What does RACISM mean to you?

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by Azazel
Racism is NOT the different treatment of someone based on their ethnic background.


Racism is the belief that a human has inherent personal qualities based on his ethnic background.

How does one different from another? The former is merely a manifestation of the latter.

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by Sikander
Here's some of what Thomas Sewell has to say on the matter:
[snip]

Recognition of these differences in capabilities and orientations is often called "racism", as if that somehow invalidated the observations about group differences in behavior or performance, or turned it into a mere subjective perception.

[snip]

The problem with this is the capabilities within any ethnic group span a wide spectrum, thus no useful conclusion might be drawn on a person's ethnic origin alone.

[Berzerker]

UR -

These are not ethnic groups, thus doesn't form a counter argument.

It does in that when a specific group CAN be identified as the relevant source of hi-jackings, focusing on that group, whether they be a different race, skin color, gender, age, appearance, etc., that knowledge should be put to use to make the most of available resources. But since these people can find ways of using other people to deliver bombs who don't fit the profile, we can't just ignore everyone else.

The truth of the matter is there were way more white male hijackers in the US than minority hijackers. By your logic, it is the white males that need to be profiled, not minorities.

If true, so what? The focus is on terrorism, not some white commie who can't afford plane fare to Cuba.

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by Berzerker
It does in that when a specific group CAN be identified as the relevant source of hi-jackings, focusing on that group, whether they be a different race, skin color, gender, age, appearance, etc., that knowledge should be put to use to make the most of available resources.

As I said, most hijackers have been white males

Originally posted by Berzerker
If true, so what? The focus is on terrorism, not some white commie who can't afford plane fare to Cuba.

But there is more to terrorism than just plane-hijackings. For example, the infamous Unabomber Theodore
Kaczynski isn't a Muslim, and neither is McVeigh. It wasn't a muslim who sent Anthrax spores through the US Mail after 911.

There is also more to racism than racial profiling. The most famous cases were the detention of Japanese-Americans during WWII, and the imposing of "head tax" against Chinese workers building the trans-America railways.

[Az]

How does one different from another? The former is merely a manifestation of the latter.

No it's not. the fact that you discriminate against people doesn't mean that you think they're worse. It CAN mean that, and often it does, but it's not the sole reason.

Oh, and the muslim debate doesn't belong here at all, since it's not racism, as muslims are not a race, but a persuasion.