Being Labeled Racist

[Righteo]

It seems to be happening more and more these days where it seems you can't even have an opinion that isn't derogatory without being labeled racist. Point in case:
Our office is near the entrance and perving is a popular pastime. The boys went nuts the other day and I was alerted, had a look and made the comment "meh, I don't really find Asians attractive", and was accused of being racist.
I guess because I prefer Italian Pork sausage over Chinese pork sausage I am also racist, either that or both are merely a thing of taste.

You're not racist, you just have poor taste.

 

[Ted38]

He also said that Democracy is the worst form of government, except all the others that have been tried from time to time.

We're lucky to live in an open and accountable Democracy, as long as we keep it open and accountable and allow everyone to have minority views without harm - as long as they allow the same of others.

Interesting comment, can you elaborate on it?

 

[Ted38]

Coming Soon to a place near you, Geert Wilders. Compliments of the Q Society.

 

[the_interloper]

Everyone has a different definition, always fortuitously including other people and never themselves.

I don't know what a definition is of racist, but I reckon I would be under some people's definitions and not others. I laugh at racist jokes and do find that sort of humour amusing generally, but I'd never go down the street and call a random black guy a "******" or something like that, or alienate someone for their race.

But in terms of women, shagging an Asian bird was always on my bucket list, and I'm married now and have never done it! Like Ricky Gervais said: "I'd do most races, liberal."

 

[hufus]

Coming Soon to a place near you, Geert Wilders. Compliments of the Q Society.

Starting to get a bit off topic, but briefly, part of the aim of liberal democracy is that if I have a view that a majority of people disagree with, I should be able to say it loud and proud, and even act towards supporting it - as long as my doing so doesn't actively harm someone else. In return, I accept other minority views as having validity to be expressed.

For example, there are two idiot brothers who 'preach' the most disgusting stuff in Adelaide. Which was unacceptable but accepted, because they weren't taking away other's rights or harming them directly. But once they started attempting to break up gay marriage rallies by calling everyone rather nasty things, they crossed a line.Now the line has been crossed the other way, as they're being denied the ability to do what they originally did - preach hatred - by the Adelaide Council. I'm not up on all the details, but the ABC have been covering it a bit.

So, to bring it back to the topic: Have whatever view you want. I hope people accept it, even if it's not a popular one, because it also isn't a racist one. If you have a respect for others to like asians, they ought to respect if you don't. That's Australia's deal.

 

[Silent Alarm]

Coming Soon to a place near you, Geert Wilders. Compliments of the Q Society.

I'm basically a lefty, but I don't resent Geert Wilders too much. He's educated and pretty intelligent in the way he discusses his political beliefs, and he never condones violence against muslims.

 

[simmo41]

There is a difference between racism and xenophobia. In Australia, I think there is much more xenophobia than there is racism.

Among the educated inner-city types it is common to think Australia a racist nation. I bought into a similar conception of our country until I actually visited others.

Let's just say any 'racism' in Australia is mild at worst compared to some other places.

Underrated post.

I used to think Australia was a racist nation. Then I met some South Africans.

 

[Silent Alarm]

Underrated post.

I used to think Australia was a racist nation. Then I met some South Africans.

Some girl I went to school with had white South African parents. She was an absolute pain in the arse. She did an assignment on how the Apartheid wasn't that bad, and how the media was essentially feeling "guilty" for repressing the black, so they took it out on the white South Africans. Yeah. Um. Alright.

But yeah, I don't think Australia is a racist country. There are plenty of really dumb people who say they aren't racist, but in turn, actually aren't. They might not use derogatory words or be anti-asylum seeker, but they have deep seated racist opinions. These are the kind of pricks who are uncomfortable with talking about race, have bland opinions, and are completely afraid to say something bad about an aboriginal because they're so sensitive*

There are racists everywhere. There are also politically bland-as-a-milk-arrowroot douches like Charlie Pickering everywhere. And there are grounded, respectful, normal, lefties and conservatives everywhere. It's not exclusive to Australia.

*This shits me so much. To come out and say you hate Aboriginals (of course, using a derogatory term like "abo" or "coon" is more occurrent) because they're all the same and add nothing to society would be racist. But imagine this scenario: Tom's parents are both aboriginal, he is aboriginal, but he's an arseh*le. Being a prick is irrelevant to his skin-tone, cultural background, religious beliefs, or socioeconomics. Some people are just arseholes, and that's a category of the human condition, not a specific race. If you say "****, I hate Tom, what a ****ing prick," people would call you a racist. This in itself is racist though! By singling them out and bringing race into it, you're conforming to the notion that hating a black person means that you hate all black people.

I mean, I hate two Essendon fans. But I don't hate all Essendon fans. But people don't say "you Esse-phobe!"

 

[simmo41]

I am very fond of the word "f----t" as an insult, but that makes me homophobic. Which is silly - I'm not scared of them. But that's neither here nor there.

So many people seemingly want to be offended by something to the point where they will get offended on someone's behalf, so they can feel they've done their bit for a progressive society. Bunch of f----ts.

 

[hufus]

I am very fond of the word "f----t" as an insult, but that makes me homophobic. Which is silly - I'm not scared of them. But that's neither here nor there.

So many people seemingly want to be offended by something to the point where they will get offended on someone's behalf, so they can feel they've done their bit for a progressive society. Bunch of f----ts.

Difference is, I wouldn't call a turd of a bloke a racial slur, as you do with f----t. A turd (or d-khead, etc) isn't specifically related to being part of a group of people. Everybody sheets.

 

[Silent Alarm]

I am very fond of the word "f----t" as an insult, but that makes me homophobic. Which is silly - I'm not scared of them. But that's neither here nor there.

