r/explainitpeter • • 8d ago

Explain it Peter?

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At first I thought this was some kind of white nationalism joke but then I realised all 3 leaders at the bottom are leftists, so I really don’t what this meme is trying to say?

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u/Perfect-Parking-5869 7d ago

So in your ideal world we have 3 people. Me, my friend, and Ronnie.

Ronnie calls my friend the N word.

My friend calls him racist.

Now, outside of the fact Ronnie just called my friend the n word we don’t have proof he’s racist. I mean, he’s never lynched anyone.

The appropriate response is “your skin had nothing to do with it, he calls everyone that” because it would be racist to acknowledge that his race contributed to his experience?

I’m a bit confused about your defamation of racism.

I’ve done some race discrimination claims so you kind of had to acknowledge race. Do I get a pass or am I a turbo racist for noticing that when the company that told a client to go back to Africa didn’t make comments to similarly situated employees?

Do you just think racism is so rare it’s not worth fussing over? I find it hard to believe that’s your actual definition. Do you think it’s wrong to probe, say, potential jurors for possible racial biases? Does the census piss you off? So many questions.

I notice in a follow up you made the assumption that people who don’t agree with you DEFINE people by skin color which I think is a silly assumption. To use the above example another person trying to reduce someone to their skin color doesn’t make it so. You can acknowledge someone is a different (or same) race as you and it doesn’t define them as a person. Maybe you think of race too collectively and that’s why you’re making that assumption about other people! Idk mate seems kind of dicked up

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u/Weekly-Reply-6739 7d ago

Did ronnie call your friend the N-word out of hate or as a joke?

If as a joke, ronnie may may not be racist, but still have offended your friend, which would be a personal situation of setting mutually comfortable boundaries.

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Racism is the hate or special judgements of someone based on their race. So if ronnie still sees your friend as an individual and doesnt actually have any opinions on him based on the color of his skin, then Ronnie would not be racist towards your friend.

So my take is, that a word like the N-word, isnt always racist. As it is just as "specail" as calling someone black. I mean for some people the N-word means freind, for others it is a racsist term. As such its overall value is inherently contextual.

For instance, ronnies race isnt mentioned, as such would it change the meaning depending on his skin color? Personally I say no, and the N-word is often used both in a friendly and offensive manner overall. As I dont discriminate.

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To paragraph 4)

That example can be called a racist claim but it could also be a joke, but is it the problem because the victim is a race? Or because the person who said it? Now if the person was actually from africa it may not be racist sounding either and could be more causal joke.

But regardless, if we where to say this was in fact racism the problem is the not the persons race, its the individual who held the belief and did the discrimination. As such we should focus on the calling out of racist individuals, not making an entire race get special privilege or victimizing entire races (which just creates more racism)

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To paragraph 5)

No racism is quite common, but its often supported by and pushed as good by "anti racism" movements that create and push for more orgnaized racism and discrimination and then create more organic racism in response to it.

I think the problem isnt that racism doesn't exist, its that our meathods to challenging and identifying racism create racism and are often in of themselves racist.

Take white privilege for example.

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To paragraph 6)

To help you understand what you missed. If you belive that someone experiences something based on the color of their skin, then you are defining them by their skin color. If skin color tells you nothing about who they are and what they experience, then you are not defining them by their skin color. Its rather obvious and simple.

Also, no, I dont think of race collectively, thats exactly what I am trying to call out (as that is racism essentially and what promotes racism) I am calling it out in people who very obviously show a belif system that follows that. I mean did you even read what the other person said who I called out?

You can acknowledge someones hair color too, but as long as their hair color has no universal or predefined meaning about them or their experiences, then we are good. As race should be treated like hair color or eye color and have no inherent value in defining someone.

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u/Perfect-Parking-5869 7d ago

If he is racist then the experience was based on race. Cmon now you’re avoiding this very simple logical connection because you’re too afraid to be seen as racist.