Racism or Reality?

[Norik]

I went to a community college. Does that count?

Not really. The reason I say Ivy league is because of affirmative action (which is still very much a thing in top tier schools).

 

[South Of Heaven]

Not really. The reason I say Ivy league is because of affirmative action (which is still very much a thing in top tier schools).

And in the job-world!
I was actually denied a job due to AA over the summer (or so I believe.)
Personally, I think racism is a thing people should just kind of.. get over. I'm not saying it's that easy, but people should placing such big importance on "omg he called this guy a SLUR". It happens. People say things to other people that are mean. Just because it's about race it shouldn't make it a big deal, imo.

inb4 "you could never understand"

 

[CappuccinoJak]

Personally, I think racism is a thing people should just kind of.. get over. I'm not saying it's that easy, but people should placing such big importance on "omg he called this guy a SLUR". It happens. People say things to other people that are mean. Just because it's about race it shouldn't make it a big deal, imo.

yes!

 

[Madnis]

And in the job-world!
I was actually denied a job due to AA over the summer (or so I believe.)
Personally, I think racism is a thing people should just kind of.. get over. I'm not saying it's that easy, but people should placing such big importance on "omg he called this guy a SLUR". It happens. People say things to other people that are mean. Just because it's about race it shouldn't make it a big deal, imo.

inb4 "you could never understand"

I used to take that perspective until I actually sat down and thought about it. Of course, it started when my friend's and I were discussing race as an issue because it always comes up. But think about it.

racism inherently is ignorance.

You don't really know what you're doing is racist because you don't know. You weren't taught that way, and you weren't brought up that way, so you don't actually know what you're doing is wrong or mean or cruel or injust or what have you. You don't know. It is ingrained in your culture and in your upbringing.. you don't realize that you're being racist.

doesn't seem fair does it? Some of the actions are basically just going by what you know. You're not trying to intentionally be mean or out to hurt people. this is going by the presumption that people are generally nice and mean well. But when you're ignorant of it, and you don't know why you're offending this person and why he's offended, that's what it means in terms of racism.

my point is, when you tell "someone to get over it." That's being cold. because you're basically allowing this sort of ignorance to continue. and saying, "this is okay, you're the one who's wrong. deal with it."

how is that in any way okay?

put it to you this way.. you're sitting there, enjoying a moment with your friends, when someone comes over and spills their entire cup of water onto you. But instead of apologizing they simply brush it off and say, "hey, it's only water, right?" you wouldn't be offended?

so to, you see an action that might be considered racist, but instead of educating the man and bringing light upon his ignorance, you just tell the other guy, "hey, get over it." Is that not a fucked up thing to say to someone? Sure, you could follow up with "he/she didn't mean anything by it" but when does that ever mitigate a situation? if anything that throws fuel on the fire.

Now, am I for AA? No. That's a cop out and people should be hired based on their merits and connections enforcing their reputation. I don't think anyone of any race should be in full support of AA. However, because these stigmas exist that companies are prejudice and they have to fight that stigma in some manner or way, from a business stand point, I can see how they would need AA as a necessary evil, because you never know... there might be a situation where they would give someone the leg up just because of race. And that's not a fair stand point either. Do I agree with it? not by any means, but understanding that this is the world we live in where we all have to cover our ass, I can understand why AA exists.

my other point I'm trying to get around to is that you have to take a step back and view things from other angles, because if you do that, you'll broaden your own perspective.

my 2 cents contributed..

 

[KiraxSummers]

Personally, I think racism is a thing people should just kind of.. get over. I'm not saying it's that easy, but people should placing such big importance on "omg he called this guy a SLUR". It happens.

Okay, stop. You make it sound as if racial slurs are the be-all end-all of racism. The world is not going to just 'get over' it and if you stick your fingers in your ears and say lalalala really loud, it's still not going to go away. Racism is ugly, it's violent and it's very real. You're arguing about a reservation quota? Well how about hate crime? How about being considered a terrorist because you vaguely resemble a muslim to a world that makes no distinction between Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims? Even if they did, is it alright to attack a Muslim for being one?
Like Prabhjot Singh who was attacked in New York earlier this week. He made this statement:

People keep asking me what it feels like to have been assaulted in a hate crime," Singh wrote in the New York Daily News. "Honestly, I can't come up with a better response than simply 'gratitude.'"

He went on to explain, "I'm thankful for a few reasons. If they had attacked me any more violently, I may not be awake right now to tell my story. If they had attacked me even half an hour earlier, they would have harmed my wife and one-year-old son. And if they had attacked me anywhere else, I may not have had bystanders there to save me."

That takes a real man. That takes a real, humane, global citizen to answer an attempt on his life like this, without the kind of hatred that was shown to him.
What I'm trying to say is, yeah, reservation sucks. But if you think for one second that racism in any form is okay then you need to put yourselves in these people's shoes instead of sitting on your throne and commenting on things you know nothing about. Racial slurs are the little foreshadowings that can and have resulted in the taking of lives. For what? For being a different fucking color than you? For saying 'tom-ah-to' instead of 'tom-a-to'? Racism is not okay and it's never going to be okay.