Young Writers Society

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RovF1zsDoeM&feature=related

Broadway speaks the truth.

Warrior Princess wrote: That's what third graders do. How much more so should a man have that much chivalry?

None at all, but that's a different subject entirely.

I would just like to raise another point about racism.

Racism is still a huge part of our society, but no one ever wants to admit to it.

I'll give you example. There is a website called Formspring which allows people to ask their peers questions anonymously. There is an enormos amount of racism and general abuse on this site. One example "Go back to your home you abo."
"Abo" is slang for aboriginal. It is basically the equivalent to calling an African American a "nigger." Aboriginals are the native inhabitants of Australia and have been living here for millions of years. Yet the girl is being asked to go back home.
When this subject was posted on this girls account, 15 of her friends posted on her account telling this horrible, gutless person to go away. But someone is posting these comments. In fact when I looked at 7 accounts of people who were not Caucasian, they all had at least 10 race directed insults each. The most was 50. Obviously, no one wants to be linked to racism, because it is a taboo in this society, as it should be. But when we can conceal our true identities and post whatever we want, racism is an occurring theme.
It does make us think if people really know better. This is not to say that everyone is secretly racist, but it does suggest that some people are more okay with the idea than others.

^^^Amen to the above post.

50? Dang. Some people really need to grow up.

Racism most definitely exists. It's a very unfortunate part of society that is one of the main reasons why parts of our country are still so divided. I don't think it's nearly as bad as it used to be, but it surely is still present in our everyday lives whether we blatantly see it or not. I think it's absolutely mind-boggling that after ALL THESE YEARS of us humans being on this planet, we have yet to realize that oppression/judgement towards any group of people is wrong. I look back at history, and all its trials and tribulations, and it astounds me that people are still so freaking hateful! The way I see it, we are all hear to live, laugh, love and overall SURVIVE... why in the world would we not try and just get along with each other instead of fighting all the time and making certain people feel so discriminated against?
One thing I want to point out, though... when I'm thinking or writing or conversing about racism, I often don't use the word "racism"... I use "discrimination", because I feel that THAT word encompasses a lot more of what racism, at its core, really is. It is my oh-so-humble opinion that any type of discrimination is straight-up WRONG. It drives me insane when I see displays of it in public, yet the majority of citizens won't do a darn thing about it.
I currently live on the coast of North Carolina in a very "redneck"-oriented area. I'm originally from Downtown Greensboro, which is a very culturally diverse area with all differents kinds of people with all different kinds of outlooks on the world. I loved it there, but now that I'm here, I'm having a really hard time dealing with my peers because they are so incredibly close-minded. For example, the other day I was talking to this kid in my science class whom I was doing a project with, and I happened to mention that most of my best friends growing up were African American. The look that crossed his face made me cringe- it was like he thought white people hanging out with black people was the biggest sin in the book. His reaction SHOCKED me, and shook me to the core because it made me think about how many other thousands of people think exactly like him.

There is still racism. Nowadays, though, it doesnt really pretain to african american's and whatnot. In fact, there is racism towards ever race, so I don't see how there could ever be an end to it. The best way to be is to just take everything as unseriously as possible. If you don't, you'll just end up bitter.

Nowadays, though, it doesnt really pretain to african american's and whatnot.

Racism didn't start with African Americans. It existed a loooong time before that.
Just thought I'd clear that up, but I agree.

-Jojo

Racism is still widespread these days. Not direction only to colour of skin of course, or ethnicity. Racism took hold in the 19th century as a category of racial classification of humanity. Though, there's a difference between scientific racism and xenophobia/ethnocentrism, the latter being the topic of discussion.
The fact most of us grow up into a particular mindset, surrounded by specific groups of people makes for an orientation towards people that are similar to us. Let's not lie, though our generation is far more open minded then all the past generations, we remain a developing step towards complete equality of ethnicity, physical appearances, intelligence and religion. Racism as a general term will always exist in scientific classification, but in reaction to people unlike our own selves it's slow withdrawing itself to a silence, though I think we'll never fully get rid of our need to separate ourselves from people unlike ourselves, whether it be skin colour, class, ethnicity whatever.

