Racism: Can we all please stop giving a shit?

[JaeSwift]

In seriousness;

Me being half Dutch, half English and currently living in Holland for the past 20 years I've come to a few observations. Whenever I'm in America, if I'm talking to anyone of any skin colour and mention that some of my best friends are ''coloured'' or have a specific skin colour, they get extremely offended.

When I say the same thing in Holland, at least out of the groups of people I choose to hang around with, no one gives a crap.

Why anyone would be offended by being described by their skin colour is so beyond me that it's hard for me to logically argument this. It's a part of you, it determines what you look like, just like the colour of your hair, your height and the way you dress.

If everyone would suddenly just stop giving a shit about people describing others by their appearances, don't you think the world would be one step closer to being more pleasant towards everyone?

Word's are just a combination of letters, it's people who give them a meaning.

 

[MaxOfMetal]

I think it may have to do with the terminology you're using that gets people a little offended.

The term "colored" over here in the US is looked on as a racial slur in many case, and even in the very best context it's an antiquated term. You have to take into account how different words are used in different societies.

You may also want to consider the rather different histories between blacks in the US, and those in Holland.

 

[Randy]

While I understand your sentiment, more often than not, it has less to do with referencing somebody's ethnicity and more to do with the manner in which you do it. People (and maybe even Americans, specifically) are receptive to phraseology. I've had times where I'll tell somebody the same exact thing, two different ways and solicit a different response either way. It sucks sometimes, but it's just the art of conversation, really.

EDIT: 'd by Max.

 

[Tiger]

You may also want to consider the rather different histories between blacks in the US, and those in Holland.

This.

No offense, but get a clue.

 

[JaeSwift]

I think it may have to do with the terminology you're using that gets people a little offended.

The term "colored" over here in the US is looked on as a racial slur in many case, and even in the very best context it's an antiquated term. You have to take into account how different words are used in different societies.

You may also want to consider the rather different histories between blacks in the US, and those in Holland.

I know, and I anticipated this reply the moment I posted, I was just a little too lazy to edit ;<_<

I realise there are different histories, different means of conversation and different cultures etc. (I study Communication Management and have a degree in Social Work so I know all about this). I'm also not saying that I would deliberatly call people out by their skin colour just to prove a point.

What I'm trying to say is, if everyone could just disregard history (it's history, it's in the past) and stop assosciating comments about skin colour with negativity, wouldn't the world be just a little better off?

It's kind of like not being allowed to say the N word with ER on the end, but the N word with an A on the end is perfectly fine. It's the meaning people give to these words and the past assosciations they bring with them that calls up on agressive reactions and negativity in my opinion.

 

[MaxOfMetal]

I know, and I anticipated this reply the moment I posted, I was just a little too lazy to edit ;<_<

I realise there are different histories, different means of conversation and different cultures etc. (I study Communication Management and have a degree in Social Work so I know all about this). I'm also not saying that I would deliberatly call people out by their skin colour just to prove a point.

What I'm trying to say is, if everyone could just disregard history (it's history, it's in the past) and stop assosciating comments about skin colour with negativity, wouldn't the world be just a little better off?

It's kind of like not being allowed to say the N word with ER on the end, but the N word with an A on the end is perfectly fine. It's the meaning people give to these words and the past assosciations they bring with them that calls up on agressive reactions and negativity in my opinion.

You have to understand that throwing away, in many cases thousands of years of history, full of bigotry, hatred, and the like, is not something that's going to happen over night.

From those who I've known and met over the years, it's not as bad as you think, and compared to the times in which our parents lived things have gotten a lot better.

Don't take this the wrong way, but perhaps if you had a history similar to that of blacks in North America circa 1620 - 1960 you'd have a better understanding of why they can't just "let it go".

I'm not disagreeing with you, just understand the context.

 

[Origin]

I think it's perfectly fine to refer to someone by their physical appearance, it makes it a lot goddamn easier for the person you're talking to to know who you're talking about. 'The large man,' 'the black dude with the glasses,' I really don't see a problem with it, I sympathize with how others may be offended but I'm certainly not going to empathize, I'm not directing hate.

 

[MaxOfMetal]

I think it's perfectly fine to refer to someone by their physical appearance, it makes it a lot goddamn easier for the person you're talking to to know who you're talking about. 'The large man,' 'the black dude with the glasses,' I really don't see a problem with it, I sympathize with how others may be offended but I'm certainly not going to empathize, I'm not directing hate.

Though, you wouldn't say the "colored pig with four eyes", or the "fatass pig".

This isn't about calling someone by what they are. For instance calling a black person black, this is about calling a black person by a well known racial slur, in this case, "colored".

 

[scottro202]

I think it's perfectly fine to refer to someone by their physical appearance, it makes it a lot goddamn easier for the person you're talking to to know who you're talking about. 'The large man,' 'the black dude with the glasses,' I really don't see a problem with it, I sympathize with how others may be offended but I'm certainly not going to empathize, I'm not directing hate.

Yeah. That's almost like a short person being offended by saying "That short girl over there". I say "almost", because short people haven't been discriminated against for hundreds of years. But I think you get my point.

Physical appearance=/=racist-ness

 

[QuambaFu]

Didn't the Dutch start the slave trade between Africa and the US?

 

[Jogeta]

RANT ALERT

With a decade of multicultural boarding school under my belt I have seen first hand that people are just people. We all have a hell of a lot more in common than we have that separates us.

