How can you not be racist?

[sealybobo]

First a little bit about myself. I'm in my early 20s now and grew up in a 98% white area/school. I literally used to treat everyone equal until multiple situations happened that left me with poor racial feelings towards African Americans.
1. I was playing basketball at the YMCA with a group of guys that I would have assumed to be my friends cause I generally just give people the benefit of the doubt. When I prepare to leave my wallet is missing and several African American guys who were playing basketball are standing where my wallet was. I ask them if they'd seen anyone nearby. They instantly start telling me that I'm asking them because they are black. I then back down and go to the front desk. My friend worked there so he was able to check the security cameras and clearly see that they stole my wallet. I turn it into the police and end up getting my wallet returned. I was extremely angry.
2. I met a black girl and had hung out with her a couple times and she seemed cool. Once again I'm a trusting person so she asked if she could borrow $20 to buy something at the store I'm like sure whatever. She slips out and I never see here again.
3. I've purchased weed on many occasions and the only person to ever rob me was black.

Given all this data that has gone through my brain in my lifetime how can you not look negatively at a race? Considering the few numbers of African Americans I've encountered and then those are literally the only times I've been stolen from in my life. I would literally hand them the money if they said they really needed it for something but instead they violate integrity and trust. I will let white people borrow money all the time but I've never had anyone just slip out like that. Give me some hope to not be a racist.

Racist feelings are a manifestation of coping with fear. When we feel afraid of others we seek to not feel that way any longer. So we get angry and aggressive to cope and not feel weak and vulnerable. Because the source of your fear is an ethnicity, to cope with that fear you get angry at the people who remind you of the ones who started the fear. Obviously not every member of an entire ethnicity is the same, but when feeling afraid it's much easier to let ourselves 'give in to the dark side' and not feel that way any longer by becomming angry.

But sometimes understanding the how and why of our emotions can help us listen to the voices of our betetr angels and not give in to fear and anger. Use the Force.

Yes but even the black Detroit police chief was on TV explaining how to deal with criminals and con artisrs and pick pockets. He said trust your instinct.

I know I'm save if I park my car next to a black family. What about 4 young black men. You a racist for trusting your instinct?

That's not instinct but prejudice.

Is it wrong? Guess you'll find out. Not me. I'll park somewhere else.

 

[SUPERMAN1929]

I'm not Christian. It would be good if they changed. I wouldn't want to now but withing a week or 2 after having that happened I wouldn't have had any problem seeing them die. To me there is no room for people like that on this world. Especially not near where I live.

If there was a god why wouldnt he send someone to hell right before they raped or killed or stole your wallet rather than let them run around Robbin stealin and lying to the rest of us for another 60 years?

If there is a god I definitely don't think he plays an active role in our world currently but like I said I'm not really christian.

 

[SUPERMAN1929]

The sooner humans accept that they're animals and start responding to one another like other animals do, the sooner the mysteries they believe exist will evaporate.

Big and bad as they are, a great white shark understands that to live it must be able to hunt and catch prey. So when a diver moves towards it in an aggressive manner the shark understands that's not what it's usual prey items do and it reacts defensively. If the diver swims away and gets excited the shark identifies that behaviour as something a prey animal does and it comes after you.

If you make eye contact with people acknowledging them, saying hello you wont appear like prey. If you avoid eye contact and scurry away like a frightened prey animal you're inviting attack.

I like to think that our social behavior has advanced to a much more complex way of living side by side. It benefits everyone to be able to live without fear or danger.

 

[BluePhantom]

I agree. I hate that we build up other countries/give large sums of money to make allies whenever we have many inner city areas that are so poor. I feel like countries laugh at us when we give them money and weapons. It's really not about the race it's more about the inner city culture that would cause the kind of things I mentioned. I've never stolen anything in my life but my brother who is white has stolen many things. It's just the way I've been stolen from is more damaging to me than other ways. Like if someone broke into my car who I didn't know and stole my ipod it wouldn't be as big of a deal as someone who I talked to stole my wallet then pulls a race card whenever I mentioned it to them. I hope those people have miserable lives. Legitimately.

