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Racism

  • Thread starter altrade212
  • Start date
  • #122
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]I was probably on my way to being racist when I was young.

All kids born to racist families were. I was when I was really little, because I WAS really little and didn't think for myself or have my own mindset or opinions then, so naturally, I copied the thoughts and opinions of my grandparents. I even despised our neighbor's daughter's boyfriend because he had a pickup truck with big mud tires, just because that was why my grandmother despised him. It's hard to imagine, me hating someone on the grounds that they had a truck with big tires. Dude, I'm GETTING one when I turn 15. But I was a little kid and didn't know any better than my grandmother's opinions. Now I have an independent mind with my own opinions and somewhere along the road I chose an open mind and chose not to look at a black guy and think "black guy", but to simply think "guy". Believe it or not, being raised to think a certain way doesn't actually have that much effect on a person's life.

As for the black/African American thing, it really depends on the person, whether or not they want to be called a certain thing. Some black people would rather be called "black" and some would rather be called "African American". I mean, I don't call myself Scots-Irish/Irish-Cree-American. But If they want to be called a certain thing, then whatever.

I am as proud as anyone to be Southern, but that doesn't mean I'm racist or stupid. Northerners have always had a preconceived notion about Southerners. But we're not all stupid and we're not all racist. There are just as many stupid, racist people in the North as there are in the South, and that is all. This country has a problem with racism, not just the South. High-class melodramatics have a preconceived notion about rednecks, using the word in a derogatory way, assuming that we're all hillbillies, we're all stupid and we're all racist and homophobic. I will get extremely hostile over this, as I have done so many times in the past. So many people have preconceived notions about everybody else. My grandmother thinks black people, among so many other things, sound retarded because they "talk funny". Yeah, well, screw that, because the same amount of white people talk just as "funny"! They just do things different than her, therefore they're wrong in her eyes. She's also prejudiced against most genres of music that aren't what she listens to. Tim McGraw did a duet with Nelly and released it on country radio stations. To her, that's wrong, just because it's a rap/country song, and "that n----- music has no place in country". Look, I listen MAINLY to country, but I do not HATE any genre of music. I don't even look at a country song and a rap song as different in genre. It's all MUSIC and music is SIMPLE. In my opinion, genres and classifications in music shouldn't even EXIST! I listen to EVERYTHING, except maybe classical, but only because it.. bores me. I'm not a rap FAN or anything, but I don't HATE it. I like some rap songs. I think the current rap/country mix trend that's going down is great. Gretchen Wilson and Big & Rich are country artists belonging to a group of artists known as the MuzikMafia, which also consists of a bunch of other artists you've probably never heard of unless you're a MuzikMafia fan.. anyway, the MuzikMafia mixes all genres of music. It's like... it's it's own genre. They know no prejudice and look at music as simple and don't complicate it into genres and classifications. The first track on Big & Rich's CD is called "Rollin' (The Ballad Of Big & Rich)". It's technically labeled "country", but it's really a simple mix of rock, rap and country that some narrow-minded people despise, but many open-minded people follow like a revolution. Download it if you can.
 
  • #123
Socail pressure has a lot to do with racism also even when you have your own ideas and thoughts. Look at WWII Germany. Actually you can look at some Southern High schools. A lot of racism against Jewish people and other non-christians goes on there. Not of course tht either ofthose is race but it still falls in the same group.
 
  • #124
i havent heard that nelly song...is it any good?
 
  • #125
"Over and Over"... well, it depends on the person. I like it. It's on CMT now and then.

Tre, hey, if someone does something just because of social pressure, that's their own fault. I don't care how much peer pressure you encounter, if you're independent enough, you SHOULD be able to let it blow right over your head. I don't do anything just because of peer pressure, and I don't believe I'll ever have much of a problem with that, because, by nature, peer pressure to be a certain way only makes me want to be the way I am even more. If I can blow peer pressure off like that, anybody can. And if they give in to social pressure, it's their own fault.
 
  • #126
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]High-class melodramatics have a preconceived notion about rednecks, using the word in a derogatory way, assuming that we're all hillbillies, we're all stupid and we're all racist and homophobic. I will get extremely hostile over this,....
I agree with you FTG.  I got pretty hostile the other day when a friend described a cop, who had just given him a speeding ticket, as a "dumb redneck".
 
  • #127
This is my only post to this!

I have no idea why anyone would WANT to be veiwed as a redneck. Personally, it reminds me of an uneducated whitey. Along these lines, I would consider myself redneckphobic. Afterall, why would I intentionally surround myself with unintelligence. Perhaps others have a differing veiw of "redneck". To each their own.

As far as race. I heard it mentioned that color, eyes, etc... are useless for judging anothers merit. While at the same time this is the same science which we base our hobby. Afterall, we are only a specie of a Genus. It was also said somewhere that we are all different sports or cultivars of our specie. I beleive this to be true from my current knowledge and understanding. However why is it wrong to prefer a person in this manner but ok if it is from another Genus or Phyllum or Kingdom. Another words: Who the hell are we to OK judging of very different than us but not the only slightly different than us?
Our very hobby is based on predjudice of specie, variety, Genus,etc...and the traits which we individually find appealling or unappealling. None of us would bother to collect plants which we find ugly or useless. (useless meaning- they bring no enjoyment or pleasure)

I am not racist by any means but I also uphold my right to not like anybody for any reason. If you are ugly and it bothers me, I will discriminate against you. I don't care for rascism or rascists anymore than most people but its a 2 sided sword. I think it is perfectly ok to not like someone for any reason you feel but.............don't go cleansing people, they didn't cleanse you. Do unto others as you would have......you know the rest. Does this only include humans, it mentions nobody or nothing specifically.

