I think that in a lot of predominantly white societies, people aren't familiar with other cultures. I also think a lot of parents are so cautious about their children becoming racist that children become scared to say anything at all about race, and that has led to our 'PC' society. I reckon it's more a case of people being unfamiliar with people of different races, and scared to find out in case they offend someone by asking, which leads to a very wide gap between different races and stereotypes building, which is more unfamiliarity than superiority, although it sometimes presents itself that way.
For example, I talk in a northern english accent. I think when some people first meet me that surprises them, they expect me to have some kind of Jamaican/African inflection or struggle to find the right words. But I don't think that surprise is them being superior, just that some of their previous assumptions have being proved wrong.
I think that while it is quite amusing when people will skirt about instead of calling someone black or white, identifying someone in a crowd they'll say, 'the one with the stripy jumper' or 'with the black hair', even if they're talking about the only black person in the room. But at the same time it is quite sad that we live in such a society where so many people are afraid of being labelled racist.
As a monkey i have more rights - I totally agree with you.
First of all, the mojority of people who bought slaves never went inland. Who brought them then? Why the africans of course! They sold out there fellow blacks to the white people. I would like to see the ancestors of those africans pay for their crimes against humanity. Also the africans who killed countless people in Rwanda, the Congo, need I go on? No race is better than the other! Got it? Take your ignorant butt off of this website if your going to spew such hatred.
Btw, as a decendent of Ireland my ancestors were treated like garbage. There were signs such as Irish need not apply for jobs, and irish people regularly got beat up. So dont assume that white people dont get treated unfairly. Ok Im done now.
Narrow minded bigots come in all nationalities, races, religions, etc....as do open-minded people
Reminds me of an interesting discussion with a friend's mom [a Latina activist] several years ago.
She told me:
"I think everyone in the world should be brown and speak Spanish"
I replied:
"Adolf Hitler wanted something very similar just two generations ago. The only difference was he thought everyone in the world should be Aryan and speak German. Millions died because of it...not only those he killed, but all of those killed in the campaign to defeat him"
She responded
"You didn't understand my statement, I am just proud of my people. Don't you white people like Latinos?"
I said
"I could only respond to what you told me, not what you might have been thinking. And yes I like Latinos, I am married to a Latina lady. Do you assume that because I am white, I could not like people different than myself? Do you consider yourself to be tolerant? Your words don't demonstrate that. What you say is disturbing....you demand acceptance yourself and 'your people', yet you give none to anyone else. Don't you think Ethiopians like their skin color, language and culture? How about Chinese, Pakistanis, Kenyans, Jamaicans, Iranians, Malays, Maoris, etc? None of them fit in your 'acceptance box' either"
My point is that some people who think because of certain characacteristics [race, nationality, etc. ] they are automatically assumed to be 'open-minded' and 'tolerant'...when they really aren't. Likewise, because of certain characteristics [race, nationality, etc. ] other people are assumed to be 'closed-minded' and 'intolerant'. I've met far far far too many people who don't fit the labels they have been given. People are people, you cannot make blanket judgments based on such criteria.
Are you referring to all of America or just the US? Either way, not all people are the same. Some are bigoted, some aren't. Only a complete moron, like the first answerer, would generalize millions of people as one.
I think that the fact that we (USA) REelected bush despite him being a fool (extremely understated) made the world believe that the whole country is indeed bigoted, self centered, irrational, selfish, etc. Now I believe Obama is somewhat of a symbol that we are willing to change and accept other ways of life and there is some hope for us. But many years of an ethnocentric US foreign policy will be hard to overcome...
they have extra reason to be, politically and religiously. i'm born and bred in England and have not as quickly as been criticised in Glasgow for conversing with an English accessory. I doubt it extremely is purely because of the fact i'm a Celtic fan.
America is not Bigtoed, some individuals come of to be, particilarly leaders or wanna be gangsters(which this population is growing dramatically, i might have to move out of America before they take over)
Comments
Only those who don't like to learn about other cultures and are unable to appreciate them.
