Prejudiced or racist?

[Tecate]

So yesterday I was in the local general store/pot office/ liquor store grabbing my mail when I was asked by an indigenous fellow if I was going into (the closest bigger town), I was and he asked if he could pay me $40 for a ride there. I told him that I was going already and he didn’t have to pay me.

He insisted, so I stuffed it in my pocket and away we went. I asked before he got in if he had allergies, because my girl was in the truck and she sheds year round. Nope, so away we went.

Of course we got to talking and he was saying how he got stuck in this particular situation etc. unfuckingbelievable how he just saw it as a minor inconvenience. I would have been livid and wanted to kick the person’s ass who had left him in that predicament.

I digress… jeez thanks Maxmars…

Anyway, we got into the racism discussion. He said that (as I believe) we are all the same race. There is no such thing, but there is prejudice. We spoke about beliefs, commonalities among cultures and respect.

Then we talked about prejudice. The fear of others because of skin colour and what you have heard about them.

I’m very open minded and love a good conversation, and we really had one!

I know that I am very prejudiced, due to certain situations, but I am not racist.

My 2 pesos…

Tecate

[UltraBudgie]

There are certain hardwired parts of the brain that immediately make us notice differences in each other; I don't think that's racist or prejudice? Racism and prejudice are things that aren't instinct, but something some people allow themselves to rationalize.

I really like the idea that we are all one race / species! It's true. Races are something we made up that happen to be easy to train our brains to be biased with.

For a scary thought exercise, try spending one day being internally prejudiced against everyone, for the most specific reason you can observe for each person. For example, people with detached earlobes, or long fingers. It can really illuminate hidden perceptions and put things in perspective! Obviously don't be mean or nasty, just see how it affects your thoughts.


Edit to add: there are probably fancy phd definitions of racism and prejudice and such that people spend years writing big papers with long words describing, but i don't care, you get what i'm saying i think -- it's about deciding to put up barriers to empathy and kindness, deliberately, not about just noticing differences

[85303]

In my experienceLiving as the "white man" on a reserve I can tell you the race thing lives here and now.  Everyone has their own idea of right and the common part doesn't actually exist.  But they will tell you all about what equal means.  So long as you don't point out their bias your good to go

[Maxmars]

This has always been something which gives me pause about who people are, and who they are not.

I see blue... I like blue... must that mean I then hate red?  Does my liking blue somehow diminish the value of red? Is red now 'worse' and does my liking blue mean blue is 'better?'

I see someone different... is what makes them different a reason for hesitation?  Fear?  Antipathy? 

I can only say that prejudice and bias are something which has value only to myself... until it is outwardly manifested, it exists as an element of consideration internally. 

But the moment I utter the bias, manifest the idea of a prejudicial difference of another - to another... then it seems like a precipice is reached... my choice of distinction becomes an invitation to the like-minded, to leap across that chasm and "join my mind" on my side.  Except the whole 'sides' idea is a fallacy. It's only a perception... not an element of realty.

Root psychological causes, meaning ancient fear/survival impulses, are an element in the growth of bias and prejudice...  but those are just seeds... it's how we cultivate them that leads to whatever hatefulness we sow.

Bias and prejudice relates to an internal state... it's how I act on them, what I "do," how I behave that forms the toxic slime that spreads around... It's whether I am gleefully pleased to see it fester among others, like some narcissistic schadenfreude, feeding my ego... or feeling suddenly victimized when I learn my prejudice isolates me from the rest of my world. 

Bias and prejudice are most problematic when it becomes the tool of activism... interestingly, it doesn't matter if it's for or against...  often it creates an equal and opposite prejudice, but one just as damaging... bolstered by the fact that it is polarized in the opposite direction, but just as toxic, and usually just as unreasonable.

[xpert11]

As a white guy, I offer a brief side note. I discussed my military history prejudices with a well-spoken American who is well-spoken and highly knowledgeable about our shared interests. He pointed out how, from his standpoint, prejudice is another term for racism. This person prefers the term biases in that context.

Moreover, Australians and Kiwis don't make that particular distinction, leaving the term racism or racist to make our related points. Undoubtedly, racism doesn't have geographical confines, but there are different cultural lenses.

[Tecate]

One thing that we talked about was after he asked me if I hunt or fish. I said that I fish and he asked if I had ever fished the lake that his home reservation is named for.
I told him that I was informed that I really shouldn’t if I’m not with some local First Nations people, that I would get run off.

He agreed that has happened, but stated that it is the “Rezzed out “ ones who do that. I had never heard that term before and asked what he meant. He said that there’s a number of his people who essentially never leave the rez and never see the outside world. They stick around and make life harder for everyone else there. I thought about that while driving home and I understand how that could play out.

Anyway as I dropped him off I made sure to give him his money back as I’m sure he would need it. I was going to town already and he made the drive more enjoyable.

Thanks for the responses folks.

Tecate