So let's say

EERs 3:16

New member
Oct 17, 2001
73,677
23
0
African-American X claims that Euro-American Y has achieved a high level of success because of "white privilege'.. Isn't that claim racist? Isn't X making that claim based on skin color instead of Y's abilities?
 

moe

Active member
May 29, 2001
32,444
132
63
African-American X claims that Euro-American Y has achieved a high level of success because of "white privilege'.. Isn't that claim racist? Isn't X making that claim based on skin color instead of Y's abilities?
Simply making a statement about race doesn't make the statement racist.
rac·ist (noun)
a person who believes that a particular race is superior to another.
synonyms: racial bigot, racialist, xenophobe,
adjective
having or showing the belief that a particular race is superior to another.
"we are investigating complaints about racist abuse at the club"
 

op2

Active member
Mar 16, 2014
10,851
136
53
I think the idea is that if you're in a system that favors you, i.e., you're privileged, then your achievement doesn't come solely from your abilities but rather partly from you having the advantage in the first place.

That has some merit but of course there are many factors other than race that determine how things turn out and also what positive or negative effect race has varies from person to person due to their individual circumstances.
 

EERs 3:16

New member
Oct 17, 2001
73,677
23
0
I think the idea is that if you're in a system that favors you, i.e., you're privileged, then your achievement doesn't come solely from your abilities but rather partly from you having the advantage in the first place.

That has some merit but of course there are many factors other than race that determine how things turn out and also what positive or negative effect race has varies from person to person due to their individual circumstances.

But see, you're basing that person's success on 'white privilege' and the color of their skin - instead of their merits - that's racist.
 

op2

Active member
Mar 16, 2014
10,851
136
53
But see, you're basing that person's success on 'white privilege' and the color of their skin - instead of their merits - that's racist.

When they say "white privilege" they're saying that their success WAS based, at least partly, on their skin color instead of their merits.
 

op2

Active member
Mar 16, 2014
10,851
136
53
How is that racist? It could be false but I don't see how it can be racist.
 

op2

Active member
Mar 16, 2014
10,851
136
53
I don't think most people would consider the simple act of using skin color as a measuring tool to be racist. By that definition simply noting someones race is racist. It would make any conversation that acknowledges race racist, including this one.
 

EERs 3:16

New member
Oct 17, 2001
73,677
23
0
I don't think most people would consider the simple act of using skin color as a measuring tool to be racist. By that definition simply noting someones race is racist. It would make any conversation that acknowledges race racist, including this one.
And isn't that where society is moving?

And the mere fact you used skin color as a measuring tool is racist.
 

moe

Active member
May 29, 2001
32,444
132
63
And isn't that where society is moving?

And the mere fact you used skin color as a measuring tool is racist.
You're just not getting it. You can talk about race without making racist statements. Don't be so twitchy. Regarding the MU situation and the mentioning of white privilege, that is an example of the demonstrators failing to stay on topic (discussing the isolated incidents there) and wanting to broaden the discussion, don't take the bait. White people don't need to apologize for being white.
 

mneilmont

New member
Jan 23, 2008
20,883
166
0
You're just not getting it. You can talk about race without making racist statements. Don't be so twitchy. Regarding the MU situation and the mentioning of white privilege, that is an example of the demonstrators failing to stay on topic (discussing the isolated incidents there) and wanting to broaden the discussion, don't take the bait. White people don't need to apologize for being white.
I have called racist because I used the term black to speak of a race. Blacks refer to themselves as black. In my case, the idiot who continued to call me racist because I referred to blacks until some of his idiot followers took the bait and also referred to me as racist. Through all my cussing and raising hell, it stuck for that group of people and they call me racist. So, I can accept the term or hit the forum attempting to defend myself by calling idiots idiots and in the process inflame everyone on the board.