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‘To be white is to be racist, period,’ a high school teacher told his class

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daviyoung

Banned
The problem with the blanks being filled in for other races is that they are perceived neutral to positive (passionate? smart? lol). The blank being filled in for white is perceived negative.

If the point was to demonstrate that generalisations in general were bad then the blanks being filled in should not have been so obviously contrasting from the OP. Or just not filled in at all.
 

KonradLaw

Member
I live in a country without white privilege and systemic racism (since everybody is white anyway :D), so maybe I don't get it, but I feel like this sort of argument is pretty damaging to people who do live in multicultural places. Because what's the point of trying to be tolerant if no matter what tou do you will forver be branded racist?
 

FUME5

Member
Where did I put that I believe that all white people are racists?

What, exactly, are you arguing then?

The problem with the blanks being filled in for other races is that they are perceived neutral to positive (passionate? smart? lol). The blank being filled in for white is perceived negative.

If the point was to demonstrate that generalisations in general were bad then the blanks being filled in should not have been so obviously contrasting from the OP. Or just not filled in at all.

The point was intended to be that blanket statements about entire ethnicities are ridiculous, whether a positive or negative statement, and by using positive to neutral statements I was attempting to avoid, well, spreading any more hateful shit.
 

daviyoung

Banned
I live in a country without white privilege and systemic racism (since everybody is white anyway :D), so maybe I don't get it, but I feel like this sort of argument is pretty damaging to people who do live in multicultural places. Because what's the point of trying to be tolerant if no matter what tou do you will forver be branded racist?

Because I'm sure other systematic oppressive factors exist in your country too. Maybe based around the class, finances or family lineage of your fellow citizens. All aspersions are damaging, some are just more prominent than others depending on the country.
 
As a high school history teacher who talks about racism regularly in all my classes, the teacher obviously had good intentions but that is a horrifically designed discussion.

The teacher cannot be the one to frame the discussion in those terms if you expect to have an impact. The teacher should fill the role of guiding the discussion and hoping that the students come to a similar conclusion on their own after examining the evidence.
 

Pancake Mix

Copied someone else's pancake recipe
I think what's important and good is that other GAFfers don't subscribe to the extremist ideology that one group of people was born racist, is universally racist, and will always be racist because of their skin tone. Also, if you want to see just how fucking toxic that viewpoint can be, including when pointed at European populations, I invite you to look at the monster that is Robert Mugabe.
 

Goatboy

Member
That your "What if I said this about black people?" argument was lazy. Where did I write that I thought all white people were racists?



Before I answer this silly ass question. What have I posted that makes you think I do?

I don't believe you do. It's a dumb question, obviously, so whats the big fucking deal here?
 

FUME5

Member
That your "What if I said this about black people?" argument was lazy. Where did I write that I thought all white people were racists?

My argument was what if I said it about ANY people.

And the tone of your posts in this thread would lead most to believe that you agree with her blanket statement.
 

Enzom21

Member
I don't believe you do. It's a dumb question, obviously, so whats the big fucking deal here?

Then why did you ask me?

My argument was what if I said it about ANY people.

And the tone of your posts in this thread would lead most to believe that you agree with her blanket statement.

I am responding to the silly arguments being made in this thread, that doesn't mean I agree with the teacher.
 

Pancake Mix

Copied someone else's pancake recipe
Being white in white supremacist society means its impossible not to be racist.

That's a little intense.

Yes, privilege does exist, but you're making a huge leap in logic just like this teacher.

It's nonsense and you're doing damage to your cause, as well as making it purely your cause by putting an entire ethnic group on the defensive. You can't see why that is extremism?

Edit: Mugabe is that you?
 
Where did I write that it isn't?
Will you admit that your little blanks weren't positive stereotypes?

This post makes it clear you aren't at all interested in compromising and coming to an agreement but rather you want to "win" the argument (whatever the hell the argument is even about at this point).
 

Enzom21

Member
I'll ask again. What's the big deal here? What is even being argued?

If I haven't posted anything that makes you think I do, why would you ask me if I do?
I am not arguing anything with you, you keep asking me this silly ass question that apparently doesn't mean anything to you.
 

FUME5

Member
Where did I write that it isn't?
Will you admit that your little blanks weren't positive stereotypes?

No, because they weren't, as I said above, I wasn't interested in spreading any extra hateful shit.

