Are You a Racist?

[Frogacuda]

Personally, I think that the politically correct view that we are all the same is insulting. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for equality, but shooing differences under a rug and pretending they aren't there is not going to bring us closer to understanding and accepting each other. We're all different and we should celebrate it.

What distinguishes a racist is someone who associates these differences with race rather than culture. It is not racist, for example, to acknowledge that there's a higher violent crime rate among blacks in the US compared to white. But it is racist to say something like "Blacks are more violent than whites" that attributes that result to blackness rather than environmental factors.

[Nash]

Recognizing a difference in culture is not racism.

I don't think you're aware of the context.

ProTip: There are foreigners of all races.

Yeah, but I'm sure he wasn't talking about whites or blacks.

I think I gave a pretty good explanation to that statement in the thread after you called me out on it. People don't even have to speak English in my opinion but there is some responsibility to being a US resident and/or citizen.

I disagree about the responsibility thing. But anyway, it just comes off as somewhat dismissive of other cultures. I don't know you personally, but like I said that's just the vibe I get from your posts when you talk about other races, especially with phrases like "People don't have to speak English, but..."

[Some Stupid Japanese Name]

People do have to speak English.
We have a responsibility to help them learn, and they have a responsibility to try to learn.
No magical snowflakes, right?

[Nash]

People do have to speak English.
We have a responsibility to help them learn, and they have a responsibly to try to learn.
No magical snowflakes, right?

I don't agree that anyone should have to learn English. It'd be a lot more helpful for them if they did learn it, but that's their choice and their problem.

[Some Stupid Japanese Name]

It's not just their problem. That's a very myopic point of view.

[Diff-chan]

Eh, as long as they don't expect me to learn their language, I don't care what they speak. Bring along a translator if they have business to do (their kids, usually).

[Yoshi]

I don't agree that anyone should have to learn English. It'd be a lot more helpful for them if they did learn it, but that's their choice and their problem.

I would support that stance, if the last part were actually true.

[Yoshi]

What distinguishes a racist is someone who associates these differences with race rather than culture. It is not racist, for example, to acknowledge that there's a higher violent crime rate among blacks in the US compared to white. But it is racist to say something like "Blacks are more violent than whites" that attributes that result to blackness rather than environmental factors.

I understand your point, but that's a ridiculous statement. Correlation is correlation. Assuming correlation = causation is wrong, but correctly identifying correlation is not racist in any way, shape, or form. Blacks are more likely to be violent than whites is a statistical fact, regardless of the root cause.

[Some Stupid Japanese Name]

We are all supposed to gel into one happy little society for the betterment of all. Lack of a common language and understanding is one hell of a barrier in the way of that goal.
This is the UNITED States of America. If I were to decide to move to Japan tomorrow, I wouldn't expect everyone there to learn English to suit my needs. I'd be all desu ne and shit.

[Diff-chan]

I wouldn't expect everyone there to learn English to suit my needs. I'd be all desu ne and shit.

I thought I made it clear that as long as they aren't expecting me to learn their language I don't give a shit what they speak. If you went to Japan and expected everything to learn English you would just be an asshole.