Are racists mentally ill - should they be treated as such?

[blind_fury]

I'l actually disagree. As far as the media are concerned I think that, mainly because of RNB and Hip Hop, Black people have become trendy, not equal.

You have blacks who are far smarter than millions of whites not to mention far more adaptive and successful. So to assume your superior over all blacks simple because you have white skin is baseless and pretty illogical.

Considering how stale the rap and rnb scenes have been getting for years now, theres a big chance therel be a backlash and theyl go out like Flares.

lolz. Sounds like wishful thinking on your part.

Grow up dude, it's the 21st century. This "the south shall rise again" crap is for inbred hillbillies.

 

[Machx72]

What cracks me up the most are the white religious devouts who refuse to date- or even socialise with- a black person or asian person, or a person of any other race for that matter.

I first met a black person when I was six, and had no clue he was even black. I just knew he had darker skin than I did, but I really didn't give a damn.

But, I'm torn between being more annoyed with one of two things: the racists, or the people who use their skin color as defense or as a means of turning arguments around. My favorite radio station had this black guy on the other day, and all he did was talk about how he should get his due because he'd been treated bad by the white man, how all whites are racist, and how everything negative said or done to him is said or done so because he is black.

But, no, I don't think it's a mental "illness." State of mind, however- yes. Even so, I think the stereotypes proving to be true further drive the racism in America [having lived in Alabama before, I saw that there ARE a lot of black people down south who act exactly as they are negatively portrayed in the media, but a lot of the white people ARE the racist, toothless, stupid bastards- as the media portrays- as well, so it's not like one side can win].

 

[blind_fury]

This sounds like a racist persons profile to me.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narcissistic_personality_disorder

 

[blind_fury]

Thomas Hobbes and John Locke for example.
Most of the Founding Fathers

Well I don't think you can prove that most of the founding fathers were racist.

Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin were pretty progressive considering the times they were living in. Bengamin Franklin was an abolitionist.

"In his first draft of the Declaration of Independence (1776), Jefferson condemned the British crown for sponsoring the importation of slavery to the colonies, charging that the crown 'has waged cruel war against human nature itself, violating its most sacred rights of life and liberty in the persons of a distant people who never offended him, captivating & carrying them into slavery in another hemisphere.' However, this language was dropped from the Declaration at the request of delegates from South Carolina and Georgia" - wik

This is the same person that put "all men are created equal" in the declaration of independence. Coincidence? Probably not.

John Locke had investments in slave trade companies. So he could've greedy instead of sincerely racist.

Many of these "great minds" were products of their times. You could say they were sexist too but it doesn't mean most of them actually thought all men were superior to all women. But if you asserted that women be treated equally to men back in 1776 you would be laughed out of power.

 

[Sun_Down]

Well considering that bullying, theft and vandalism (AKA being a snot-nosed little delinquent) is classified as "Conduct Disorder" by the American Psychiatric Assocation, it wouldn't be that much of a stretch for them to come up with some sort of illness to classify racism.

Not that I would agree with them in the slightest, but they might do it.

 

[Kritish]

I think that in both cases, the child should be taken from the parent. In England, social services tried to take an obese child away from a parent. Filling your child's head with poison is a form of abuse.

What do you think should happen? Hope that things just turn out ok?

That's what we call a slippery slope, if you can take a parents kids away for them being racists what can you take them away for next?

You realize 1 in 3 woman are sexually assaulted at least once in there life? And most studies say that number is underestimated since most women don't report it, so do you really want commit that large a portion of men to the mental institution?

That's a bull**** study. I'm not buying that 1 out of three women have been molested.

 

[ShadowBoxing]

This is the same person that put "all men are created equal" in the declaration of independence. Coincidence? Probably not.

John Locke had investments in slave trade companies. So he could've greedy instead of sincerely racist.

Many of these "great minds" were products of their times. You could say they were sexist too but it doesn't mean most of them actually thought all men were superior to all women. But if you asserted that women be treated equally to men back in 1776 you would be laughed out of power.

They also put "blacks are 3/5th of a person" in the U.S. Constitution, therefore not constituting them as men, but merely three fifth of men. It's also important that the term "men" refers strictly to "white adult males who owned property", i.e. not all free persons, certainly not blacks, not women and in some states not non European immigrants. So yes they were racist.

And they may be a product of their time, but remember the Elites were the ones who set the Government. It's a top down procedure. If they were truly "not racist" they would've have changed it given the opportunity, which they had. But they didn't. Benjamin Franklin certainly was the most progressive, and Jefferson was progressive for his time, i.e his racism did not imply he was not progressive. So yes, among great minds we've seen racist people emerge.

Even Hitler and Stalin, who were supremely evil, qualify as great minds. Lincoln himself, another great mind, said directly he believed himself superior to blacks despite seeking their freedom. Those things still qualify as racism in any time period, and while Lincoln may have had to temper his beliefs in politics. Jefferson, Washington, Adams, Madison, Jay, Hamilton, Franklin and others did not. They created a nation, one that did not protect the rights or even the lives of blacks. That action in and of itself speaks volumes more than any philosophical musings they may have had on black people.

