There has been a lot attributed to racism in recent times.  From the posts here and elsewhere I don’t think most people really know the meaning or consequences of racism.

My understanding is that racism is not necessarily driven by hate but rather by ignorance - Racist believe they are superior to other cultures and are usually condescending or patronising rather than violent.

I am not saying that some racists are not violent, I’m just trying to distinguish between racism and bigotry – Bigots tend to hate everyone not like themselves, those who do not conform, and this may come across as racism.

Any opinions on this distinction.

Quoted from tramp

. . . . . .  From the posts here and elsewhere I don’t think most people really know the meaning or consequences of racism.

My understanding is that racism is not necessarily driven by hate but rather by ignorance  . . . . .

Racism is driven by both hate and ignorance but there are serious grounds for the problems we see around us today.

Political, cultural and religious differences cannot be overcome by most and tolerance can only go so far.
We have divides in the community that keep growing each day . .  rich/poor . . educated/illiterate . . housed/homeless . .  wage earners/unemployed . . suburban life/youth gangs  . . . and the list goes on.

Race is just one more divide among many in our community that come under the same umbrella as the above listed stresses we all face today.

Quoted from blahNii

Racism is driven by both hate and ignorance...

Agreed and the dictionary definitions back that up.

Quoted Text

rac·ism      /ˈreɪsɪzəm/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[rey-siz-uhm] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun 1. a belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement, usually involving the idea that one's own race is superior and has the right to rule others.  
2. a policy, system of government, etc., based upon or fostering such a doctrine; discrimination.  
3. hatred or intolerance of another race or other races.  

[Origin: 1865–70; < F racisme. See race2, -ism]

Quoted Text

American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source rac·ism       (r&#257;'s&#301;z'&#601;m)  Pronunciation Key  
n.  
The belief that race accounts for differences in human character or ability and that a particular race is superior to others.
Discrimination or prejudice based on race.

Quoted Text

WordNet - Cite This Source racism

noun
1.  the prejudice that members of one race are intrinsically superior to members of other races  
2.  discriminatory or abusive behavior towards members of another race

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/racism  

Yes I agree there is "Race Hate" but my proposal is that racism is not necessarily associated to hate and violence.

I believe everyone is racist to some extent but we don’t go around bashing in their heads because of our beliefs – this is the attribute of a bigot.

A lot of Australians believe that African Nations or rather people of black-African heritage are not generally as good as Anglos is swimming but are better than us in athletics …this is racism, it is not hate or ignorance.  The results in Olympics consistently support this assumption.

Quoted from tramp

...A lot of Australians believe that African Nations or rather people of black-African heritage are not generally as good as Anglos is swimming but are better than us in athletics …this is racism, it is not hate or ignorance.  The results in Olympics consistently support this assumption.

Do you have evidence for this?  We'd love to see it if you do, or is this just your opinion?

I think we are agreed on the point, racism isn't necessarliy associated with hate or violence.

Quoted Text

a belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement, usually involving the idea that one's own race is superior...

Quoted from tramp

. . . . . .  A lot of Australians believe that African Nations or rather people of black-African heritage are not generally as good as Anglos is swimming but are better than us in athletics …this is racism, it is not hate or ignorance.  The results in Olympics consistently support this assumption.

Think about that statement again . . some races DO have superior physical attributes due to their height, altitude where they train (native to their country) some are big and tall (great for basketball) some are small and fast (running, gymnastics) others are long and lanky (marathons and track and field) . . this is NOT racism . . it is having a physical advantage in certain circumstances.

The RACISM enters the frey when a flag goes up a pole to dictate that one nation is better than another because of the result of a contest   . . . that is the disgrace!!! . . I love to see an athlete in peak condition run the race of his/her life and win . . but the colour of their skin and their geography should not be an issue  of superiority . . any flag bearers out there game to take up the debate ???    

I hate how people are like " everyone is the same on the inside".. then say.. "it is what is on the inside that counts."
But if we are all the same..

I want to know.. if we evolved from the apes and stuff.. how did we get all these different races?!?!?! Who was first?

Is calling people "asians" and stuff racist?
It is funny how white people are more accused of being racist than other races though.

Quoted from dara

I hate how people are like " everyone is the same on the inside".. then say.. "it is what is on the inside that counts."
But if we are all the same..

I want to know.. if we evolved from the apes and stuff.. how did we get all these different races?!?!?! Who was first?

Is calling people "asians" and stuff racist?
It is funny how white people are more accused of being racist than other races though.

We did not come from apes . . evolution cannot explain the advanced thought patterns, imagination beyond the basic need to breed and survive.
Why we use only a small percentage of our brain capacity flies in the face of slow 'evolution' as that theory has advancement happening over millenia in small (non perceivable) speed.  We are far too advanced and creative to believe we came from a swamp in a fish like form that morphed into apes . .and here we are . . why did apes stop moving forward at that same speed we did?
Races and where they came from are explained in the Bible account of a creator building men though.

Quoted from dara

...
It is funny how white people are more accused of being racist than other races though.

Good point; I don't think racism is exclusive to any one colour and I know plenty of people who aren't 'white' who are racist.

Quoted from Paula

Good point; I don't think racism is exclusive to any one colour and I know plenty of people who aren't 'white' who are racist.

When a 'white man' thinks a coloured person is inferior . . he is 'racist'.

When a coloured person hates a white man he is just 'ignorant' .  

I know which word causes the most sparks of hate.

Quoted from blahNii

When a 'white man' thinks a coloured person is inferior . . he is 'racist'.
When a coloured person hates a white man he is just 'ignorant' I know which word causes the most sparks of hate.  

Good point.  IMO anyone who thinks someone of a different colour is inferior is racist, no matter if they are white, black, green or any other colour.

My husband just pointed out that it's often about scapegoats as much as racism.  He cited Adolf Hitler and the Jews.  He said while it was racism, it was also Hitler looking for a scapegoat that played a major part in the holocaust.

Thoughts?

I believe Hitler was just a mean and nasty person who happened to live out his fantasies through the hatred that was already there among the Europeans.  Let’s not forget that nearly all countries gladly turned over the Jews to Hitler’s armies.

This widespread hatred was jealously more than racism - Most Jews of the time were very successful in business or professional occupations.

But it wasn’t just Jews; Hitler also hated the diseased, disabled and other dependant minorities.

So what happened in Germany was not strictly racism but rather opportunistic jealousy and intolerance.

I knew a german lady years ago, who managed to survive Hitler's Germany. She was not a Jew. Her husband was killed in the war and she married another soldier, already having a son and daughter to her first husband. They were starving in Germany, so much so that they kept rabbits for eating, in their basement. The little boy was so hungry that she once caught him eating the stale bread for the rabbits. Her Mother needed medical care and medications, she was elderly. Hitler forbade any medical assistance being given to people such as she and her family had to smuggle food and medications to her.

I was raised in a town that had an Aboriginal Mission. There was a lot of racism from the indigenous towards the white population of the town. I was frankly terrified of the aborigines especially on 'pay day' because they would drink in the main street and abuse all and sundry when we walked by. They used to call it 'reverse racism' when the aborigines abused us... don't ask me why it was 'reversed' because it was still racism! I went to school with some great aborigines who became my friends.

In my family we have a Chinese woman in her 20's. She intensely dislikes black people (from any country) overweight people, people with tatoos, people with funky coloured hair, almost anyone and anything she thinks is out of the ordinary. A more bigotted and racist person I have never met.

Any one can be a racist, it is not an exclusive all white club.