Racism and Bias

Can bias exist without stupidity?

And what is racism but stupidity?

To be bias is someone who is unable or unwilling to look at a particular issue or topic objectively due to their individual view, opinion, or ideology. That bias may be racially motivated or motivated by something that has nothing to do with race. Can this be considered stupid? In some cases, yes. Not necessarily in all cases.


Racism is to pre-judge an individual or a group of people based on that person or group of people's race. Racism surely can be seen as stupid. Sometimes it's better to try to understand what is behind the racism. Racism or biases can be motivated by someone's personal life experiences. Each and every one of us will have our own unique personal life experiences. Does your personal life experiences that help shape your views and opinions make you stupid?

It's surprisingly small-minded that you and max are being censured for pointing out that discrimination also keeps us alive. To be referred to as discriminating is a compliment.

This is why so many people despise political correctness to the degree they'd vote for Donald Trump. These people on this thread have chosen the connotations and definitions for words like bias, racism, and discrimination and are bullying you and max to get in line with their thinking.

Some people believe that noting differences between races is a form of racism. Others that action against a person due to their race is racism. Still others - that action against the white race cannot be considered racism; only negative action against an oppressed race can be racism.

These cowardly, fascist downvotes!

I appreciate your argument on this thread, and this statement.

i don't think there's any racism in my local business improvement associations

though there is often some shortsightedness

Once I had a black person tell me they had a gun in their pocket and to hand over all my money. I called their bluff and walked off. So are all blacks gangsters?

I have been beaten to near death by cops. Are all cops worthy of mistrust and distain? Certainly not.

I have been beaten up by white bullies for being gay. Are all whites males homophobes? Again, no.

Blacks were held captive for many years by the horrid and inexcusable institution of white slavery. Are all whites wannabe slave owners? NO.

I have been ripped off by republican gerrymandering and voter intimidation. Are all republican politicians evil? They don't always vote along partisan lines.

The Russian dictator meddled in our election. Are all Russians crooks? NO.

To imply that because of a person's experience that racism/bias is fine is simply a fault in logic and good reasoning skills. In other words, STUPID.

I once went to shake a black woman's hand and she withdrew it as if I had the plague.

I was once playing my guitar on the streets and white people were on that occasion walking by ignoring me and a black woman walked by and tipped me 5 dollars. Are all white people bad tippers?

If a person relies on a bad experience to paint a wide brush on perceptions then they do themselves and others an injustice.

I once had my house robbed by a white guy with long hair. Are all long haired men robbers?

I have been cheated on by gay lovers. Are all gay men whores?

To appease and rationalize bias and racism with the claim that an insolated experience spoils the whole bunch is the height of ignorance.

I have a Spanish friend who whenever he speaks Spanish it sound like noise and is irritating to my ears... So Spanish is a terrible language?

When Julio Iglesias sings Spanish the beauty of it makes me cry.

Fox News lies and deviously skews the truth about 60% of the time but the recently departed (RIP) Alan Colmes was spot on, on most issues...

Chris Wallace sometimes makes some good points too.

Ann Coulter and Kellyanne Conway are full of ****, so are all blond women dumb opportunistic bitches? NO.

Some American Indians rake in the bucks with slot machines and roulette wheels so do all Indians promulgate gambling? NO.

Your logic needs some scrutiny and self introspection.

Many catholic priests are pedophiles so are all Catholic priests guilty of this terrible crime? NO

Some Muslims are terrorists so are all Muslims terrorists?

To go through life taking isolated incidents and applying them across the board is simply. WRONG.

To imply that using isolated personal experiences to condemn entire sectors of society is travesty.

Many men physically abuse their spouses and many woman constantly complain.

These are stereotypes and they deny the good in people for a narrow and biased view of reality.

Do all lesbians love crewcuts and motorcycles? NO.

Using stereotypes to judge people is shallow and inconsiderate.

You've obviously responded to the incorrect poster. Nothing I said was remotely related to your silly post.

Please enlighten us on these racial difference that "keep us alive"...

You still have bias, you're biased towards some posters and against others. You use bias when you do your food shopping, otherwise you'd come out of the shop with one of everything. Bias is part of the human condition it's not necessarily bad.

What about the music you listen to? Do you think all music/genres/musicians the same? Or have you got your own threads on music you like?

You're talking about prejudice which is something else entirely.

Whether or not a man is more likely to be a victim of a violent crime than women is not the point. A young fit man has a better chance of fighting off an attack than a woman. A young fit man has a better chance of fighting off an attack than an elderly person. A young fit man has a better chance of fighting off an attack than a physically handicap person. It's not always just about statistics. It is also about who is physically more vulnerable. But, there is one piece of statistic you might want to consider. Are women or are men more likely to be the victim of a sexual assault? I may be wrong, but I suspect that statistics will probably indicate that women are dramatically more likely to be a victim of a sexual assault than men. Just giving you something to think about. It's not just about statistical numbers on a spread sheet. Women, elderly people, and physically handicap people may need more protection for the reasons I stated.

