to focus on the past instead of, as hippie and tree-huggery as it sounds, moving past it and coming together (think of the song "One Love." ) I just get tired of people using the stupid slurs, even when it's amongst people of a common race, and other people constantly being quick to accuse someone else of being "racist," and I also get sick of hearing people throw out either the self-pity card (not necessarily referring to you, Tas) or the self-reighteous card.

It is completely understandable you said "STFU". Talking about this kind of stuff makes people very emotional and defensive, and to expect someone not to get riled up is ridiculous/ COMPLETELY unrealistic. At least you didnt spell it out. *shrugs*
And, to comment on what you said, racial slurs are unnacceptable, no matter what race. It hurts everyone, and keeps everyone from moving forward. It seperates the races and makes people hold on to the past and hold grudges. Race should never been an excuse, no matter what color you are. It's lame, because people should be judged on "the content of their character". However, the negative associations with races because of racial slurs causes people to judge, and have predespositions about a person before even speaking to them. It hurts me to hear people say, "Those are 'white girl shoes'" or "That stupid white girl", just as much as it hurts any other person of any other race hearing their skin color used in a negative way, or as an insult. If people want to be tolerated, they should tolerate other people, instead of labeling them with racial slurs. Using racial slurs only adds to the pool..only makes your race, no matter what color you are, look bad. It feeds the stereotypes that all races have and adds to the hate. You are representing your race, and by using slurs you are creating a stereotype that could last a lifetime. Remember, one person's experiences can change the way they feel forever. In paraphrase,by using racial slurs, you are only adding to the problem, causing more contempt, and making stronger stereotypes. You are holding the world back.

I_Mean_This:

xXxsKiTtLe_QuEeNxXx:

Alright, maybe my saying STFU was a bit harsh/tactless and I do apologize. And I don't recall saying the history of the word doesn't matter. Take for example the history of the word "cracker." The term itself came (whether in part or completely I'm not sure) from pre-Civil War times when slave owners would use whips (hence the word "crack" ) on their slaves. To use the word "cracker" would technically be suggesting that the person on the other end of the accusation has no problem/objection to physical harm on someone of African origin OR that the person feels superior to a black person or both, which is most definitely an insult to me and any other white person who is non-prejudiced.

Also, I think that bringing up the history of these words only allows the perpetuation of hate and intolerance (I realise I just explained the history behind the word "cracker," but that was only to back up my statement with an example). I'm not talking about you guys in particular, but there are people out there who are quick to throw out things like "the white man" and other racial slurs and then back them up with things that happened YEARS ago, which only makes people feel angry and hurt. People seem to want to focus on the past instead of, as hippie and tree-huggery as it sounds, moving past it and coming together (think of the song "One Love." ) I just get tired of people using the stupid slurs, even when it's amongst people of a common race, and other people constantly being quick to accuse someone else of being "racist," and I also get sick of hearing people throw out either the self-pity card (not necessarily referring to you, Tas) or the self-reighteous card.

It is completely understandable you said "STFU". Talking about this kind of stuff makes people very emotional and defensive, and to expect someone not to get riled up is ridiculous/ COMPLETELY unrealistic. At least you didnt spell it out. *shrugs*
And, to comment on what you said, racial slurs are unnacceptable, no matter what race. It hurts everyone, and keeps everyone from moving forward. It seperates the races and makes people hold on to the past and hold grudges. Race should never been an excuse, no matter what color you are. It's lame, because people should be judged on "the content of their character". However, the negative associations with races because of racial slurs causes people to judge, and have predespositions about a person before even speaking to them. It hurts me to hear people say, "Those are 'white girl shoes'" or "That stupid white girl", just as much as it hurts any other person of any other race hearing their skin color used in a negative way, or as an insult. If people want to be tolerated, they should tolerate other people, instead of labeling them with racial slurs. Using racial slurs only adds to the pool..only makes your race, no matter what color you are, look bad. It feeds the stereotypes that all races have and adds to the hate. You are representing your race, and by using slurs you are creating a stereotype that could last a lifetime. Remember, one person's experiences can change the way they feel forever. In paraphrase,by using racial slurs, you are only adding to the problem, causing more contempt, and making stronger stereotypes. You are holding the world back.