 

[blind_fury]

You're assuming the founding fathers started the slave trade, they didn't. Slavery existed in the colonies for hundreds of years before the constitution was drafted. Do really think the founding fathers could've ended slavery even if they wanted to? They simply couldn't afford to divide the colonies in their time. It could've resulted in British rule.

One hundred years later (1865) it was still a challenge to end slavery despite the fact that it was during the dawn of the industrial revolution and slavery less of a economic necessity than it was in 1776. So just because the founding fathers continued slavery doesn't mean they hated blacks. At the time they had to do it or risk losing their independence.

 

[T'Jai]

How many of you guys knew that blacks were actually remanded into slavery by law in Virginia in 1705, previous to that (except in Massachusetts where slavery became legalized in 1641) all "captured workers" were indentured servants and could upon covering their "passage fee" could become good standing members of society, if they chose to learn English and converted to Chrisianity...

 

[KingOfDreams]

Hmm, interesting way of looking at racism. I've never thought about it that way. Maybe because I don't have any sympathy for racists.

 

[primemover]

It is not a mental illness.

It's interesting that young children know nothing of color boundaries. Yet via their environment and the way they are sculpted into adults they learn this trait.

Racism is a choice--not a gene.

Xenophobia does have roots in the genes, being weary of outsiders and the desire to hang and help only your kin has evolutionary roots, racial lines are just one of the many degrees seperating a person from their kin, a pretty obvious one.

Racism and bigotry is both nature and nurture.

People have the right to believe whatever the hell they want, to suggest that people who don't match your views should be 'fixed' or considered 'mentally ill' is just barbarous and actually pretty bigoted.

The only situation where any action is warranted is when these beliefs turn into actions, and that is why we have laws and rules that govern our society.

 

[chamber-music]

Atleast Racism has become socially unacceptable in most societies. There are still countries where racism is quite rabid.

One thing we can all agree on is that Racism damages society.

 

[Kyalesyin]

You realize 1 in 3 woman are sexually assaulted at least once in there life? And most studies say that number is underestimated since most women don't report it, so do you really want commit that large a portion of men to the mental institution?

I said that previous to this thread I would have said that they had a disorder. Most disorders aren't treatable in an institution. Having thought about it a little more [sexual assault is not something I put much thought into] I realise that it is something of an overreaction. I am however acutely aware of the statistics.

 

[Fried Gold]

There are still countries where racism is quite rabid.

Yeah, America, the most powerful nation on the planet. Doesn't exactly send the right message now, does it.

 

[kainedamo]

In Germany, I saw a groups of skinheads.

In my own country, loyalist groups have connections with Combat 18 - a violent racist group.

 

[ShadowBoxing]

You're assuming the founding fathers started the slave trade, they didn't. Slavery existed in the colonies for hundreds of years before the constitution was drafted. Do really think the founding fathers could've ended slavery even if they wanted to?

The ended English occupation, and were starting a new Government from the ground up...so yes

They simply couldn't afford to divide the colonies in their time. It could've resulted in British rule.

And yet they did. In fact they were divided on nearly every aspect of Government, uncluding currency, for years until any unification process was made.

One hundred years later (1865) it was still a challenge to end slavery despite the fact that it was during the dawn of the industrial revolution and slavery less of a economic necessity than it was in 1776.

And abolitionists still throw around the word n***** like it was a wet towel during those days as well. Don't fool yourself, which you're doing, intellectuals and elites set the policy in this country. It wasn't until the Supreme Court and heads of state said it was wrong until it stopped. And the reason they did not say it was wrong is because they were racist and had no intention of dissolving it .

So just because the founding fathers continued slavery doesn't mean they hated blacks. At the time they had to do it or risk losing their independence.

No, they didn't risk losing anything except for cheap slave labor. They hated blacks, lest they wouldn't keep them enslaved. See the problem there: I don't hate you but I'm going to keep you to a life of forced servitude and not protect any of your rights underneath the constitution. They did not even give blacks a political outlet to change their lot in life. They couldn't vote. They couldn't hold public office. Some states criminalized educating them. All under laws set down by the founding fathers. Yeah that's real not racist.

 

[kainedamo]

Wow, I wonder what America would be like if you guys never beat the British and were under British rule. That would be pretty interesting.

 

[Machx72]

Well, we'd have A LOT less gun-related murders, that's for sure .

 

[Fried Gold]

And possibly be a lot thinner.

 

[Machx72]

And taller .

 

[Kyalesyin]

Depends if guns would have been outlawed if the US and Britan didn't separate.

 

[kainedamo]

Besides those obvious benifets, I think America would be alot worse off actually.

 

[Fried Gold]

Besides those obvious benifets, I think America would be alot worse off actually.

In what way?

 

[chamber-music]

Wow, I wonder what America would be like if you guys never beat the British and were under British rule. That would be pretty interesting.

America would just be like canada I guess. The colonies would of been given the right to goven themselves anyway like Australia and such.

 

[Fanticon]

Kainedamo
This is a flawed theory. And it is proven that through conditioning, brainwash and through physical/mental/verbal abuse...a person of any ethnicity can become a racist.