4 ms·

I don't think you are being very fair to the poster. > That is different than assuming you must be an athlete because of the color of your skin (racism). They

I don't think you are being very fair to the poster. > That is different than assuming you must be an athlete because of the color of your skin (racism). They could be thinking he plays a sport because of his race, or it could be the fact that he is 6'2" and weighs 240 pounds. Likely it is a combination, and I don't think there is anything wrong with that. We make assumptions based on race because a lot of things correlate to race. I have been 6 feet tall since middle school and was always asked if I played basketball because, well, a lot of tall black kids play basketball. When trying to have a conversation with a person I don't think their is anything wrong with trying to find a topic based on that person's appearance (i.e. clothing, height, weight) why should race be excluded? > That reason isn't because the color of your skin. Again, I think it is unfair to just say his feeling that people avoid sitting next to him is not only true, but it is because all those people are distrustful of him because of his skin color. Everyone feels like people avoid at times, an ugly person may thing it is because they are too ugly, a person who just ran a marathon may think it is because they stink. I don't think you should take his feelings as fact. > how about feeling sad that people are actually victims of racism. It is unfair to imply he doesn't already feel sad about those who actually experience racism, just because he is sad about something else. You can be sad about multiple things. And I (a black dude) think it is perfectly reasonable to be sad about racial divides that feel as if they are growing year by year. > A persons skin color is part of their identity, and we should recognize that, but not use that as a way to group, categorize, or otherwise use as the basis for how we behave towards that individual. I kind of agree here, but I find your statement somewhat hypocritical. You say a person's skin color is part of their identity but you also say we shouldn't group or categorize people based on skin color. You were also unhappy earlier about assumptions being made based on race. It sounds like you can't assume any cultural or societal standards for anyone based on race then it is just skin color, and then I don't understand why you would have a problem with everyone being colorblind, if you don't think race correlates to anything. Or do you think people should just completely ignore these correlations despite their existence, no matter how benign (like being more likely to ask if you play a sport you look like you could play based on physical appearance)?

balls187 10y ago
> Or do you think people should just completely ignore these correlations despite their existence, no matter how benign (like being more likely to ask if you play a sport you look like you could play based on physical appearance)? This.
- DizzyDeezy 10y ago
  Okay, I don't personally find things like that annoying, but I can see how some people would take some of the things I have experienced as social slights or just, ya know, annoying. Thanks for answering.
tkxxx7 10y ago
> You say a person's skin color is part of their identity but you also say we shouldn't group or categorize people based on skin color. It's a part of your identity you don't get to choose, and how you identify with it - if at all - is solely up to the individual. So, no grouping or categorizing.
- DizzyDeezy 10y ago
  Yeah, I don't think I worded this in the best way. I am not trying to advocate for people making significant decisions about others based on race, or really any decisions at all. But he criticized the reommendation of a color blind world and then, in my opinion, advocated for one. I was trying to show that by removing the assumptive part of race (as I think you mostly should) you can only react to people based on their actions and how they say they want to be treated. I believe this is a color blind society. No presumptions, but people can still address their race. I don't personally believe in a purely color blind society, though. I mean, in the article he talks about how it makes him feel when people are surprised by the fact he works in a technical field, which is fine, his feelings are valid. I just don't see anything strange, rude or racist about a person being surprised about a black person doing CS, we are a very small portion of the degrees given in CS, in particular, degrees from prestigious universities (At Stanford about 6%, compared to Asians at 36% and Whites at 38%). And we are a much larger percentage of, say, football players or basketball players. I am not saying you should go an buy your black neighbor Air Jordans so he adds you to his posse when he goes pro, but I do think acting like some one who asks a 6 foot 2 inch tall, 240 pound black guy if he plays football is racist is counterproductive.

balls187 10y ago

> Or do you think people should just completely ignore these correlations despite their existence, no matter how benign (like being more likely to ask if you play a sport you look like you could play based on physical appearance)? This.

DizzyDeezy 10y ago
Okay, I don't personally find things like that annoying, but I can see how some people would take some of the things I have experienced as social slights or just, ya know, annoying. Thanks for answering.

tkxxx7 10y ago

> You say a person's skin color is part of their identity but you also say we shouldn't group or categorize people based on skin color. It's a part of your identity you don't get to choose, and how you identify with it - if at all - is solely up to the individual. So, no grouping or categorizing.

DizzyDeezy 10y ago
Yeah, I don't think I worded this in the best way. I am not trying to advocate for people making significant decisions about others based on race, or really any decisions at all. But he criticized the reommendation of a color blind world and then, in my opinion, advocated for one. I was trying to show that by removing the assumptive part of race (as I think you mostly should) you can only react to people based on their actions and how they say they want to be treated. I believe this is a color blind society. No presumptions, but people can still address their race. I don't personally believe in a purely color blind society, though. I mean, in the article he talks about how it makes him feel when people are surprised by the fact he works in a technical field, which is fine, his feelings are valid. I just don't see anything strange, rude or racist about a person being surprised about a black person doing CS, we are a very small portion of the degrees given in CS, in particular, degrees from prestigious universities (At Stanford about 6%, compared to Asians at 36% and Whites at 38%). And we are a much larger percentage of, say, football players or basketball players. I am not saying you should go an buy your black neighbor Air Jordans so he adds you to his posse when he goes pro, but I do think acting like some one who asks a 6 foot 2 inch tall, 240 pound black guy if he plays football is racist is counterproductive.