Joe
 
  • #128
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]Afterall, we are only a specie of a Genus
chimps should be in our genus, but of course they're not because we the almighty supreme rules of the world can't possibly share a genus with those less evolved beasts.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news....es.html
http://home.att.net/~meditation/chimpsDNA.html
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]humans and chimps share 99.4 percent of their DNA, the molecule that codes for life.
and many organisms are considered in the same genus even if they have a bigger difference

I think saying humans are chimps is overdoing it but that just shows how alike we really are- http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn3744
 
  • #129
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]I have no idea why anyone would WANT to be veiwed as a redneck. Personally, it reminds me of an uneducated whitey. Along these lines, I would consider myself redneckphobic. Afterall, why would I intentionally surround myself with unintelligence. Perhaps others have a differing veiw of "redneck". To each their own.

Apparently you're not listening to me. That's the stereotype everyone has developed about rednecks. "Redneck" does not mean "unintelligent". That's just the stereotypical view of looking at it. A redneck is someone who is proudly not high-class or stuck-up. Apparently you did not read my whole post or you would have realized that what you just said is suggesting that you're calling me stupid.

My anthem is the Gretchen Wilson song "Redneck Woman". Just download it and listen to it. MP3 (scroll down to "Redneck Woman")
 
  • #130
I'm not arguing with what you choose to call yourself or relate to yourself. I am saying it is an epithet no matter how you look at it. Thats like saying n***er is a point of veiw. It's negative any way you look at it. Whether you choose to associate it to yourself is another thing entirely. While alot of black folks do use it (but with a instead of er at the end) it is still a negative word and not used by any other race. It is also the same as being proud to be "white trash". You may be proud of it, but it is still a negative word.
Think of it this way. While you may be ok with being called that, if a black dude called you a redneck would you still think hes just complimenting you? I think probably not even if for the sake of argument you say it would not offend you. I sure as hell would be mad.
I'm not criticizing you, Ok?

Joe

P.S. If a name or phrase cannot be used across the board by all players then it is probably offensive at least to most people that it is directed at.
 
  • #131
Sure, "redneck" is negative for those of you who aren't rednecks, because of the popular stereotype people have of rednecks. I'm just making my point that "redneck" does not mean "stupid". And I bet you didn't go to that link, did you.
 
  • #132
No but I know of and have heard the song before. The thing is I am not picking on you it just happens that we are discussing racism and epithets. I was just pointing out that even these sometimes acceptable names are not really because they can only be used by the same race/color without being considered an attack. The redneck thing was just a mention in my real intention in the post.

Joe

Joe
 
  • #133
I have no problem with that. The only thing I have a problem with is you declaring that rednecks are "uneducated whiteys". Being against rednecks is exactly the same as being against blacks. It's the same as racism. It's all being against a particular people just because of preconceived notions and stereotypes.
 
  • #134
I'm sorry! I already said I'm redneckphobic. BTW I am Irish/Scotish/English American or Whitey if you prefer.

I'm gonna just drop it. Apparently we are not understanding each other.
blues.gif


Joe
 
  • #135
That's the problem with trying to un-derogatize derogatory terms. One could make up another word that means exactly the same thing and no one would have a problem with it in the slightest... so I guess it's an issue of semantics more than anything else.
 
  • #136
what the hell is a redneck anyway? i hear it all the time..but what is the actuall meaning, who is it getting at?
 
  • #137
I searched for the origins of the term... most of them seemed to concur with this one: http://plateaupress.com.au/wfw/redneck.htm (mentions a few other terms as well)

Then I found a few scattered references to this: http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/14/messages/570.html

And then there's mention of the term being used in Scotland centuries ago (meaning something else) and maybe it was carried along with some of the immigrants... but they don't really seem to relate at all.

Either way it's just a word... different words carry different stigmas.
 
  • #138
A redneck is pretty much someone who is not high-class and is proud of who they are, a tough, hardy person who doesn't need the best of the world set out on a platter for them.
 
  • #139
American culture history lesson: Approximately 35 years ago there was a VERY popular TV show called, "All In The Family". It featured Archie Bunker, a Brooklyn, NY uneducated, blue collar foreman, with very conservative Republican and racist views. His antithesis was his son-in-law, Michael Stivic, also referred to as "meathead", by Archie. Michael was a Democrat and Liberal and the two clashed over everything political. In one episode, michael went oit of his way to bring a Black friend over to banter views. He was proud of himself for having a Black friend. Meanwhile, his Black neighbor, Lionel, son of George Jefferson, the black version of Archie Bunker, brought out that Michael was being hypocritical. He cited that Michael, was trying so hard to prove that he wasn't "prejudiced", that he was bending over backwards, trying to convince others that he liked Blacks. In essence, Lionel was showing Michael his duplicity.

But in that day and age, Michael represented about the best a typical American had to offer in terms of trying NOT to be racist. They were, in fact, racist, just in denial about it. Nowadays, when it is politically incorrect for even American racists to be a racist, they act like Michael - trying to prove to themselves and others that they aren't racist. But they are. In contrast, those who fashioned themselves as non-racists, have moved a little further on the continuum. There is less proving and more living it. For those who went out of their way, back in the 70's, they are more inclined to just not care about color or ethnicity. It isn't an issue anymore. Yes, they notice differences, but are less likely to hold value judgements or treat others better or worse because of them.

So our society has changed some in the past few decades - but we are still a long way to go to being "colorblind".
 
  • #140
Jimscotscoot, that was beautiful.
 
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