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Originally Posted by Enoch Root
No one (that I'm aware of) is denying that there is rampant, blatant, and despicable racism in the US (as there always has been).
The contention that we're trying to convey is that it is possible to be sick of the preaching from the left without being a racist.
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Imagine how exhausting it is to be the groups that are constantly targeted by that racism?
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Originally Posted by corporatejay
Hillary cared so much about getting those rust belters back to work by giving them affordable education that she didn't. Other campaigning there after the primary. Whoops.
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Lost cause. West Virginia is never going to vote Democrat, it doesn't matter who the Democrat is or what their promises are. Just like California is never going to vote Republican, no matter who the Republican is.
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Originally Posted by Jacks
Not to mention that there is plenty of racism to go around. Every race and gender has people in it that are intolerant of others. Let's not try to pretend that this is a white person problem.
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But white people are the ones who still hold the majority of the power and the wealth. Most of Congress is white men. Most of the House is white men. Only the Supreme Court has any real diversity (and much of that diversity comes from Obama appointees). The Forbes 500 is dominated by white people and men.
Sure, other races can be racist, but they don't hold the power to really do anything about that racism. On the other hand, racists in positions of power in the government can restrict minorities' access to voting, which minimizes their voice and further stymies their power in this democracy. They can unfairly punish minorities for crimes that whites often get a slap on the wrist for. They can pull over black drivers at an inordinate rate compared with whites.
That's the difference between white racists and others. White racists have
power.
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Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague
I don't think you quite answered my question, though... did I accurately sum up what a "racist belief" is? I agree that if you hold those beliefs ignorantly (e.g. you think black people are inherently less intelligent because someone taught you that, but don't hate them as people) that would obviously still be a racist belief. But that's still a consciously held belief.
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Yes, that's a good summation of how I'd view "racist beliefs." That inherent belief that black people are less intelligent, more violent, less cultured, etc. Even if it's ignorantly, or even if it's just so ingrained in your thought process that it's practically a subconscious reaction. It's still there and it still exists.
I'm guilty as much as anyone, I most certainly have racist thoughts that will pop up from time to time. I think that anyone who insists that they don't is lying to themselves and everyone else. We were all raised with certain prejudices, and we all have to fight against them.