You dont hope they change?

Are you a christian?

And you accuse theists of making everything about religion. Come on Sealy...knock it off. Keep it on the religion bards

 

[Moonglow]

But it's just the odds. It's a natural survival mechanism to learn from past situations and to stop trusting people with certain characteristics.

Sure that's a good plan, but there are those kind of people in every race....

 

[BluePhantom]

None of the situations were really about the money. It was about of violating basic integrity. The country would be a lot better place if others would look out for one another which is why I will probably live in a predominately white suburb. That's the only place I've been with such a low crime rate and where people will return wallets/phones/anything they can trace to be yours.

Well I think that depends on the city you are in. The larger the city, the less things like that tend to happen from my experience. Regardless, yes the world would be a better place if certain things happened, but what you are learning is that there is a difference between the way the world should be and the way the world is. We live in the latter.

 

[Delta4Embassy]

The sooner humans accept that they're animals and start responding to one another like other animals do, the sooner the mysteries they believe exist will evaporate.

Big and bad as they are, a great white shark understands that to live it must be able to hunt and catch prey. So when a diver moves towards it in an aggressive manner the shark understands that's not what it's usual prey items do and it reacts defensively. If the diver swims away and gets excited the shark identifies that behaviour as something a prey animal does and it comes after you.

If you make eye contact with people acknowledging them, saying hello you wont appear like prey. If you avoid eye contact and scurry away like a frightened prey animal you're inviting attack.

I like to think that our social behavior has advanced to a much more complex way of living side by side. It benefits everyone to be able to live without fear or danger.

Fear's natural and beneficial. It alerts us to things going on requiring our attention and scrutiny. But letting our behaviours be shaped by fear as with then prejudging events and stimuli thereafter isn't beneficial because when we're scrutinizing every black person and not the white one coming up behind us that false-alert only hurts us.

 

[SUPERMAN1929]

Fewer based on prisons/life experience. I'm a very logical person so there's really no other way I can see this unless the crime ridden areas in the country flip flop with the good areas.

 

[SUPERMAN1929]

The sooner humans accept that they're animals and start responding to one another like other animals do, the sooner the mysteries they believe exist will evaporate.

Big and bad as they are, a great white shark understands that to live it must be able to hunt and catch prey. So when a diver moves towards it in an aggressive manner the shark understands that's not what it's usual prey items do and it reacts defensively. If the diver swims away and gets excited the shark identifies that behaviour as something a prey animal does and it comes after you.

If you make eye contact with people acknowledging them, saying hello you wont appear like prey. If you avoid eye contact and scurry away like a frightened prey animal you're inviting attack.

I like to think that our social behavior has advanced to a much more complex way of living side by side. It benefits everyone to be able to live without fear or danger.

Fear's natural and beneficial. It alerts us to things going on requiring our attention and scrutiny. But letting our behaviours be shaped by fear as with then prejudging events and stimuli thereafter isn't beneficial because when we're scrutinizing every black person and not the white one coming up behind us that false-alert only hurts us.

I'll go with my odds of making mostly white friends. Going into business with white people unless they can really show me that they aren't like how my experience has showed me.

 

[BluePhantom]

The sooner humans accept that they're animals and start responding to one another like other animals do, the sooner the mysteries they believe exist will evaporate.

Big and bad as they are, a great white shark understands that to live it must be able to hunt and catch prey. So when a diver moves towards it in an aggressive manner the shark understands that's not what it's usual prey items do and it reacts defensively. If the diver swims away and gets excited the shark identifies that behaviour as something a prey animal does and it comes after you.

If you make eye contact with people acknowledging them, saying hello you wont appear like prey. If you avoid eye contact and scurry away like a frightened prey animal you're inviting attack.

