etch wrote:Matthew,

Holding the gun is a figure of speech, what I was trying to point out is that you and I as white people can never fully understand what it feels like to be discriminated against solely on skin color because we don't experience it.

Even if your family has been involved in racial issues, which is admirable, you or they still don't experience it directly. My parents adopted a African American child twelve years ago whom had been a foster child, neither they nor I would ever pretend to know what it feels like for him to be black in primarily a white world (they live in the deep south), we can only stand alongside and symphathize.

It aint irrelevant buddy, especially to me.

greasygoose wrote:

kerble wrote:species compatibility is irrelevant. there is a distinct social construct based on race and the physical attributes thereof. Social situations deal with how humans interact, and race often dictates how well or how poorly people treat each other. This is undeniable. There is still a stigma involved with those of darker skin, even within groups of people that all have dark skin.

"Social construct" is the key term here. I'm convinced that the term race has no scientific merit, and exists only within the context of long-standing social recognitions and prejudices toward physical attributes like skin color and hair type. I do think society would benefit from disregarding the notion of race, but unfortunately it's not open-minded, tolerant people like most of us that need convincing, but people we would deem 'racist.' (Would such an -ism exist without the pre-acceptance of the root word?)

My wife is Brazilian-Norwegian, and has spent most of her life in the USA. She also has an anthropology degree, for what it's worth, and has said much to convince me that race is a bullshit term. In Brazil, she is viewed as 'white.' Here, people usually think she is 'Hispanic.' When she has to fill out a stupid form that asks for race, she invariably checks the 'other' box when available, though there might as well be a box labeled 'exotic.' Her mother is dark-skinned and has experienced her share of prejudice and horrible things, both here and in her home country.

Fact is, there are a lot of ignorant people in the world who are fearful and hateful of people who look different from them, especially with regard to the pigmentation of their skin. Call it race distinction if you like, I just call it fucking stupidity. And while 'Caucasians' no doubt have had privileges and have committed the most egregious race-motivated crimes in history, racism obviously can work both ways.

When I got married, it really amused me to see my dark-skinned, Brazilian mother-in-law meet my Italian-American grandmother. They were very sweet and cordial and had plenty of things in common (both like to make gnocchi, albeit a bit differently). Later my grandmother admitted to me that she had no idea my wife's mother was dark-skinned, that she was "kind of shocked by that." She's not a hateful or racist person, but long-held perceptions can be hard to shake.

You asked for an "alternative solution for people to be more agreeable with each other" other than denying that race exists. Further inter-racial propagation is the only answer I can think of. Eventually (after several generations) the idea of race will not seem like such a big deal. So, go out and make some light mocha-skinned, green slant-eyed, nappy-headed babies. You'll be helping the evolution of our species, and your kids will have the added benefit of a varied gene pool. Tiger Woodses everywhere you look.

And what is so wrong with being proud of your race/heritage/culture? I don't wish to destroy other cultures or feel superior. I just like mine, thank you very much.

Heritage and culture, agreed. What the fuck is race?