Can you be friends with a racist?

[AteRiri]

Is your political view separate from friendships?

[SpunkyMummy]

This friend said we should wipe out all (I won't say the race) because he truly believes all of them should not live.

No, never with somebody advocating genocide. Or saying that people of a certain skin colour are automatically lazier, more prone to violence or whatever, that's disgusting!!!

Also he said (another race) are lazy and when he walks in the street, and there's one, he makes sure he sees that person because he might be mugged.

I've been groped by black men twice and was assaulted by a group of middle eastern men. I do my very best to not be prejudiced but when a man that resembles them walks up to me in certain situations I automatically tense. Happened to me a few days ago when I came home late from work.

I know that this prejudiced. But it happens. And I think people shouldn't say they wouldn't want to be friends with me because of this.

but your friends rhetoric is terrible. I couldn't deal with that.

[Bluntness100]

Racism is not political . And no I couldn't be friends with someone who expressed the views you say have been expressed.

[WilliamHerschel]

Members of dp's family are racist and though I am civil I have never warmed to them and have as little interaction with them as possible.

[QueenLizIII]

Not a blatant one no.

One if my close friends a while ago did make less than polite comments about Hindus and Indians and I shut her down very quickly and she knew not to continue. She was of middle eastern origin and was a Muslim.

Conflict between Muslims and Hindus has been a big thing so as she didnt raise it again, I turned a blind eye to that incident.

but an total outright blatant racist? No way

[weavingawickerbasket]

I will ask for my last post to be deleted as i agree with pp that mentioning a specific population on a thread about racism might hurt other MNers feelings and perpetuate said ugly racist ideology.

[a8mint]

I dontvteally care if friends are racists.I am entitled to my opinion, they are entitled to theirs. I am not the thought police. If it spilled over into action or abuse ie not just thoughts and private conversations then I would detach

[TeacherBob]

Haven't read the full thread but...

No, i would not. I hate racists.

That said, I do have friends who have voted for brexit to control immigration that get labelled racists when they clearly aren't.

There is a line when you cross into becoming a racist, I don't think most people know where that line is (or the true definition of racism)

[QueenLizIII]

Oh does mine need deleting as well then? I hadnt seen the comment about not mentioning specific groups.

Happy for it to be deleted , will leave it to MNHQ to decide.

[weavingawickerbasket]

Queen no there wasn't a comment as such but somebody saying they wouldn't say which population group somebody else was racist against and that made me realise that it is probably insensitive to do so.

[BratFarrarsPony]

I think we are all 'racist' on some level if we were honest about it.

However if someone was overtly so then no, I could not be friends with them.

[FameNameGameLame]

weavingawickerbasket

What's his beef about Asians?

Why would you ask that? This is a dick who has just said he doesn't like a whole group of people... I just don't know why you would ask that I just don't know why you would ask that and I'm genuinely interested?

[SemiNormal]

It would actually depend on the severity and if they acted on those beliefs in a way that would harm others. For example I would never be friends with someone who was a member of the KKK, but someone who supported Britain First .... hmm ... I'd find it distasteful and would probably mention my opinion on Britain First but I wouldn't not be friends with them. I guess because in some way I understand why some people support them, if you see their videos and posts on FB it's easy to see how some people can be sucked into the propaganda and bullshit.

I think most people are prejudice in some way, be it a prejudice against obese people, people who are poor/rich, people with different ethnicities, different religions etc - that's not to say it's acceptable but I feel a bit like 'who am I to judge?'. If a friend said a racist remark in front of me though I would politely disagree and ask them to refrain from making said remarks in my presence again, same as if it was a homophobic remark or similar.

I think alienating people based on their beliefs is dangerous whether we agree with those beliefs or not.

[AteRiri]

FameNameGameLame

Because I am Asian.

[GerdaLovesLili]

Are you asking because you have an American friend who voted Trump? Is everyone who voted Trump a racist because he very clearly is one?

I feel awkward about this because I have friends who dumped everyone who voted leave "because they were racist" when it was obviously a LOT more nuanced than that.

I couldn't be friends with someone who was hatefully racist, but would I dump my Nan and never talk to her again because she still hasn't learned the most recent politically correct jargon because she doesn't have on-line politically aware friends? No. (But I know someone who did).

[TeacherBob]

I think we are all 'racist' on some level if we were honest about it.

Could you elaborate?

[witsender]

Racism isn't a political view tbh.

[AteRiri]

GerdaLovesLili

No. I explained why in a previous post. Basically it's about him saying a certain race should be wiped out from the Earth.

[QueenLizIII]

Trump is also a misogynist but I know many women voted for him

[GerdaLovesLili]

Sorry, missed that. (Obviously didn't refresh page before posting) No. That's hateful and unforgivable.

[BratFarrarsPony]

" Could you elaborate? "]

well for example we might make assumptions about people.
For example I personally have had the assumption made that I must be from a hard drinking Catholic family on the basis of being Irish.
Or I might assume that if I met a black person in the countryside that they were just visiting. That kind of thing.

[lazarusb]

I have gone nc with a couple of people I know this year. They were being racist and I challenged them on it. They couldn't see my point of view and argued that their families thought their opinions were okay. They didn't see why it would make a difference to our friendship.

It matters a lot to me so I cut them out of my life. Not only do I not want to hear those views, neither do I want my children to think that I tolerate them.

[FameNameGameLame]

Oh AteRiri you don't need to know what someone's beef is with your race. I've been treated poorly before just for my race, but I've never though about what their beef is about it.
Think about it, there is no response to that question that is going to make me think, "oh well I suppose yeah they have a point - I feel better now" so all it will do is rile me up more ... won't fix anything, will just hurt me.

[dovesong]

We're all racist on some level because we were born and raised in a society that is intrinsically racist so some of those views have seeped into our heads whether we're aware of it or not.