Race and Gaming

[Deathosaurus Wrecks]

Originally Posted by Swimming Bird

However, the U.S.A has the declaration of independence, so if you morally agree with the issue of stereotyping, then legally, you aren't allowed to follow up on said belief.

actualy, theres some confusion on the definitions and spectrum of racism.

Prejudice and Stereotyping are attitudes, and unforntunaly, are legal and more or less protected by our constitution. you're free to think and believe what you want, even if your beliefs are wrong and uninteligent.

racism and discrimination are actions. the second you act on any of your hatefull ideas, you cross the line of legality and are no longer protected by any law (or at least thats the way it should be).

[Karrrrrrrrrrrresche]

i really just dont get how if the n word is such an insult the people who said word reflects (ie african americans ) use said word in conversion with each other

[Rhana]

That many African Americans feel comfortable using it among themselves should not affect our (hopefully non)use of it. The intent is different. Same with many usually anti-gay terms and phrases.
It humanity is this deeply xenophobic amongs ourselves, with no discernable differences in DNA, I wince thinking about us hoping to get along with hypothetical, extraterrestrials...

Deathasaurus: well said.
Icythaco: I'd say "distinction" between objects and their respective functions is not the same as "descrimination" between human beings in which even blood testing cannot usually reveal the ethnicity.

[icythaco]

I am not saying that discrimination is ethical, I'm just saying that we, as humans, assume things about people based on past expieriences. But no matter how much data we have, people will always label it as "discrimination" in today's politically correct soceity. I am not saying that using the word "gay" as a negative term is good: I consider this prejudiced and stereotypical. If people saw a recurrent amount of gays who were bad/evil, then I might understand, however this is most definently NOT the case: The "gay" community is as varied and diversified as the "straight community" so this cannot be technically defined as descrimination. However, something like the idea that all people who's ancestors were born in Africa have dark skin is, in fact, technically discrimination, because although it may be true for the vast majority, it is still based upon past expierience.

[Darth SS]

So people being assaulted and sometimes killed due to life-style choices isn't discrimination?

I don't even want to know your opinion on what qualifies as discrimination is.

[Deathosaurus Wrecks]

"However, something like the idea that all people who's ancestors were born in Africa have dark skin is, in fact, technically discrimination, because although it may be true for the vast majority, it is still based upon past expierience."

again, i feel you're missing the point, and don't quite understand the definitions of the words:
Stereotypes are faulty over-generalizations of a group
Prejudice is a dislike or negative attitude based on faulty information
Descrimination is differential/negative treatment towards others
Racism is a pattern of discrimination directed against specific groups.

what you're talking about is simple grouping based on actual facts. what we're talking about is using incorrect information to form harmful attitudes twoards people.

[icythaco]

Stereotyping is what your describing, and OF COURSE I think it's a horrible thing. But in America, we grossly confuse the term "stereotyping" with "discrimination". I merely point out a flaw in our choice of words. That's it. I am in no way condoning racial prejudice in any way whatsoever. It seems like many of you read a post, but only see the words, and not the meaning of what is trying to be said...you have to take an unbiased and logical viewpoint when anylising a piece of information. What I stated in my last post was merely facts, and does not include my oppinion on the matter at all.

[XJapan-EndlessRain]

icythaco, I could be very rude but then it would be immature for this topic, so let me put it this way

Stereotyping someone IS discrimination, just the natural assumption that all gay people have AIDS is discrimination and it demeans the gay community. Stereotyping and Discrimination go HAND IN HAND, you can not say they are different because they are not different.

Stereotype: Every muslim is a terrorist, YES it is discrimination, you are saying that the muslim people can not be decent people because some of them are terrorists...

Stereotype: Black people are all gangsters, YES it is discrimination, you are demeaning an entire race of people over what some of them do (yes there are gangsters and thugs and idiots among them, but there are among every race...)

It IS discrimination, just because you are not public about it does not make it any better... ever turn around on a street because you didnt see someone you liked walking there? Seeing them made you think you would be raped or beaten or mugged? Stereotyping IS a form of discrimination, to say it isnt means that you must have a problem with stereotypes and are trying to make yourself feel better by saying its NOT really discriminating against people to do it...

[Deathosaurus Wrecks]

"Stereotyping someone IS discrimination, just the natural assumption that all gay people have AIDS is discrimination and it demeans the gay community. Stereotyping and Discrimination go HAND IN HAND, you can not say they are different because they are not different."

no, actualy, they're not the same thing. Sterotyping can lead to discrimination, yes; but they are wholy different processes. if you read the definitions i've listed, stereotyping is an attitude, a thought process. nothing is called discrimination untill you've actualy acted upon it, for exacmple: refusing to give someone a job because they're a mexican and mexicans are lazy.

[Aeria]

I'm living with my two nephews for a while, and as such I am trying to be a good example for them. I'm watching my language, and it is amazing to me how many times I have to stop myself to use a better word. Things that I use everyday I don't want to hear from them, which makes me question a little why I use them in the first place...

Growing up where I grew up, there were a lot of chinese people. In my classes at school, there was about four chinese people for every white person. Comments such as "Chinese can't drive" were as common among my group of friends as "Whitey can't do math". Among my friends it was all in jest, especially because I actually did quite well in math, and some of them didn't crash their cars (mostly because they didn't drive ), but around strangers I'd never even think to use those words. With strangers, you just can never tell when they won't take it as jest, and will take it offensively.

As for myself, I truly cannot understand how close minded people must be to become truly racist. I've known jerks of all colors, and great people among all races. None of them are any more or less 'holy', and none of them deserve better or worse treatment. Personally, I'm against mant of the actions taken by rappers, but that doesn't mean I project that onto black people. There are white people that do it too.

Now, I know that I'm not perfect, and that in the back of my head when I see people of certain races I watch them a little bit closer than someone else, but mainly because I have little to no experience with them. I try my best to not let it affect me, and really that is all I can do.

And as for the stereotyping / discrimination banter, it is unimportant, merely a word choice which is superficial. What is important is the difference between the thoughts and the actions.