In response to the topic of reverse racism that was brought up in class Thursday, I will be writing my first ever blog to argue that reverse racism could exist. While quietly taking in the opinions of my classmates I came to the conclusion that reverse racism could exist, although most of my classmates including the teacher sided for the non-existence of reverse racism. I personally never have been in any situation that would be considered reverse racism but that doesn't mean I can't think it exists.
So I think the first thing would be what does reverse racism mean to me? Maybe I'm over simplifying this but, to me a racist, one who practices racism, would be someone who deliberately discriminates against someone due to race, just like a sexist would be someone who discriminates against someone due to sex. That's what I think those terms mean maybe it will help to add the dictionaries definition:
Racism: a belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement, usually involving the idea that one's own race is superior and has the right to rule others.
Discrimination: treatment or consideration of, or making a distinction in favor of or against, a person or thing based on the group, class, or category to which that person or thing belongs rather than on individual merit: racial and religious intolerance and discrimination.
As far as I can comprehend thats pretty much what I said but they just use more sophisticated writing skills, which if you've actually been reading this you have probably figured out already I'm not an English major.
So that would mean that reverse racism, to me, would be someone who is racist being discriminated against because of their race. Two wrongs don't make a right people, but we don't follow the simple rules of kindergarten do we, but thats a different story maybe that could be a whole other blog. So it seems pretty simple to me, a reverse racist is someone who discriminates someone, who in turn discriminates someone due to their race, not necessarily in the same instance.
Maybe I should try to create an example to better explain my reasoning: Say we have two people, for simplicity well call them thing 1 and thing 2, ( if only Dr. Suess knew they were racist) this may not be as drastic as some of the cases of racism in the past and present world but in my opinion, examples of racism nonetheless. Thing 1 is white and owns a pizza shop and one day he refuses to serve a black man... it wasn't because the man was poor, young, tall, fat, religious, or any other reason besides he was black. What happened after that I don't think really matters so there's no point in making anything up, the story continues and thing 1 is traveling through a different town on a business trip and stops for gas. Thing 2 is black and is the owner of the gas station, not to be confused with the black man that was refused service, the have no connection whatsoever. Thing 2 approaches thing 1 and tells him that he is not allowed to pump gas here and he can go down the street to the other station, for the same reason as situation 1; completely based on race. So basically, thing 1 was racist and thing 2 was racist to thing 1, creating reverse racism.
Another thing that I wanted to talk about may be a little far fetched of a thought, but oh well here it is anyway. Lets see the definition of racism again: a belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement, usually involving the idea that one's own race is superior and has the right to rule others. So... wouldn't arguing against the fact that reverse racism exists be racist in itself, basically you're saying that only white people can be racist, which is excluding different races from being racist because of their race. Now maybe this is where it gets far fetched, but maybe people enjoy being racists, not just white people, but lets say a person who wasn't white wanted to be racist, if reverse racism didn't exist then he couldn't be racist, which in turn is racist, because he can't do something he wants because of his race.
So lets clear a couple things up, I do not in anyway embrace racism, and I agree that obviously some instances of racism are more severe than others, I am solely saying that I believe that reverse racism could exist, although I do not want it to.
So I think the first thing would be what does reverse racism mean to me? Maybe I'm over simplifying this but, to me a racist, one who practices racism, would be someone who deliberately discriminates against someone due to race, just like a sexist would be someone who discriminates against someone due to sex. That's what I think those terms mean maybe it will help to add the dictionaries definition:
Racism: a belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement, usually involving the idea that one's own race is superior and has the right to rule others.
Discrimination: treatment or consideration of, or making a distinction in favor of or against, a person or thing based on the group, class, or category to which that person or thing belongs rather than on individual merit: racial and religious intolerance and discrimination.
As far as I can comprehend thats pretty much what I said but they just use more sophisticated writing skills, which if you've actually been reading this you have probably figured out already I'm not an English major.
So that would mean that reverse racism, to me, would be someone who is racist being discriminated against because of their race. Two wrongs don't make a right people, but we don't follow the simple rules of kindergarten do we, but thats a different story maybe that could be a whole other blog. So it seems pretty simple to me, a reverse racist is someone who discriminates someone, who in turn discriminates someone due to their race, not necessarily in the same instance.
Maybe I should try to create an example to better explain my reasoning: Say we have two people, for simplicity well call them thing 1 and thing 2, ( if only Dr. Suess knew they were racist) this may not be as drastic as some of the cases of racism in the past and present world but in my opinion, examples of racism nonetheless. Thing 1 is white and owns a pizza shop and one day he refuses to serve a black man... it wasn't because the man was poor, young, tall, fat, religious, or any other reason besides he was black. What happened after that I don't think really matters so there's no point in making anything up, the story continues and thing 1 is traveling through a different town on a business trip and stops for gas. Thing 2 is black and is the owner of the gas station, not to be confused with the black man that was refused service, the have no connection whatsoever. Thing 2 approaches thing 1 and tells him that he is not allowed to pump gas here and he can go down the street to the other station, for the same reason as situation 1; completely based on race. So basically, thing 1 was racist and thing 2 was racist to thing 1, creating reverse racism.
Another thing that I wanted to talk about may be a little far fetched of a thought, but oh well here it is anyway. Lets see the definition of racism again: a belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement, usually involving the idea that one's own race is superior and has the right to rule others. So... wouldn't arguing against the fact that reverse racism exists be racist in itself, basically you're saying that only white people can be racist, which is excluding different races from being racist because of their race. Now maybe this is where it gets far fetched, but maybe people enjoy being racists, not just white people, but lets say a person who wasn't white wanted to be racist, if reverse racism didn't exist then he couldn't be racist, which in turn is racist, because he can't do something he wants because of his race.
So lets clear a couple things up, I do not in anyway embrace racism, and I agree that obviously some instances of racism are more severe than others, I am solely saying that I believe that reverse racism could exist, although I do not want it to.
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