The Quest for a Colorblind Society

[RickSp]

Come come now- you know we are talking about a stranger.

Why would you approach a stranger and begin a conversation with a comment on skin color? I suppose if you began a conversation with a blonde by saying. "Hey blondie," you may or may not get slapped. If you started a conversation with an African American with "Hey, darkie", it is likely you would be taken as a bigot.

[Prometheus]

So what is your point - that our attitudes on skin color and hair color are in fact the same?

[carlessbiker]

I will use the old names then. "Nigger" and "Spic" have a nice ring to them, no?

Are you being serious? Am I taking you out of context? I think white people have lost their privilege to say certain words in regards to a group of people. Nigger, in association with blacks, has always been derogatory in that it is an assumption of inherent inferiority, even of bestiality. The "old name" is Negro. Nigger was used to degrade and thus, we (meaning white people) have lost our privilege to use it!

[RickSp]

So what is your point - that our attitudes on skin color and hair color are in fact the same?

What could be more ridiculous than starting a thread about being "color-blind" then using as an example of beginning a converstation with a stranger by discussing skin color? If this is a joke, I'm still waiting for the punch line.

[Chancellor]

We all agree that our society still harbors racism. Given, we have come a long way in the last 50 years, but discrimination still exists. Many well intentioned people are soncerned with this are striving to correct the problem. These people are a significant part of the driving force behind the politically correct movement. Instead of calling people black or indian, mexican or the like, we euphamisms like "african american", "hispanic", "native american" and the like.

I am of the opinion that these racial lables do more harm than good. By modifying the nationality of "American" with "african", "asian", and "native" we draw lines and reinforce racial boundries. Can we not all just be Americans? (sorry to those from other countries, just insert the nationality you want)

If I were to walk up to a blonde and say "I have brown hair and you have blonde hair" no one would be offended. However if I awknowledged the skin color of an "african american" with the same candor, I would be labled a biggot.

We are already colorblind about hair and eye color in the same way we want to be colorblind about skin. How is this demonstrated? Because we can freely admit defferances without giving offence. As long as we have to use racial lables, we cannot be colorblind about skin color.


When the govenrnment administers employment, loans, welfare etc. on the basis of a racial label, we admit our inability to stop discriminating. The government lables us according to our skin color, so how can it expect the citizenry to do any differently?



When I applied to colledge I was asked for my racial identity. There were over 50 options, including "croato-latvian", "African-Oriental", "Russian-Viatnamese", "Siamese-American" and "Nicaraguan-American". With all those options I thought I could surely fund my racial identity, which I am just as proud of as any "Croatio-Latvian". Lo and behold there was no "English" or "German" to be found. Not even "European-American". Do I have no ethnicity because I am white? Do I have no cultural roots to be proud of.

I checked "other" and typed in "AMERICAN".


How many years back in our geneology must we look to find petty differances and then attach a label to that differance? Why worry?

Let us create a society that is truely colorblind by no longer having the government use racial lables. If we are all equal, let us not be labled and classified.

I agree: it's time for all of us to jump into the great melting pot and become AMERICANS!

[Prometheus]

Are you being serious? Am I taking you out of context? I think white people have lost their privilege to say certain words in regards to a group of people. Nigger, in association with blacks, has always been derogatory in that it is an assumption of inherent inferiority, even of bestiality. The "old name" is Negro. Nigger was used to degrade and thus, we (meaning white people) have lost our privilege to use it!

Read it in context. The previous post was saying we should use the old names. The comment was merely flippant.

I don't make a practice of using those terms (even though you could probably get away with it in Utah), and I certainly am not advocating their return. As I have said throughout this post - get rid of racial lables.

[Prometheus]

What could be more ridiculous than starting a thread about being "color-blind" then using as an example of beginning a converstation with a stranger by discussing skin color? If this is a joke, I'm still waiting for the punch line.

Then you obviously haven't read the origional post carefully. Everyone else understood it. You totally missed the point - but thats hardly something you are unused to.

[carlessbiker]

Read it in context. The previous post was saying we should use the old names. The comment was merely flippant.

I don't make a practice of using those terms (even though you could probably get away with it in Utah), and I certainly am not advocating their return. As I have said throughout this post - get rid of racial lables.

I was just making sure. I wasn't sure if I was taking you out of context or not.

[tinybear]

I know that you're Chinese, as am I, but there may be others on here who don't. Please stop using this offensive word.

It's not offensive if a Chinese person uses it. I have black friends who call themselves 'niggas' (with a smile on their face).

[CallousGiant]

I will use the old names then. "Nigger" and "Spic" have a nice ring to them, no?



If a nigger who's grandfather's ass was hauled over to this country 300 bloody years ago can call humself African. Then I, with ancestors who emmegrated from Germany 100 years ago, should be able to have my ethnic classification too.

Or we could forget this bullshit and call ourselves Americans, and just be happy to think of our fellow beings as people instead of "<insert your country of origin>-Americans".

I said I use the old names, like black, white, asian. Not 'nigger'.....

I'm saying he is of african origin not nationality, so he can't call himself african. 'German' isn't an ethnic race, so you can't call yourself German unless that is your nationality.

[Cephus]

I'm saying he is of african origin not nationality, so he can't call himself african. 'German' isn't an ethnic race, so you can't call yourself German unless that is your nationality.

Give it a rest. Most of the blacks who call themselves African-American have never even BEEN to Africa. Their parents didn't come from Africa. Their grand-parents didn't come from Africa. Heck, the black community wants to call all blacks African-American, even if their ancestors never came from Africa.

But if some white guy who was born in South Africa tries to call himself an African-American, they have a shit fit.

And besides, since the human race evolved in Africa, aren't we *ALL* African-Americans?

[tinybear]

Heck, the black community wants to call all blacks African-American, even if their ancestors never came from Africa.

No they do not. My black friends call each other 'nigga'. :)