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What's worse: accusing someone of racism or being a racist?

What's worse: accusing someone of racism or being a racist?

  • Accusing someone or something of being racist is worse.

    Votes: 2 8.3%

  • Being racist is worse.

    Votes: 15 62.5%

  • Being a racist and accusing someone/something of racism are equally bad.

    Votes: 3 12.5%

  • Other

    Votes: 4 16.7%
  • Total voters
    24
Smeagol

Smeagol

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This being the time of year when many people honor and reflect upon the heritage and contributions of Americans who are black while others lament the concept as being divisive, I thought I pose this question. What's worse: accusing someone of being a racist or actually being a racist? Confession: The question was inspired by a TV interview show I surfed through this morning.

Although this is a question I've ponder for some time, I've never heard it put so concisely.

The question assumes the person accusing someone, some group or some practice of racism as well as the person, group or practice of being racist is the personal opinion of the accuser/observer and no trial by jury has occurred to establish proof beyond a reasonable doubt, just like in real life.
 
Too general of a question; depends on the situation and the veracity of the claim...

For example, I don't have a problem with a racist person who lives alone in the woods secluded from society without the chance to act on his racism. As for accusing someone of being a racist, depends on the context - a lot of the times the person making the claim of racism can themselves also be racist.
 
Other - the accusation of racism is losing it's meaning as everything seems to be racist or motivated by race in one way or another. In other words, the "boy who cried wolf" syndrome is killing actual racism that still occurs.
 
Smeagol said:
This being the time of year when many people honor and reflect upon the heritage and contributions of Americans who are black while others lament the concept as being divisive, I thought I pose this question. What's worse: accusing someone of being a racist or actually being a racist? Confession: The question was inspired by a TV interview show I surfed through this morning.

Although this is a question I've ponder for some time, I've never heard it put so concisely.

The question assumes the person accusing someone, some group or some practice of racism as well as the person, group or practice of being racist is the personal opinion of the accuser/observer and no trial by jury has occurred to establish proof beyond a reasonable doubt, just like in real life.
Click to expand...

I think belonging to an underprivileged minority is much worse.
 
Inb4 white defensiveness.
 
I work with a substantial number of drivers to the site.
I have been accused of this on a number of occasions – I am an old white guy
The claims came due to strict enforcement, not butt headed enforcement, where the individual thought this would prevent me from performing my job.
Originally this place was fairly wild.
1 person submitted a claim of this thru their respective company. A Canadian Multi-National
The senior manager for Ontario & all Western Canada visited the site.
We had our chat.
I had my ducks in a row.
In the end the person retracted their claim
I then spoke with the gentleman from Ontario- My boss was there. I am a contracted employee, security working for a Canadian Multi National.
I had previously explained to the gentleman from Ontario I had dealt with this a few times to many.
The next Driver from his Company that made such a claim I would be submitting a complaint thru Albert Humans Rights Commission. And I informed him; politely it would not be retracted, it would go thru the complete format.
Those claims ceased.
So being accused of such behavior does get my dander up.
As was mentioned in another post, it is a claim that is used more often than it should be.
 
Oh, come on now...the answer is obvious.

Which is worse, being accused of something crappy or actually being something crappy.

The former means there might be something crappy.

The latter means there IS something crappy.

How can the former possibly be 'worse' then the latter?
 
Ockham said:
Other - the accusation of racism is losing it's meaning as everything seems to be racist or motivated by race in one way or another. In other words, the "boy who cried wolf" syndrome is killing actual racism that still occurs.
Click to expand...
When you falsely accuse a person of something, you obviously harm that person, and you just gave a second reason why false accusations are bad.
 
Ockham said:
Other - the accusation of racism is losing it's meaning as everything seems to be racist or motivated by race in one way or another. In other words, the "boy who cried wolf" syndrome is killing actual racism that still occurs.
Click to expand...

While true, and I'd agree with you that it's lost it's meaning, as frequently and inappropriately it's being applied, I think it has more to do with the present leadership of the country in a variety of positions of leadership, and their continual pouring gas on that fire, rather than the reality of the matter.
 
DA60 said:
Oh, come on now...the answer is obvious.

Which is worse, being accused of something crappy or actually being something crappy.

The former means there might be something crappy.

The latter means there IS something crappy.

How can the former possibly be 'worse' then the latter?
Click to expand...


In both cases, its only someone else's opinion.

