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So tonight I was walking my girlfriend to her car in my neighborhood. The time was 12:30am (pretty dark) and my neighborhood is more or less pretty ghetto. As we are about to move closer to the car, two ghetto looking black guys walk towards us. Without thinking, my instincts kicked in and I told my girlfriend to walk back to my house immediately. I walk away from the two black guys as well and look back to make sure they werent following us.
Now here is the problem. Fundamentally, my actions were racist. I judged another person based on the color of their skin and my instincts told me to turn around and get out of there asap. Its been bugging me, since I do not treat other races differently. However, this is the kind of prejudice that im sure a lot of blacks face all the time. I felt like I just added to the problem. This event has been really bugging me. What do you guys think?
Poll: Racist?No (144) 66% Yes (53) 24% Somewhat (Post explaination) (20) 9% 217 total votes Your vote: Racist? (Vote): Yes
(Vote): No
(Vote): Somewhat (Post explaination)
 
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I think 99% of people would have reacted the same way, regardless of how much they defend black people on the internet.
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I don't really think it's racist. It was dark, midnight and you say you live in a rough, 'ghetto' area so I'm supposing if you saw anyone walking towards you you'd freak out.
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stereotyping is a survival and natural instinct
how else would know how to act in similar yet slightly dissimilar situations? by stereotyping based on past experiences
everyone is "racist" in a sense
just give each individual a fair chance when the chance arises, and you are fine
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if i saw two white guys walking towards me in that kind of area, also dressed in a 'ghetto' way, i'd react the same way you did. I dont think its a race thing
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It's not racism, I (and probably you) would have turned away even if they were white. The thought of walking in the middle of the night in such a neightbourhood is scary, and (i think) you would have turned away if you saw two white people or asian or w/e. It is just scary, nothing to do with skin color
EDIT: Damn it, 2 people said it just before i did
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You see potential danger and you get away from it. I think it's perfectly fine... I mean people in "more or less ghetto" neighborhoods can be dangerous. When I'm in Montreal, I tend to avoid some people of all skin color =P
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Good job man, hope you made her stay the night just to be safe 
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we're all a little racist on the inside 
with that aside, however, given the circumstances, your actions are probably pretty reasonable. don't feel too down about it man
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You were probably at least somewhat racist; no, there's nothing wrong with that.
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I live in a country that is considered very safe, so to me the whole situation seems absurd. I often walk home drunk across the whole city in the middle of the night, and nothing ever happens to give one example. So to me this feels racist as from my frame of reference the chance of you or your gf getting in trouble would be nonexistant.
The real question though, is whether you reacted as you did due to their "ghetto" demenour or their skin color.
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You did exactly what I and most other people would've done. I think its fine
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If you saw two ghetto looking white guys walking towards you in the same situation would you act the same? That really is the crux of the question.
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That's not racist one bit. Think about it this way. Instead of two ghetto looking black people, what if they were two black people wearing business suits and carrying briefcases? Would you react in the same manner? It wasn't to do with the color of their skin, but how intimidating that make themselves look. People of all races can dress and present themselves in an intimidating manner.
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Would you have done the same if it were two black women? If not, then "racist" isn't necessarily the best term for it. You probably would have reacted the same way if it were two men of any nationality, because you're one man up against 2 and feeling the need to defend someone you're emotionally attached to. Whether you were really in danger is up for debate, but it's very sensible for your brain to react the way it did and I wouldn't get too bothered by it.
Now, on the other hand, if two white guys come walking up to you at 1am or whatever in a rough part of town and you think "these must be some fine gentlemen out for a stroll, let me tell them my affinity for Starcraft and introduce them to my girlfriend" then you might be racist. Or stupid. Maybe both.
In other words, I don't think your actions were driven by racism, and I think dwelling on that will do you more harm than good.
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people, dont try to evade the issue
if i had to choose between two ghetto looking white guys and two ghetto looking black guys, i would still go with the former for my safety's sake
this is racism, by definition, yes
but racism, as i said before, is not as bad as PC people make it out to be
it's a survival instinct
not giving an individual a chance based on his race, however, is a different story
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i said somewhat, because while that is basically the dictionary definition of racism, it was kind of called for. i mean... its pretty much common sense that the majority of crimes are committed by the black population. now, i dont know WHY thats the case, but it is.
so i mean... yea. its definitely racist, but its definitely understandable. i would have done the same thing.
the IDEOLOGY of racism, to me, is very bad.
but the practical use of it, is not bad at all.
imagine three muslim dudes with their turbans and all that shit walking in to an airport. technically its wrong to search them solely because their muslim, but common sense would say, if anyone is going to blow something up, it would PROBABLY be them.
so... i dont know. its racism, but the good kind. the kind that keeps people safe.
EDITTED - grammar
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There's two kinds of racism. Harmless racism (being uneasy about 2 black thugs in the middle of the night walking up to your hot girlfriend) and harmful racism (not hiring someone because of their skin color, yelling racist remarks).
Your racism was racism, but there's a reason for it. On the news you keep hearing about child predators and everything, and you see a picture of a black guy. You have been raised by society to see black men as guys that rape white women. Whether or not statistics are on your side, you are still be racist. Prejudice isn't a horrible thing, as long as you are tolerant.
The thing you did wasn't inherently racist either. If you did that, went in your house and then looked at your girlfriend and said, "Well thank god those n***ers didn't rape you, cuz we all know n***ers do that", THEN you would be a racist! Understand?
And dude, what if it was two skinhead kkk looking bastards? You would have reacted the SAME way.
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On June 05 2010 15:54 Chairman Ray wrote:
That's not racist one bit. Think about it this way. Instead of two ghetto looking black people, what if they were two black people wearing business suits and carrying briefcases? Would you react in the same manner?
black mafias are serious business bro ...
j/k
back on topic, 99 out of 100 people would have reacted the same way, the 1 person is Chuck Norris.
hell even if it were people of my own race, i would do the exact same thing ...
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10387 Posts
I'm going to suppose that these black men were dressed in a ghetto fashion also? Your reaction is understandable if they were, I would have a certain aversion and suspicion if they were dressed in such a manner.
Which brings me to think, why do people even dress like that :l
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EPT
