News & Politics - Is there a double standard on racism and prejudice?

Jacob1983 · 04-13-2007, 03:10 PM

I know that most posters on here probably will say "there is no double standard on racism and prejudice" but I felt I had to make this thread. There needs to be discussion about how in American society there is a double standard on racism and prejudice. There is also a double standard on what groups can be racist and what groups can't be racist.
This thread is definately relevant in the wake of the celebrity bad word syndrome. That term was coined by me(sarcasm). LOL

Michael Richards, Mel Gibson, Isaiah Washington, and good ole Don Imus have had the disease.

Then we have the so called Civil Rights leaders and activists like Al Sharpton and Jessie Jackson bashing and basically calling for the hanging of white people who say anything racist yet Sharpton and Jackson have had histories of being racist themselves.

I also believe that some Americans believe that they can be racist because they part of a minority and that ain't right. Wasn't the Civil Rights movement about trying to make everyone equal and be treated fairly?

Is there a double standard on racism and prejudice? Is there one on what's offensive and what's not offensive?

This is a clip of Chris Rock doing a routine back in the day. I will admit that it is a little funny. I know that me saying it's funny probably makes me look bad. If it does, then fine.
However, if Chris Rock can get away with this when shouldn't racism be allowed for everyone? LOL

YouTube - chris rock- racism

Warning: the clip contains many f-bombs and the n-word is said many times.

Ruby_Slippers · 04-13-2007, 03:54 PM

Jacob, what an uniformed post.

Again and again, I have asked you not to use the word racism because you don't seem to understand what it means.

Racism is race + power. Black people can be prejudice (as all people are) but very rarely are they in a position that their prejudice has power.
Please read this as many times as it takes to understand.
In order to be racist , you must be in a postion of power to implement your prejudices. On the other hand, prejudice is the word that I believe that you are looking for.

Let's not discuss the Chris Rock clip. He isn't talking to white america in that clip. He is talking to African-Americans. And to be perfectly blunt, you have no idea what he is talking about to even use it as an example. You are so far removed from the experiences he is discussing in that clip that you could not even begin to comprehend what he is talking about. Don't even go there.

flagpolesitta43 · 04-13-2007, 04:38 PM

Racism is race+power? Where did you get that? Racism is the belief that one race is superior to others. I believe there is a double standard when it comes to racism in this country. I also think there is a double standard with many liberals when it comes to personal freedom, but that's a whole other thread.

S.A.S.H.A. · 04-13-2007, 04:48 PM

Quote:

Is there a double standard on racism and prejudice?

Yes.

Sasha

froggiepopple · 04-13-2007, 04:52 PM

I definitely think there is a double standard.

migamoo · 04-13-2007, 04:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flagpolesitta43 (View Post)

I also think there is a double standard with many liberals when it comes to personal freedom, but that's a whole other thread.

I'm interested in what you mean by that. If you don't want to discuss it here, you can always PM me.

***Jerry D*** · 04-13-2007, 05:01 PM

I definitely believe there is a double standard when it comes to racism in this country.

froggiepopple · 04-13-2007, 05:07 PM

I think some people are afraid to point out the double standard out of fear being called paranoid or being called racist right back. My cousin and her husband do not find the term cracker to be offensive. I should ask her if she knows what it means. She is a very intelligent woman so I imagine she does. I do not see how that is not offensive yes in the past there was white people who owned slaves and cracked the whip on them, but we are not doing it now. Why should we get called a derogatory name for what our ancestors may or may not have done?

I don't think the way to handle this situation is to retaliate by using an offensive term right back against those that use racist terms against us. I did not believing in turning the other cheek. Instead I think it is important they be called out on it.

Dark Half Undine · 04-13-2007, 05:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ruby_Slippers (View Post)

Jacob, what an uniformed post.

Again and again, I have asked you not to use the word racism because you don't seem to understand what it means.

Racism is race + power. Black people can be prejudice (as all people are) but very rarely are they in a position that their prejudice has power.
Please read this as many times as it takes to understand.
In order to be racist , you must be in a postion of power to implement your prejudices. On the other hand, prejudice is the word that I believe that you are looking for.

Let's not discuss the Chris Rock clip. He isn't talking to white america in that clip. He is talking to African-Americans. And to be perfectly blunt, you have no idea what he is talking about to even use it as an example. You are so far removed from the experiences he is discussing in that clip that you could not even begin to comprehend what he is talking about. Don't even go there.

This is what racism means, straight out of the dictionary.

1. a belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement, usually involving the idea that one's own race is superior and has the right to rule others.
2. a policy, system of government, etc., based upon or fostering such a doctrine; discrimination.
3. hatred or intolerance of another race or other races.

Race+power is not the only equation. You do not need to be in power to believe that your race is superior to another.

