it's a racial slur and a racial slur won't be considered bad if you take pride in , or see nothing wrong with doing what the slur puts down.

Most people think it is bad to enter a country illegally. Didn't you see the thread on illegal aliens?

Slurs do depend on the context. In a movie representing history, in books like Huckleberry Finn, Of Mice and Men, racial slurs are about the way people used to be, the way they used to talk. That doesn't excuse the use of that kind of language, then or now--but stating a historical fact aloud is neither morally right nor wrong.

Sometimes among friends racial slurs are used to make each other laugh. Many times people use racial slurs because they have not had the opportunity to learn about other cultures.

It many cases, a person will use racial slurs as a means to degrade and to cause emotional distress not based on any true fact to be "proud of". Calling someone a wetback implies they came here illegally, an assumption solely based on the color of their skin, their primary language, and other such stereotypes, etc. The name is meant as a slur because usually the person saying it has no knowledge of the person's history.

You gotta be impressed by the progress of blacks in our society. They turned the term '******' from a slur to a term of enpowerment for themselves.

Racism does exist within each group, but I am one that believes that it exists acually in greater capacity within minority groups rather than white people. Even if minorities do not look down upon other groups, I can say that from my friends in this category that they are on a 'racist lookout'; they are paranoid that white people are being racist against them while in fact, no signs of this are present. What I'm trying to say is that minorites distinguish more between races.

The word "******" is from the Latin word "Niger" and/or Spanish word "Negro". It simply means 'black' so in pure semantics terms it means nothing other than calling someone 'black' (or dark). It became a demeaning name when it began to be used nostalgically by whites to hark back to the days when it was legal to own, control, and oppress blacks ... or perhaps even earlier than that.

Blacks have confronted the word and turned it on its head. Latinos might be able to do the same with the term '**** ' since it means nothing more than HiSpaNIC. Wetback would be harder.

I really don't think blacks have progressed that much and in my opinion they call eachother N*gga as a bonding term which to me is absurd because if they were over it and had it as a term of empowerment they wouldn't be bothered if a person of another ethinicity said it. Many people will find plenty of blacks who do not answer to the term because they're not one in OWN minds, and not one in general, the term does not apply to them.

I think racial slurs will never be tolerated when said by someone that's "outside" one's ethnicity. They have personally not bothered me at all, never. I laugh at people who use them for many reasons, or just someone they don't like in general.

Other than Hitler, I've never really heard of a 'brilliant' racist, or a genius with racial tendencies. Is it just me or are most racists of low IQ?

True, some very rich families may raise a child to be a racist, but most commonly, it seems that extreme racists seem to be both poor and of a lower intelligence.

Truth is, words can only hurt if the person hearing them lets the words hurt them.

To me a person who can be hurt that much by simple words or terms should learn to impower themselves and be stronger then what he or she hears. The old saying, consider the source makes so much more sense.

But then again so many people need a crutch and can find any reason for getting upset instead of being reasonable.

Remember the child's rhime. "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me." Maybe the little children of the world know or handle things a lot better then their folks!

Racism is very common in my country, and i have no problem with that.

Racism ain't a pure Mafia kind of thing, most of the Italians are racists.[/b][/quote]I find it very strange that Sicilians and Italians are racist against blacks. Your country was invaded by the Moors 500 years ago!

However, I believe that people racism is not just a "white thing". Every culture is racist for one reason or another. I.e., Japan believes that "own the orient", etc. Racism stems from persons not understanding one another, or they believe that their is a so-called, "big difference" among one another.

I don't know people's nationality here, but I can safely bet that we look nothing like our aviar, and not all of us are Italians or white-breaded Americans. I am willing to bet that their are Asians, Blacks, Hispanics among us and we are not prejudiced against their GF comments.
But we can all relate to the Godfather story.

I've always wondered about that, but I ASSUMED that the mob hated the "coloured". When I found out that it was true I wondered: Why are black people on a mafia board then?

[img]http://images.google.com/images?q=tbn:fPux9lBCXlEC:cuisung.unige.ch/gif/crown.gif[/img] You are absolutely correct. The term hispanic is a fraudulent term used first in an official capacity by the U.S. Government Office of Management and Budget in 1978, but the term 'hispanic' was coined by Nixon to undercut the civil rights movement.

Once black and brown people that spoke Spanish were grouped with Argentinian and other "white" Spanish speakers, then there seemed to be a bigger division between black and brown Spanish surnamed-americans and black americans; eg. a Puerto Rican with African genes who was in essence "Black"(anything from Halle Berry looking to Sinbad to Denzel to Wesley Snipes) except for being Bi-lingual, was now grouped with blonde blue-eyed "Cameron Diaz/Martin Sheen" types.

This "lumping together" was very shrewdly orchestrated by "slick polititians" in order to confuse and divide folks with African "blood".

It is tantamount to calling a Jamaican, an Englishman, a Southerm American man and a bi-racial man "The Anglo Race", just because they all speak English.

New immigrants of all colors readily accept this categorization because since the USA is infamous all over the world for it's treatment of their African-American Citizens (say what you want about "whining" the US has an ugly history which we call ancient but 100 years is a blink of an eye to China, Africa and the middle east) they ignorantly think they can escape this treatment. But pigmentation doesn't allow them to blend in like Europeans and Eastern-Europeans are able to do in one generation, or "White" so-called hispanics can do by changing their name or marrying a white american.

