Racism Concerns

Video...

 

"There is an inherent feeling among many in this country that an African-American should not be president." 

Former President Jimmy Carter

Edited by abuayisha - 16 September 2009 at 10:32am

And racism exists no matter what colour your skin is.

Gibbs wrote: In my opinion (as a white boi) racism exists cross-culturally and this topic is not discussed enough. I know I've mentioned my wife "the physician" in some of my post but allow me to say that she is of Palestinian descent. I later found out that I am of Jewish lineage through my great-grandmother and and finally my mother (although my mother never really disclosed this information not until recently and this is period of well over +35 years-do the math!)   Of course when her parents got wind of this they were disturb and of course me coming to Palestine to meet her extended family was of course out of the question regardless if I'm not a "practicing Jew." To emphasize my point I want to say that I disgaree with martha regarding racism. First off, racism is not just about your genotype, but about the cultural/behavioral differences. For example the so-called "white trash of the south that makes of the KKK didn't just hate blacks because of their skin pigmentation, but because culturally they were different. their behavior was different. Everything about them opposite of white, was different. Similarly in my wife's family because I'm different and not of the norm I'm viewed with skepticism, caution and in the extreme case, hatred.   I don't mean to sound rude but people say "Islam is peace, and Islam is love" "Islam this, that, this that." I'm sorry in my own personal opinion how Islam is taught generationally can be taught with hatred and understood and being of hatred just like any other faith. Unfortunately for some of you, the U.S. gov't, not to mention some of the American public, would label you all (thopse who hold mild views of non-muslims) as "moderates" (which is a st**id term). Just to give you an idea of her family which in my opinion consist of intelligent human beings they are mufti's, Alims, and scholars. Highly educated and morally superior than I. However, because they know recently that I've discovered I have Jewish roots some of her family are calling for our divorce. Although my wife isn't a practicing Muslim ( due to her strict Muslim upbringing she has declared herself agnostic) they continue to say that our union is unwarranted and she was told that if I came to Palestine I'd be killed.   So although Jimmy Carter was specifically referring to African-Americans (which Obama's presidency contradicts that) I begin to wonder if the so-called morally superiod members of the three faiths actually understand that racism is wholehearted a bad thing. My apologies for venting but this subject is sensitive to me....

 

I think we need to be clear. There is discrimination for various reasons and it is another, in American context to be treated based upon the color of one's skin. The stereotypes the prejudices. Move cultures have a 'haves' and 'have nots.' I feel no way qualified to speak about British society or French or Saudi. But I can speak about the US. Prejudice comes in many forms. And having studies African- American history there certainly has been a systematic exploitation and discrimination of African-Americans in the US.

For instance, there are some counties where there are no black people living. And there is documentation of people being 'run out of town' or certainly a place people would not stay long in.

i think that for a certain segment of American society, having a nonwhite president is HIGHLY threatening. 

And I think that its true that those people also probably do not like 'others' of any kind including any type of foreigner.   This type of xenophobia is the fear of 'other.'  When I was in Pakistan they had their own cultural groups from Pathan, Punjabi, Sindi etc.. me i was 'other.'