Lots of people here, and IRL throw the word racist at people, but how would you define racism? I've asked people to define the word that they use so frequently, and most of them believe a racist is someone who "hates black people".

I want you, yes YOU, to define the word racism.

Also:
Is racism a bad thing? Why is it bad/not bad?
Should racists be punished?
Can anyone be a racist?
Do you believe white support groups are essentially racist because they support white people?
Is feminism racist?
Is martial arts racist? You start with a white belt, and you have to work your way up to become a black belt.
Is gangster rap racist?


Don't fucking look that shit up now, I want you to say what YOU believe racism is.

Well since you are asking for my personal definition.

Racism is: Any hard feelings towards someone because of their nationality or color. [EDITED]

Is racism a bad thing? Why is it bad/not bad?: It's just something most of us are used to it by now. Technically a bad thing because it puts people under other people just based on their nationality.
Should racists be punished?: Not in public, a person should have the right to say what they want, its freedom of speech. But if you are a minor, you could be punished if you do it on someones else property and they have rules that forbid it.
Can anyone be a racist?: Da fuk does that mean?!!
Do you believe white support groups are essentially racist because they support white people?: I am not white so I don't want to conclude anything.

Can anyone of any race be racist?

Racism is merely the acknowledgement that all of man-kind is divided into distinct races. Each having their own, unique characteristics that make them that race.

Being a racist does not mean you have any "beef" with another race or culture. It does not predispose an opinion of other races. It is ONLY, the acknowledgement of the existence, of specific races, of humanity.

Too many people put a stigma on the word 'racist', there is nothing wrong with a racist. There is much wrong with an elitist. - Remember that.

Is racism a bad thing? Why is it bad/not bad?

No, racism is just the acknowledgement or belief that different races exist among us. Whether or not these races are actually races is another question.

It is my belief that there are 3 races of humans. Negroid (blacks), Mongoloid (Asian), and Caucasian (whites). Some consider a fourth race, but I don't (Australoid).

Now, these races are only the biproduct of evolution based on environment. There was only one race at the dawn of man-kind. But as humans spread out around the world, thier environments differed greatly. Humans have adapted to adequately survive in these environments and we see the end result as a race.

Should racists be punished?

It depends on the severity and context of what the racist did. If you acknowledge black people (Negroids) to be a race. Then technically you're a racist. I don't believe this is punishable nor should be, most if not all of us do this.
However, any claim that states a race to be more superior, I feel, is punishable. Elitism is not okay, racism is. People today don't understand what racism is and label any sort of steryotypical and elitist comment as racist. Which it is, but not all racist marks are bad.

Can anyone be a racist?

Of course, any race may believe that other races exist. Just as individuals may acknowledge their own and another's race.

Do you believe white support groups are essentially racist because they support white people?

By that logic, the NAACP would be "racist" because they only support black people. They are racist because they acknowledge the existence of different races. They also discriminate against whites because they choose to only help colored people. Is this wrong? No, the NAACP is a privatetly funded organization and withhold the right to allocate their funds as they see fit. There is nothing wrong with that. So, it would be racist for there to be a support group for Caucasians but it wouldn't be a bad thing. I don't see a reason why the existence of such a group would be needed, but a privately funded organization can do what they like.
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Obviously you're not wrong, this is your personal opinion. I just have to ask, why call it racism when you just described it as discrimination?

I want you, yes YOU, to define the word racism. Attribution based on race.
Is racism a bad thing? Why is it bad/not bad? There are many methods to group people and draw conclusions. Race generally doesn't yield useful data. Sweeping statements and generalizations of all kinds should be avoided. Thus we can say racial discrimination is more often not useful. As for bad/not bad, I think that is encompassed in a bigger question; "is it ok to upset people without a good reason for doing so?"
Should racists be punished? If you have to ask that question then I think there are more problems with the society in question than just racism. It's worrying that companies and governments need rules that enforce fairness.
Can anyone be a racist? Yes...
Do you believe white support groups are essentially racist because they support white people? To rephrase "are you a racist?"... What a random question. Creating individual groups each looking out for their own interests is what causes problems. Why can't there be just one anti-racism body rather than many bodies each lobbying for their own interests? Segregation is what causes disparity in the first place...



@JayStar: Interesting that you chose to address the less commonly used definition of racism. More often that not 'racism' refers to discrimination based on race, rather than the acknowledgement of the existence of races.
' I don't see a reason why the existence of such a group would be needed '
Perhaps to support the 'advancement' of white people?


@Snorlaxen: Maybe you should also ask "is nationalism good/bad?". It would be interesting to see if people's views on racism and nationalism coincide or not, and why this may be.

Updated with more questions.

ImmortalPig: I'll make a whole new thread about Nationalism later.

Of course.
Anyone can be racist,it would be racist to say other races can't be racist.
This got very convoluted fast....

So an ant can be racist? Or do you believe that ants aren't even worthy of being put side to side with humans? Are you a specie-ist?
Is it racist to say that racists are racists?

I picked the most accurate definition and the one I refer to when talking about racism. If I wanted to talk about discrimination of races, I would. But I wouldn't use the word racism.


That is not true, just because people use the word wrongly, doesn't mean the word gets a new definition.


Wow, I couldn't have thought of that. What I meant to say, and what you apparently were to dull minded to figure, was: "I don't see how white people could be advanced when they're already top of the social ladder". Whites in America, in most cases, have it best. That really isn't up to debate. The reason the NAACP was founded was to help colored people through repressive times. You know, back in the 1940's and 50's.

But I also said, private organizations like NAACP or this theoretical one for the advancement of whites, have every right to spend the money they raise how they wish and I respect that right. So really, I don't care if this organization were made, there would be nothing wrong with it. I just don't see a purpose for it.
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Ants aren't a race, nor do they have races. There are different species of ants or perhaps different breeds, but human's are the only animals to have different "races".


Racists are not a race. So, no.

If you're going to be that difficult I'd propose the notion that ants conceivably being racist towards humans is beyond the realms of our interpretation. To each other? Maybe. Haven't seen any scientific research to back that up and I'm not about to look.

Your first post said


not


so I'm not really what straws you're clutching at, and I don't think you do either.