Consensus and detente on racism

TriciaF I tend to agree with the definition of racism as being "prejudice plus power".

I'm of the view that most people have fairly irrational dislikes/prejudices about all sorts of things - e.g. tattoos, accents, mode of dress, etc., and we can't legislate for people's thoughts and feelings.

I am a white, British born, person and I have never felt that somebody dislikes or distrusts me because of my colour. Even if I had had such an experience, although it would be hurtful to me, it would be highly unlikely to materially affect my life. For instance, it would be unlikely to influence whether or not my job application or my request to view a particular rental home would be considered.

I think the story would be different if I were a non-white person living in a country predominantly occupied and administered by white people. Some of those people are prejudiced against me and have a stereotypical view of my character, intellect and general abilities. By the law of averages, some of these people yield a degree of power - eg responsibility for recruitment of employees or admissions of students. Their views about people like me are - consciously or sub-consciously - likely to influence how they view my application/request. It is at this point - where prejudice combines with power to affect my life chances - that I think the word "racism" means more than the fairly commonplace petty prejudices that many people have.

blinko I didn't have time to read that article yesterday.

Absolutely excellent and fits well with how I understand what is happening.

Thank you for posting it. I shall re-read it as it will take a couple of reads to assimilate

Cheers, ww it stuck a chord with me too.

Lilyflower 10 44,so well put.Nothing else needs to be said on the subject really,
The arrogance of some people here makes my blood boil,
The majority of people have spoken via their vote.

Read binkos link, gives a good explanation for why people act in a certain way.

Thanks, Eloethan - that's a useful distinction, that helps to sort out my own confused views.
And goodness me, there's some heavy information on here, my poor old brain is struggling to take it all in.

The French prime minister has warned France and Germany that they have to listen to their people Re immigration and terrorism. He warned that if they don't " the eu is in danger of falling apart"

I think young children can be racist without being taught, but they can be taught to think differently. When he was about 3 one of my sons saw a little black boy playing in a front garden and said "I don't like that little boy". Rather than reacting in horror I simply said "Why not?" to which he replied "He doesn't look nice." I replied that he was just a little boy like him but his mummy and daddy came from a very hot country and they look like that. My son accepted that explanation and grew up to have friends of various ethnicities.

But how did you know he said he didn't like the little boy because he was black?

He might have meant the boy looked unfriendly or surly. Did you just assume it was because of his colour?

When I was very small and travelling with my mother on the top of a bus in Oxford, there was sitting further up the bus a young black man. I asked my mother why he was black, and she replied that he came from a very hot country and that his skin was black to protect him from the sun which was much hotter in his country than here. The young man turned, smiled and thanked her. I've never forgotten this incident, and have sometimes wondered what happened to him. I voted for brexit, but please don't label me a racist.