Babbling

[The_Pirate-King]

I think it's time we had a chat. This chat, as may have inferred, is about discrimination in all it's forms.

No, I'm not going to call you all bigots. That's for you to decide. What I'd like to do is explain something to you, about discrimination.

You don't really get it. You won't ever really get it, most likely. Because you will never experience it.

The best you can do is try, and even then, you are like an astronomer probing the stars; detached, at best.

So please. The next time you see a person of color, or a woman, or a homosexual, or whoever, decrying discrimination against themselves and their fellows, stop a moment. Before instantky dismissing what is being said, think. Think, "maybe I should listen to what they have to say."

"maybe my extraordinarily limited time on this earth has not provided me with the experience needed to fully understand this topic on my own"

"maybe I should defer to people who have said experience, or at least listen carefully"

I should note that this applies to every subgroup (heterosexual, whites, and males), but especially you, hetero white males. Racism, sexism, and homophobia are so far from the realm of your experience that they are practically beyond your mortal comprehension.

So please. Take a moment. Humble thyself a bit. Because you do not have one clue what the fu​​​​ck you are talking about.

Sincerely,
The_Pirate-King

[Rherren]

You forgot "christian"

[DiscoFevers]

Queer.

[The_Pirate-King]

Ah yes. I forgot the only category I don't fall into.

[inhumanrampager]

But what if I hate everyone equally? I'm not discriminating, am I?

[-Ninja_Jesus-]

Dammit, you ruined my parody thread with the addition of "Christian".

[tsar4]

I've never experience discrimination?

Yeah, sure.  Guess my being scrawny, pasty white, part Polish male wasn't brought to my attention repeatedly all through my school years.  Musta made that up in my head.

Doesn't matter that I've had/have friends of every race, color, creed, orientation...

Perhaps you should take heed of your own words and not single out a specific group to discriminate against.

[kimopo]

Actually, I have been at the butt end of discrimination for being white. Kind of not fun at all. Discrimination is wrong no matter who it comes from or who it's directed at....

They called me haole and tried to pick fights with me a lot. Of course, I'm really good at difusing fights, so I was able to stay out of them. And I was lucky enough not to fall victim to the mindless response of more racism right back. A little teasing for being white wasn't honestly as bad as what I suffered for being fat and nerdy. I think anyone who's been fat or nerdy growing up knows full well the pain of prejudice there. 

[anDaibhalsHusair]

No.

[Llama_Fly_Aardvark]

itt: ppl mistake discrimination for school bullying

[DoseOfLaughter]

Pretty much this: http://youtu.be/TG4f9zR5yzY

[Rasputin0070]

There's discrimination, and then there's discrimination.

There's discrimination, and then there's institutional, historic, systemic, lingering, and inhuman discrimination.  I doubt you'll find many peers who are that interested in placing you as a lesser class of citizen because you're scrawny, white and Polish.  Yeah, I got picked on in school too.  And sure, if you wanted to pull out a Websters, I guess you could technically call it discrimination.  But it's not the type this thread is about.  And it's exactly the point I think Pirate is trying to make. 

You go through the discrimination you're accustomed to and then you think you can emphasize with the other types.  To the point where you can say you know where they're coming from and critique how they deal with it.  You think that perhaps because you're friendly to people regardless of race you have a deeper knowledge and association.  And you do.  But it's important to realize you can't wear their skin, vicariously. 

There are dangers and societal preconceptions associated with real discrimination that you and I have never experienced. 

And now you're feeling discriminated against because you feel left out of that group.  Isn't that interesting?  I know, because I've been there.  I think that most, reasonably considerate white guys have been there at one time or another.  You want to understand, you know you've had it hard, and you want them to understand that you understand what it's like to go through what they've gone through.

The problem is, we don't know.  And assuming that we do denigrates and minimizes what they've been through. 

Part of empathy isn't just the realization of sameness, it's the respect of difference. 

[VTEKID]

So, just because I'm all of those things you described, that means I cannot possibly be discriminated against by anyone? That's stupid.

[Rasputin0070]

You have to think more.

[VTEKID]

I'm aware that the levels of discrimination some Christians/whites/men experience is nowhere near what black people, for example, have gone through in this country. But, it is still discrimination, and discrimination is never okay.

[slyfoxx2]

And talk less.

[stilgar]

So, because the Irish are white they weren't really discriminated against?

[slyfoxx2]

When the Irish were really discriminated against they weren't considered white.

[Tempty_McHotstuff]

they are whiteys with fire crotches.

totz unacceptable.

[Rasputin0070]

Depends on the motion and the ocean.  Sly summed it up pretty well. 

There's a dehumanizing aspect to discrimination that is a different type of experience.  One which I've never truly had to suffer.

Whereas, if I was kicking around Germany in the mid 30s . . .

Perhaps I'd have a little more constructive input on the topic. 

[stilgar]

No, they weren't considered American

[stilgar]

Not all Irish have red hair

[slyfoxx2]

There was nothing to say no to. They weren't considered white, coming from Europe didn't automatically make you white, they were considered something else racially as well as unwelcome immigrants.

[Rasputin0070]

True and true, but I think the important distinction is that they were considered to be subhuman.  Or maybe a better way of putting it, (and a worse slaughter of grammar) would be to say that they were considered something to the effect of "sub-personal".

The bad and nasty form of discrimination that I think we're trying to outline here is the type that puts one person beneath another bases solely on intrinsics.  Race, color, geographical lineage, sex . . . these are all things that merely by letting them supercede a person's individuality serve to dehumanize that person.  It's like taking away someone's name and giving them their social stratification.  It's the original identity theft. 

[SamuraiPunk]

Without our racist ancestors and slavery all the black people would still be starving in africa dieing of AIDS do we really want that? So slavery is a good thing.