Google: Anti-Semitic?

Johnny Versace

Sure. She did grow up in an upper class neighbourhood, and went to a mostly white school, and a lot of her friends would be mixed race.

However, she dislikes black men. She is entitled to this. It doesn't make her racist.

BTW, I should point out she only dislikes black men from West Africa.

Maybe this helps clarily/or confuses the issue!

Meh

Originally posted by Johnny Versace
It doesn't make her racist.

Do you think it'll become true if you repeat it often enough? Racists aren't all Romper Stomper style skinheads covered in tattoos, you know. Most of them are ordinary people, very like you and me.

Read the dictionary. Your friend is clearly a racist, whether you like it or not. Maybe her racism is due to some bad experiences with West African men, but that does not justify being prejudiced against an entire ethnic group.

Johnny Versace

Originally posted by Meh
Do you think it'll become true if you repeat it often enough?

Read the dictionary. Your friend is clearly a racist, whether you like it or not. Maybe her racism is due to some bad experiences with West African men, but that does not justify being prejudiced against an entire ethnic group.

Yes, if I keep saying it, it will become true

OK I accept under the technical definition she could be considered racist.

However, I think she is entitled to her opinion on the matter.

bonkey

Originally posted by Johnny Versace
It doesn't make her racist.

Correct. It makes her someone who has at least one racist tendency - that being the "dislike" in question.

jc

bonkey

Originally posted by Johnny Versace
However, I think she is entitled to her opinion on the matter.

Everyone's entitled to an opinion. Its how they let that opinion effect their actions which is the issue.

jc

Hobbes

you can be racist by disliking your own race. Pretty sure.

Meh

Originally posted by bonkey
Correct. It makes her someone who has at least one racist tendency - that being the "dislike" in question.

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=racist
Discrimination or prejudice based on race.

So someone who is prejudiced against a certain group is still racist, even if they never act on that prejudice.

Zaphod B

I'm really not sure why this is under discussion.

Meh has been good enough to provide the dictionary definition, so can we please just come to an agreement here...

Maybe you're friend is not "A racist" in the sense that she doesn't distribute hateful literature or refer to the group in question as scum, spit at them as she crosses them on the street etc...

BUT she IS quite clearly guilty of racial discrimination ie racism - she has a prejudice against a particular racial group. The fact that she only dislikes West African men rather than all black men doesn't make her somehow less racist - racism refers to the race, not the colour. Call it a tendency if you want. She discriminates based on race. I'm not condemning her for it, I'm not saying that I've never been guilty of it. I'm just saying that having said she is prejudiced against West African men you can't say she doesn't practise racial discrimination. It's a clear contradiction.

Johnny Versace

Yes I agree with you.

I think the term "racist" has a lot more negative attributes associated with it than "racial discrimination".

Although the dictionary may define a racist as someone who simply is predjudiced etc., I think most people would agree that the term "a racist" paints a much more darker, hate filled picture.

Originally posted by Zaphod B
I'm really not sure why this is under discussion.

Meh has been good enough to provide the dictionary definition, so can we please just come to an agreement here...

Maybe you're friend is not "A racist" in the sense that she doesn't distribute hateful literature or refer to the group in question as scum, spit at them as she crosses them on the street etc...

BUT she IS quite clearly guilty of racial discrimination ie racism - she has a prejudice against a particular racial group. The fact that she only dislikes West African men rather than all black men doesn't make her somehow less racist - racism refers to the race, not the colour. Call it a tendency if you want. She discriminates based on race. I'm not condemning her for it, I'm not saying that I've never been guilty of it. I'm just saying that having said she is prejudiced against West African men you can't say she doesn't practise racial discrimination. It's a clear contradiction.

Zaphod B

True, when used as a noun it seems to suggest something far more hateful and aggressive. People will often tell jokes that make you think "That's a bit racist", they may have opinions that make you say "He/she is a bit racist when it comes to this/that"... when you say he/she is "a racist" it suddenly sounds more serious.