Race

[dried mangos]

I believe that everyone is equal, no matter what race, religion, etc.
We are who we are, and we can't change that. People just need to learn to get along. .__.

[Vito]

[Gladde]

Race is just a natural variation in the human genetic makeup due to the environment and adaptation to where one's ancestors lived. It is beautiful thing that humans can come in all different shapes and sizes.

The problem is when racism comes into the picture and gives one group unearned priveleges and harms another group for not being like the priveleged group.

[Kitty]

I have nothing against race and all. But if your going to live in a country, you should speak the language of that country, unless its a private conversation. It annoys me when I hear Lebanese people talking, because all I hear is gibberish.

Though I don't like the head scarves they have to wear, its ridiculous. They have to wear them in all weather, thats just crazy. What if its a heat wave outside? They'd be sweating in those things. Seriously.

[Transcendence]

1. a group of persons related by common descent or heredity.
2. a population so related.
3. Anthropology.
a. any of the traditional divisions of humankind, the commonest being the Caucasian, Mongoloid, and Negro, characterized by supposedly distinctive and universal physical characteristics: no longer in technical use.
b. an arbitrary classification of modern humans, sometimes, esp. formerly, based on any or a combination of various physical characteristics, as skin color, facial form, or eye shape, and now frequently based on such genetic markers as blood groups.
c. a human population partially isolated reproductively from other populations, whose members share a greater degree of physical and genetic similarity with one another than with other humans.

I think race is more of a thing however that isnt just defined by skin color. It is defined by many things like big ears, eye color, hair color, and height.

[Alana]

[Embla]

We have been discussing this in my anthropology class ^^;; But mostly about steryotypes , something alot of us probably have without even realizing . I DONT want it to effect how I treat people, and it doesn't. But I can't say I don't have some thoughts that run through my head about race. I personally don't want to share them, because I may think them but I don't base any of my morals around them. So they do not represent my attitude.

[riddle.me.this]

Race is not real.
it is a way of categorizing humans as different things, generally based around color of skin/eyes/hair and heritage. When it comes down to it, race is solely based on original location. people we consider 'black' or darker skinned people we assume are from africa or at least somewhere very warm, because people from warm climates have adapted to the weather through their physical features, in order to make things more comfortable and to increase survival rate. Race is a myth! we would not call a lion from africa something different than a lion from the amazon, same goes for people. By giving a 'race' to someone, they are categorized and placed in a group where they often don't belong
We also mesh race and culture into one thing, which is definitely not the right thing to do haha
Anyways, everyone is mixed nowadays, so there are very few pure lineages left, we're all melding into one big race.

[Aaya-Tan]

^ Totally correct.

Race is simply non-existant.

If you're living in America, more than likely, you will not meet someone who's truely African. Or Asian (That's such a generic term, I hate it). Or Irish. Or anything.

But there are stereotypes that have been stuck to these races that are merely cosmetic, and generally people find themselves bunched into them.

Take myself for example - I'm white skinned, so I'm obviously Caucasian, right?

But my last name starts with a 'Z', so obviously I'm not pureblood American. I must be Mexican, Italian, Greek, or Indian.

But my skin color doesn't match.

In fact, when I did geneology of my family, I'm all of the above. But I'm also Arabic and British as well. I might have some Irish in me, I'm not quite sure.

But the fact of the matter is, no one owes any other race anything, no one has currently wronged anyone for anything, and people who feel they were wronged in the past need to grow up.

Slavery has been extinct for hundreds of years.

And just because someone has white skin, does not mean that we owned one of your relatives on a horrible plantation.

Also.

Just because someone is dark skinned, does not mean they're savages or, I still don't know who started this rumor, going to shoot a cap in yo' ass.

Racism, basically, is just an extremist labeling system not by clothing, but by skin color if you really break it down. Stereotypes are automatically tacked onto your skin because you have slanted eyes, or because you have a large nose, or because you have big lips or ears or dark skin or light skin or any color of skin.

I don't think any one race is guilty of racism, it's ingrained in the mind that everyone's going to be scared of everyone else because 'oh shit they're different from me!'

Blacks and whites alike. Whites respect Blacks out of fear. Blacks respect whites because they know if they don't they'll magically be predjudiced.

Though I don't really see the logic in either thinking.

So folks who still believe that 'you owe me because of this that and the other!' need to take a dose of reality and look at a calendar.

