Is being racist a valid choice?

[nietzsche]

It's been always in my mind. Everything that exist has obviously its equal validity since it exists.

But morally speaking.. some of us always tend to think racist people are wrong.

But are they?

I mean, we can see there's a real bunch of them. Those who say "oh no i'm not racist i just want them to come here legally", "oh no i'm not racist i just want them to shave and lose the turban do i can see they don't have bombs hiding there", "oh no i don't hate gays i just don't want them near me with their gayness"; are clearly racist or homophobic. I had this one CC user cornered, well, not cornered, i took the argument to what was his deal why would he not let other people be happy.. and suddenly he explode with racist homophobic arguments. But I can't say who, was an honest conversation, and for his honesty i value that he has the right to have those feelings.


So maybe those of us who thought we were sort of passed that.. that it would die, are the wrong ones. It's pretty much alive.

So maybe we should stop mocking them and thinking of them as lesser human beings, it's just a preference. What do you think?

[DoomYoshi]

[mrswdk]

it's just a preference

lol

[TA1LGUNN3R]

In the vein of truly liberal ideals, being racist is absolutely valid by any measure of today's moral relativism. It's only when actions guided by those beliefs violate another individual's rights that they become invalid, and then it's not the belief itself but the crime which is "wrong."

Besides, "racism" is one of today's witch-hunt words conflated with racial discrimination.

-TG

[2dimes]

No.

It is a choice and I understand how people are afraid and want to choose others that look like them to live around but it is not "valid."

[mrswdk]

lIt's only when actions guided by those beliefs violate another individual's rights

THAT YOU VIOLATE THEIR RIGHT TO BE RACIST

ad nauseum

[tzor]

The biggest problem with "Racist" is that it has been used to the point where has lost all meaning.

Let's talk about illegal immigration, specifically from Mexico (as opposed to VISA overstays). If you are against it you are "racist." But "Mexico" isn't a race, it's a country. Now remember that the definition is (or used to be, definitions are so 20th century these days) "a person who shows or feels discrimination or prejudice against people of other races, or who believes that a particular race is superior to another."

If we go by the definition and hand wave the notion that "Mexican" is a race (it's not) then we would have to assume that all Mexicans would be discriminated against and that is not the case. There is no discrimination against those Mexicans who are here legally. More over which race is "superior?" The influx of illegal immigrants displace the African American,the Asian American and the European American to various extents. Just recently (as in this weekend) an African American professional football player was killed by an illegal immigrant drunk driver (I will admit that had he been legal the football player would still be equally dead). But again, apparently the question of legal status is a question of "race." it boggles the mind.

I refuse to be a racist. Is one "race" superior to another? What does that even mean? Are we talking averages in which case who cares because we deal with individuals (unless you live in Lake Woebegone where every child is above average)? Mayans, Vikings, Etruscans ... I'm not even sure how I can start to compare them all. Are we not all "Wise Men?" (OK, that's a rhetorical question; who ever said the label has to correctly describe the contents?)

[waauw]

The biggest problem with "Racist" is that it has been used to the point where has lost all meaning.

I don't often agree with dear tzor, but this time I do. The far left has ruined the word for those of us who stand in the center(both left and right). Just as they ruined feminism.

[nietzsche]

this is what i mean, see, we shouldn't expect long dissertations on why or who or how.

if someone doesn't like you it's ok, it's their right. no need to explain or try to have a rational reason. this is what i've encountered, stuff like.. "I have a buddy who is black", "my coworker is gay and i'm ok" etc..

i think they're within their right, maybe we should let them all be and see where this take us. It's all a roller coaster and we're here for a short period of time, what's the worst that could happen?


otherwise we find ourselves trying to explain them and them never understanding and it's frustrating. The will wants what the will wants.

[mrswdk]

Are you having an epiphany and realising that it's okay for people to have different views to you?

Proud of u dawg.

[Neoteny]

[notyou2]

You all come in here and try to ram your beliefs down our throats, well, we're not going to take it. We will rise up and smite you until you stop pushing your beliefs on us.