Max reminds us that there are varying definitions and connotations of the words you've based this thread on. He's being attacked for pointing out this fact. I'm taking on his stance by proving one definition of discrimination is positive and necessary for life.

Discrimination:
recognition and understanding of the difference between one thing and another.
"discrimination between right and wrong"

Discrimination between right and wrong is supposed to make racism okay? lol

Is it supposed to normalize bias and bigotry?

Discriminate between color?

Yellow is bright and that is wrong, blue is more subtle that is right.

Your argument is meant to validate wrong, not right.

I am not biased towards some posters, I take issue with what is said. I will call anyone up on something that is awry and expect and invite the same standard for myself.

I love all music as long as it is not insulting to a subset of society. Same with comedy, some bigoted, sexist and racist jokes are simply not funny.

I do not believe the Bible is written by God and I do not subscribe to any religion in particular.

But I can still appreciate a truthful verse here and there.

Philippians 4:8 (KJV)
8 Finally, brethren [and sisters], whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure [without bias], whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Comment:
Otherwise ditch the **** and move on... Why carry around hate and prejudice? It is not doing anyone any good and contrarily can cause irreparable harm.

As for Kelly Anne Conway and Ann Coulter, maybe one day they will have something other than cold, unfeeling and hateful lies to contribute to society.

The same goes for the party they represent.

When that day comes that they have something worthy to contribute I will be all ears...

Whey you hear the same crap spewed out of them time and again one become deaf to them, crying wolf.

Is that bias? No, that is common sense.

Why do I have some people on ignore?

Is that "bias"?

No, I am just tired of hearing their hateful ****.

When they have something of value to add I am sure someone will alert me to this miraculous change of heart.

I am not some doormat for unscrupulous people to wipe their feet on.

You can walk on my feet until you can walk on your own but you cannot walk on my face...

No, idiot. The definition I'm discussing currently hasn't been applied to racism. You're so desperate to climb up on your personal adulation soapbox, you'll use anything.

The words bias, racism, and discrimination deserve a little clarification before you stretch out on your shabby cross.

It is bias, and I don't blame you for it, I'm biased against the same individuals.

What I find hard to understand is you making a false distinction between some forms of prejudice and others. You remind me of GIUJohn trying to distinguish between racism and prejudice. There is none, racism is racism, it's not bias or any other euphemistic term racists try to foist on you. It's racism pure and simple, you don't have to be burning crosses on people's front lawn to be racist. Racism isn't absolute, it's a sliding scale.

What you have on this thread is a bunch of mealy mouthed racists trying to justify their racist thoughts and behaviour. And you're letting them get away with it by buying into all this nonsense about bias. Don't let them try to rewrite the dictionary; viewing or treating people unfairly because of perceived racial differences isn't bias, it's racism, end of.

this thread should be combined with the remembering dead people thread, then we could discuss Len Bias

ticks all the boxes, Bias, dead and black (not that there's anything wrong with that, some of my best friends know black people)

Do you really think putting a verbally hateful person on ignore is "biased"?

What about when a person has to take out a legal protection order on a physically abusive spouse? Are they being biased towards beaters?

I disagree with you and your use of the word bias. I agree with you that many here are trying to justify racism and it seems you are rolling out the red carpet for them (no reference to the Oscars intended). They are in the wrong and just because a person takes measures to limit the damage they can do does not some how make then biased and narrow minded.

This is like saying there are no victims and that all victims are guilty of bias towards their perpetrators if they take measures to defend themselves.

Damned if you do and damned if you don't so why bother to set things right if you are only in the end accused of "bias" and all of its negative connotations.

Are rape victims who pursue justice biased towards their rapists?

Open your mind too far and your brains will fall out.

Racism is bias. Bias is not racism. I think it could be argued, however, that bias is prejudice, like I think you have done or intended to do. The distinction I interpret between them is a matter of strength; prejudice is seen as stronger, both more negative and more unreasonable, than bias. Bias is the prejudice that most people still find acceptable, and, as this thread has shown, even purposeful. In this sense, if bias is just a lesser form of prejudice, the argument could be made that it perhaps should be considered bad. It makes rational sense that people should approach questions and situations and especially people without predispositions affecting their thinking. Yet, all people have biases, you included, and too all have, even if unwittingly, defended those biases.

That's probably because classifying and ranking behavior seems to be innate in humans. I can only imagine it's because bias actually helps us solve certain problems. If there's only so much evidence to parse, we have to create premises, which are biased, to justify conclusions.



Yes, you're showing a preference for or bias against people who are not as you describe verbally hateful. I think if you were honest with yourself, you would also realize that many people on this site are verbally hateful but you have only ignored the ones who have offended you by challenging your value system.

But that doesn't mean your choice to do so is bad because it's biased.

What makes racism wrong is not that it is bias, but a bias that people have determined is unjustified and detrimental to society.



Well, I'd hope they'd be biased against.