I think that in a lot of predominantly white societies, people aren't familiar with other cultures. I also think a lot of parents are so cautious about their children becoming racist that children become scared to say anything at all about race, and that has led to our 'PC' society. I reckon it's more a case of people being unfamiliar with people of different races, and scared to find out in case they offend someone by asking, which leads to a very wide gap between different races and stereotypes building, which is more unfamiliarity than superiority, although it sometimes presents itself that way.
For example, I talk in a northern english accent. I think when some people first meet me that surprises them, they expect me to have some kind of Jamaican/African inflection or struggle to find the right words. But I don't think that surprise is them being superior, just that some of their previous assumptions have being proved wrong.
I think that while it is quite amusing when people will skirt about instead of calling someone black or white, identifying someone in a crowd they'll say, 'the one with the stripy jumper' or 'with the black hair', even if they're talking about the only black person in the room. But at the same time it is quite sad that we live in such a society where so many people are afraid of being labelled racist.
As a monkey i have more rights - I totally agree with you.
First of all, the mojority of people who bought slaves never went inland. Who brought them then? Why the africans of course! They sold out there fellow blacks to the white people. I would like to see the ancestors of those africans pay for their crimes against humanity. Also the africans who killed countless people in Rwanda, the Congo, need I go on? No race is better than the other! Got it? Take your ignorant butt off of this website if your going to spew such hatred.
Btw, as a decendent of Ireland my ancestors were treated like garbage. There were signs such as Irish need not apply for jobs, and irish people regularly got beat up. So dont assume that white people dont get treated unfairly. Ok Im done now.
Narrow minded bigots come in all nationalities, races, religions, etc....as do open-minded people
Reminds me of an interesting discussion with a friend's mom [a Latina activist] several years ago.
She told me:
"I think everyone in the world should be brown and speak Spanish"
I replied:
"Adolf Hitler wanted something very similar just two generations ago. The only difference was he thought everyone in the world should be Aryan and speak German. Millions died because of it...not only those he killed, but all of those killed in the campaign to defeat him"
She responded
"You didn't understand my statement, I am just proud of my people. Don't you white people like Latinos?"
I said
"I could only respond to what you told me, not what you might have been thinking. And yes I like Latinos, I am married to a Latina lady. Do you assume that because I am white, I could not like people different than myself? Do you consider yourself to be tolerant? Your words don't demonstrate that. What you say is disturbing....you demand acceptance yourself and 'your people', yet you give none to anyone else. Don't you think Ethiopians like their skin color, language and culture? How about Chinese, Pakistanis, Kenyans, Jamaicans, Iranians, Malays, Maoris, etc? None of them fit in your 'acceptance box' either"
My point is that some people who think because of certain characacteristics [race, nationality, etc. ] they are automatically assumed to be 'open-minded' and 'tolerant'...when they really aren't. Likewise, because of certain characteristics [race, nationality, etc. ] other people are assumed to be 'closed-minded' and 'intolerant'. I've met far far far too many people who don't fit the labels they have been given. People are people, you cannot make blanket judgments based on such criteria.
Are you referring to all of America or just the US? Either way, not all people are the same. Some are bigoted, some aren't. Only a complete moron, like the first answerer, would generalize millions of people as one.
I think that the fact that we (USA) REelected bush despite him being a fool (extremely understated) made the world believe that the whole country is indeed bigoted, self centered, irrational, selfish, etc. Now I believe Obama is somewhat of a symbol that we are willing to change and accept other ways of life and there is some hope for us. But many years of an ethnocentric US foreign policy will be hard to overcome...
they have extra reason to be, politically and religiously. i'm born and bred in England and have not as quickly as been criticised in Glasgow for conversing with an English accessory. I doubt it extremely is purely because of the fact i'm a Celtic fan.
America is not Bigtoed, some individuals come of to be, particilarly leaders or wanna be gangsters(which this population is growing dramatically, i might have to move out of America before they take over)
bigoted
any country which tried to help or control any other will come across like this in general, no matter how good there intentions
Very.
Especially against different religions.