Am I a Racist?

[fishdbaz]

Okay, so I was telling my dad about this article: http://io9.com/5436621/theories-on-why-our-bigger-brained-predecessors-vanished that I'd read a few minutes before and somehow our conversation ended up drifting and I mentioned a study that I'd read (somewhere... Newsweek I think) about cultural academics that basically said that people of from Jewish families tend to pursue more academic careers because of a certain cultural push... And so my dad told me I'm a racist.

I tried arguing that there ARE differences (mind you, not differences in capability, differences in "cultural perception" if you know what I mean) between cultures and to ignore them would be ignorance (A bit redundant, but whatever). But he just kept insisting that I'm a racist.

This has bothered me somewhat.
I've nevered even cared about race until now. For me, its about as important as something like eye colour or navel type (innie or outie).

So is it racist to acknowledge the difference between cultures?
...
On the other hand, my dad said that you just shouldn't think of people as being just another part of cultures anyways and just think of them on an individual basis.

I feel like we're both right in a way.
I'm confused and a bit taken aback at being labled a racist by my own dad (even if it was -at least partially- in jest). So what do you think?

BTW if you're an outie GTFO NOW YOU INSIDE-OUT ABOMINATION OF NATURE!

 

[Tyguy]

it's more of a cultural difference, nothing to do with race.

 

[Danimal]

I wasn't actually aware that Jewish was a race to begin with.

 

[VirusType2]

Dads that are always right are difficult to deal with, I wouldn't let it bother you. It's not worth it.

Personally, I don't think that makes you racist at all. Even if you were, there are worse things.

 

[fishdbaz]

Meh, I suppose my use of the words "race" and "culture" have kind of a fuzzy division.

 

[Saturos]

Not only is your dad wrong, but he's a wuss to boot.
There's a saying I once heard, "If your gonna be dumb, at least be tough."

...and arguing with your son about ideals is not tough, it shows your insecure.

Don't tell your dad that though or you'll prolly get grounded.

 

[VirusType2]

Saturos, do you always have to be so inflammatory? It just shows he might be stubborn and set in his ways.

 

[Saturos]

Saturos, do you always have to be so inflammatory? It just shows he might be stubborn and set in his ways.

So is my dad set in his ways, but we bicker all the time! I'm not just argumentative here, I'm an obstinate opinionated bastard irl too.

My dad's always telling me I'm full of shit. LOL

 

[xcellerate]

So is it racist to acknowledge the difference between cultures?

Nope, stereotypes are stereotypes for a reason.

 

[15357]

Lol. Of course there's a difference in culture that orients people towards different goals and such. It's not really about race. If you gave me a white baby for the first 15 years of his life, I could make him into a xenophobic nationalistic Korean who screams FOR THE FATHERLAND AND THE NATION regardless of his skin color.


I also kinda find it interesting that I am an avid hater of racial discrimination, but is nationalistic to the bone.

 

[VirusType2]

So is my dad set in his ways, but we bicker all the time! I'm not just argumentative here, I'm an obstinate opinionated bastard irl too.

My dad's always telling me I'm full of shit. LOL

Are you lacking sleep or something? What's wrong with you?

So is your Dad a wuss? My step dad is stubborn and opinionated, and always right, even when he's wrong. It's frustrating to deal with. He's not a wuss, the mother****er disarmed a police officer and put him in a sleeper hold.

 

[MuToiD_MaN]

Nope, stereotypes are stereotypes for a reason.

That's not a justification for it though. Stereotyping has the connotation of prejudice. Racial prejudice means you expect individuals to act, think, or otherwise be a certain way before you know anything about them other than their race. That's bad, m'kay?

It's okay to acknowledge the statistics. It's definitely okay to appreciate cultural differences. Just don't take those statistics and automatically apply them to everyone you meet. It might not seem like you have much influence but cumulatively it absolutely has an effect. If a person of a particular race or creed meets the same prejudice from everyone he or she encounters, it WILL affect their life, so I feel like as long as you know better than to pre-judge those around you, you are not racist.

phew.

 

[Saturos]

Are you lacking sleep or something?

Bingo.

I'll shut up now. :|

EDIT> and maybe try to get some sleep too.

OP, I'm all out of ideas. Just be blunt, short, and to the point with your dad with his accusatory statements. He'll either agree to disagree or agree that he was wrong.

 

[VirusType2]

^Hypertension

 

[Hectic Glenn]

My dad's always telling me I'm full of shit. LOL

Why am I not surprised to hear that!?

 

[FrostedxB]

My father and I had a chat about races, and how you can easily tell them apart based almost solely on how they drive. In an attempt to not offend anybody here I won't give specifics, but most of what he said was true. Yes I did just admit that my father and I are somewhat racist.

Eh, just hate everyone.

 

[Saturos]

Why am I not surprised to hear that!?

It's a bittersweet father/son relationship. We still get along though. Me and him are as different as night and day so obviously there's going to be some friction.

 

[Raziaar]

Lol. Of course there's a difference in culture that orients people towards different goals and such. It's not really about race. If you gave me a white baby for the first 15 years of his life, I could make him into a xenophobic nationalistic Korean who screams FOR THE FATHERLAND AND THE NATION regardless of his skin color.


