What is your definition of a racist?

BTW I think this was a very good post. Most would jump to discussing "racism in the U.S." or something. But discussing the various perceptions of "what is the definition of a racist" might be enlightening, and certainly should be a prerequisite to discussing racism.

My son has been working in China for the last 2 years and he says the average Chinese has an almost natural distrust and to some degree dislike for forgieners. Chinese history is a collection of defeats and other bad stuff like the Opium Wars, Boxer Rebellion, Nanjing Massacre, Sino-Japanese War, the Great Famine, etc., which the leadership has always portrayed China as blameless in every circumstance. Although these things where centuries or many decades ago, they are embedded in the Chinese mental DNA/subconscious. This is somewhat similar for African Americans, slavery ended, but it is not forgotten and that history is embedded in their mental DNA/subconscious. The thought of a White person feeling superior because of their race brings history to the present.

I know, i know wrote:

One who likes to watch contests where competitors vie to get from start to finish quickest

This is probably the one reason I come back to this forum on occasion. The sea of non running drivel is difficult to take. But this is by far the best response to the OP query. Thanks for the laugh.

TrackCoach wrote:

. This is somewhat similar for African Americans, slavery ended, but it is not forgotten and that history is embedded in their mental DNA/subconscious.

Odd idea, so explain how it is embedded in the mental DNA/subconscious of African Americans?

Someone who believes Jews from Poland are entitled to steal Palestinian land and homes using violence.

Hirohito wrote:

Someone who believes Jews from Poland are entitled to steal Palestinian land and homes using violence.

Plus the others that join in to promote this.

Racism - there are things we are allowed to speak about and there are things that are strictly taboo to speak about.

Historical and ongoing racism of whites toward blacks and it's terrible effect on blacks is ok to speak about.

But other factors exist too but as an educated person, I know that I should never speak about them, so I won't.

I'm wondering what the point of this thread could be, since we have dictionaries which tell us what words mean. Everyone who is able to submit a reply, has access to online dictionaries. It seems all too common for people to ignore standard definitions they don't like, and decide for themselves what words really mean. But then again, maybe that is why. I would agree with you that the term "racist" is over-used, and the over-use of words can diminish the real issue, so it might be worth directing people to some dictionary definitions: racism: "prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one's own race is superior" prejudice: "preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience" "an unfair and unreasonable opinion or feeling, especially when formed without enough thought or knowledge" prejudgement: "to pass judgment on prematurely or without sufficient reflection or investigation" prejudge: "form a judgement on (an issue or person) prematurely and without having adequate information" discrimination: "the unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people" To be "racist", there are several elements: judgements based on race; racial superiority or inferiority; premature judgements which are unfair, and not based on reason, evidence, or sufficient reflection or investigation; unfairness and unjustness. Everyone of all races can be racist. Nothing in these definitions limit who can be considered racist. Simple bias is not racism, but the underlying roots for such bias can be racist. But we should not get lost in a lengthy discussion on semantics -- that should be quick to resolve by consulting dictionaries, which should be fairly definitive. The danger is that the only response becomes a never-ending semantic debate about whether better words are synonyms "racial discrimination, racialism, racial prejudice/bigotry, xenophobia, chauvinism, bigotry, bias, intolerance", serving as a distraction that replaces any attempt to address the real issues, regardless of label.

Please no politics wrote:

Please do not mention any political party or person in this discussion.

The term, racist, is used often and there is much disagreement about who is and who is not one.

Certainly if you join a KIK or some other hate group you are racist.

But people can have different levels of bias for against certain groups but not to the extent of being considered a racist.

I think we all, blacks and whites have some biases, and it's foolish to think we don't. But we are not all racists. I also think hatred or demeaning thoughts toward another race is racism, and any color or religion can harbor racists. But simple bias is not racism.

Discuss.

Actually that was a well-written post that is wrong. Let me explain why this is a an important discussion. First consider two things, the meaning of words evolve and people use words without looking in the dictionary but those words have a particular meaning to them.

The word racist is a heavily emotion laden and judgemental word. No one uses that word as a descriptor lightly. People argue about who is it who is not racist.

It's good to know what exactly they mean when they say racist.