I like to think that our social behavior has advanced to a much more complex way of living side by side. It benefits everyone to be able to live without fear or danger.

Fear's natural and beneficial. It alerts us to things going on requiring our attention and scrutiny. But letting our behaviours be shaped by fear as with then prejudging events and stimuli thereafter isn't beneficial because when we're scrutinizing every black person and not the white one coming up behind us that false-alert only hurts us.

I'll go with my odds of making mostly white friends. Going into business with white people unless they can really show me that they aren't like how my experience has showed me.

Well sounds like you have already made up your mind so what was your reason for posting the question, other than perhaps to gain support for your position?

 

[SUPERMAN1929]

I like hearing opinions. No one really shared anything that was that great though. Still dislike thug culture that causes all the problems for African Americans IMO and it will not get fixed in my lifetime.

 

[Pogo]

First a little bit about myself. I'm in my early 20s now and grew up in a 98% white area/school. I literally used to treat everyone equal until multiple situations happened that left me with poor racial feelings towards African Americans.
1. I was playing basketball at the YMCA with a group of guys that I would have assumed to be my friends cause I generally just give people the benefit of the doubt. When I prepare to leave my wallet is missing and several African American guys who were playing basketball are standing where my wallet was. I ask them if they'd seen anyone nearby. They instantly start telling me that I'm asking them because they are black. I then back down and go to the front desk. My friend worked there so he was able to check the security cameras and clearly see that they stole my wallet. I turn it into the police and end up getting my wallet returned. I was extremely angry.
2. I met a black girl and had hung out with her a couple times and she seemed cool. Once again I'm a trusting person so she asked if she could borrow $20 to buy something at the store I'm like sure whatever. She slips out and I never see here again.
3. I've purchased weed on many occasions and the only person to ever rob me was black.

Given all this data that has gone through my brain in my lifetime how can you not look negatively at a race? Considering the few numbers of African Americans I've encountered and then those are literally the only times I've been stolen from in my life. I would literally hand them the money if they said they really needed it for something but instead they violate integrity and trust. I will let white people borrow money all the time but I've never had anyone just slip out like that. Give me some hope to not be a racist.

Ask yourself this:
These incidents you describe, what did they have in common? Was it race? Are these the ONLY interactions with black people you've ever had?

Or was it socioeconomic class?

If I own three blue cars in a row that were all lemons, shall I conclude that blue cars are crap?

 

[SUPERMAN1929]

First a little bit about myself. I'm in my early 20s now and grew up in a 98% white area/school. I literally used to treat everyone equal until multiple situations happened that left me with poor racial feelings towards African Americans.
1. I was playing basketball at the YMCA with a group of guys that I would have assumed to be my friends cause I generally just give people the benefit of the doubt. When I prepare to leave my wallet is missing and several African American guys who were playing basketball are standing where my wallet was. I ask them if they'd seen anyone nearby. They instantly start telling me that I'm asking them because they are black. I then back down and go to the front desk. My friend worked there so he was able to check the security cameras and clearly see that they stole my wallet. I turn it into the police and end up getting my wallet returned. I was extremely angry.
2. I met a black girl and had hung out with her a couple times and she seemed cool. Once again I'm a trusting person so she asked if she could borrow $20 to buy something at the store I'm like sure whatever. She slips out and I never see here again.
3. I've purchased weed on many occasions and the only person to ever rob me was black.

Given all this data that has gone through my brain in my lifetime how can you not look negatively at a race? Considering the few numbers of African Americans I've encountered and then those are literally the only times I've been stolen from in my life. I would literally hand them the money if they said they really needed it for something but instead they violate integrity and trust. I will let white people borrow money all the time but I've never had anyone just slip out like that. Give me some hope to not be a racist.

Ask yourself this:
These incidents you describe, what did they have in common? Was it race? Are these the ONLY interactions with black people you've ever had?

Or was it socioeconomic class?

Playing basketball- If someone can afford to drive to the YMCA and play basketball for several hours out of there day then I don't feel that they need to steal someones wallet to get by. It was not in a bad area.