In hindsight I should have blanked the 'to be white is to be' as well and / or put to be white is to be well off or something like that when I did fill them in.
 

Enzom21

Member
No, because they weren't, as I said above, I wasn't interested in spreading any extra hateful shit.

In hindsight I should have blanked the 'to be white is to be' as well and / or put to be white is to be well off or something like that when I did fill them in.

Well then how do positive stereotypes relate to the negative stereotype that all white people are racist?
 

kitch9

Banned
Everyone's A little bit racist

I'd say everyone's protective of their surroundings and will resist even if only a little bit any perceived change of said surroundings.

What irks me is the demonisation of those that articulate this to any extent and they are compared to the kkk in said demonisation.
 

gfxtwin

Member
Somehow I've got a vague feeling that no matter what is said ITT it will continue to go on for at least a hundred pages and make a lot of people mad.
 

FUME5

Member
Well then how do positive stereotypes relate to the negative stereotype that all white people are racist?

I'd just be repeating myself.

If we both agree on the point that blanket statements like this are bullshit, then it's irrelevant continuing to argue whether my post was worded perfectly, I've just said that in hindsight I would have changed it.
 

Goatboy

Member
If I haven't posted anything that makes you think I do, why would you ask me if I do?
I am not arguing anything with you, you keep asking me this silly ass question that apparently doesn't mean anything to you.

I'm not trying to argue. I genuinely don't understand what it is you're trying to say. Can you explain it?
 

preta

Member
It confuses me to see that it seems like a few people in here are actually defending the initial statement. To be white is to be privileged, for sure, but it absolutely does not necessarily mean that you think of or treat people of other races as inferior. While society as a whole definitely has racial biases, for individual people, it's all about how you're raised and what influences you. If you let those pervasive biases influence you, then you may be racist, but if you see them for what they are and reject them, you don't have to be.

I agree with the idea that white people need to reflect on their privilege and whether it has subconsciously influenced them. (Which is what the teacher seemed to be trying to say.)
 

Enzom21

Member
I'd just be repeating myself.

If we both agree on the point that blanket statements like this are bullshit, then it's irrelevant continuing to argue whether my post was worded perfectly, I've just said that in hindsight I would have changed it.
I don't feel like you're being honest but fair enough.
I'm not trying to argue. I genuinely don't understand what it is you're trying to say. Can you explain it?

You're the one who keeps asking a question you admit I have given you no reason to ask.
Do you think I think all white people are racist because I am black? See how ridiculous that random question is? That's the kind of question you're asking me here.

Well you were challenging the argument that the claim in the OP is stupid, so, yes?

Where did I write that? I asked the poster for examples. Read my posts in this thread.
 
I don't feel like you're being honest but fair enough.


You're the one who keeps asking a question you admit I have given you no reason to ask.
Do you think I think all white people are racist because I am black? See how ridiculous that random question is? That's the kind of question you're asking me here.
Nobody's saying we think that you think all white people are racist because you're black.

It's being assumed that you think all white people are racist because you're defending the quote in the OP and criticizing people who are calling it out as being stupid. There are plenty of black people in this very thread who have criticized the statement and shocker, they're not the ones being asked the question.
 

Enzom21

Member
Nobody's saying we think that you think all white people are racist because you're black.

It's being assumed that you think all white people are racist because you're defending the quote in the OP and criticizing people who are calling it out as being stupid. There are plenty of black people in this very thread who have criticized the statement and shocker, they're not the ones being asked the question.

Once again where? By the way, the black question was an example of the absurd type of question the poster is asking me.
 

Venfayth

Member
It confuses me to see that some people in here are actually defending the initial statement. To be white is to be privileged, for sure, but it absolutely does not necessarily mean that you think of or treat people of other races as inferior. While society as a whole definitely has racial biases, for individual people, it's all about how you're raised and what influences you. If you let those pervasive biases influence you, then you may be racist, but if you see them for what they are and reject them, you don't have to be.

Right, like, I'm sure there are inborn subconscious biases that I have that influence me in certain ways, although I do my best to try to be aware of such things and correct for them. I'm also sure that I benefit from the privilege of being white.

But it seems like calling this racism the same way you'd call someone actively being bigoted/hateful towards groups of people a racist is a bit weird. I dunno, maybe that's just me or I'm missing something.
 