So, Saladbar, you are right,Hispanic is NOT a race.

Cameron Diaz is also German and her father who was a Cuban-American probably had Spanish-European decent, hence her looks, i doubt her father had any aboriginal , or African in him. A "White" hispanic wouldn't need to marry a white American to blend simply learn how to speak English proficiently since America is abound by white Europeans, and they're the majority.White hispanics if not mixed have a European linage(Spain) no different then white americans. Hispanic is as much of a race as American is (Native American notwithstanding).

That comment is so absurd! Why is people in the Netherlands on the board. Heck, you're not in the United States and can you relate to how life is in this country? I have formulated an opinion that life in the Netherlands is so homologous that makes it impossible for you persons from different cultures? But as I said before, prejudice begins when one does not understand each other or seeks out sudtle differences as flaws.

Hitler was Brillant? prophet I think you have been listening to too many rap CDs.

Depends on how you define brilliant. If brilliancy only achieves good, well yea, you have to look somewhere else.

However, Hitler was a master orator, a savvy politician and a psychopath. And he was a mass murderer. The Germans were one of the best educated people in the world yet they believed him, hook, line and sinker. He was brilliant in duping so many to believe his craziness.

[img]http://images.google.com/images?q=tbn:fPux9lBCXlEC:cuisung.unige.ch/gif/crown.gif[/img] That comment is so absurd! Why is people in the Netherlands on the board. Heck, you're not in the United States and can you relate to how life is in this country? I have formulated an opinion that life in the Netherlands is so homologous that makes it impossible for you persons from different cultures? But as I said before, prejudice begins when one does not understand each other or seeks out sudtle differences as flaws.[/b][/quote]Michael Corleone 14 forgets that one always should keep one's friends close and one's enemies closer. Don't you think Jewish people study the "whys and wherefores" of the Nazi Party?And I don't blame them. Think the way the people around you think.

Guineapig, I didn't doubt the "purity" of Cameron Diaz' blood ( You wrote "A "White" hispanic wouldn't need to marry a white American to blend" ).

I'm referring to the average person on the street with a Spanish surname that is going to be scrutinized ( eg. a resume or a telephone conversation) more closely until he or she is "allowed" into the "white category" in the "scrutinizer's" mind.

If 2 women apply for a job on paper, not in person and one is named Emily Stanton, and another is named Emily Rodriguez there may be an advantage for Ms. Stanton even if they are both "white". And the Stanton woman's maiden name could even have been Perez. And the Blonde Stanton woman could have a black grandmother!!!

That's all I meant about name change component.

That comment is so absurd! Why is people in the Netherlands on the board. Heck, you're not in the United States and can you relate to how life is in this country? I have formulated an opinion that life in the Netherlands is so homologous that makes it impossible for you persons from different cultures? But as I said before, prejudice begins when one does not understand each other or seeks out sudtle differences as flaws.[/b][/quote]Many people in my country don't like immigrants, a lot of them live on instant wealthcare and ask for unnescesary child support. I dislike those kinda people a lot. But I respect the people who immigrated to this country and have a job and do something for our society. If you say that we don't have problems with rasiscm, you're very mistaking. Last year when Sint Nicolaas (Santa to the americans) was in our country, he brought like he did every year his "Zwarte pieten" those are people who have there faces painted black and give candy and presents to all the littl children. You know what a group of immigrants did? On national TV they treatened The Sint and his servents and yelled at them and trowed candy to them, while little children were watching. That is absurd. I don't hate black people or people who come from Asia or Latin-America, it's just that a lot of bums end up here and give there people a bad name.

Can you describe those people with "black painted faces". Who are they trying to represent? Why do they paint their faces black?

Out of pure curiousity, why do you think a group of immigrants would object to Sint and his servants? Do you think they were just being destructive or did they have something against Sint and his servants? Did you try to find a reason for this militant act or just assume destructive mean behavior?

Saladbar, The people with "The black painted faces" Are like the little fairytale figures that Santaclause has, they are black, because, every year on December 4th they crawl trought the people's chimneys and put presents in the livingroom, because they crawl trough the chimney there body is black. Those black immigrants were treatening the Sint and it's servants because they don't like the idea that the servents have there faces painted black. It's redicelous, it's an 150 year old tradition going to hell.

I must have missed that part, when they were reading that story to me as a child.

MC,
I am sure that its another side of the story that what you are telling us. You are reminding me of blacks in our country objected to the bojangles and black painted faces comedians.

Perhaps when black people in your country see it, it tells your society that black people are nothing more than beggers.

You know we have baseball and football teams with indian names. Braves, Redskins, Indians, etc. I am sure i miss a few. Most native americans find it very offensive because it give people of impression that indians are savages, cartoon figures with red faces.
This has been going on for decades, but that don't mean that since it has longivity, its a right thing to do.

The Dutch government is talking about a multicultural society, ironicly it's exactly the oppisite, it's us and them.

racists are assholes. I watched HBO and there was a program called "Hate.com". It was about racism on the internet. This one guy has a rasist site and his daughter made a KID version of the site! She put a game where you kill blacks. It discusting. One guy wrote a book that they say is responsible for the Oklahoma City Bombing. The guy who did the bombing copied it from the book. Damn racist degenerits.