Not like anyone's going to drop everything they're doing and beg you for forgiveness.

Religion also.

The end.

[glimpse]

I hate [and love] all sorts of people because of what they say and do and think. In the end, it doesn't really matter to me what they look like. I might as well be blind.

I know racist people and am friends with some racist people. Most of them will make up exceptions for their racism. "Oh no, [person] is okay, they aren't like other [race] people." In most cases, I am an exception to their racism because I don't act "black" or "mixed". They often say I just act "white". I never really understood that.

Also, I heavily agree with most of the things that have been said here. :O

[Transcendence]

It is kinda funny now that I think about it. Its like cats looking at each other and saying oh my god, you are a black and white cat I cant be friends with you because I am a Grey cat. They just don't think like that. We are all human shouldn't that be enough so that we can all be friends. Now I understand people not liking others based of their beliefs or actions, but by how they look? That just isn't fair.

While I do have my own opinions on what type of person that I am attracted to physically, I have my own standards based off my person feelings, I dont let that get in the way. For an example I have had the majority of my crushes on white skinny people with brown hair. That doesnt mean I dont like chinese, black, mexian or any other person. Its just that I am attracted to a certain type of person more than others.

When I meet someone however I base my opinions on them not on how they look or the color of their skin, but on how they act. How do I know that they may just be too poor to buy clothes or that even if they look muslin they are not Osama. In all honesty I think that treating people the way you would like to be treated should always be used when it comes to the way someone looks.

However, if you get to know someone and they show traits that you dont like and they are not a good person in your eyes only then can you feel that it is good to judge them. But just because one person acts a certain way and is a certain race, that doestn mean that all others will be that way and you should carry that with you as you meet other new people.

I know that where I live race is a pretty big deal. Esoecially when everyone around her pretty much looks the same. You stick out when you are different, but I try to treat everyone equally and be everyones friend unless they give me good reason to dislike them. I mean who woudl you rather be with even as a racist person? A mean person or a nice person? If you saw that the mean person was your race and the nice person was another that you didnt like should you hate them? I think not.

[Graymalkin]

Race, well I have a preference dating wise sometimes.
Although it always always comes down to the persons personality.
If they are a royal jerk then of course I am not going to like them.
I adore certain cultures because of their traditions, and have less interest in another.
Personally I have no race that I would discriminate against.
Not my thing, although I am a little less trusting of native men.
Only from personal issues in my childhood.
I am friends with many, but the fear is still there kind of.
So, I think races are fine but I... just lost my train of thought.
No problem with other races.
I suppose this is my thought on them.

[Odd]

Everybody is at least a little racist. I find that the people who go out of their way to oppose racism can secretly be some of the most racist people I've met. I, for example, am a little racist concerning native americans. I don't hate them, or call them names, but deep down I feel a pang of pride in the fact that a mere hundred thousand or so of my ancestors came over in boats and wiped out *millions* of native americans and stole damn near all their land. It wasn't nice, or moral, but it was quite an accomplishment all the same. And I sleep just fine at night, because the way I see it, the best thing you can do about racism is not give a damn. It's when you make it an issue, when you draw lines in the sand and say 'this is right and this is wrong' that you really divide people. Telling people that they're hateful and stupid for using the word "nigger" is every bit as inflammatory as using the word yourself. Leave it alone, sweep it under the rug and ignore it, and it'll go away in it's own time. The more you talk about it, the longer it'll take to forget about it.

P.S. If you're offended by what I said concerning the native americans, consider this: I'm a tiny bit native american myself. I've had this discussion with full-blooded native americans. If I don't give a damn and they don't give a damn, maybe you shouldn't give a damn either. Have a nice day.

[Lux-Vertas]

It can be helpful for IDing people, but it's a distraction!

Skin coulour means Bumpkis today! It doesn't matter in the great allmighty's plot for the universe!

and if your race was a victim of Xenophobia and stupidity you have no right to throw that crap out!

[Lucifer]

Race is just another label used in our society to promote some, and hinder others. I do not put much thought into it- and why should I? It is just as common as having to worry that my shirt is blue and yours is green. IN this modern society I don't think that 'race' is a problem- at least not with our younger generations. We cannot really blame our elders who still see race as a divisor for they were raised in that mind set, and I hope to see a future where race will be dismissed at something trivial and minor.