Tarrant
<Prior Amod>
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So I was having a discussion with a friend on Facebook this morning about this topic. It all started when he posted this picture.
Reading this bothered me a bit so I responded with this and this was the brief discussion we had.
Me: Serious question; Hypothetically, if said black kid in said situation were a white kid instead and died, would it still be considered racism?
Him: Not in my opinion.
Me: Isn't that in itself, racism?
Him: Nope, and here's why, I've learned that one of the biggest reasons conversations like this end badly, or why people can't seem to get on the same page is that people are working off of different definitions of what racism actually is. Some people see racism as one race vs another, black person doesn't like white people that's racism. Other people see racism as a systematic oppression of a minority group. The former is certainly a person with a bigoted opinion, while I see the latter as racism.
Me: But isn't the root or racism is the lack of equality between races? If you take one situation, play the scenario twice with two different races and react one one to one and the opposite to the other, isn't that the very definition of racism?
Him: I very much disagree.
Me: "Racism consists of ideologies and practices that seek to justify, or cause, the unequal distribution of privileges, rights, or goods amongst, or otherwise exhibit hatred or prejudice towards, different racial groups." - I don't get how you disagree when it's the very definition of it.
Him: I can't explain it any different so there isn't anything for me to say other than to repeat myself.
I didn't respond again after that. The majority of this guys posts are about racism and I felt like I was making a decent point. Now keep in mind I'm not saying we should have tried to justify anyone's death, I was just using the scenario and example given to me as that was what started everything off.
How do you define racism? On that same token, what are the best ways we can combat it? What ways have you encountered it or been a target of it? Also, was I onto something here at all or am, I wrong? I'm wrong a lot so it wouldn't surprise me.
Reading this bothered me a bit so I responded with this and this was the brief discussion we had.
Me: Serious question; Hypothetically, if said black kid in said situation were a white kid instead and died, would it still be considered racism?
Him: Not in my opinion.
Me: Isn't that in itself, racism?
Him: Nope, and here's why, I've learned that one of the biggest reasons conversations like this end badly, or why people can't seem to get on the same page is that people are working off of different definitions of what racism actually is. Some people see racism as one race vs another, black person doesn't like white people that's racism. Other people see racism as a systematic oppression of a minority group. The former is certainly a person with a bigoted opinion, while I see the latter as racism.
Me: But isn't the root or racism is the lack of equality between races? If you take one situation, play the scenario twice with two different races and react one one to one and the opposite to the other, isn't that the very definition of racism?
Him: I very much disagree.
Me: "Racism consists of ideologies and practices that seek to justify, or cause, the unequal distribution of privileges, rights, or goods amongst, or otherwise exhibit hatred or prejudice towards, different racial groups." - I don't get how you disagree when it's the very definition of it.
Him: I can't explain it any different so there isn't anything for me to say other than to repeat myself.
I didn't respond again after that. The majority of this guys posts are about racism and I felt like I was making a decent point. Now keep in mind I'm not saying we should have tried to justify anyone's death, I was just using the scenario and example given to me as that was what started everything off.
How do you define racism? On that same token, what are the best ways we can combat it? What ways have you encountered it or been a target of it? Also, was I onto something here at all or am, I wrong? I'm wrong a lot so it wouldn't surprise me.
