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You cannot create institutional and systemic racism against white people. White is the cultural norm in the US: everything is default to white perspective and w

You cannot create institutional and systemic racism against white people. White is the cultural norm in the US: everything is default to white perspective and whiteness is considered the most desireable state. Even if a minority treats an individual white person badly, that white person can typically walk away from that encounter without being affected, nor have that sentiment compounded by society at large every day of their life. Furthermore, policies like affirmative action recognize how badly minorities have been treated both historically and today, so the policy attempts to make a (small) correction for that imbalance. > Isn't the idea equality? Having everyone playing by the same rules regardless of race? Yes, but the rules are not evenly applied. People of color are disproportionately affected by the economic and political systems of the US. We live in a state of unfair treatment for people of color right now, eliminating things like affirmative action will not change that reality. > Example (in my own home state, no less) For jobs offered on native lands, the advertisements are allowed to say "Indian preference applies" - which means exactly what it sounds like. Isn't this wrong on a number of levels? The only thing wrong here is your sentiment. It is really clear you have no idea how badly native peoples in the US are treated. Native people are much more often victims of violent crime. Most native populations have been wiped out by colonial settlers, and those that survived have been forced from their homelands. Native territories are forbidden from prosecuting criminals under their own laws, leaving them unable to provide legal protection against violent crimes. Racist attitudes towards native peoples are extremely prevalent and popular culture constantly attempts to assimilate native culture as a perpetuation of the colonial settler genocide of native peoples. Giving a native person a job is the least US society could do, when it should be doing things like returning stolen lands and providing permanent economic support for those native nations that still exist.

Karunamon 14y ago
>..that white person can typically walk away from that encounter without being affected Meaning, what? I'm not "affected" because I have to deal with someone who, say, hates white people? >Yes, but the rules are not evenly applied. Aha. Sounds like the problem is here. The laws we have need to be applied correctly, instead of inventing new and questionable ones. >The only thing wrong here is your sentiment. Any "sentiment" you see is purely of your own invention. I mentioned a fact (namely an ad in a newspaper), and asked how that is not wrong. Discrimination is wrong, regardless of the race of the person doing it. Put another way, the cure to discrimination is not more discrimination, and it's frankly idiotic to assume that it is. I'm beginning to think race discussions are becoming the new religious discussions. People are incapable of discussing it without moralizing, preaching, or talking down.
- shantanubala 14y ago
  > Meaning, what? I'm not "affected" because I have to deal with someone who, say, hates white people? The problem is mainly that a white person only needs to deal with racism on a personal level, and this racism is easy to ignore and "walk away" from. A black person or latino has to not only deal with racism from individual people, but also inequities that are the result of our society. What are these inequities? Here's a list of some: - lower representation in government - stereotyping in movies and popular culture - lower representation in institutions of higher education - lower representation in the workforce - more difficulty growing and getting promoted once hired - assumption that he or she might be residing illegally (this applies mainly to latinos) Now you might say, "but what if blacks and latinos just aren't suitable for our government, educational institutions, workforce, and popular culture?" Or "what if they just don't want to participate?" So now the real question becomes, "so how do you encourage them to participate? Or would you prefer to be a society that deliberately ignores a portion of its population?" And this isn't even mentioning the fact that children don't get to chose where they grow up, who their parents are, and what the color of their skin is. I'm very happy that I didn't grow up black in Compton, and I'm sure you would also feel the same. We are a byproduct of our surroundings, and until we can eliminate the gang violence, substance abuse, etc. etc. that surrounds a lot of children (predominantly minorities), it seems that the best we can do is lower the barrier to entry for "a different life." Which part of that is racist against white people?
  - Karunamon 14y ago
    >Now you might say, "but what if blacks and latinos just aren't suitable for our government, educational institutions, workforce, and popular culture?" Except I wouldn't say that, because first, it doesn't make any damn sense, and second, it's the kind of ignorant tripe you'd expect to hear a white supremacist say.
    - shantanubala 14y ago
      Ah, my bad -- the sentence was phrased a bit poorly. By "suitable" I meant "good for the job" -- ie there may not be a large enough pool of talent available to fill necessary roles appropriately. There's a common argument that, "maybe they just don't want the jobs" adequately explains and justifies the situation. I didn't mean it personally in any way, nor did I mean that your position automatically includes that kind of an opinion :-)

Karunamon 14y ago

>..that white person can typically walk away from that encounter without being affected Meaning, what? I'm not "affected" because I have to deal with someone who, say, hates white people? >Yes, but the rules are not evenly applied. Aha. Sounds like the problem is here. The laws we have need to be applied correctly, instead of inventing new and questionable ones. >The only thing wrong here is your sentiment. Any "sentiment" you see is purely of your own invention. I mentioned a fact (namely an ad in a newspaper), and asked how that is not wrong. Discrimination is wrong, regardless of the race of the person doing it. Put another way, the cure to discrimination is not more discrimination, and it's frankly idiotic to assume that it is. I'm beginning to think race discussions are becoming the new religious discussions. People are incapable of discussing it without moralizing, preaching, or talking down.

shantanubala 14y ago
> Meaning, what? I'm not "affected" because I have to deal with someone who, say, hates white people? The problem is mainly that a white person only needs to deal with racism on a personal level, and this racism is easy to ignore and "walk away" from. A black person or latino has to not only deal with racism from individual people, but also inequities that are the result of our society. What are these inequities? Here's a list of some: - lower representation in government - stereotyping in movies and popular culture - lower representation in institutions of higher education - lower representation in the workforce - more difficulty growing and getting promoted once hired - assumption that he or she might be residing illegally (this applies mainly to latinos) Now you might say, "but what if blacks and latinos just aren't suitable for our government, educational institutions, workforce, and popular culture?" Or "what if they just don't want to participate?" So now the real question becomes, "so how do you encourage them to participate? Or would you prefer to be a society that deliberately ignores a portion of its population?" And this isn't even mentioning the fact that children don't get to chose where they grow up, who their parents are, and what the color of their skin is. I'm very happy that I didn't grow up black in Compton, and I'm sure you would also feel the same. We are a byproduct of our surroundings, and until we can eliminate the gang violence, substance abuse, etc. etc. that surrounds a lot of children (predominantly minorities), it seems that the best we can do is lower the barrier to entry for "a different life." Which part of that is racist against white people?
- Karunamon 14y ago
  >Now you might say, "but what if blacks and latinos just aren't suitable for our government, educational institutions, workforce, and popular culture?" Except I wouldn't say that, because first, it doesn't make any damn sense, and second, it's the kind of ignorant tripe you'd expect to hear a white supremacist say.
  - shantanubala 14y ago
    Ah, my bad -- the sentence was phrased a bit poorly. By "suitable" I meant "good for the job" -- ie there may not be a large enough pool of talent available to fill necessary roles appropriately. There's a common argument that, "maybe they just don't want the jobs" adequately explains and justifies the situation. I didn't mean it personally in any way, nor did I mean that your position automatically includes that kind of an opinion :-)