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racism
Marius Johnston (mariusj@NETCOM.COM)
Fri, 21 Oct 1994 17:04:37 -0700
Racism
"Do you have racism confused with another term, possible prejudice?? In
order to feel racism you would have to be belong to a race of people who
are economically, politically, and/or educationally deprived by another
race. Theoretically speaking, it's not possible for anyone with melanin in
their skin to enforce racist policies because they lack the economic, and
political tools.
" Sherwin P. Hicks" <V935CF54@TEMPLEVM> Oct 21, 94 12:49:35 pm EDT
"Racism is a form of oppression, which means that it is that is structural.
That is, it is a set of beliefs and practices **backed up by societal
institutions.** Given that, Sherwin's message isn't racism. "
<mgolden@unix.cc.emory.edu> Fri, 21 Oct 1994 11:33:46 -0400 (EDT)
racism n : a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits
and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority
of a particular race. Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary
The importance of how words are defined is not missing in any of the
above definitions of racism. In Euclidian terms any of them could be
axioms, to postulates and proofs. To the extent that an axiom is a
postulate, the focus narrows. It narrows further in a "proof" Each is
dependant upon the former. The dictionary definition of racism is like an
axiom. It includes the other two definitions without their limitations.
The problem here is the narrowing. The first two are presented as axioms
when they are postulates. Really they are a collection of postulates. They
are a group of postulates that are brought together with a certain result
in mind. They are specific enough to be refuted by observation without
rejecting the phenomena of racism. For example, the notion that racism is
dependent upon "a race of people who are economically, politically, and/or
educationally deprived by another race." is false. Clearly this is false or
Ellis Cose (author of The Rage of a Privileged class) would have no case.
I find it far more informative to investigate *all* belief systems (and
their manifest behavior patterns) based on racial superiority, rather than
a selected (biased) subset.
"Science is a willingness to accept facts even when they are opposed to
wishes." B.F. Skinner
"When this definition of racism as a strategy for white genetic survival is
mastered, one can understand precisely not only the present global power
formations and realignments ... but also all present urban (non-white)
center epidemics" Francis Welsing The Isis Papers p ii
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