So many people seemingly want to be offended by something to the point where they will get offended on someone's behalf, so they can feel they've done their bit for a progressive society. Bunch of f----ts.

****** is a horrible word. It's meaning and origin is bad, but it's just horrible to say. The phonetics are just far too blunt and awful.

 

[simmo41]

Difference is, I wouldn't call a turd of a bloke a racial slur, as you do with f----t. A turd (or d-khead, etc) isn't specifically related to being part of a group of people. Everybody sheets.

I'm not defending my use of the word. I know it's insulting to some people, which is why I don't direct it to them. My point is that labelling me as a person who is abhorrently opposed to the existence of a subset of society simply because of the way I use a single word is a silly overreaction.

 

[simmo41]

****** is a horrible word. It's meaning and origin is bad, but it's just horrible to say. The phonetics are just far too blunt and awful.

See that's why I love it. It's disappointing that there's such negative connotations behind it because it would be a catch-all insult I'd use more often.

Language is powerful, yo.

 

[fairdinkum]

Underrated post.

I used to think Australia was a racist nation. Then I met some South Africans.

Lol; it was my trip to South Africa which played a large role in opening my own eyes.

Some girl I went to school with had white South African parents. She was an absolute pain in the arse. She did an assignment on how the Apartheid wasn't that bad, and how the media was essentially feeling "guilty" for repressing the black, so they took it out on the white South Africans. Yeah. Um. Alright.

And you would know more about it than her... how exactly?

 

[Caesar]

See that's why I love it. It's disappointing that there's such negative connotations behind it because it would be a catch-all insult I'd use more often.

If there weren't negative connotations behind it then you wouldn't use it as an insult.

 

[Ed_Gein]

How does everyone feel about say Asians who move to a different country and set up a takeaway with signs in their native language? Do you feel they should be embracing the culture of where they moved to and writing the signs in English, or is it ok to write in Chinese for example?

 

[Caesar]

...why should I care one way or the other?

 

[Ed_Gein]

Well, it's an English speaking country. I'm all for multi-culturalism but don't you think it's alarming when people move overseas and congregate to areas where they know they can blend in with people from their own background who don't intend to live by the customs of the country they moved to and learn English?

 

[hufus]

I know if I went to live in China, I'd make an effort to learn Chinese and meet the locals...

...but I'd spend a fair whack of my time with Expats, and would do a lot of my shopping or eating out at western-orientated places.

So I don't think too harshly of it, as long as it goes hand in hand with integration, and almost always it does.

 

[Caesar]

I don't find it alarming when people talk in another language, no.

 

[BomberFletch31]

How does everyone feel about say Asians who move to a different country and set up a takeaway with signs in their native language? Do you feel they should be embracing the culture of where they moved to and writing the signs in English, or is it ok to write in Chinese for example?

Isn't it a local council requirement that signs have to have English written on it, regardless of whether there's also another language?

I think when they put up signs only in their native language, that they are deliberately excluding the proportion of the population who do not speak their native language.

 

[iameviljez]

How does everyone feel about say Asians who move to a different country and set up a takeaway with signs in their native language? Do you feel they should be embracing the culture of where they moved to and writing the signs in English, or is it ok to write in Chinese for example?

Couldn't care less. Not exactly an intelligent business move, and I don't think it'd make them happy either, but on a personal level I'm not fussed.

The only point at which I would have issue with your hypothetical scenario would be if they hadn't complied with industry standards regarding allergy issues.

 

[Andre]

I don't find it alarming when people talk in another language, no.

Language is an interesting one. Tourists obviously shouldn't be in the situation of feeling they have to talk in English, just because it's Australia's main language. And what people talk in the home is their own business. If it's two (or more) people who live in Australia conversing in a public place then I tend to go with the view that it certainly shouldn't be disallowed, but choosing to speak in something other than English whilst out in public is a choice that takes you one step away from being part of the Australian society around you, right at that moment.

From an example close to home, my father's family emigrated here in the 50's and he and his older sister talk in Dutch on the phone every week. If they are out in public though they would be speaking English, rather than putting up a language barrier around themselves, even though they aren't engaging others in the conversation.

 

[Andre]

How does everyone feel about say Asians who move to a different country and set up a takeaway with signs in their native language? Do you feel they should be embracing the culture of where they moved to and writing the signs in English, or is it ok to write in Chinese for example?

I think it's perfectly fine for signs to be bi-lingual and a good business choice to 'catch' those who won't learn English or tourists from the 'mother land'. Ideally they wouldn't be just one language, but like the spoken word it's not something to disallow, but it raises the obvious question of why then emigrate to Australia if you aren't willing to meet half way with Australian society?

 

[iameviljez]

Language is an interesting one. Tourists obviously shouldn't be in the situation of feeling they have to talk in English, just because it's Australia's main language. And what people talk in the home is their own business. If it's two (or more) people who live in Australia conversing in a public place then I tend to go with the view that it certainly shouldn't be disallowed, but choosing to speak in something other than English whilst out in public is a choice that takes you one step away from being part of the Australian society around you, right at that moment.

From an example close to home, my father's family emigrated here in the 50's and he and his older sister talk in Dutch on the phone every week. If they are out in public though they would be speaking English, rather than putting up a language barrier around themselves, even though they aren't engaging others in the conversation.

Plus it's really, really hard for people to converse all the time in a second language. It's not just hard because it's tiring, it's also emotionally tough because it drags your IQ down by a good thirty points - simply because it's so difficult to articulate whatever you want to say. I can't blame people for struggling to speak English when it's not their first language.