I agree with you both and I have a few points to touch on. One, (as you both have already clearly stated) using a historical reference to back up a racial slur does not give one reason or right to use it against someone. Two, not only does it make me pissed when blacks are so pressed against the "white man", it humiliates me. Since I am not the "stereotypical black person" (i.e. I listen to rock, talk proper, do my school work, don't live in the 'hood' and don't wear Baby Phat) I find it hard and annoying to listen to and/or be around the the stereotypical blacks who are constantly saying "nigga" as a friendly term, who are constantly blaming the police for why they get in trouble, who are always calling me white girl simply because I am educated. It blows that people give into stereotypes so easily and subconsciously. I was going to say something else but I forgot because I was rambling a bit...

By the way, I apologize for earlier to the two of you...

xXxsKiTtLe_QuEeNxXx:

Alright, maybe my saying STFU was a bit harsh/tactless and I do apologize. And I don't recall saying the history of the word doesn't matter. Take for example the history of the word "cracker." The term itself came (whether in part or completely I'm not sure) from pre-Civil War times when slave owners would use whips (hence the word "crack" ) on their slaves. To use the word "cracker" would technically be suggesting that the person on the other end of the accusation has no problem/objection to physical harm on someone of African origin OR that the person feels superior to a black person or both, which is most definitely an insult to me and any other white person who is non-prejudiced.

Also, I think that bringing up the history of these words only allows the perpetuation of hate and intolerance (I realise I just explained the history behind the word "cracker," but that was only to back up my statement with an example). I'm not talking about you guys in particular, but there are people out there who are quick to throw out things like "the white man" and other racial slurs and then back them up with things that happened YEARS ago, which only makes people feel angry and hurt. People seem to want to focus on the past instead of, as hippie and tree-huggery as it sounds, moving past it and coming together (think of the song "One Love." ) I just get tired of people using the stupid slurs, even when it's amongst people of a common race, and other people constantly being quick to accuse someone else of being "racist," and I also get sick of hearing people throw out either the self-pity card (not necessarily referring to you, Tas) or the self-reighteous card.

I already explained that the above stated history of the word "cracker" is a common misconception, and actually has little to no merit.

I have yet to hear anyone throw the "self-pity" card or the sel-righteous so I don't know who or what you're talking about.

You talk about forgetting the things of the past and yet, you bring up the usage of the n-word in the past. You can't have it both ways. You either remember the past and what happened then or you move on. I think that the intent of those who use the n-word in a companionable manner is part of that moving on. Trying to replace the bad feelings that the word brings with good ones.

The point is any word, with the right (wrong) attitude, can be a slur. While I don't use the n-word, it isn't the consonants and vowels that make the word so hateful, that make it a slur. It's the hate and the bad intentions behind it, and I think people would do well to remember that.

Hester Pryne:

#3 Technically, modern prejudice against Jewish people (anti-Semitism) has little to do with religious practices, since the majority European and American Jews are non-practicing. The word "Jewish" can be used to denote either race (ancestry) or religion.The prejudice usually has to do with the ancestry of the individual, not their religion, making that prejudice racism.

I would agree with you here, but ancestory isn't necessarily race.
Whereas other races, negroid, asian, caucasian etc, have distinct physical configurations and marked appearence differences,
a Hebrew ancestory can be almost impossible to "spot".
Hebrew is not a recognized race, to my best knowledge. (though don't quote me here)
I would have to say that I would aproximate that the majority of people who are
predjuduced against Jewish people are because of the religion, not the ancestory.
(again, don't quote me on this, my aproximation).

Sorry for not replying earlier, I was offline.