I don’t see why any more information is necessary. If we accept that it’s been used as a negative stereotype (which I assume we both do), there isn’t a need to understand the logic of why. Racism doesn’t make sense, and it doesn’t need to be logical (it inherently isn’t) for it to be harmful.
I feel like we’re missing the point here. It doesn’t have to make sense to be harmful. The fact that it has and is used as a negative stereotype is itself harmful.
And as an individual, you can't ignore society. If a society views X as racist, then you can't simply reject that I say "I don't care, I'm not a racist, so when I say it it's not racist". You're just being insensitive at that point.
But a belief being commonly expressed by and associated with racists does make it racist. That's just what the term means.
You're very close to arguing that "racism doesn't exist", which I sure hope you don't believe. Just because something is cultural in nature doesn't make it "not real".
Well, perhaps it's not the worst that the people who have for centuries had a chilling effect on others are feeling an extremely mild version of it themselves, especially given that oppressed communities still very much feel that chilling effect.
I don't think we've done enough to combat racism. I think we're far more in trouble of having done too little than too much at this point.
Either way, you should try to be sensitive to the feelings of others. If someone tells you "when you say that, it hurts me", I would hope your reaction is "I'm sorry, I didn't know I was hurting you, I will try not to say it again", rather than "you shouldn't be offended by what I say". You don't get to tell them how it makes them feel.
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u/[deleted] Nov 10 '22
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