I couldn't agree more with the OP. Words and V.I.D.s aren't racist. Their use in certain contexts, however, can be.

When someone goes out of their way to treat you differently based on their preconceptions of you - you are experiencing discrimination. It can be very annoying. But will getting angry at that person help them overcome their ignorance? Will it help you or anyone in the long run?

Will it f@#k!

From what I have seen in the world at large there are a lot of people that should spine up and check their egos. Just because you're not a "western christian white guy" (or whatever the media is currently using as its baseline) doesn't mean the whole world is out to get you. Sorry but you're not that important! You'd enjoy life a lot more without a huge chip on your shoulder.

There are exponentially more people that would benefit from being slapped every time they decide to deal with their fear of the unknown via racism, misandry and misogyny.

If these people treat you like this then simply conduct yourself with dignity as a human and deal with it. This is your most efficient tool to break down the walls of stupidity that are keeping arrogant, racist and derogatory people from joining us as members of Humanity.

 

[anthonyferguson]

^wot he said

some people should mtfu

 

[jymellis]

personally i dont see why i would bring up a friends "color" you wouldnt prolly know i had "colored"friends until you met them because they get talked about just like any other friend i really dont even understand why it would be brought up

 

[sol niger 333]

Using the word "colored" in a dutch accent to describe a maori or islander in my country would not make you any friends either. It's the stigma associated with that word and the era in which that term was used. It actually sounds more condescending to me than "n$#@er" albeit not as derogatory. I do understand that you never meant it to come across that way but it probably did. I also agree that people need to chill out on the "racist" trigger happy finger pointing, but sometimes common sense and etiquette can avoid the finger pointing at you..

 

[jymellis]

im 75% native american, when i talk to my cousin on the phone back home,im not telling him about what me and the "white" guys do lol. what term would you guys use for me?

 

[signalgrey]

americans are very sensitive, be gentle with us

 

[Scar Symmetry]

I find that in the UK, the only people who give a shit are the ones who are always saying "You can't say that!" or "You can't think that!" - you know, the way overly politically correct ones that treat everything with hypersensitivity.

Fuck those guys.

 

[Demiurge]

The word "colored" is not a racial slur, but its usage has a stigma attached to it as it was often the term used to designate areas for black people (such as bathrooms, drinking fountains, etc.- "coloreds only") as opposed to "whites only." I've never heard somebody use the word when intending to issue a racial slur, but it's just one of those unfortunate terms from a shameful time.

 

[MF_Kitten]

i think trying to sugar coat it, by saying "colored" instead of "black" is what's causing the offense. black people are black people. colored people makes it sound like you're afraid to really mention it as it is, and it sounds like an illness. it's like with people who have dwarfism. what the hell do you call them? what is too direct, and what is too sugar coated?

you can be too consealed about it, and too upfront about it. both will be offensive.

it's like with gay people, actually. people used to say "he's batting for the wrong team, if ya know what i mean!", and would call them frilly, fruits, and all that stuff, to avoid the terms homosexual and gay. those were the hard words that spat it in your face. now it's expected to be upfront about it, and say it as it is. no acting like it's a shameful thing, it's just a fact. a person is gay. that's all. same with black people.

it seems the same thing is happening with atheists in more religious communities. it's not like "he's a non-believer", it's "he's an atheist". the "harder" word is pushed right out there so people stop being all "OMFG WOT!?" about it, and it becomes normal.

so yeah, i'd say it's really about being upfront about it. say a black guy, not a person of color, or whatever.

also, has anyone thought about how it's okay to call a black man "black", but it's racist to call a chinese man "yellow"? i mean, sure he's not actually YELLOW, but black people aren't BLACK either. they're just varying shades of chocolate brown

on the flip side of this, i hate it whenever i hear black people crying racism over everything because they are expecting racism from all ends, not realizing no-one cares about their color. like when there was a meeting about the town economy somewhere in the US (i have no idea where it was), and the guy that was speaking (white guy) said "the whole economy/spending is just being sucked into a black hole". the black guy, sitting at the same table, went "a BLACK hole?!", giving him the stare of death. the white guy had a look of "oh god, here he goes again!", and jokingly said "oh, what?! okay then, a WHITE hole!". black guy was not pleased, and started ranting about racism all over the place, etc, and the other guy was all "do you not know anything about the universe? it's a term from astronomy!". apparently this didn't matter.

they had to issue an official apology to get him to calm down about it.

i think we all know the type. the guy who has been told by his parents all his life about how cruel and racist white people can be, and how they put you down, etc, not realizing racism is fading away around them. the guy grows up to be prepared to jump at any mention of the word "black" in a negative context for the rest of his life.

it's unfortunate, and i totally see where it's coming from, but it's really annoying when you really don't even notice that someone is of a different race, because it's irrelevant to you, and they suddenly get all riled up about being discriminated for their race, because they're looking for things to misinterpret.

anyways, the whole racism issue is going to take a long time to go away. in part because of racist people passing on their ignorance, and partly because of people being weary about it, and the whole "white guilt" thing. sure, it's illogical, but so is most of the things people find offensive.

 

[Esp Griffyn]

I find that in the UK, the only people who give a shit are the ones who are always saying "You can't say that!" or "You can't think that!" - you know, the way overly politically correct ones that treat everything with hypersensitivity.

Fuck those guys.

Amen.