A conversation about race

[Sombeech]

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...4769627714346#

[James_B_Wads2000]

I don't get this guys point. He shows the complexity of the issue and the varring opinions on the subject. He also shows contridictions, but to what end? What am I susposed to take away from this?




James

[Sombeech]

I think the main point was, everybody said they saw racism everyday, but nobody could really define it. He makes a pretty good point that the term "racism" is getting overused.

A decent point was about the IQ and similar tests, the concept was that they were written by white people, for white people..... a racist concept. But it turns out that Asians are the ones excelling in the tests.

[stefan]

so beech, do you think that racial prejudice and racism are different?

[Sombeech]

so beech, do you think that racial prejudice and racism are different?

What's your definition of each so I can build a contrast.

[stefan]

it probably goes with out saying, but the answer to my question has to do with your definitions of each.

[Sombeech]

in my opinion, racism is usually tied to something negative about another race. The first thing that comes to mind is ALWAYS something against blacks, coming from whites.....

Racial prejudice - in my opinion - is treating somebody different because of their race. But we see many instances where this is not a bad thing. Tall black men are usually better at basketball than tall white men.

So in my opinion, racism and racial prejudice can be different.

[Sombeech]

....mmmmmkay, glad I could help out.

[stefan]

so it comes down to words and what we actually mean by them.

oxford dictionary (even quoted on wikipedia) allows for both inferiority and superiority to be part of racism. that certainly would fit in with your notion of basketball.

seems to me this guys wants racism to be reserved for its extreme meaning. others want to use it as a catchall for perceiving or treating someone differently based on the color of their skin, ethnic background, etc.

racism, racial discrimination, and racial prejudice. all the same? varying degrees? how do you actually qualify these things? and your qualification will be likely relative when compared with someone else's.

i don't believe the guy made the point he thinks he made. but it was interesting to watch nonetheless.