AIBU to ask why can’t racist and those who in engage in racially prejudiced behaviour take ownership and just admit who you are?

[DRWP]

AIBU to ask why can’t racist and those who in engage in racially prejudiced behaviour take ownership and just admit who you are?

Instead, you use racial micro aggressions, passive aggressive language, pejorative terms, excuses such as “it was normal in my day, it’s a generation thing” to justify your racism.
Do you think saying “I’m not a racist/prejudiced…but…” hides who you really are inside?

Over the last few days I have been watching a few threads both here and on another site. The level of ignorance displayed has been a real eye-opener. Even when posters have been confronted about the use of their offensive language and terminology, the wilfully ignorant have refused to check their behaviour and resort to the well-known tactic so beloved of the ignorant of calling people, snowflakes, politically correct, social justice warriors and so on. The people with the power refuse to acknowledge this power and acknowledge the inequalities happening right before their eyes.

An Irish poster on another site asked a question about the use of a well-known racial slur against her community. The first few posts confirmed what the poster already believed and she decided not to stay and educate the poster’s ignorance. The racists from the other thread piled over to her thread with their same nonsense. That was such a pity as it would have given her an opportunity to start a proper conversation about why some people feel the need to be racist and exhibit racially prejudiced behaviours.

If you are racist/prejudiced, just take ownership. This way, people can make an informed decision whether they want to interact with you and not have to waste time and energy deciphering your coded racist/prejudiced views.

Like all the people in the South of the US who fly confederate flags as part of their southern ‘tradition’ and history while the rest of us think it’s racist...

I'm not sure how locking your own car doors has any effect on anyone else? I can't see this as a racist act.

As PPs have said, they don't see themselves as racist. Whilst there are those who will openly say overtly racist things, the majority of people think as long as they don't criticise people of colour it's OK to say, for instance, there is no such thing as white privilege.

I haven't read all the relevant threads on here but I have seen a lot of posts on twitter which have left me with my mouth open. It has opened my eyes to be honest because I suppose I don't mix in circles where I hear that kind of thing. There are some deeply unpleasant people around who seem not to realise how way off the mark their views are.

@morriszapp it is racist to lock your car doors because you're driving through a predominantly black neighbourhood or because you see someone who looks 'threatening' to you. I've done this with my child in the car, what am I teaching them?

It is still a racist view / belief. Whether it directly impacts someone that day or not. Its not acceptable behaviour. I don't do it if I see a white person, even if they look threatening.

They like it and hold their beliefs integral to their sense of self. You know the old "And if that makes me a racist well so be it" after they've defended a racist comment, for example.

I'm not sure how locking your own car doors has any effect on anyone else? I can't see this as a racist act

I always lock my car doors no matter where I'm driving. It's nothing to do with racism and everything to do with the fact a man did get into a friend's car when she was stopped at traffic lights.

I would honestly advise any woman to take whatever safety precautions her instincts were telling her to. I get the concept of micro aggressions, the drip drip of small acts or words which create an environment that racism can thrive in.
But that example just seemed to go against a person's own private choices regarding their own safety. Sorry for the derail, I'll shut up now.

I completely agree with the pp who mantionec conscious vs subconscious racism.
I am mixed race, my DH is from the Middle East and Muslim and my best friend is Jewish. Is anyone asked if I was racist I’d consider them silly. However the first few years of marriage taught me that by very virtue of being raised in a place or culture there are subconscious biases or acceptances within each of us.
It isn’t about denial of those socail conditionings but standing together to overcome them.

it is racist to lock your car doors because you're driving through a predominantly black neighbourhood or because you see someone who looks 'threatening' to you. I've done this with my child in the car, what am I teaching them?

Does she only do this in certain neighbourhoods? As far as I'm concerned my car doors are locked the instant I'm the car- always , no matter where I am.

I don't think it's racist to lock your car doors. I live in a major city, there are frequent violent car jackings and lots of areas have worse drug problems, more crime, bags snatched out of cars when waiting at lights
etc.

I lock my car doors most of the time!

@didolamenting it was me who did it and me who didn't understand that by doing this, I was teaching my child to be racist. I didn't realise I was doing it (not that this makes it OK).

