Why Racism is Stupid

Discussion in 'Race Relations' started by Clausewitz, Sep 23, 2014.

  1. Clausewitz

    Clausewitz Active Member

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    I know people rarely care about facts but I'll try anyway:

    -99% of all human DNA is the same http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/handbook/basics/dna
    -race is a social construct, not a scientific one http://www.nytimes.com/2000/08/22/science/do-races-differ-not-really-genes-show.html
    -all humans appear to have originated in east Africa http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog...rror/201109/the-main-reason-races-don-t-exist
    - all humans share a common ancestor in the mitochondrial eve, who also happens to be from Africa http://science.howstuffworks.com/life/evolution/female-ancestor.htm
    - according to a statistical analysis, we all have the same distant family members http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog...irror/201108/another-reason-races-don-t-exist

    I know none of this matters to the racists and ethnocentrists, but can we at least agree race is a social construct?
     
  2. Gatewood

    Gatewood Well-Known Member

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    Well I agree with you. If you can produce offspring which is in turn also viable then you are of the same species, and that's pretty much it so far as biological science is concerned. So the concept of race is artificial in nature and It has to do with a few human instincts. One is the need to hate. Two is the need to categorize. Three is the need to use one and two for various causes. Four is the need to use one, two, and three in various ways in order to gain certain advantages in the field of politics.

    So it really does not matter that race is an artificial concept and construct since all those motivations for it are very powerful indeed and are not in any danger of vanishing in the near future.
     
  3. Clausewitz

    Clausewitz Active Member

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    It seems depressing that we can't think logically and move past petty diatribes about us versus them...
     
  4. Nator

    Nator New Member

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    Ultimately, culture keeps up divided. Culture (coupled with religion) is what makes a "race". Since the Stone Age, we've had many revolutions and divisions happen on a global scale. I assure you that more "races" will pop up another 100-200 years from now, when really, it will be just another country or newer culture that has established itself. A more appropriate word for "race" would be Demonym.
     
  5. Gatewood

    Gatewood Well-Known Member

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    Well sure, but then again there are tons of things to be depressed over since we are helpless to do anything about them. For instance, I am toying with the notion of being depressed that once again the United States of America has seen fit to start a new war venture. But regardless of how I feel about that the fact is that reality just does not care one iota for my feelings. It stubbornly remains reality.

    If one feels compelled to 'fight' racism then lecture on it in one's spare time, practice what one preaches, and try like hell to leave the world a slightly better place for having been a part of it. That's about all one can do.
     
  6. Egalitarianjay02

    Egalitarianjay02 Banned

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    Racism is stupid and evil. I firmly believe that not because race is a social construct but because discriminating based on superficial differences like skin color is incredibly stupid. Even if race were proven to be a biological reality racism would still be stupid because discriminating based on superficial differences which racists do is stupid. Even if one were to argue that races differ in mental traits like intelligence and personality they have to concede that these are general differences and not absolute differences because there are many people who don't fit their stereotypes. So any way you look at it racism is stupid and honestly arguing with racists is a waste of time.
     
  7. vino909

    vino909 Well-Known Member

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    I cannot, and will not disagree with your links and supporting data. I can only advise you that there are a few back roads in Alabama you should stay clear of. But, I'm with ya dude!
     
  8. MickSpeed

    MickSpeed New Member

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    And a few blocks in Detroit, too.
     
  9. MickSpeed

    MickSpeed New Member

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  10. Clausewitz

    Clausewitz Active Member

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    PF has rather vocal racists (and ethnocentrists), ironically from all backgrounds united in their hate for "them", who are noticeably absent from this thread. What gives? :boxing:
     
  11. Micketto

    Micketto New Member Past Donor

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    I don't know anyone who disagrees with that.

    But to claim there isn't a cultural difference also, is silly.
     
  12. Clausewitz

    Clausewitz Active Member

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    Races don't have "culture", ethnicities do but who's to say a culture has to be defined by a race or ethnicity?
     
  13. Micketto

    Micketto New Member Past Donor

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    I made neither of those comments.

