Racism 3 Essay, Research Paper

Racism is a certain kind of prejudice, based on faulty reasoning and

inflexible generalizations toward a specific group. The word prejudice

comes from the Latin noun praejudicium, which means a judgment based on

previous decisions formed before the facts were known. If a person

allows their prejudiced beliefs to block the progress of another, it is

discrimination. Those who exclude all members of a race from certain

types of employment, housing, political rights, educational

opportunities, or a social interactions are guilty of racial

discrimination.

For centuries conflicts have taken place among three main races,

Caucasian, Asian, and Negro ranging from snobbish social exclusion, to

state- sponsored genocide. Racism is an unmerited fear or dislike of

a people because of their ethnic heritage. When colour is not a reason,

other reasons such as language, religion, nationality, education, sex,

or age become the reason of prejudice.

Sociologists, historians, anthropologists and archeologists believe

racial discrimination happens more often and most harshly when two

groups with different skin colours and unique physical features come

into contact with each other and the two compete for the same thing.

History shows that all attempts at a racial dominance result in

conflict and avoidance. But, some communities without disturbed

racial conflict can take advantage of all its citizens potential and

move toward elimination.

Our hate is caused by witnessing the behaviour of the Ku Klux Klan, our

unfavourable feeling toward a person without actual facts and the verbal

abuse that we get almost every day of our lives (if not us, then there

is someone in the world being hurt right this very minute.). The most

effective way which I believe this issue can start to be stopped is by

talking it out rationally without involving racism at that point in time

and bringing everybody together as equal as the next.

Africans were brought to the colonies and forced to work a lifetime for

no wages. The master took all the profits to save the small amount he

used to provide food, clothing and shelter for his slaves. Without

being able to read or write, the first Africans in America had no

defence against the refusal of their people. The dehumanization of the

African-American slave stands out as one of the most brutal and savage

torture in history.

Not being able to defend yourself against the hurt that people can put

a person through, can scar you for life. We need to see what the

world is doing to each other and instead of turning to violence or some

other kind of defence to get even. It would be easier if we just come

together as one and help the people who are discriminated against in

understanding that they are not what person s say they are.

From birth to about age twelve, children collect information

about their world. They learn from many ways including their school,

family, neighbours, friends, and the community. They also get

information from books, movies, television, and other media. From this

information they gain beliefs, attitudes, and opinions.

(An opinion is a belief that is stronger than impression and less

strong than positive knowledge.)

Attitudes are feelings and emotions held toward a person, idea, or

things.

Attitude, opinions and the way we treat people are based on our

beliefs. If beliefs are prejudiced, then our attitude and behaviour

will be the same. Racism is a belief based on faulty reasoning,

misconceptions, and generalizations. Stereotyping is an exaggerated

belief associated with a group. It is produced by name calling, racial

slurs, and jokes.

Victims of prejudice often develop a faulty belief in the same way

children learn to be prejudiced. They learn to protect themselves by

creating self defences essential to their survival. A slur directed at

a particular ethnic group is likely to get these results in a

confrontation: pain, anger, shame, hostility, guilt and embarrassment.

Students admitted that they had used racial slurs when angered. I have

noticed in our own school, that the students tell racial jokes and used

ethnic names but they say that they don t mean what they say it s just

for humour s sake.

Race hatred often leads to violence. People whom form groups to

defend America from a minority takeover fall into the category of

extremists. There are gangs in America today who walk the streets

measuring out a perverse form of justice to a whole race by choosing

an innocent person of such race to beat or kill. Such gangs are usually

powerless as people, so they seek strength in numbers. People with

shared hatred gain a pseudo power within the organizational structures

of such groups as the neo-Nazis and the Ku Klux Klan.

Race hatred, permitted to gain unlimited power, will be disastrous.

The state – sponsored genocide perpetrated by Nazi Germany is an example

of what happens when people who hate gain power. Hitler s extermination

took the lives of six million human beings for no other reason than they

were Jewish.

It started in little ways, an ethnic joke, stereotyping that was never

challenged, then restrictions, loss of jobs, loss of civil rights, loss

of voting rights, and the loss of life.

Racists have very specific beliefs about their own groups and others.

Columnist Ellen Futterman of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says, We are

guilty of race prejudice. We might go out of our way to avoid certain

words and phrases in our everyday speech only to find ourselves laughing

at a racial or ethnic joke later. Even though we may say that we could

never be racist or prejudice against a certain type of person, (I m not

saying we are), it is interesting how someone can just say something

hurtful and not even realize what has been said.

What can be done to stop racism? A famous document from the Johnson

era, called the Kerner Report, stated that there must be strategies for

action that can produce progress and make good the promises of American

democracy to all citizens urban and rural, white and black, Spanish

surname, American Indians and every minority. We can t expect only the

people of colour to take a stand in the elimination of racism. This

issue includes each and every one of us whether it is black, white,

orange, yellow, Australian, Russian, Ukrainian, or Irish.

If you have been called names that are directed to your colour, race,

the way you talk, act, or walk, you have experienced racism. (Based on

the lives of human rights leaders, there is no single way to take a

stand. Each person has to decide whether to take a leadership role or

to follow a leader, whose beliefs or goals he or she shares.

Taking a stand against racism and discrimination is not casual

involvement. It is a total commitment).

Racism is an emotionally charged subject. If you have ever been

discriminated against, you know it is difficult to think or act calmly.

The first reaction is to attack. But it is only fair when taking a

stand against racism or discrimination that you state your case

directly, fairly, and accurately, using facts, and evidence to support

your claims. Before you can take a stand against racism and race

discrimination, you need to know what it is, how it develops, and how to

recognize it in you and others. According to Alfred Fleishman, St.

Louis newspaper columnist, Racial prejudice is one of the scourges of

our society. And when it grows and lurks, especially where it is not

even noticed, the danger is even greater.

Up to the point of life which we are in now, we don t even realize

what we say, the jokes we tell or the music we listen to. Some think

of some major issues as a joke but really there is always someone

being hurt whether they show it or not.

Today we stand for equality, justice and freedom. Where Canada and

America stand on racism and discrimination today and tomorrow is where

we stand because we are what is needed to stop the hate.