I ask because I tend to see far more disgust toward the accuser when he sees what he considers racism than towards racism when someone says they see it. It's almost as if most people honestly think racism is only in people's imagination unless the racist is a black leader.
 
Last edited:
Smeagol said:
This being the time of year when many people honor and reflect upon the heritage and contributions of Americans who are black while others lament the concept as being divisive, I thought I pose this question. What's worse: accusing someone of being a racist or actually being a racist? Confession: The question was inspired by a TV interview show I surfed through this morning.

Although this is a question I've ponder for some time, I've never heard it put so concisely.

The question assumes the person accusing someone, some group or some practice of racism as well as the person, group or practice of being racist is the personal opinion of the accuser/observer and no trial by jury has occurred to establish proof beyond a reasonable doubt, just like in real life.
Click to expand...
I think the answer needs more context.

IMO, a woman who claims rape when there was none, is just as guilty and "bad" as a man who would've actually raped her. And given that I'm talking intent, as in when she uses the rape allegation as a revenge tool, or even to protect her own reputation from her own questionable actions.

In a similar vein, people who cry racism as a tool are just as bad a racists themselves, and pretty much for the same reasons.
 
Let's see, if I call David Duke a racist, or I go out and kill half a dozen black people, which is worse? That's a ****ing tough question. :roll:
 
Smeagol said:
This being the time of year when many people honor and reflect upon the heritage and contributions of Americans who are black while others lament the concept as being divisive, I thought I pose this question. What's worse: accusing someone of being a racist or actually being a racist? Confession: The question was inspired by a TV interview show I surfed through this morning.

Although this is a question I've ponder for some time, I've never heard it put so concisely.

The question assumes the person accusing someone, some group or some practice of racism as well as the person, group or practice of being racist is the personal opinion of the accuser/observer and no trial by jury has occurred to establish proof beyond a reasonable doubt, just like in real life.
Click to expand...

uhm since your question offers no additional details

the answer is clearly being a racist
now i could probably invent a situation where accusing somebody is bad but thats not what you asked
 
spud_meister said:
Let's see, if I call David Duke a racist, or I go out and kill half a dozen black people, which is worse? That's a ****ing tough question. :roll:
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's a single possibility out of thousands.
 
DA60 said:
Oh, come on now...the answer is obvious.

Which is worse, being accused of something crappy or actually being something crappy.

The former means there might be something crappy.

The latter means there IS something crappy.

How can the former possibly be 'worse' then the latter?
Click to expand...
Yet, in our current society, often the accusation of racism is enough to cause problems for a person ,even if they aren't racist.

I would not say that being racist is better than being accused of racism, but on the other hand, if you're falsely accused of racism it means someone is actively attempting to cause you harm, OR they so totally misunderstand you that they think you actually ARE racism.

Either of those two options is unpalatable, albeit better than actually being a racist.
 
As a white person I can only be a racist...
 
The Mark said:
Not true.

As proof, I'm a white person, and I'm not a racist.
Click to expand...

I meant that I can not be a victim of racism... black people can not be racists...
 
The Mark said:
Anyone can be racist.
Click to expand...

Not according to ecofarm and many others... since the system is set up against blacks they can not be racist... only victims.
 
Bodhisattva said:
Not according to ecofarm and many others... since the system is set up against blacks they can not be racist... only victims.
Click to expand...

Try living in Korea or Japan and you will discover just how fun systemic racism is on the other end.
 
Bodhisattva said:
Not according to ecofarm and many others... since the system is set up against blacks they can not be racist... only victims.
Click to expand...
Anyone can be racist, but the effect of that racism on those it targets is directly related to the power of said person.

If memory servers, it is ecofarm's contention that somehow the very culture of the USA is racist, which makes the lot of anyone not white harder to improve.

However, even it true, so far as I can tell this does not prevent individual persons of any race from being racist about their own or other races.
 
rathi said:
Try living in Korea or Japan and you will discover just how fun systemic racism is on the other end.
Click to expand...

I understand those societies well and know exactly what you mean...
 
The Mark said:
Anyone can be racist, but the effect of that racism on those it targets is directly related to the power of said person.

If memory servers, it is ecofarm's contention that somehow the very culture of the USA is racist, which makes the lot of anyone not white harder to improve.

However, even it true, so far as I can tell this does not prevent individual persons of any race from being racist about their own or other races.
Click to expand...

Agreed on all levels...
 
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