opinion help: do you think that racism still alive today? - Help.com

Yes! Racism is not the same as it once was for the most part, but it is still around in most places.

yes!!!

I hate computers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! is that racest?

that’s machineist or something

it sure is!

yes i hate naggers =-] lmfao

If it is, it’s not funny

do we have racists on help.com? Can we not us that word! thank you

As long as there is a word in our language that defines “racism” It ensures that it will exist.

Good point animal. I don’t think that it’s as alive as it used to be but there’s still an under layer of racist thinking in our culture.

I agree, there is definitely still racism, it’s just not as bad as what it used to be.

Actually racism hasnt gone down as much as its been diluted through different races. I cant tell you how many times Ive been accused of treating someone poorly, or less than par because they are ‘Black.’ The ‘N’ word isnt someting I can use with out sounding like a supporter of the KKK (which, Im not…very far from)Personally I dont think its fair that because I born white, that I cant say this word without fearing recourse. This is one of those subjects that burns me up. I have a friend that dates a black women. (hes white) A black guy called him a ‘racist ass’ to his face after he didnt get the tip he wanted for serving them a meal. Yes, I said them. He was sitting with his girlfriend. Maybe if they had gotten a refill for thier coffees, or even the food they actually ordered, he would have gotten a better tip. He was fortunate to get one at all. All he did was hit on the ladies. I think they should incorporate the word ‘racism’ with stupidity. Maybe people wouldnt want to use it so freely.

When my sone was 5, we were in McDonalds for lunch one day. He lives in West Virginia. I live in Va. Beach. He doesnt have much experience with different races where he lives. Anyway…..the man ahead of us in line was black. He looks up at me and asks “Dad, why is his skin so dark?” The question took me a little off guard. I took a second, with a puzzled look on my face when the man turned around to show his detest for the situation. I looked at my son and said. “What color is your moms hair?” He said “blonde” I said “what color is my hair?” he responds with “Brown.” I said “People have different color hair, people have different color etes too” He starts telling me what color eyes his friends have. I said…”So you see, some people just have different color skin. They are just like us.” He said…”Oh, O.K.” The man in front of me just smiled and nodded and went about his day.

Racism still exsists and it probably always will. I say that because you have to look at the principles on which this country was built. Take a look at the reason slavery was instituted. I will agree that people are more open and accepting to other cultures and I believe that comes from becoming educated about the differences and similarities that we all share and being open-minded.

Now as for the use of the “N” word, I think it’s in poor taste for anyone to use it. I never understood why we as African-Americans would want to embrace such a horrible word. When is the last time you’ve heard a White person yell “What’s up my “Cr@cker”. I’ve never heard any person of any other race refer to themselves or a member of their race by a racial slur. It’s time that we(African-Americans) wake up and stop degrading ourselves. I would love to see us address each other with more positive words. And the reason people of other races don’t feel comfortable using the “N” word, even though they may not be racist, is because they know in the back of their minds that something just isn’t right about it.

Be kind to one another with your words. Because the spoken word is very powerful.

You have the right to use the word as freely as you want to. But realize where older african-americans are coming from when they say they dont think its right. If you were ever refered to as such by a white majority trying to take away your humanity, you would find it more offensive that the african-american youth have embraced such a term. What does it teach others about you? I find it horrifying that the youth of today makes a mockery of the word. Somehow being born black gives you the right to use the term in any way you see fit. However, if I were to use the term at my job, I would face legal ramifications for doing so. Does that sound like it promotes equality among the races?

Also, if that picture is of you, you might want to start refering to yourself as ‘Mulato.’

Excellent point Animal.
In response to SweetXPoison: I understand your point. I am African-American by the way. I just used “cracker” as an example, but my point was that there are words that have been assigned to other races that are meant to demean and degrade and I have never heard them using them when referring to themselves. I get that the concept is to turn a negative into a positive by freely using the “N” word and showing that we are no longer what that word was used to describe. The only flaw I see with that is the fact that the word will always be negative. And when we refer to ourselves as a “N” it opens the door for others to call us that as well and some of the others who choose to refer to us by that word may still embrace its original meaning. I would like to know how you would feel if someone who isn’t African-American used the “N” word in the same manner that you do. This could be someone who you know is not racist they just grew up around African-Americans and they feel as comfortable as you do with the word, they just happen to be of another race. This is the situation that someone else posted. He’s not racist but he feels he cannot use the “N” word “without fear of recourse”. We are sending a mixed signal when we say: I’m African-American so I can call my friend the “N” word, but anyone who is not African-American had better not even think about saying that word or else there will be hell to pay.
There have been studies that have shown when people are regularly referred to by negative words, they eventually take on and start to portray the characteristics of those words. All I’m saying is that we see enough effects of liberal usage of the “N” word. Why not see what could happen if we simply referred to each other by brother or sister?

Let me ask you how I should handle it when my son asks me what it means? As long as we embrace our differences, we will have to bring them to light. Why cant we embrace the things that bring us together? When my son hears a Gansta rap song and asks what they mean by the ‘N’ word. Im going to have to tell him that some people feel that the color of thier skin makes them different. How am I supposed to justify that? Much of today’s african-american youth still feels as though they are owed something for what was done to thier ancestors. Why is that? Where do they learn that? I dont get it. My mother and father never had dealings with slaves, neither did I.

I refer to all as ‘brother’ and ’sister.’ I have for a long time. No one takes offense, unless they have a racial issue themselves with ‘whitey.’ Then they tell me Im not thier brother….or sister…

I agree with you animal. And that’s my point. Regardless of how some people may think of the word, it is what it is. Which is why it just should not be used. We are all brothers and sisters. I too have children and I don’t raise them to focus on a person’s outward appearance. In this day and age we have far greater things to concern ourselves with.

Personally, I think that if someone has the guts enough to “try” and insult someone, the least they could do is spell the insult right. Get it?

Who is insulting who here?

The last picture was a little misleading. My appologies. I also hope you didnt take offence to the reference of ‘african-american youth.’ Its possible we have it wrong. I think your point of view can do many good on a subject as touchy as this can be. Where do live? I know its going to be very different from NY to Southern Cali.

OK….Looked at your other posts. Are you in DC?

When I was 16 I was dating an african american girl. I am caucasion. A man drove by in (as if this isn’t a stereotype) a jacked up 4X4 pickup and yelled “NIGGER LOVER!!!”. This man could have killed me with one punch but I got up and was ready to charge him as I started to yell back. She stopped me. I was enraged and she was trying to calm me down. I asked her how she could remain so calm and she told me something that I would never forget. She said “he is afraid and that’s all. He’s afraid of what he doesn’t know and has probably had his head filled with a bunch of lies about how we are trying to take over the world and will enslave him when we do. You can’t fight that with your fists.”

This stuck with me and it helped me understand why it was that these fools will always be around. Of course, she followed that with “besides, he’s an inbreed idiot that is probably on his way to sleep with his cousin who has 3 teeth, so how can you really hurt him worse than he already is”.

So in a word, yes. But it’s coming from a different angle. White people have too much fear of reverse discrimination and african americans have too much fear of repeating the past. But the largest contributor to modern racism is the fear that everyone of the other race (Hispanic, Asian, African American, Caucasion, etc…) is a racist.

But to go back to the “Naggers” post, I believe that was in referrence to people who nag too much, not African Americans.