Is the term "racism" being stretched too far, applied to too many things?

[Umbran]

In the case of the Mayor of BigotVille, is it more effective or expedient to:

That can depend a lot on exactly what result you want, and some other facts about the environment.

Is he a bigot in office because the populace is really not that bigoted, and he hid it during the campaign? Are the electorate a bunch of bigots themselves? Do you have non-bigots who want and can execute the job on hand? Do you actually care if you go to jail for your solution?

 

[Legatus Legionis]

Terms like Racism, Bigotry, Sexism, Hate Crime, etc. is being overly used, especially by the media.

Where before if something happened between a "victim" and a "criminal", it was just a crime.

Now it seems that everything is no longer just a crime but:
If it is between a male and a female, it is Sexism, regardless of what the event is.
If it is between two people of different ethnics, it is not only racism but a hate crime.
If one celebrates a festival from some other "race", then it is OK, but to celebrate your own, you are labeled racist.

So yes, I think the term is overly used.

It seems

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Now it seems that everything is no longer just a crime but:
(edit)
If it is between two people of different ethnics, it is not only racism but a hate crime.

If and only if the racism is the cause or aggravating factor in the crime. It is not a hate crime for a white guy to kill a black guy for his wallet. It IS a hate crime if the white guy kills a black guy because he is black, regardless of whether the wallet is stolen or not.

If one celebrates a festival from some other "race", then it is OK, but to celebrate your own, you are labeled racist.

Too often, this is the case, but it isn't universal. It depends on how it is done. If you're celebrating Caucasian-ness at a St. Patrick's Day festival or a bunch of Nordic traditions at a Scandinavian festval without denigrating others, that's 100% cool. And usually fun!

Once the stereotyping begins or the revisionist history tropes start getting celebrated, though...

Still, too often, firebrands of ALL races in positions of leadership or the media spotlight try to stir things up by deliberately or ignorantly mischaracterizing the true nature of things.

 

[Hand of Evil]

My issue at this time is how they are saying Hispanic is a race. I think a lot of what is being called race is cultural.

 

[Umbran]

My issue at this time is how they are saying Hispanic is a race. I think a lot of what is being called race is cultural.

Po-tay-toh. Po-tah-toh. A lot of what are called racial differences are not cultural differences, but are outright B.S. and lies.

Fact of the matter is that, in the US, if you have non-caucasian skin tones or facial features, you are apt to run into difficulties and pre-judgements you don't deserve. That makes it racism, as the basic determiner of whether you get the short end of the stick is your race.

 

[Morrus]

My issue at this time is how they are saying Hispanic is a race. I think a lot of what is being called race is cultural.

Racism includes both racial and ethnic discrimination. In fact, the UN defines it as "any distinction, exclusion, restriction or preference based on race, colour, descent, or national or ethnic origin which has the purpose or effect of nullifying or impairing the recognition, enjoyment or exercise, on an equal footing, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural or any other field of public life."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inter...ion#Definition_of_.22racial_discrimination.22

It includes a variety of things. The thing it specifically excludes is citizenship (for example, you can't discriminate against someone for having French origins, but you can for being a French citizen).

Of course, the biggest and most problematic areas of racism are those involving skin colour. I'm pretty sure "being of French origin" isn't a systemic problem in terms of racism.

 

[Umbran]

Of course, the biggest and most problematic areas of racism are those involving skin colour. I'm pretty sure "being of French origin" isn't a systemic problem in terms of racism.

Right now.

I think, back in the time of the Norman Conquest, many Brits thought differently, no?

 

[Morrus]

Right now.

I think, back in the time of the Norman Conquest, many Brits thought differently, no?

Oh, there's still no love lost between us and the French. But I don't think either party is particularly suffering from discrimination; there's no significant power or population differential.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Oh, there's still no love lost between us and the French.

True.
[video=youtube;D8hrFQKAL-Y]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8hrFQKAL-Y&sns=em[/video]

 

[Morrus]

True.

"This video is blocked in your country on copyright grounds." Sounds great! I'm being discriminated against on geographical grounds!