I was pointing out that I did not realise that I held racist views until I read everything I have over this last week.

I did only lock the doors in predominantly black neighbourhoods or if a black male came close to my car whilst crossing the road, for example. Never a white male. It took a lot of reflection to come to that realisation.

It's not just the car doors, that's just an example.

My point is that I held these beliefs without realising them, I've had to open my mind to what I've been seeing and ask myself honestly if I'm part of the problem. Even in a small way, I am, so I'll do all I can to change it.

DamnYouAutoCabbage

You are right- you were racist. I'm a bit surprised that it is only the terrible events this week which made you think about why you don't lock your car doors if it was a white man. I don't go around apologising for being white or my inherited white superiority and yet it would never occur to me to behave the way you did. Personally I think a woman alone in a car or with children is extremely foolish not to lock the doors- but that has nothing to do with race.

Because there are black people with the same views as then like Candace Owen.

If you’re locking your doors while driving (as you should) why do you feel it’s racist to do it through an area that it multicultural? If it’s a high crime area of course you need to protect yourself regardless of the ethnicity of the threat.

@DRWP

That’s exactly it. From a neuroscience point of view, those deeply held stereotypical formula we hold in our brains (which exist only to lighten the load of assessing new situations) are held in the most primitive regions of our brain (limbic system). We have to learn to exercise the more recently developed parts of our brain such as the prefrontal cortex and other executive areas to ensure we don’t behave primitively.

But we can do it. We use this executive control to control sexual behaviour, eating, drinking...and to follow all kinds of biologically illogical rules and etiquette as part of society. We need to be open and honest about these natural tendencies to depend on stereotypes and the resultant discrimination and act positively to make changes.

@amusedtodeath1

Because very few people are consciously racist these days

Bullshit. Lots of people know they are racist but won’t admit it.

if you are told all white people are responsible for racism and you have never been racist then it's kind of hard to take.

OP is talking about people who are racist though.

I can’t believe the crap you are posting and that no one has called you out on it.

Because everyone is human.

If black people had been born white they’d be no different would they. It’s all learnt behaviour.

@Leflic

Because everyone is human.

If black people had been born white they’d be no different would they. It’s all learnt behaviour.

This makes it sound as being white automatically sets you up to be racist which, I don't agree with. If such behaviours are learnt, what stops people when presented with evidence their behaviours are wrong, continuing to behave in racist/prejudiced/discriminatory ways?

If we can learn to control other executive functions, why persist with these negative behaviours?

[quote Cadent]@amusedtodeath1

Because very few people are consciously racist these days

Bullshit. Lots of people know they are racist but won’t admit it.

if you are told all white people are responsible for racism and you have never been racist then it's kind of hard to take.

OP is talking about people who are racist though.

I can’t believe the crap you are posting and that no one has called you out on it.[/quote]
Exactly, Cadent, that is the point I am making. Lots of people do know that they are racist and refuse to acknowledge their racism. The same way some misogynists, refuse to acknowledge their misogyny.

On a completely seperate note, you need to be careful locking your car doors whilst driving, you can get stuck in a burning car that way (depends on the car and lock type though)

OP< Think of your own social justice blind spot.

Ask yourself why you don't call yourself out on that blind spot.

And if your answer to yourself is 'I don't have a blind spot', then you're fibbing to yourself. We all do.

Now apply that to people you can clearly see are irredeemably racist, and imagine that they justify their blind spot the same way you do yours.

@janeskettle

OPAsk yourself why you don't call yourself out on that blind spot.

And if your answer to yourself is 'I don't have a blind spot', then you're fibbing to yourself. We all do.

Now apply that to people you can clearly see are irredeemably racist, and imagine that they justify their blind spot the same way you do yours.

I have had my own social injustice blind spots in the past, but unlike some people, I have acknowledged and worked to remove them. I took on board the evidence to clear those blinds spots and did the work! So, no, I don't blindly justify my blind spots.

Nobody on earth has 'done all the work'.

@janeskettle

Nobody on earth has 'done all the work'.

I have done the work and continue to do so as everyday is a learning opportunity? Have you?