OT debate- Why is Racism taken far more seriously than other forms of discrimination?

I notice when everyone goes around saying "this is gay", "****ing ***s", "lol ***gots", not many people are arsed.

We can say "get back in the kitchen" to all the women, not many people are arsed again.

When people go around saying "Black b******", a lot of people frown at it and even though they probably aren't offended, they have this moral code which saying discriminating against Black people is wrong.

I personally aint offended at either one, I just turn a blind eye to both, but I think all forms of discrimination should be taken seriously, or none of them should, it doesn't matter which form of discrimination occurs the most, or if more people are offended by a particular type of discrimination.

I don't see how someone could give a **** when a black person is discriminated against, but not a gay person.

It's stupid double standards man. They're everywhere. People call each other names and use offensive words all the time, but some are treated more seriously than others.

I could go around saying "f*** all these Old People, they should all die the f***** useless, decrepit c****". No one would give a ****.

I could go around saying "f*** all these tall people, get the f*** out of my face all you lanky t****", doubt anyone would care.

Call someone a black b******, and everyone starts crying.

It's all offensive language, and I don't see how we can go around making gay jokes, but not black jokes.

Back to my Vodka and a cuddle with Girlzilla me thinks.

 

I believe I've told you already on here or toonforum, but I find your use of '***s' completely abhorrent too.

 

It aint just me though is it? Not saying that makes it right, but loads of people make gay jokes, but the same people are very hesitant to make black jokes.

 

It is mainly you.

 

I actually can't remember the last time I said *** on this forum before today.

 

***s ...

 

Fairly certain this will bleed in with the religious sentiments I expressed on another blog. Discrimination is inevitable. Some say it is fear or lack of education(social conformity would be closer to the truth), but mostly it's about social order and status and the arbitrary operant response that dictates this necessity. Human's would do it if we could only grunt at each other and do Michael McIntyre routines, but we've become the most successful at it because our verbal communication is so sophisticated that we can directly and more pointedly aim it.

Anyway, our cultural tradition (and I'm sure you'll understand why the black/white racial situation has gained special weighting) has left us with the current presets that determine right and wrong. Of course, these will change, but our populations cannot be discrimination-free. It's genuinely impossible to have even diminished discrimination, until the world ends up a perfect world of just endless lines of clones of me and Rachel McAdams... Even then she won't get paid as much as me, and a class system would still ensue...

Obviously, discrimination is not cool from the christianized perspective (whether we are christian or not), but it is in our evolved DNA. All we can do is make it as equal as possible while acknowledging the up-hill battle.

I don't consciously care if people are black, white, smurfy, gay, straight, women, rich, poor, Mackem etc. But I have unconscious prejudices of course. I don't want to screw gay people for a start, and I'm a man and thus think we're ****ing awesome (but still not worthy of me screwing them), and then there's the idea of terrorists looking a certain culturally defined way... I try and treat people the same while all this is going on in my head, does that make me a better person than someone who doesn't, or less honest?

Just trying to be as nice as possible to them while subconsciously pulling faces at people I despise seems the best I can do given our current culture, though. There's still discrimination in there, and socially it's hard to maintain conscious equality anyway, because you'll choose friends who you "like" based on people who fit you're preconceived notions. And you'll choose your girlfriend because she's got the same coloured hair as your mum.

 

Not the first time you've brought up racism Tash, you do seem to have a thing about it.

 

Very good answer.

I don't agree with harassment in anyway shape or form, but I believe in freedom of speech with no exceptions. If someone wants to say "I hate black people", then even though I think it's ridiculous, that's their right to say it, and just because I don't like it, I'm not going to campaign to get it banned for people to say things like that.

 

So is the point of the article that you want mods to crack down on homophobia, or do you want to be able to make racist comments?

 

It's not really about not606 mate. It's about people and their opinions, and standards, in general.

 

Think it's more of an appeal to equality with regards to treating all forms of discrimination in the same derogatory fashion, than a hope for a free for all bashing session... Tash maybe passionate, but he seems a liberal guy

 

I know my way of thinking is just one opinion out of millions, and that it wont work for everyone, but I don't agree with prioritising one form of discrimination over another.

I don't agree with harassment, so if you go around harassing black people, calling them the N word, then that's breaching their rights and you should be punished.

But you should be granted freedom of speech, so you should be allowed to say you don't like black people, or Asians should gtfo out of England or w/e, because that's your right.

I don't agree with ignorant and stupid beliefs such as that, but I'm not going to try and ban them because I don't like them.

 

Racism is a word for everybody apart from white people so it means nothing to me... as I'm white.

 

Tell that to the overweight excrement's!

 

Yes! Fat people should be thrown overboard, I say!

 

The problem is that any thoughts on the topic really rely on subjective analysis and shifting of the line in the sand, because it depends on what we find offensive and that is different from person to person. The current presets being a generally politically and culturally informed consensus.

It's very liberal of you Tash, but "freedom of speech" tends to be less literally employed. That's because people as a group can tend towards stupid and unless we learn to be completely receptive to debating/changing our views based on evidence, it's useless letting us say anything we want because stupid views can incite offence and hatred. Not really great for society.

 

I agree that we need to be connected, and have an understanding of "togetherness", and having racist views isn't good for society, but I don't believe restricting everyone to having the same views as we believe appropriate, is right.

I would love it if the whole world viewed every human being, despite being physically different, as equal. But that's just not the case.

Freedom of Speech should be properly enabled, until it breaches everyone elses rights.

At the end of the day I'm probably being too idealistic, and I know that there's never going to be a perfect system, but we need to give people the right to express their own beliefs.

It seems socially acceptable to allow Christians the right to say that everyone who doesn't believe what they believe, is a sinner and deserves to burn in agony for all eternity, but it's not, for some reason, socially acceptable to allow bigots to say they don't like Black people, and they should go back to Africa.

Both beliefs are ignorant, but one is more socially acceptable. It's really annoying.

We have a system based on common acceptance and standards. We need to allow everyone the freedom to express their beliefs and opinions, and we cannot ban things from being said just because people are offended.

I'm offended at Christianity in general, but I would never campaign to get it banned, or anything that I find offensive. I would object to it morally, but not try to get it banned.

 

Back to my Vodka and a cuddle with Girlzilla me thinks.

Does Girlzilla let you cuddle her when your breath stinks of booze?

 

I hate Tash. Free speech so it's okay.

And you're 'offended' by Christianity? What the ****? You must be pretty easily offended.