First of all know that it's your fear talking. I understand!Spazzola wrote: ↑Fri Jul 27, 2018 10:06 am This is maybe a controversial topic, but it is a philosophy forum, so I hope we can discuss this reasonably.
There isn't a clear unambiguous definition of racism, but for the same of the argument, let me define it as a preference, that is, you prefer some people based on their race.
Now, if you have a sexual or age preference or whatever, usually nobody cares. You can say "I would only date men" or "I prefer to hang out with young people" and you'll be fine. But if you say "I would prefer to live in a white neighborhood" you're suddenly a racist and, by consequence, an evil person and your (political) career is over, you can lose your job and get physically attacked by violent groups...
So how did this come to be? When did racism/racist become this "gotcha" term that is used for regular witch hunts ("Is person X really a racist?" "Oh, I'm sure he is, let's get him!").
My theory is that it's mostly a consequence of the horrible historical events that used some kind of racism as justification for mistreatment or violence against various groups. So as soon as someone mentions race based discrimination, there are explicit or implicit associations with the KKK or the holocaust or whatever. And at the same, it seems there's a push for the idea that racial diversity is a good thing, so anything that goes against that is bad.
If we agree that mistreatment and violence are bad and discard them completely, can there still be room for peaceful voluntary racial segregation as an acceptable form of discrimination?
But In fact there is only one race. The Human Race!
race [reys]
noun
1. a group of persons related by common descent or heredity.
Can anyone say: DNA?
You see, according to the archaeological record, all of humanity has a common origin. Somewhere in Africa actually, well so far anyway. But early humans were nomads for a variety of reasons. Food, and water scarcity, ideological differences, weather, etc.
As we moved across the surface, settling here and there, on a planet that is a metamorphosis of unevenly distributed geologics, atmospherics, biologics, altitudes, food sources, air quality, water supplies, even cosmic radiation (electromagnetic radiation), and the list goes on, we were changed by the particular environment in which we lived. Some became big, some small, some whitish, some brownish, some yellowish and some reddish. I've always though it would have been cool to have some blues, greens, and purples in there too. Kiss the rainbow I have always believed, but then that's my testosterone talking!
My question to you is, do you fear them because you think they might be bigots of your, so called, race, or are you a bigot of their, so called, race? I understand why you may be frightened, but keep in mind that there are murderers of innocence from all races, colours, creeds, religions, sizes, genders, etc. I'm whitish, and some of my best friends throughout my life were brownish. Of course these days my only friend is my wife.
Peace, People!