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.

@Livelovebehappy

Things are very different today to what they were even 20 years ago. The same as attitudes towards LGBT. People born in the last 20 years have been raised and educated to view everyone as equal, but I think it’s going to be many years before the racist and homophobic attitudes we see today totally goes away, because there are still people in society that were born and raised into a different mindset. My DCs views are absolutely different to the views of my elderly mother, who I’m ashamed to say occasionally displays racist opinions still. And we call her out on it every single time. Racism is abhorrent, but I really feel that current and future generations will make sure that these conversations we are having now will be not be necessary one day.

Well if Census projections and studies are on target, it looks like you could be right about future generations having fewer of these conversations in the UK and USA.

How does your mother react when you call her out on her racism?

[quote lubeybooby]I don't get it either OP

I have always thought of myself as anti racist and vocally so. But I have realised over the last week that I was not doing enough, didn't know enough and I have to be better. It's a hard realisation but fuck my comfort, I am facing it head on and taking action

I have Black nephews and cousins and I have worried about them for a long time. WHY THE FUCK have I accepted just worrying about them instead of doing more to change the world they live in.

If anyone else wants to join me in learning more and understanding I recommend following, taking notice of, and supporting

@thegreatunlearn

www.instagram.com/thegreatunlearn/[/quote]
Thank you that link, I will check it out.

@JacobReesMogadishu

My SIL is the most racist person I’ve met and is a police officer.

She’s posted On fb saying She can’t believe people say the police are racist and that it’s just anti police thugs doing the demos who have no idea what it’s like being a copper. I’m sitting on my fingers to stop myself typing a reply which would cause a huge family row. She knows I 100% disagree with her views. When she’s spouted anti immigrant stuff and said that people in the U.K. shouldn’t be allowed to cover their face (nicabs, etc) I’ve disagreed with her.

Can’t believe she can post that on fb. Maybe she genuinely doesn’t think she’s racist? She makes jokes about “agents” which is her code word for Asians. I can’t see how she can’t know she’s racist. She seems quite proud of it to be honest.

She is a police officer in a position of power. It’s worrying to think what is she doing with that power while on duty? She most definitely would have undergone diversity/anti-discrimination training and yet, she chooses to continue to hold such views.

Her coded terminology to describe other ethnicities is indicative of how people who hold such views manage to communicate with those who share similar views without being seen as openly racist.

I have grown up in a very cosmopolitan and multicultural city and have watched the struggles of people who I have gone to school with and then sloped back off home to my privileged life. My forebears are wealthy landowners (now all National Trust properties so I have never been rich.) So have profiteered from the proceeds of slavery and colonial Britain.
There is literally nothing I can do about this however thing I can do is educate myself and be aware of my own thoughts. I have always thought that I am not racist and always call out people publicly who are. Recent events have taught me that we all still have a long way to go.

In their heads what is racist is completely different to what a lot of us see as racist. They think racism is being openly abusive to non white people, refusing to associate with etc. They only see extreme racism as racism, therefore, they genuinely don’t view themselves as racist.

This is exactly right. There is a lot of 'casual racism' about, in that people don't realise a lot of their prejudicial stereotypes are that; prejudiced and racist. They think they are 'only joking' by repeating stereotypes and slurs. To these people, they genuinely don't see themselves as racist. The problem is, how do we break down that barrier, when the person has no idea they are being racist, and refuses to see it?

Do you mind me asking on which site? Was it a question about Irish Travellers/Gypsies? If it was well then you will openly see who has discriminatory views. Seeing as it’s more socially acceptable to have Racist/discriminatory views on Travellers than another race/ethnicity group. Especially as mainstream media (channel 4, channel 5, daily mail) encourage it!

Because they think they're not racist.

@bp300

I wouldn’t pay to much attention to Candace. She is out to make money, that’s quite clear to many. A black person who speaks disparagingly about other black people is a racists wet dream and she is cashing in. See the below article:

www.google.com/amp/s/newsone.com/3848636/candace-owens-receipts-con-artist/amp/

Not many will come out and be openly racists. The majority of people will say things indirectly and they are fully aware that if you are to speak openly in front of others action may well be taken.

There’s no excuse in 2020 for being ignorant (except a child) a child would not be racist unless that is taught and picked up within the home. When you observe small children playing they are total oblivious to skin colour.