Girl/drug dealer- Could be different socioeconomic but it's not like I haven't dealt with white people in similar situations as them more times but have not been robbed in those situations. Just saying. Maybe they were lower. I honestly don't know.

These are not the only black people I have dealt with but out of the numbers I have dealt with the percentage of being robbed is high. lol

 

[BluePhantom]

First a little bit about myself. I'm in my early 20s now and grew up in a 98% white area/school. I literally used to treat everyone equal until multiple situations happened that left me with poor racial feelings towards African Americans.
1. I was playing basketball at the YMCA with a group of guys that I would have assumed to be my friends cause I generally just give people the benefit of the doubt. When I prepare to leave my wallet is missing and several African American guys who were playing basketball are standing where my wallet was. I ask them if they'd seen anyone nearby. They instantly start telling me that I'm asking them because they are black. I then back down and go to the front desk. My friend worked there so he was able to check the security cameras and clearly see that they stole my wallet. I turn it into the police and end up getting my wallet returned. I was extremely angry.
2. I met a black girl and had hung out with her a couple times and she seemed cool. Once again I'm a trusting person so she asked if she could borrow $20 to buy something at the store I'm like sure whatever. She slips out and I never see here again.
3. I've purchased weed on many occasions and the only person to ever rob me was black.

Given all this data that has gone through my brain in my lifetime how can you not look negatively at a race? Considering the few numbers of African Americans I've encountered and then those are literally the only times I've been stolen from in my life. I would literally hand them the money if they said they really needed it for something but instead they violate integrity and trust. I will let white people borrow money all the time but I've never had anyone just slip out like that. Give me some hope to not be a racist.

Ask yourself this:
These incidents you describe, what did they have in common? Was it race? Are these the ONLY interactions with black people you've ever had?

Or was it socioeconomic class?

If I own three blue cars in a row that were all lemons, shall I conclude that blue cars are crap?

I think you are wasting your time. This guy is not asking a sincere question and struggling to reconcile his experiences with society's standards. He's made up his mind already. He is simply trying to establish his position and is just looking for people that will offer him justification

 

[Wry Catcher]

First a little bit about myself. I'm in my early 20s now and grew up in a 98% white area/school. I literally used to treat everyone equal until multiple situations happened that left me with poor racial feelings towards African Americans.
1. I was playing basketball at the YMCA with a group of guys that I would have assumed to be my friends cause I generally just give people the benefit of the doubt. When I prepare to leave my wallet is missing and several African American guys who were playing basketball are standing where my wallet was. I ask them if they'd seen anyone nearby. They instantly start telling me that I'm asking them because they are black. I then back down and go to the front desk. My friend worked there so he was able to check the security cameras and clearly see that they stole my wallet. I turn it into the police and end up getting my wallet returned. I was extremely angry.
2. I met a black girl and had hung out with her a couple times and she seemed cool. Once again I'm a trusting person so she asked if she could borrow $20 to buy something at the store I'm like sure whatever. She slips out and I never see here again.
3. I've purchased weed on many occasions and the only person to ever rob me was black.

Given all this data that has gone through my brain in my lifetime how can you not look negatively at a race? Considering the few numbers of African Americans I've encountered and then those are literally the only times I've been stolen from in my life. I would literally hand them the money if they said they really needed it for something but instead they violate integrity and trust. I will let white people borrow money all the time but I've never had anyone just slip out like that. Give me some hope to not be a racist.

It had nothing to do with the color of their skin, it was solely the content of their character. There are petty thieves in every color, ethnicity and creed; don't judge anyone by their color or any exterior cover - color, long hair, tattoos or attire - it's what's inside that counts. Trust all with you eyes and ears wide open.

 

[BlackSand]

Ask yourself this:
These incidents you describe, what did they have in common? Was it race? Are these the ONLY interactions with black people you've ever had?

Or was it socioeconomic class?