And yes there is a double standard in this country, but there is a double standard for most things in this country.

**meretwins** · 04-13-2007, 06:33 PM

america has never been able to deal with the standard they created in the first place so how would it deal with a double standard?....it never ceases to amaze me about the lack of understanding that accompanies this issue...i am a black female that has dealt with racism head on i find it funny how truly clueless many people are about it....

Maggie aka Sarah · 04-13-2007, 06:50 PM

Jacob: I am not American... am Canadian... but I do think that there are double standards when it comes to some forms of racism in both the US and Canada.

My background is a mixture of Irish, Scottish, English, First Nations... what Americans refer to as Native American... and Jewish... but since my skin is very fair... most people in Canada think of me as being of "English" background.

I remember years and years back... being at lunch at university with a group of friends... all Canadians... of Cree, Francophone, Mennonite, Estonian and Jewish backgrounds. They got into a long and detailed discussion about all the evils that the English had done in Canada.... using pretty derogatory language. After a while I quietly reminded them that they were holding their discussion in front of their "token" English friend and that a lot of the broad generalisations that they were throwing around sounded pretty racist to my ears. Was told to shut up because I was part of the "majority who held all the power."

I shut up. Or to use a term that you often use... I sucked it up... and went on.

That is just one example of many, many, many.

It does often seem to me that there is a double standard when it comes to making negative comments directed at some groups of people.

Don't think that there is really all that much that can be done about it though other then to politely point out from time to time.... that making negative and derogatory comments directed towards ANY group of people in a broad encompassing manner is inappropriate.

As for the language that's used in a lot of rap songs... I often find the lyrics to some rap songs offensive.

But then again... I often find Chris Rock to be funny. But I haven't heard all of his routines.

Think that every instance should be considered separately.

Maggie

rose parade · 04-13-2007, 06:52 PM

Your post doesn't even make sense, Jacob.

I Washington is black, and he got alot of crap for his prejudice remark against TR. So yeah...I don't understand why you're even bringing him up if you're trying to prove that the double standard exists where white people get in more trouble for being prejudice...

Maggie aka Sarah · 04-13-2007, 07:33 PM

Just watched some of the Chris Rock video. The man is definitely very funny. And he is using what he perceives as a conflict between..... maybe a polite way to put it is.... educated and uneducated black people... to make a point... which appears to be actually a call for education.

Hey... education and striving to better one's self... is a good whatever for people of any back ground.

But at the same time... I wish that he hadn't had used the "n" word and a bunch of cuss words. Okay... it's obvious that he uses the "n" word in part to make his point... and for the shock value.

But at the same time. He opens the whatever that of.... if Chris Rock can use the "n" word... why can't people of fairer skin colour, etc., etc., etc.

So... I wish that he wouldn't use the "n" word... but find other ways to bring his point home. I feel that using certain words for their shock value is cheap short cut.

Yep... think that any point can be made and emphasized without using such obviously derogatory and negatively weighted terms.

In my opinion, he even could have just used the term "n" word and got his point across.

Maggie

**sunnykerr** · 04-13-2007, 07:55 PM

I do think there's a double standard. I think we all think we know what is offensive and we don't realize that we say things sometimes that can be very offensive to other people.

We'll say things like, "Oh, well I didn't mean it to be offensive," like that makes a difference to the person who's offended by it. It's true that intentions count for something, but when we know something offends, it doesn't matter if we're not using those words to offend. The fact that we're using them at all is offensive to that person.

Of course, if we genuinely don't know about something being offensive, that's a whole different ball of wax. You can't blame ignorance. But, once we're told differently, every other time we use that word or expression, we know it's offensive.

I don't know why (some) black people want to use the N word. I don't know why (some) women use derogatory terms when referring to themselves or their friends. I don't know that I really buy into the whole "taking the word" back mentality. But, at the end of the day, it doesn't matter. The rules are simple, as far as I'm concerned. Treat others the way you'd want to be treated. And that begins by not using words I know are offensive to others.

I do believe in free speech, but my freedom ends where another person's begins. And if I'm going to use my freedom of expression to offend another person, then I forfeit the right to be respected by that person.

There is a double standard. And that double is standard, for me, starts and ends with the notion that anyone knows when they are and when they're not being offensive.

froggiepopple · 04-13-2007, 09:01 PM

Quote:

Treat others the way you'd want to be treated. And that begins by not using words I know are offensive to others.

When I took a customer service class in college we learned that there are some cases where that doesn't always apply especially when dealing with people from different cultures. For example the 'V' sign which is used for victory here in America means your wife is cheating on you in Italy.

Quote:

I do believe in free speech, but my freedom ends where another person's begins. And if I'm going to use my freedom of expression to offend another person, then I forfeit the right to be respected by that person.

I couldn't have said it better myself.