I also kinda find it interesting that I am an avid hater of racial discrimination, but is nationalistic to the bone.

This is why we love you.


Anyway, to the original poster. I don't think what you did/said was racist or culturally insensitive.

 

[<RJMC>]

as it said is due to culture

culture does not equal race

though maybe your example of jew "pushing theyr kids to the academic" may be more due to the fathers rather that the whole jewish culture

and if all jews do that them thats cuz they have fathers like that and so on

still all fathers theyr kids for that isnt?

 

[BabyHeadCrab]

Like most stereotypes it has significant truth to it. My dad's side is Jewish and he's a very traditional academic who has always been the one to push us the hardest to do very well in High School / College. His parents were blue collar their entire lives though, and his dad steadfastly refused to stay in higher education.

You'll find the same thing in most Chinese/Japanese/Koreans 1st/2nd generation immigrants, with even greater intensity at times. Racist? Who cares, everyone is racist. Especially those twats who go out on a limb to say they are perfectly unracist.

 

[Shyam]

To the OP, I don't think you are a racist. But it seems your dad is one of those people who says racism for touching on topics like that.

 

[Maestro]

I am not racist, here you are all equally WORTHLESS.

Cookie to whoever gets that one.

 

[Sulkdodds]

Can I just ask if you are a pretend approximation of an obnoxious person?

 

[unozero]

I wasn't actually aware that Jewish was a race to begin with.

didn't you know?
They are Gods chosen people.

 

[Saturos]

I am not racist, here you are all equally WORTHLESS.

Cookie to whoever gets that one.

Lee Ermey, Full Metal Jacket. You owe me a cookie.

EDIT> and it's, "I do not tolerate racism, here you are all equally worthless".

 

[Sulkdodds]

Well done, Saturos. Remember to PM your postal address to Maestro so that he can send you his prize. Maestro, please render unto Saturos the agreed sum of 1 (one) cookie with all due expedience or risk being banned for breach of contract.

 

[Saturos]

Well done, Saturos. Remember to PM your postal address to Maestro so that he can send you his prize. Maestro, please render unto Saturos the agreed sum of 1 (one) cookie with all due expedience or risk being banned for breach of contract.

You heard the man Maestro, so pay up sucka!

 

[jverne]

@OP


Sir, we don't tolerate this kind of blatant racism here. Please leave the forums.
Maybe http://www.stormfront.org/ is a better choice for you.

 

[Rizzo]

Holy shit...

 

[Yorick]

My dad's always telling me I'm full of shit. LOL

I wonder why.

 

[xdrive]

People call other people "racist" for the simplest things.

I got called a racist for asking someone what nationality they were. (there skin was black)

 

[AJ Rimmer]

Lee Ermey, Full Metal Jacket. You owe me a cookie.

EDIT> and it's, "I do not tolerate racism, here you are all equally worthless".

"There is no racial bigotry here. I do not look down on ******s, kikes, wops or greasers. Here, you are all equally worthless."

I demand a gold-plated cookie with taste of almond.

 

[Solaris]

Stauros/Lemonking, You're a racist asshole.

 

[Darkside55]

I cannot believe everyone in this topic is talking about racism and not the Boskops after the link in Fishdbaz's post. Debating about race and culture and quoting old movies with promises of e-cookies rather than talking about an extinct species 25% smarter than we are.

Makes me weep for the discourse I could be reading from Boskops instead of you retarded lot.

 

[fishdbaz]

I cannot believe everyone in this topic is talking about racism and not the Boskops after the link in Fishdbaz's post. Debating about race and culture and quoting old movies with promises of e-cookies rather than talking about an extinct species 25% smarter than we are.

Makes me weep for the discourse I could be reading from Boskops instead of you retarded lot.

Not neccesarily smarter; just look at elephants and their huge brains. Perhaps they had a greater capacity for knowledge and memory though? Or maybe they just had inefficient brains compared to us and our ancestors (perhaps why our ancestors survived while they did not)?

 

[Eejit]

Yeah it's a pretty worthless article based on another pretty worthless article darkside. Yawnz.

 

[Saturos]

Stauros/Lemonking, You're a racist asshole.

No, I'm just an asshole who hates everybody. How's that discriminating?

 

[Warped]

so this is weird. i swear i posted something in this thread and my post isn't here any more.

EDIT: OH LOL similar thread is like 4 threads down, silly me

 

[Bad^Hat]

Sounds a little like my dad. Dude's a skinny white ****er but he has Maori blood in him so he thinks he has to be all cultural and TE WHANAU and shit, and every time you try to talk to him about it he acts all holier-than-thou like "well you wouldn't know even though genetically you're pretty much just as Maori as I am lol."

Naw it's not really that bad actually we give him shit about it, but yeah it can be obnoxious sometimes. Just tell your dad to take a pill and accept that there are differences between being racist and just acknowledging commonalities in certain cultures. Humans are social creatures, to deny that we imitate others in our own social cliques, or that certain people pass on traditions as a way of life, is to deny your own existence.

Edit - Also Maoris are all criminals and/or overweight NOT RACIST IT'S IN THE STATISTICS.

 

[Stigmata]

Bad^Hat you racist bastard, where have you been.