So that fact that you looked it up and have the dictionary definition is irrelevant. What is important, so we are on common ground, is to understand what the person using the term means.

And people do have different meanings.

Which part was wrong? I kind of agreed that it was important to get on the same page, as "all too common for people to ignore standard definitions they don't like, and decide for themselves what words really mean" before I gave some dictionary definitions that most educated people understand as the meanings of the words.

Racist is and should be "a heavily emotion laden and judgemental word". But pausing for a moment to say "well technically that is not racism but xenophopia" or "Judiasm is not a race", doesn't seem all that important, compared to the larger issue, and correcting this semantic mistake does not eliminate the basis for heavy emotion or need for judgement. Is it really important to say: he is not racist, but rather a xenophobe?

You've evolved into talking about what "people argue". Your original question, to me, among others, was "what is my definition?" I gave you an answer -- my answer -- which is the right answer to the question, what is "my" definition. You specifically requested not to mention people, and you did not provide anyone's argument, so what "people argue" is not part of your question. I cannot comment on "what people argue" when there is no example of such an argument to help illustrate what exactly you mean by "people argue" about who is or is not a racist. There is no "person using this term" to discuss what they really mean by those terms. If that is the important discussion, you should start that thread.

I fear the danger of bringing up this discussion, as its own goal, distracts from the bigger important issue, or that others will join it, serving their own goal to replace the issue with one of semantics -- "What I did is not racist because technically ...". Quibbling about whether something is racist, or xenophic, or religious discrimination, and emphasizing that it's really important to get this label right, seems to distract from the fact that someone is saying terrible things, regardless of label, and that that is the more important problem that needs to be addressed.

Let's not dwell for too long on definitions, or what people really mean, or what the real label is, if it delays real discussion on the larger issue.

I would agree it is kind of pointless to argue what "people really mean" without mentioning which people, which words they used, and in which context. I would agree though with whoever says the term "racist" is often overused, and that throwing the term around loosely, at non-racist situations, tends to dilute cases of "real" racism.

Although most of your post was accurate, the part that was misdirected was in your opening line questioning the point of this thread. The point of this thread, which I feel is important is to understand that when people call someone racist and argue about it, they maybe referring to different meanings. Some believe blacks can't be racist (based on their definition), some think any bias is racist, some think it reflects a deeper darker hatred.

Also I disagree that brining up this issue in some way delays discussion of the larger issue. If anything this thread has probably encouraged more people to think about the larger issue.

The point of this thread was not to debate semantics it was to increase understanding of what people mean when they say racist.

Racist is the current program of forcefully displacing whites with other races and the brainwashing to mix any remaining whites with non-caucasian races. Massive racist programming going on now on TV, Hollywood, and others to convince us its much more preferrable for a white to procreate with a non-white...showing us how other races are strong, wise, respectable, honorable while whites are either dumb, helpless, murderers, etc.

I’m sure the mass murderer in El Paso who killed people specifically by the way they looked doesn’t think he’s racist.

And a lot of racist people also do not think he is racist.

I don’t know if racism awareness is taught in school “these days” (as you implied), but the lesson I received was from 1979. Our teacher was Dutch, presumably having survived Nazi occupiers, so he didn’t have the luxury of a purely academic approach.

Does referring to an act or comment as racist, mean that you think the person is racist?

Can someone say something racist and mean it and not be racist?

You mean Trump?

I thought the definition was the belief that ones own ethnic background is superior to others.

So when I say the Kenyans (Black People??) are superior runners and the master race I myself and not being a racist.

Just another white smuck here.

Star wrote:

It is a subjective term but most people can come to a majority consensus and identify a racist person or racist action when they see one.

And you can be sure that that person does not consider themselves or actions as racist.

In fact, at the same time that are saying something that collectively offends a group of people, they get highly offended when they are called racist for doing that.

I think this was the most important post here. I don't agree that just because something collectively offends a group of people it should (or can) be considered racist - but that does seem to be where we have reached. And "offend" seems to be now taken as something I just don't like. But people also still think of racists as someone who hates or is prejudiced against a certain race.

So we now conclude because I say something that offends a group of people, I hate or am prejudiced against those people.

In fact, the statement could be true, or it is wrong and I am misinformed, and I don't really hate or am prejudiced against those people.