5 ms·

Everything is blamed on racism the last couple of years. The word essentially means nothing at this point.

by miked85 4y ago

hackernewds 4y ago
Seems like an overreaction
- miked85 4y ago
  By who?
  - worik 4y ago
  - SkittyDog 4y ago
    By you. Some things are called "racism" unnecessarily, and that causes some harms... But there is still plenty of actual, bona fide Racism that causes bigger harms. To disregard legitimate concerns about racism because you've grown frustrated with false positives is evidence of a weak morality. It's prioritizing our selfish frustrations over significant harms that other people (the victims of racism) are experiencing.
    - miked85 4y ago
      I disagree. When you blame everything on "racism", then actual racism is ignored. Boy who cried wolf.
      - SkittyDog 4y ago
        The boy who cries wolf is definitely in the wrong, that much is true... But that doesn't remove blame from the townspeople who ignored his cries. It's not a binary absolute, where one person being wrong absolves the other of any wrongdoing. Intelligent, moral people aren't obligated or forced to jump into action when someone makes an accusation of racism. We can take a moment to consider the available facts, the context, and decide whether the charge of racism seems credible. It does take effort, so there's a limit to how much attention we can give to these things... But we can also respond to the false accusations, and push back on them for being distractions and wasting the patience of people. We get the society that is as good as we choose to put in effort to make it.
        deleted 4y ago
        [deleted]
        miked85 4y ago
        Are you saying it is good to blame everything on racism? btw, brevity is usually a good thing.
        SkittyDog 4y ago
        But brevity at the expense of clarity is not widely considered a good thing. If anyone lacks the time or patience to parse my comments, I would welcome them to skip reading my comments... Why should any of us feel obliged to read everything on HN? I sure as hell don't. Personally, I find your comments to be far too simplistic and reductive, to the point that you lack the ability to do more than snipe and quip at a single idea at a time... But some ideas are complex enough to benefit from longer, more thorough treatment, in order to avoid miscommunication. Or maybe some people just have more patience, or better reading comprehension skills? Ya know, so we don't mind reading a longer comment that does a better job making the point than a half-baked, single-sentence hot take? BTW, if you made it this far... Why ARE you compelled to keep reading my comments, anyway? Just ignore me, and be happy with the existence you choose
    - Consultant32452 4y ago
      Everyone else is wrong and lacks self reflection, but not you.
deanCommie 4y ago
Because in the last couple of years was the first time there has been an open and widespread discussion of various forms of race-based discrimination that we've just been ignoring for our entire history - or worse - thought that we left in the past, but are still relevant to people not of the dominant race in our societies. Has there been an overreaction? Are too many things being blamed on racism now? Possibly. But the motivation is good and clear about attempting to get to the root of how people treat one another in the world, and what structures we've created to reinforce tribal or instinctual prejudices and how they're not even obvious to most people going through their lives in the world today. This all has meaning. I urge you to not give up on the concept, to not discount those talking about it as "woke", or "virtue signalers" or "social justice warriors". Some of them are overly angry and vitriolic, yes. Some are tired of explaining concepts that are clear and for granted to them, thinking that at this point anyone that disagrees is simply an agitator. Not all show good faith. Some are in it for themselves, and the glory of being holier-than-thou. I'm not going to pretend that doesn't exist. But most of the concepts being discussed are sound. And there is a lot of fire behind the smoke. There is a lot of past, present, and future "racism" that still needs to be understood, and addressed.
JKCalhoun 4y ago
Everything.

Everything is blamed on racism the last couple of years. The word essentially means nothing at this point.

hackernewds 4y ago

Seems like an overreaction

miked85 4y ago
By who?
- worik 4y ago
- SkittyDog 4y ago
  By you. Some things are called "racism" unnecessarily, and that causes some harms... But there is still plenty of actual, bona fide Racism that causes bigger harms. To disregard legitimate concerns about racism because you've grown frustrated with false positives is evidence of a weak morality. It's prioritizing our selfish frustrations over significant harms that other people (the victims of racism) are experiencing.
  - miked85 4y ago
    I disagree. When you blame everything on "racism", then actual racism is ignored. Boy who cried wolf.
    - SkittyDog 4y ago
      The boy who cries wolf is definitely in the wrong, that much is true... But that doesn't remove blame from the townspeople who ignored his cries. It's not a binary absolute, where one person being wrong absolves the other of any wrongdoing. Intelligent, moral people aren't obligated or forced to jump into action when someone makes an accusation of racism. We can take a moment to consider the available facts, the context, and decide whether the charge of racism seems credible. It does take effort, so there's a limit to how much attention we can give to these things... But we can also respond to the false accusations, and push back on them for being distractions and wasting the patience of people. We get the society that is as good as we choose to put in effort to make it.
      - deleted 4y ago
        [deleted]
      - miked85 4y ago
        Are you saying it is good to blame everything on racism? btw, brevity is usually a good thing.
        SkittyDog 4y ago
        But brevity at the expense of clarity is not widely considered a good thing. If anyone lacks the time or patience to parse my comments, I would welcome them to skip reading my comments... Why should any of us feel obliged to read everything on HN? I sure as hell don't. Personally, I find your comments to be far too simplistic and reductive, to the point that you lack the ability to do more than snipe and quip at a single idea at a time... But some ideas are complex enough to benefit from longer, more thorough treatment, in order to avoid miscommunication. Or maybe some people just have more patience, or better reading comprehension skills? Ya know, so we don't mind reading a longer comment that does a better job making the point than a half-baked, single-sentence hot take? BTW, if you made it this far... Why ARE you compelled to keep reading my comments, anyway? Just ignore me, and be happy with the existence you choose
  - Consultant32452 4y ago
    Everyone else is wrong and lacks self reflection, but not you.

deanCommie 4y ago

Because in the last couple of years was the first time there has been an open and widespread discussion of various forms of race-based discrimination that we've just been ignoring for our entire history - or worse - thought that we left in the past, but are still relevant to people not of the dominant race in our societies. Has there been an overreaction? Are too many things being blamed on racism now? Possibly. But the motivation is good and clear about attempting to get to the root of how people treat one another in the world, and what structures we've created to reinforce tribal or instinctual prejudices and how they're not even obvious to most people going through their lives in the world today. This all has meaning. I urge you to not give up on the concept, to not discount those talking about it as "woke", or "virtue signalers" or "social justice warriors". Some of them are overly angry and vitriolic, yes. Some are tired of explaining concepts that are clear and for granted to them, thinking that at this point anyone that disagrees is simply an agitator. Not all show good faith. Some are in it for themselves, and the glory of being holier-than-thou. I'm not going to pretend that doesn't exist. But most of the concepts being discussed are sound. And there is a lot of fire behind the smoke. There is a lot of past, present, and future "racism" that still needs to be understood, and addressed.

JKCalhoun 4y ago

Everything.