does anybody consider this a weakness?

Aaron,

Racism is and always will be. People are always going to think they are better than someone else and the best anyone can do is to try and be as open minded as they can. You will find racist whites, blacks, browns, reds. and yellows. Everyone is guilty.

TDCWH

Racism is a two-edged sword. On one hand, it is self-righteous, arrogant and narrow minded. On the other hand, it gives a person a sense of individuality and community.

Take the "N" word. I hear many Latinos, whites, Asians and blacks use it amongst themselves if they are a close knit group. To my surprise, if used within that clique, they see it as a source of pride, NO MATTER WHAT COLOR THE PERSON WHO SAYS IT OR RECEIVES IT IS! Yet, if an outsider uses it, it is a source of rejection and hatred.

This paradox is an example that gives rise to the idea that not only is racism alive, but it is viewed negatively and positively at the same time by the same people. In other words, it is the perception and source that determines what is racist and what is not.

So, to answer you question, my answer is yes and no. Yes, because it separates groups of people and no because it can bring them together at the same time.

Personally, I see racism as something that binds and segregates us at the same time.

Sean

Racism is an outward expression of a natural internal desire to be with others of our same kind - to have a common culture, with traditions and heritage to share. To preserve genes that make each race unique. No, I would not say racism is a weakness.

On the other hand, would you consider liberalism a weakness? I mean, the perpetual yet fruitless drive to bring everybody up to the same level at ANY cost to finance, safety or progress? The conditions in white liberals that cause them to sacrifice advancing their own culture and way of life, just to make sure that the black man is earning the same amount of dollars he is per hour?

YES - I'd say that liberalism is a weakness, and a disease.

It does bring large groups together, but they form groups for hate and intolerance. So, it is a weakness, because groups are more powerful than an individual, which means there is a potential for stupid, hateful people to overcome intelligent, kind people.

There a fault in your reasoning. Racism is not due to "stupid" ( e.g. lacking in intelligence) minds. but in ignorance and fear.

Racism is also natural human phenomenon. Think about how long man has been upon this planet, and how really "pure" the separate races still are. This purity is only partly due to inability to mix, for man has traveled easily between nations and continents for centuries, yet the races maintained a high level of purity.

So, some of the ignorance vests in intelligentsia, also!

I personally think that racism is a very big human weakness. Why can't everyone just see the beauty in others?

Racial, religious, ethnic, gender hatred: they are causing all the war and chaos the world is experiencing today. There is no reason to hate groups of people. Each person is an individual. If the human species doesn't learn to stop hating people who have different beliefs, different complexions, or different cultures we are not going to be around for much longer. Hatred is an emotion, it has nothing to do with intelligence. Brilliant people, as well as those not so brilliant have been haters and conversely not all people with average or below average IQ's are haters as you imply. I repeat, do not label groups of people, each person is an individual.

I would consider racism to be a weakness. It would also be considered your best defense. It also separates different groups of people. If you want to separate groups of people then be my guest. But to some people it is rude, it might make fun of their color, traditions, language or beliefs. In certain countries about 100 years ago if you got caught saying something racist you got arrested. After all, how would you feel if someone consistently made jokes about your color, language, traditions and beliefs.

Great question. Racism might turn out in the "very long run" to be the right answer to a survival of the fittest. But it seems to me that the mixing of races is better for all. After all, it probably won't matter in centuries or thousands of years to come which race lives on, so why not mix them and let parts of all of them survive?

You find me ANYONE who doesn't shout "You white mother--" or something similar when you cut him off in traffic, and we'll talk about the tradgedies of racism. Whether it's human nature or a societal imperative or whatheheckever, I've never met anybody who's entirely proverbrially colorblind...