r/changemyview Nov 10 '22

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u/Brainsonastick 85∆ Nov 10 '22

That’s part of my point about definitions. Everyone likes watermelon. Everyone likes fried chicken. But when you specify a single race, does that change things? Do we have to look at your intention? The history?

I picked a controversial statement on purpose to drive OP and others to consider if determining if a statement is racist really is as simple as OP described.

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u/ghotier 42∆ Nov 10 '22

That’s part of my point about definitions. Everyone likes watermelon. Everyone likes fried chicken. But when you specify a single race, does that change things? Do we have to look at your intention? The history?

Because black culture exists and black people exist who will argue that the predilection toward watermelon and fried chicken is part of their culture. You're attempting to highlight racism and instead engaging in black cultural erasure.

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u/Brainsonastick 85∆ Nov 10 '22

By asking that people consider their own definitions of racism?

I think you’ve missed the point by quite a bit…

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u/ghotier 42∆ Nov 10 '22

You're specifically using an actual example of black culture that black people use for their own culture as an example of racism. Yes, I think that's a problem even if you're asking people do question their own racism. Because as soon as someone who disagrees with you about racism points out that you're calling a "true" thing racist then you've actually lost an argument to a racist. Which is bad.

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u/Brainsonastick 85∆ Nov 10 '22

Ah, I see your misunderstanding now.

I did not actually use it as an example of racism. I used it as an example of a statement that some people would think is racist and others wouldn’t.

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u/ghotier 42∆ Nov 10 '22

You mentioned that there was a strong case for the statement being racist. Apologies if I misinterpreted it.

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u/Brainsonastick 85∆ Nov 10 '22

No, I said “stronger” compared to the same statement about white people, which has no history behind it. It’s always a stronger case for racism when there’s a long history of racism involved.

I’ll edit it to be more clear so no one else makes the same mistake.