Enzom21

Member
I haven't read the whole thread but it could be argued since your very first post in the thread is criticizing someone for saying blanket statements are bad while in a thread about a blanket statement....

Then read the rest of my posts if you're going to continue responding to me with nonsense.
How is asking someone to fill in the blanks remotely close to saying white people are racists?
I criticized the way the poster was making the argument, not the argument itself and you know that.
 
Then read the rest of my posts if you're going to continue responding to me with nonsense.
How is asking someone to fill in the blanks remotely close to saying white people are racists?
I criticized the way the poster was making the argument, not the argument itself and you know that.
No I don't know that considering I just read the thread and not once have you criticized the argument the OP was making. And again, the argument was that all white people were racist.

So you have no posts criticizing the initial quote and yet your first post in the thread is assuming someone who literally said making blanket statements is bad is making a flimsy argument. The entire point of the filling in the blanks part was to show generalizing any race is shitty and somehow you didn't grasp that and assumed the poster was about to make negative generalizations of every other race.
 

Enzom21

Member
No I don't know that considering I just read the thread and not once have you criticized the argument the OP was making. And again, the argument was that all white people were racist.

So you have no posts criticizing the initial quote and yet your first post in the thread is assuming someone who literally said making blanket statements is bad is making a flimsy argument. The entire point of the filling in the blanks part was to show generalizing any race is shitty and somehow you didn't grasp that and assumed the poster was about to make negative generalizations of every other race.

You're being purposely obtuse here. Why would I need to criticize the OP? I was responding to a post in the thread. I criticized the way that poster was making their argument. Where did I write that I was criticizing the OP? Once again, I understood what the poster was trying to post, but I felt was a lazy argument that get's made whenever something bad is said about white people.
Was that explanation good enough for you? Are you done with your nonsense now? Bruh.
 

Eumi

Member
"Hey kids! Your very existence is a problem! Feel bad about yourselves!"- Teacher of the year.

What an ass.
 

Goatboy

Member
I don't feel like you're being honest but fair enough.


You're the one who keeps asking a question you admit I have given you no reason to ask.
Do you think I think all white people are racist because I am black? See how ridiculous that random question is? That's the kind of question you're asking me here.



Where did I write that? I asked the poster for examples. Read my posts in this thread.

I asked it because it was ridiculous - but not random. It was related. Take a step back... what is the argument here? Isn't all this minutia just a waste of your fucking energy?
 

Enzom21

Member
I asked it because it was ridiculous - but not random. It was related. Take a step back... what is the argument here? Isn't all this minutia just a waste of your fucking energy?

It wasn't related because I gave you no reason in this thread to ask it.
What is your argument here. I have made my argument. You're right though, responding to your nonsense is a waste of my time.
 
How is using an example of using blaket statements about an entire ethnicity a lazy argument when the argument in the OP is to use a blanket statement about an entire ethnicity?
 

Henkka

Banned
Isn't this sort of obvious? Isn't EVERYONE on this planet racist (except for babies, maybe)?

Well if sometimes having subconscious biases counts as racism, then yes.

But if everyone is racist, no one is. The term has lost meaning and no longer meaningfully differentiates between racists and non-racists.
 
It wasn't related because I gave you no reason in this thread to ask it.
What is your argument here. I have made my argument. You're right though, responding to your nonsense is a waste of my time.

There would be no "nonsense" here if you hadn't entered the conversation with a zero effort bait post.
 

Dio

Banned
Well if sometimes having subconscious biases counts as racism, then yes.

But if everyone is racist, no one is. The term has lost meaning and no longer meaningfully differentiates between racists and non-racists.

I dunno, I just think it's matters of 'degree'. X guy is more 'racist' than other guy. It's not a binary value IMO.

I understand what you're getting at, though - people who display overt racism and stuff, like neonazis, versus suburban nice families, which don't, are usually labeled 'racist' and 'not racist' when I don't think it's that simple.

Oh well.
 

Goatboy

Member
It wasn't related because I gave you no reason in this thread to ask it.
What is your argument here. I have made my argument. You're right though, responding to your nonsense is a waste of my time.

I don't think you're following me and that is my fault. My point is, I think you're arguing over nothing. I never believed you thought that all whites are racist. I think you're a passionate person and that can be mistaken for aggressiveness by some people.
 
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