Racism

Racism definition- the belief that all members of each race possess characteristics or abilities specific to that race, especially so as to distinguish it as inferior or superior to another race or races.
If you had to defend racism, how would you?
Why are you not a racist? or why are you?

You used the Oxford definition, and I do not like that definition. It is too wishy washy in establishing what a racist would like like.

I believe all members of a human racial classification possess at least several racial charecteristics (skin color being the obvious one) , but I do not believe that any of these characteristics make any racial classification superior or inferior to any other. The word "especially" is what is throwing me off the most.

Bi0Hazard: First of all, the term "racist" has been poisoned (that is, it's become one of the most severe insults of contemporary Western society) , so virtually nobody who held racist tendencies would admit to being one. Until this changes, a society cannot hold an honest conversation on racism.
I think that racism can actually serve a useful purpose. Whenever you totally remove tribalism, a society becomes uniform and bland. Over the long term, maintaining diversity requires some degree of racism. Racial hatred or the belief in one race's superiority/inferiority is where the problem lies.

Dassault Papillon: First of all, the term "racist" has been poisoned (that is, it's become one of the most severe insults of contemporary Western society) , so virtually nobody who held racist tendencies would admit to being one

The neo-nazis and assorted fascist groups will outright say they are racist. The people who wont admit they are racist are non-fascist and white.

Dassault Papillon: I feel the same way, you may be able to call me a racist, I believe Humans can be divided into races, but I don't think belonging to a particular race inherently makes you "inferior" or "superior".

I remember last time this was debated here, there was an argument on whether you could classify humans into individual races.

I think that the human race is one race, but also several constructed races at the same time.

Crow: but I do not believe that any of these characteristics make any racial classification superior or inferior to any other.
This is a big part of racism though. Racists believe that people from other races are "inferior", however, would someone be a racist if they didn't think that races are superior or inferior but believed that humans possess characteristics/abilities to their race?

Bi0Hazard: My point was that the way the definition was worded, you could be considered racist even if you do not meet all the criteria.

I thought everyone would respond more negative about this, but I guess you guys are a bit more understanding on this topic.

There's only one race, the human race.

Consider cows for example. There are white cows, black cows, and brown cows. Would anybody consider those cows different races? That's silly.

Krazy: So, that means your not a racist.

Krazy: How are you defining "race"?

Krazy:
Consider cows for example. There are white cows, black cows, and brown cows. Would anybody consider those cows different races? That's silly.

Zoologists actually do classify animal species by race (and they use that exact word too)[/]

It isn't silly either. Scientists use these classifications to distinguish animals of the same species as having different general characteristics.

Bi0Hazard: Yeah, I would ask how race is being defined too. Most definitions have it as a form of division among one group.

What I said last time to him and admin, is that as long as scientists and sociologists continue to categorize humanity, there will continue to be separate races. Race is a social construct, so as long as people believe in the concept, it is real.

Besides, if we started to classify all of humanity as one race, we would be committing cultural appropriation....

Bi0Hazard: All of humanity descended from one man and one woman, so all of humanity is one blood. Unless if you believe in evolution, which is an inherently racist philosophy.

Race can be defined as the major divisions of mankind. The whites, blacks, and the orientals are the main 3 people groups. But when you think about it, all of mankind descended from one man and one woman, so the idea of there being different "races" is wrong, and there are no major divisions of mankind. It's just skin color. Just like any other physical characteristic.

So an appropriate definition of "race" is anything that can reproduce after its own kind. Such as the human race.

Crow: Zoologists actually do classify animal species by race (and they use that exact word too)[/]

It isn't silly either. Scientists use these classifications to distinguish animals of the same species as having different general characteristics
It depends on how you define race. And it is silly to use the word "race" because technically, all of mankind descended from one man and one woman. So there is no white race, black race, etc. We're all relatives to each other.

But again, it just comes down to semantics.

Krazy: All of humanity descended from one man and one woman, so all of humanity is one blood.

Irrelevant. Racial classifications do not attempt to disprove this.

Race can be defined as the major divisions of mankind. The whites, blacks, and the orientals are the main 3 people groups.

That isn't what it can be. That is exactly what it is.

But again, it just comes down to semantics.
Well it is, but in this case it is merited. It is one thing to argue popular definitions, but a totally different thing to attempt to redefine the English language by yourself.

Crow: It is one thing to argue popular definitions, but a totally different thing to attempt to redefine the English language by yourself.
That's not what I did. Words can have more than one meaning.