Racism will never die

[heaven05]

Last edited Tue Jun 23, 2015, 04:22 PM - Edit history (4)

One thing about the DU site, NOT THIS FORUM, that I have realized is that even among liberal and progressives racism is not dead. How can I say this? It's by the many responses I've responded to in 10000+ posts that have made me realize, at 67 years old, racism will never be eradicated in our society, either the overt kind, not the racists in society in general murdering and executing POC and poor or on this DU site. Neither the covert kind, or slyly overt kind. They are those who are sooner rather than later pointed out and deleted. Yet the numbers of so-called progressives and liberals who fit my presented criteria here depress me to no end. The last week all the way back to Trayvon Martin, just as an arbitrary starting point, have made my observation(s) be set in stone for me. I am not mentioning any one in particular but my experience here at DU has been a frustrating reflection of the demographically divided society we reside in.

Please don't misconstrue my comments as a blanket statement, there are some truly wonderful, empathetic and sympathetic people here in this forum especially, but also in the general comment forums who are analytical, critical thinkers of all racial stripes. It's the "wait for the facts" people in the face of obvious murder or execution that I point to. It's the many apologist for cop murder and abuse of unarmed POC, ranging from child to adult, men and women. It's the thug word users in certain cases and the mentally ill word user in others, that are members here, that have confirmed my observations to be true.

White privilege has also been revealed to me on this site. Always subconsciously knew existed just never really was able to attache a specific label to it. This site as given me example after example of that fact of american life and experience.

Thanks again DU for my continuing education and confirmation concerning race and the impossibility of eradicating racism in this society where it is part and parcel of every thread of the american fabric/culture.

[randys1]

1. Like I said, ALL white Americans are born with and take advantage of white privilege

therefore ALL white Americans are something, I cant say what but you know

[Exultant Democracy]

2. I think demographic trends will prove this statement false

There will of course always be bigots and bias, but those are very different things from racism. I don't think the institutionalized racism of america will be able to survive a majority minority population for very long. Current trends in the patterns of re-urbanization however will have lingering generational effects much like red lining did during the white flight period.

[heaven05]

3. demograhpic trends are one thing

Last edited Tue Jun 23, 2015, 08:17 PM - Edit history (2)

systemic and institutionalized racist hate is another. While what you say, is transpiring, the demographic change, that is all the more reason for me to be able to say what I said. The more demographics change to the point you are referring to, maybe 100 years down the road, arbitrary number of years, probably longer, the MORE entrenched racism will become because the tribal mentality that is at the bottom of all this division now will become more evident and vicious. Just my opinion, nothing else.

[Exultant Democracy]

4. You understand racism and bigotry are two very different things. Without extrodinary measure

like those taken in south Africa during apartheid it is nearly impossible for a minority population to maintain the institutions of racism. 50 or 100 years down the line is still infinity shorter then never. If you had said "in my lifetime" I wouldn't have taken issue but "never" is just hyperbole.

[heaven05]

5. no it isn't hyperbole

racism is all I'm commenting on. Try not to go down the garden path with the racism and bigotry are different distraction and I'll agree, somewhat. Bigotry and bias will be with us always, also This is not S.Africa, the S. African dutch took what america had been doing for a few generations and applied it to their success. Their society also did not have overt slavery as one of the cornerstones of it's governing policy. Neither did it have First American genocide as one of it's cornerstones of dominance. Not a good analogy at all. With that country just the original numbers of the people who they were trying to dominate doomed them from the beginning of their adventure there.

Racial demographics in numbers that will favor POC in this country, enough to doom white racism, will be much further down the road than you're willing to admit and that's fine. My lifetime will NOT see the end of race based hate in this country. My children won't see it, my grandchildren won't see it, period. The dynamic here is nothing like the analogy you're attempting here.

Hyperbole? In your book only. Take issue all you please with my word NEVER. The level and depth of racial hate and divisiveness in this country, regardless of numbers and/or changing demographics is not relevant to the reality of racial divisiveness in this country and that divisiveness will assure continued strife, between the races, for generations to come. Even if POC finally "take over" and others take back their stolen land.

[Exultant Democracy]

6. race hate and racism are very different things, and it is very important.

It is the reason that the term reverse-racism is logically impossible, and I for one think that is important.

Bigotry has a history as long as humanity, but racism is a relatively new invention that will become unsustainable relatively soon. If the actual definition of racism isn't important to you, don't use the word and save it for those who use it in the correct context. I think the misunderstand of what racism actually is is one of the reasons white people have such trouble wrapping their heads around what is structurally wrong with america, when we convolute racism with bigotry we do ourselves a disservice by dramatically oversimplifying the situation.

When racism=bigotry all a white person in America has to do is say, I'm not a bigot so I'm not part of the problem.

[heaven05]

7. but, but,

I know I can't be racist, Reverse racism is a white obfuscation to distract from the real mechanisms of racism. No problem. I don't have the system or institutions to perpetuate racism through all social and economic levels of this society. So you're not telling me anything new. Racism and it's definition is very important to me, I just don't see racism's action(s) through your lens. I do understand the power mechanism of racism vs bigotry and I can see that with your, I assume, education, you have a needle to thread. Thread on friend. I know what racism entails and I will continue to use this word in the correct manner no matter your, I feel, intellectual arrogance that denies the reality of the application of racism vs bigotry in actual living to face it everyday. Maybe you do face racism but to diminish it's importance and power with intellectual obfuscation concerning demographics and convolution is just not something I can understand as helping the racist understand that I know what racism is and I know if they are overtly or covertly being racist toward me or others....it's not hard to wrap my mind around. I can be a bigot, I cannot be a racist.

White people can't get their heads around racism because to admit the pervasiveness of it and the anger it generates would possibly threaten the privilege and economic perks that many have gained because of it's use in this society against all POC. They don't want to lose their perceived racial supremacy and dominance, that scares the hell out of the PTB. Racism is here, it has been here for generations and it will remain until........ so have fun, I'm not in need of your type of reality. It has no meaning to me since you have tried by your convolutions of logic to put me in some kind of different world than the one I have to face as a POC in a systemically and institutionally racist culture everyday. I don't sense you really understand that. Too bad, but one way or another you'll be jarred awake to face reality one of these days. Have a good one, enough for me. I assume by your avatar that you are AA which makes this conversation that much more difficult. I don't understand you.

[Exultant Democracy]

8. Big different between never and the next 50-100 years

saying something will never happen is the same as saying time to give up. Understanding the role we play in the longer sweep of history is a key logical component to why these fights are important now, because in time they will matter.

Saying something will never happen is almost always hyperbole and rarely useful, but if you want to stand by your statement by all means have at it.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

11. "race hate" and "racism" are different? Could've fucking fooled me!

We don't need white people telling us what racism is and is not. Please stop!

[Exultant Democracy]

13. What "white people" are telling what racism is?

I would ask you to please stop promoting ignorance among our people. Words have meaning and you are wrong. When you conflate racism and bigotry you do us all a major disservice.

[JustAnotherGen]

9. Stop Waiting For Racism to die out

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1187&pid=16048

A good thread - go to the gollygee link within.

Heaven is my mother's age - I'm in my early 40's.

My greatest fear - if those young people enter the leadship - the policies continue.

Then look up Maverick PAC and look at who attended their conference in DC last September.

[JustAnotherGen]

10. See my post # 9

[heaven05]

12. thank you

needed another perspective without the intellectual gobbledygook. my words weren't understood. I guess.