Re: Racism: Wisconsin State Fair Mob Violence
Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2011 5:17 pm
One problem with the word racism is that it means one thing but is used in so many different ways! The DEFINITION of racism goes like this (and read closely): "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"! Now that seems about what most people would consider racism to be on the surface of it. But let's take an example: I'm looking at the mens finals in the 100 meter race in the Olympics and I can't help to notice that all the runners are black! Now I already know that practicing this sport is common in 99% of the world so there's no difference in society, culture or condition that would benefit runners from Caribbean islands and America. What they all have in common though is that they're all black! Naturally I could make the statement "Blacks are better at running"! That statement is expressing "a belief that inherent differences among various human races determine individual achievement"! The very definition of racism! Yet what I'm saying is just fundamental common sense! No white man have ever ran under 10 seconds in a 100 meter race but plenty of black men has done that. The definitions says that "usually" it's to say one's own race is superior but it's not a requirement. So apparently being racist also sometimes cover having common sense ! I also can't say that a black person is better at withstanding high levels of UV sunlight because they're black. No I'd have to make up some other explanation to why they're better at shielding themselves against the sun than me. And that it's scientifically proven that dark skin protects better against UV sunlight and that skin cancer is much more common in white people than in black people well that I'd have to just completely ignore because otherwise I'm a racist! I express the "belief" or in this case "scientifically proven" idea that one race is better than another at something and that's what the term racism describes. Of course when most people think of the word racism they don't think of someone expressing common sense or scientificly proven facts but apparently the word covers that as well! The statement "I don't like you because your black" would most people consider a racist comment. But it doesn't express anything about one race being better than another and therefore doesn't qualify as a racism. If the black person asked "why don't you like black people?" and he would get the answer "because you're less worth than us" then that would be a racist comment! With this little monologue I hope to shred some light over the differences of what the word racism means and how it's used! It's not a direct response to the title "Wisconsin State Fair Mob Violence" but it's relevant to the original subject.