I believe racism exists if only because my old neighbors acted like I was a wild circus tiger escaped from the zoo. Total deer-in-the-headlights mode. 96% black and 3% Hispanic, I believe, with about 1% white in my city. I exist in the latter category...

I just dropped by to say, yes, it exists--people aren't dumping acid in pools anymore, I don't think, but it exists. My neighbor, too, she had a white mom. They beat her up for being a 'half-bred' or some shiz--got her hospitalized.

I don't know. The only reason I have a slight fear of black men now is because I got scared half to death by a guy who was about as tall as ruddy Hagrid standing out my window/later in my yard and the only reason I laugh at white boys in their poncy pink shirts is because I was exposed to gang culture (not at all related to blacks, but as most of the population was black and they didn't like the whites or Hispanics, even, I think--well, it makes sense in this specific case) for so long.

I think we all have biases and some are rooted in old fears, an uneasiness from being prey, perhaps, but I don't see that in most situations so I think I'll let the guilty literally plead ignorance. They just need to be taught. No, they need to meet somebody and just have a conversation with them...

Yet, I love my old Kenyan friends. Even (insert name here), who I know is a scrawny boy and gentle, but is bigger than me. However, if I see anyone in gang clothes, I will probably hide behind the nearest object and hope I'm not spotted... So...I don't know. Racially motivated or culturally motivated? I think it might have to do more so with culture.

And, I mean, I mentioned I was slightly alarmed by black men--but I'm also slightly alarmed by larger white males, or guys in green shirts, because I had a mental patient jump me once who fit both of those things. So, I guess I'm just sexist? Does fear of men count in that? And...you know...the irony...

*drops head to desk* Ugh. Never mind. I'm too tired to debate. Don't know what I was doing, except trying to give my 00.02. Hope it helped somebody or whatnot...?

Cspr wrote: The only reason I have a slight fear of black men now is because I got scared half to death by a guy who was about as tall as ruddy Hagrid standing out my window/later in my yard and the only reason I laugh at white boys in their poncy pink shirts is because I was exposed to gang culture (not at all related to blacks, but as most of the population was black and they didn't like the whites or Hispanics, even, I think--well, it makes sense in this specific case) for so long.

I'm guessing you live in lower Africa or perhaps the Caribbean? Correct me if I'm wrong.

About gang culture, I'm glad you didn't use that to disparage either side here, but rather show how it opened your eyes. The same happened for me more or less a long time ago, putting me at odds with a society that told me "bad, don't associate with them" when in reality they were more alive and aware than I could have hoped at that age. Let me add, they were also by far the most tragic people I've ever met. But that's a sore spot for me, so enough there.

The fear is understandable, you've been told it your entire life, it's hard to move past it. With Racism though, it's what we have to try and move past. If we watched TV, read the papers, went to all of the "mainstream" sites, and were considered informed from the "right sources" for the benefit of society and culture...we'd all be pretty damn racist. To me, the number one thing combating racism is the individual's choice to think, examine, and take that risk into the taboo area.

It's ironic in an era where we assume we've taken great steps forward against racism, but point anywhere with wanton glee at an instance easily exploitable as racism without looking at context (manipulation), whereas the most heinous forms of it are otherwise left untouched. Single incidences that are misrepresented, doing a lot of harm. But that's a perspective from an American alone and it may not be aware of the conflicts everywhere else.

Warrior Princess wrote:I understand where you're coming from, but I think you have perhaps used the wrong word. "Racist" is a very negative term that implies attitudes of hate and violence, or in more subtle cases, superiority and condescension. According to Webster, at least, racism refers to a person of one race thinking of himself or herself as essentially better than a person of another race. Pure and simple. Seeing the difference between the races is something else entirely, something that can even be positive if applied correctly.

A word being negative or hateful doesn't make it the wrong word. Alice makes a good point, though it wasn't articulated very well, in that if you recognize the difference between two races, then owing to subconscious bias and the human reaction to something different, you will virtually exclusively have some racism, whichever direction it's pointed and however negligible it is. We're only human.