    If your only reason for this thread is to say racism is stupid, then I have nothing to argue.
    I was just showing how there are still major differences between people, even if their races become moot.
     
  14. Clausewitz

    Clausewitz Active Member

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    My mistake--I thought it was implied
     
  15. Imnotreallyhere

    Imnotreallyhere Well-Known Member Donor

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    One question: If there is no such thing as race, how can there be any such thing as racism? Whether race is social or biological seems beside the point.

    Further, I disagree with your point that race is a purely social construct. Race is not the same as species. Consider dog breeds. A Chihuahua and a Great Dane are both dogs and can interbreed, but anyone can see their physical characteristics are wildly different.
     
  16. Jackster

    Jackster New Member

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    Are there breeds of dogs are all they all wolves?

    Are there even wolves, whales, birds, apes, ect since all life is came from a common cell of life billions of years ago?

    [video=youtube;nhBYAPok6ek]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhBYAPok6ek&list=PLYcuLAArq58R7sWjyL4rflpT 8CmQuM7Ba&index=5[/video]
     
  17. Clausewitz

    Clausewitz Active Member

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    I don't mean to be rude but if you really don't see the scientific problem with your example, you should take a biology class.

    Here's one for free
    http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/biology/
     
  18. Imnotreallyhere

    Imnotreallyhere Well-Known Member Donor

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    I don't mean to be rude, but your OP is in some doubt depending on to whom you speak. Here is a site that discusses both sides of the question:
    Http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/does-race-exist.html

    From this, It can be seen that there are sets of physical characteristics that are often seen together. We call this idea 'race' in humans. Thin lips and blue eyes are most often found with melanin-deficient skin, for example. This is not a social construct, but one based on physical characteristics. Denial is not a river in Egypt.

    Racism is stupid because it puts a value on a person based on his race rather than basing a person's value on his own merits. The same can be said of ethnocentrism, which is what you're talking about.
     
  19. Imnotreallyhere

    Imnotreallyhere Well-Known Member Donor

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    Clausewitz,
    Why do you deny the idea of race as separate from ethnicity here, but appear to acknowledge it elsewhere? I direct your attention to post #295 on the 'Why DO we want to fill America with non-whites?' thread.
     
  20. Clausewitz

    Clausewitz Active Member

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    They are separate. Was that your point? I agree.
     
  21. Imnotreallyhere

    Imnotreallyhere Well-Known Member Donor

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    So you agree that race exists?
     
  22. Clausewitz

    Clausewitz Active Member

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    As a social construct, yes. I said so in my first post...
     
  23. Rickity Plumber

    Rickity Plumber Banned

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    You can say all you want that you are not racist. However, I really believe that there may be one perhaps two groups unlike you that you despise deep down. But of course I expect your answer to be something like, "your full of it Rickity Plumber, I love blacks and mooslims". So do not even reply to this.
     
  24. Clausewitz

    Clausewitz Active Member

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    I'm going to reply, it is a political forum meant for others to reply:

    1. I am related (by blood) to "black" people and I love them just as dearly as my non-"black" family
    2. "Mooslims" come from a religion and as such are not a race of people. Regardless, I am capable of treating people as individuals, and as how I'd like to be treated.
    3. Growing up I've spent time in over 20 countries, to include 6 countries where Islam was the majority religion. Instead of focusing on what divides us I chose to focus on what unites us. Perhaps you should do the same...

    Last but not least--I'm a Christian and as such I recognize both racism and ethnocentrism as a sin. James 2:9
     
  25. Imnotreallyhere

    Imnotreallyhere Well-Known Member Donor

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    So you equate race with ethnicity in this thread. Well and good. When did you change your mind? You said, in part, "America isn't a country that can, or should, be defined by any race or ethnicity.". Here's the difference between races and ethnic groups: an ethnic group is defined by its culture, while a race is defined by its physical characteristics. Members of a given race are often, but not always, part of the same or similar ethnic groups.

    Certainly you'll agree with me that a human fro Subsaharan Africa is more likely to have a dark skin, dark eyes, and dark kinky hair than one from Iceland? What do you call these variations, if not race? Regional variations? If that's the way you want to go, alright, but remember "That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.".
     

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