If I own three blue cars in a row that were all lemons, shall I conclude that blue cars are crap?

Nice points to consider ... But the analogy is the easiest to figure out.

No, blue cars aren't crap.
You are a crappy researcher when shopping for cars ... With compulsive tendencies in regards to parking.

.

 

[Pogo]

Ask yourself this:
These incidents you describe, what did they have in common? Was it race? Are these the ONLY interactions with black people you've ever had?

Or was it socioeconomic class?

If I own three blue cars in a row that were all lemons, shall I conclude that blue cars are crap?

Nice points to consider ... But the analogy is the easiest to figure out.

No, blue cars aren't crap.
You are a crappy researcher when shopping for cars ... With compulsive tendencies in regards to parking.

What I am is a crappy analogist. But you get the idea. "Composition Fallacy" would have prolly sailed over his head.

 

[Pogo]

First a little bit about myself. I'm in my early 20s now and grew up in a 98% white area/school. I literally used to treat everyone equal until multiple situations happened that left me with poor racial feelings towards African Americans.
1. I was playing basketball at the YMCA with a group of guys that I would have assumed to be my friends cause I generally just give people the benefit of the doubt. When I prepare to leave my wallet is missing and several African American guys who were playing basketball are standing where my wallet was. I ask them if they'd seen anyone nearby. They instantly start telling me that I'm asking them because they are black. I then back down and go to the front desk. My friend worked there so he was able to check the security cameras and clearly see that they stole my wallet. I turn it into the police and end up getting my wallet returned. I was extremely angry.
2. I met a black girl and had hung out with her a couple times and she seemed cool. Once again I'm a trusting person so she asked if she could borrow $20 to buy something at the store I'm like sure whatever. She slips out and I never see here again.
3. I've purchased weed on many occasions and the only person to ever rob me was black.

Given all this data that has gone through my brain in my lifetime how can you not look negatively at a race? Considering the few numbers of African Americans I've encountered and then those are literally the only times I've been stolen from in my life. I would literally hand them the money if they said they really needed it for something but instead they violate integrity and trust. I will let white people borrow money all the time but I've never had anyone just slip out like that. Give me some hope to not be a racist.

Ask yourself this:
These incidents you describe, what did they have in common? Was it race? Are these the ONLY interactions with black people you've ever had?

Or was it socioeconomic class?

If I own three blue cars in a row that were all lemons, shall I conclude that blue cars are crap?

I think you are wasting your time. This guy is not asking a sincere question and struggling to reconcile his experiences with society's standards. He's made up his mind already. He is simply trying to establish his position and is just looking for people that will offer him justification

Oh yeah I get that. I just like to plant seeds of doubt in those fallow fields. They may not germinate today, or even this season. But there's no downside to planting the seed.

 

[SUPERMAN1929]

I'm just saying there's no denying the numbers exist. I don't need justification. I knew that people would say things like this. I like confrontation and discussion as long as people don't get all butt hurt. I just don't see how people can trust a black man in there house just as much as a white man. Maybe you guys can say you wouldn't trust either but with my experience I have complete trust in the white man and somewhere near 60% trust in the black man.

The way someone dresses can drastically impact this as well though. Style plays a bigger factor overall.

 

[Pogo]

I'm just saying there's no denying the numbers exist. I don't need justification. I knew that people would say things like this. I like confrontation and discussion as long as people don't get all butt hurt. I just don't see how people can trust a black man in there house just as much as a white man. Maybe you guys can say you wouldn't trust either but with my experience I have complete trust in the white man and somewhere near 60% trust in the black man.

The way someone dresses can drastically impact this as well though. Style plays a bigger factor overall.

It still comes down to this ---

Whatever your impressions or experiences, whether cherrypicked or not, what evidence do you have that that experience transpired as a consequence of race?

To follow the same logic, the only people who have ever assaulted or pulled guns on me were white. Shall I conclude that white people are gun-toting assaultists? Your own logic...