This is obviously a sensitive topic which Grant has already alluded to. As with any other topic, there's going to be differing viewpoints and opinions. That's the way it is.
4x4, to answer your question about whether or not I, personally would date a racist. The answer is no, I would not date a racist. You are right though. I am making a decision based on a bias I have against racists. My reasoning behind not wishing to date her would be based solely on her being a racist.
Although you didn't explicitly ask the question, you're implicity saying that my decision makes me as 'bad' as the person who doesn't date a specific race because of their race alone, and I have to disagree with you.
It's already been mentioned by others and myself, with relationships there will most definitely be different preferences that individuals seek in a mate ranging from their weight, their height, their education, their career, or their race.
I'll be upfront and honest. I admit I don't tend to date heavier women solely because of their weight. I discriminate against heavier women. It's a preference of mine which stems from the obvious need for physical attraction in a relationship, and for me, I do not have a physical attraction for heavier-set women. If a heavier-set woman were to seek me for a relationship, I would deny her for reasons solely to do with her weight. Is this fair? No. But it's my preference.
As I've said already, a black guy who does not date white girls purely because they are white (an example), has made a decision based solely on race alone. The guy is discriminating against her race. Or in other words, he is a racist. He feels no physical attraction to white girls, and thus chooses to not date them. Is this fair to the girls who seek a relationship with him? No. But it's his preference.
In one case, the discrimination is based on weight. In another, it's based on race. Yes, they are both biases, but is one worse than the other? You be the judge.
In a hypothetical situation, let me ask you guys the following: Back in the dark days when racism against African-Americans was widely accepted in the US and even upheld by the law, blacks and whites were to use different washrooms. The reasoning being based solely on the colour of their skin. Let's say now, that this incident happens close to a time when whites were beginning to become more accepting of blacks as an equal in society. A black woman walking alone somewhere in the middle of nowhere feels the urge to use the restroom. She sees a house up ahead so she goes and knocks on the door and asks to borrow the restroom. The oldest son of the family that answers the door is white. Let's say that the son has nothing against blacks, but his family does, but he's home alone. The story ends with the son making a decision to not let her in to use the restroom for fears that his family may be viewed upon negatively by others if anyone were to find out. Or perhaps he's worried that his racist family will never talk to him again.
Is he a racist?
In my opinion, for that instant when he made the decision to close the door, he made the decision based on a large number of factors. He made the decision ultimately because he was worried his racist family would not talk to him again, or that his family would suddenly be thought less of because of the incident. All of these reasons undeniably resulted from the issue of race. Yes, he did it because he did not want any negativity directed towards his family. Yes, he did it because he did not want to become an outcast of the family. But he also did it because of her race. So for that instant, even though he is not usually a racist, he was a racist, because he made a decision based on her race.
(I don't think I've ever posted anything this long before on CP) :P
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