NationStates Jolt Archive

The other week I had a poll about whether race exists.
The majority of you feel that it is just a "social construct."

So with that in mind, I pose this question to you:

If race doesnt exist, what is racism?

If you feel race doesnt exist, then you also feel that there are no such thing as "minority" groups.
If you feel race doesnt exist, you should be against groups like the NAACP.
If you feel race doesnt exist, you should be against affirmitive action.
If you feel race doesnt exist, you cannot call me racist.

If you feel race doesnt exist, you cannot call me racist.

sure they can. granted, they might not be right. that and it shouldnt matter to you what a group of people call you based on what you say and do. those things aside, yes they can.

You lot confuse me
Good. MwaHaHaHaHa.

If you feel race doesnt exist, you cannot call me racist.

Would you prefer "land stealing, separatist asshole"?

I can go either way. Go back to Europe, whitey.

Meh ...

Would you prefer "land stealing, separatist asshole"?

I can go either way. Go back to Europe, whitey.

Meh ...

what did he say? i havent seen any of his posts.

Just because race is a social construct, doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Government is a social construct. Marriage is a social construct. Religion is a social construct. Social constructs are important, defining elements in everyone's daily life, and any irrational hate based on them isn't any less destructive for it.

Just because race is a social construct, doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Government is a social construct. Marriage is a social construct. Religion is a social construct. Social constructs are important, defining elements in everyone's daily life, and any irrational hate based on them isn't any less destructive for it.

So do you or do you not believe that race exists?

So do you or do you not believe that race exists?

i think he is saying that race didnt exist until people made it up, now it is a very real thing that is in all of our every day lives.

The other week I had a poll about whether race exists.
The majority of you feel that it is just a "social construct."

So with that in mind, I pose this question to you:

If race doesnt exist, what is racism?

If you feel race doesnt exist, then you also feel that there are no such thing as "minority" groups.
True, I think everyone living here in the US are all Americans no matter what our skin colors are.
If you feel race doesnt exist, you should be against groups like the NAACP.
I am definitely against the NAACP which in fact promotes racism by advocating separation and privileges for blacks.
If you feel race doesnt exist, you should be against affirmitive action.
I am 100% against.
If you feel race doesnt exist, you cannot call me racist.

Yes I can because a racist is simply someone who thinks an individual's moral, intellectual, and social characteristics are caused by his or her skin color and descent.

The other week I had a poll about whether race exists.
The majority of you feel that it is just a "social construct."

So with that in mind, I pose this question to you:

If race doesnt exist, what is racism?

If you feel race doesnt exist, then you also feel that there are no such thing as "minority" groups.
If you feel race doesnt exist, you should be against groups like the NAACP.
If you feel race doesnt exist, you should be against affirmitive action.
If you feel race doesnt exist, you cannot call me racist.
The who's a what now? NAACP?
Just because we do not believe that there is any difference between people, therego no race, does not remove the burden of racist from those who do think that there are races.

Here's the original poll
http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=390879

If race doesnt exist, what is racism?

if god doesn't exist, what is christianity?
if the fountain of youth doesn't exist, what was ponce de leon looking for?

just because things have no object independent existence, doesn't mean that they don't have social consequences.

Race exists as a social construct, because they're are no significant genetic differences between the races mostly just cultural ones. Racism exists as it is hatred directed against people in a certain social contruct eg race. Doesn't seem too difficult to understand.

i think he is saying that race didnt exist until people made it up, now it is a very real thing that is in all of our every day lives.
More accurate to say that its existence is entirely dependent upon human perception of it.

To take a quote from your poll thread...

For some reason, we still have people in our society who ignore biological studies. Educated people understand that there is no "human race" because we are all different. Each race has its own unique physiology that has its own evolutionary advantage.

Care to point out how skin color and physiology differences between races have evolutionary advantages in the modern world? White skin is efficient at producing vitamin D but is easily sunburned. Apply some sunblock and that problem is solved. Black skin is nearly immune to sunburn but less efficient at producing vitamin D. Drink some vitamin D milk and that problem is solved. The truth is, with our modern technology and diverse resources, laws of "natural" evolution can be ignored and people can live and behave the same everywhere. With all our work on genetic engineering, human society can potentially control and manipulate any of our future evolution so skin deep difference become even more of a non issue.

If race doesnt exist, what is racism?

Racism is discriminatory or abusive behavior towards members of another group defined as a "race", or belief that one such race is superior to others. It does seem to require that you believe race is more than skin deep and is not merely a social construct, whether or not that belief is true another question.

The other week I had a poll about whether race exists.
The majority of you feel that it is just a "social construct."

So with that in mind, I pose this question to you:

If race doesnt exist, what is racism?

<snips>



I'd say 'racism' is a form of chauvinism predicated on a social construct. A social construct that apparently means less to others than to you.

Race may not exist as a fundamental biological difference, but that does not let those who perceive it as such off the hook. The fact that you are wrong does not emancipate you from judgement, it invites it.