What makes a person a racist?

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  1. crankalicious profile image88
    crankaliciousposted 10 years ago

    What makes a person a racist?

    I asked another question about whether or not using the n-word made somebody a racist. What became clear is that people have very broad and differing definitions of what it means to be a racist. Perhaps there is a difference between being racist and being a racist? Anyway, what makes a person a racist by your definition?

  2. Benjamincarlson27 profile image58
    Benjamincarlson27posted 10 years ago

    I think that a person who is racist hasn't learned about another person and how they grew up and what they went through. I believe that some people are this way because the person didnt grow up the way that this person has. Its sad in my opinion.

  3. michememe profile image60
    michememeposted 10 years ago

    I could be viewed as a racist. Based on some comments I use. However, I think it is the actions behind the words that are used. For example Paula Deen used the word N when she was robbed. I got that no pun as far as I am concerned. Therefore when she wanted black men portraying slaves, that in itself said something different. It baffled me that she wanted to implement that portrayal of blacks in this day and age. This and acts such as this says something different about the person.

  4. Attikos profile image80
    Attikosposted 10 years ago

    Racism is the belief that a particular race is inherently better than another. As a matter of belief, it and speech about it are protected in America by the 1st Amendment to the US constitution. A racist is one who holds that belief. There are racists in every race. Most people have at least a touch of racism in them.

    Racial discrimination is action that treats members of one race differently from those of another. A few instances of it are illegal. Most are not.

    Using the n-word, as you put it, is proof of neither. There are few people in America who have not used it at some point. That includes the executives of Food Network who fired Paula Deen and the politicians who stoke racism for their own gain.

  5. habueld profile image60
    habueldposted 10 years ago

    All people can be race prejudiced, but not all people can be racists:
    Racism, in its truest form begins when a person feels that because of his skin color, he is superior. Simply not liking another race does not make you a racist. It may mean you are ignorant. However, to be truly racist you must be part of a power base that keeps one group oppressed by law or by violence. Segregation was a racist law. It separated blacks and whites legally, when a person decides that that law should exist, then they are considered a racist. In South Africa, Apartheid was a racist policy. It kept blacks separated and poor by law and by violence. An individual racist is a person who believes that these laws are just. In their lives, they use the same justification for treating other races as inferior. To be a true racist, you must be a part or a member of the power structure that enforces racist policies and believe that those policies are right. Hence, most individuals are not racist, they are prejudiced. In our society, whites are more likely to be racist than other ethnic groups.

  6. residentstone profile image58
    residentstoneposted 10 years ago

    Well, I'm totally unpolitically correct and could care less about being so. To me a racist is like a KKK guy, a white power skinhead, a Black Panther etc.........Somebody so involved in outward hatred of another race that it becomes their persona, their lifestyle.

    Everyone is somewhat biased to their own kind, and should be.

    I just hate bleeding heart whiners who are always sticking up for people they know nothing about, they grew up surrounded by affluence or upper level suburbia and suddenly they know what's going on in the hood from reading 1/2 truth articles.

    Move to the hood for a year whitey, then tell me whats up with you're point of view. I grew up in an urban area, I know whats up and who is good and who is not. So dont tell me.

    My high school had 4000 kids 50% black, %50 white, you got along or got shot or stabbed. Thats just the reality, it's even worse now.

    I like people of all race's and cultures if they are cool, and if not, I call a spade a spade, no pun intended.

  7. Say Yes To Life profile image79
    Say Yes To Lifeposted 10 years ago

    Racism is the belief that people of particular races are inferior.  It can come from many sources; ignorance, bad experiences, fear, or the way they were raised.
    IGNORANCE: Some people have never been around those of another race, and go by the stereotypes they've heard.
    FEAR: They've seen other races around, but have never interacted with them, so they don't know what to expect.
    BAD EXPERIENCES: They may have had negative interactions with members of that race, and learn to expect the worst from them.
    THE WAY THEY WERE RAISED: Perhaps they were taught they're not supposed to interact with any other race but their own.

 
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