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Debate Score:47
Arguments:25
Total Votes:61
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 Why is it that only white people can be racist? (25)

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Snacky(32) pic



Why is it that only white people can be racist?

Think about it.  If a black man tells his friends a white guy joke, they all laugh and say he is funny.  If a white man tells a black guy joke, he is automatically a racist.  Quite the double standard, eh?

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5 points

This is actually a strawman. Nobody argues that only white people can be racist. The argument is that white people are the majority, and thus any prejudice causes severe problems for the minorities.

Why do people frown upon a majority making fun of a minority, and not a minority poking fun at a majority? An innate sense of fairness. When a minority makes fun of the majority, he isn't a threat, he is the underdog criticising those who are better off. When a majority makes fun of a minority, it is an example of the strong or advantaged intimidating or mocking the weak and disadvantaged. This is condemned as thuggery.

Side: Strawman
3 points

Because racism is, in essence, power; it's not hurt feelings.

This post is at least 50 characters.

Side: Strawman

It's because society has this mentality that because we oppressed blacks in the past, they have this right to more. This goes along with the multiculturalist, feel-good liberal ideology.

Side: Strawman
1 point

they definitely think they are superior,which is so not TRUE!!! this outrageous racism has to be stopped at any rate...when a white person comes to a country of blacks,they are treated so nicely,and what does a black person receive on visiting a country of the whites?only ignorance...

Side: Strawman
3 points

Listen up, honey. You have it ass-backwards. White nations roll out the red carpet for African immigrants and we citizens treat them graciously. Take your skinny white ass over to Africa and see how long you last. You would be lucky to just be killed without being raped first.

Side: Strawman
mb66(26) Disputed
0 points

So you are selling us out as well . What a shame , such a pretty face ,

PAINT IT BLACK

Side: Strawman
fly4life(3) Disputed
1 point

No this comes from eveyday being left ot off what society calls progress!!

Side: Strawman
BlackSheep(203) Disputed
1 point

No it is because these cultures are basically white cultures in which the minorities feel left out and lost. A lot has to do with things the minorities do and how they are seen as quaint or silly by the culture as a whole.

Side: Strawman
2 points

A person cannot truly be racist if he or she does not have the power to hurt someone with their prejudiced thoughts or actions. Black people are just as capable of racial prejudice as any other race, but cannot be truly racist because they still don't have much power.

I would argue along with a number of contemporary social science researchers and theorists that in Western culture, particular in the USA, at this time, only White people are capable of racism. Don't misunderstand me, Black people are capable of discrimination, racial biases, and race-based hatred. However, I am using the word "Racism" in a particular way to include all of these features plus the important features of power and the capability for systematic oppression.

Because Blacks are not in a position of relative power in the USA, they are not capable of being racist in the sense that I have here defined the term. They are not capable of exerting the power over Whites or other groups, and are thus incapable of hurting them in the ways that Whites can hurt Blacks with relative ease.

I am aware this argument will not hold up if we are using the standard dictionary-definition of racism. If that definition is used, then I would agree that Whites and Blacks might be equally racist. My motivation for using this enhanced definition is that it captures the power dynamic in this culture which is overlooked by those who would claim that Whites suffer more from racism today than do Blacks. Hopefully, you can see that this power dynamic is an important ingredient in determining who is "more" racist.

Another objection I will anticipate is the argument that because the USA has elected Barack Obama as president, that Blacks are now in power in this country. This is simply not true for a couple of reasons:

1)Obama is not Black, he is bi-racial.

2)Power is not equally distributed just because our president is half-Black. Blacks still suffer disproportionately from poverty, homelessness, wrongful convictions, racial profiling, subtle microaggressions, workplace discrimination, poor education, and lack of achievement.

White people are still in power in this country. If you don't believe me, let's examine a few statistics:

Economic Power:

1. In 2007, only 4 of the Fortune 500 companies had non-White CEOs (source: http://www.diversityinc.com/content/1757/article/2696/?Why_Are_So_Few_CEOs_People_of_Color_and_Women) ) ) )

2. "Overall, the typical white family enjoys a net worth that is more than seven times that of its black counterpart." (source: http://www.thenation.com/doc/20010326/conley) ) ) )

Political Power:

1. Of 435 voting representatives in the house of representatives, only 72 are racial minorities. (17%)

2. Of the 100 Senators, only 5 are racial minorities (5%)

Keep in mind that according to the 2005 census, 98 million (33%) of people in the U.S. are minorities. So, as you can see, there is an unequal distribution of power.

Side: Strawman
2 points

Where I don't agree with your position, I'm just so damn happy to see that you understand and explained your that your use of the word "racism" varies from the dictionary sense of the word. Other users on this site could learn a thing or two from your post.

Side: Strawman
-1 points

Ah blow it out your ass. What a bunch of liberal gobbledygook.

Side: Strawman
Swryght(161) Disputed
3 points

Enlightened1 wrote: "Ah blow it out your ass. What a bunch of liberal gobbledygook."

That is your response to a cogent argument supported by evidence? The most pitiful debater is one who has nothing to contribute to a discussion but profanity and name-calling.

Side: Strawman
2 points

it's not that you can't be racist against white people remember that racism isn't just about skin colour it's also about what you believe in and your eye/hair colour as well there are plenty of white Jews and Muslims but you hear racist jokes about their religions don't you? So racism isn't just aimed at black people it is just that most racism is about black people and religions associated with them.

Side: Strawman
1 point

in my opinion anybody could be rasist but theres no nned to be as no matter what race,religion,sex or even what couloured hair you have got everybody is human and we all breathe the same air and live on the same planet so who cares weather your black white green purple or yellow we are equal xx

Side: Strawman
1 point

Thier history speaks for itself. 3\5th human being in coctitution

Side: Strawman
1 point

Thier history speaks for itself. 3/5ths human being being in threr constitutiom

Side: Strawman
1 point

I dont agree that only white people are racist. its aload of balls, but what is true is that if we say "Nigga" its like we have commited a murder but if i get called a white bit of trash nothing happens. People need to learn to laugh about themselfs and not be stuck up twats.

Side: Strawman
1 point

I think it's rather pathetic to see our society so focused on the color of one's skin. Just because they're a different color than we are, they're immediately a threat to us? Ridiculous. Dividing and labeling people by color is a very primitive and juvenile way of thinking. We're all human, regardless of skin color. We only have different skin color and facial features because of where different groups of people settled. Over time and generations, our bodies change and adapt to the environment and climate we're in. That's it. If the entire Earth was made up of a single climate and environment, we'd all be the same color. That's it. That's all. It's time to move on.

Side: Strawman
1 point

most of the racists i have met have been white. i have actually looked on the web for racist websites made by blacks, asians, or hispanics, but have found none. on the other hand, i have found numerous racist websites made by whites. i have found blacks to be relatively open minded towards other cultures while whites seem to be very euro centric in their thinking.

Side: Strawman