On Privilege

[Bronco]

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[majorwhiteapples]

I see anybody walking or running through my neighborhood with a gun drawn, I am getting in my house locking the doors and getting my gun ready!!!!! Then I am calling 911.

 

[BuffaloBayouBevo]

Bronco,

I appreciate what you are saying, but I think Gadfly's point is valid largely because he is getting to unconscious bias.

I think many on the left, perhaps Satchel, think that racial disparities or altercations like what happened with Zimmerman are the result of overt, pre-civil rights style racism.

Conversely, I think many conservatives believe that since they (or at least a majority of them) very consciously and sincerely believe that everyone should be treated equally regardless of race, it is absurd to ascribe an altercation to race without evidence of overt racist intent.

However, most of the "thinking" in the human brain occurs on an unconcious level. Research has shown that we humans, in general, are susceptial to easy stereotypes because it is cognitively easy; it fits a pattern, which is how are brains apparently work.

Thus, "black kid with a hoodie" elicits an unconscious response based upon references of which we may only be vaguely aware. That is why stereotypes can even infect the people whom are adversely affected by them.

 

[majorwhiteapples]

This is what you are missing, anybody in a hoodie, is going to be equated with suspicious activity. I live in a Cul De Sac that has a number of different races or ethnci backgrounds, the kids don't dress like criminals in our neighborhood. When a kid from another block or neighborhood comes by and hangs out on our street, the parents make every effort to find out who this kid is and how he relates to all the other kids on the street.

It is called taking care of our own, we don't need outside influences to tell us or help us, we will find out and be involved in what is happening on our street. I remember one kid, was a12-13 year old white kid, and he started wearing his pants sagging way down, all the other kids on the block made fun of him including his mother telling him that he was not a thug and he is not entering the house until he puts his pants on like a normal kid.

If it acts like a criminal, walks like a criminal, dresses like a criminal, it is going to be treated like a criminal regardless of race.

If that is the way you want to dress, try and hide your appearance, well sorry, that is how you are going to get treated. If you want to dress like a criminal, you run the risk of being compared to a thug or a criminal. You have the right to wear your pants and your hoodies that is fine, I also have the right to question you on my block and call the police if I believe it is necessary. If something is out of place, it is my job as part of my community to find out why. That is part of being in a community that works together for the safety and protection of all in our community.

If you don't like it, then don't move into my community or drive up and down our cul de sac because someone will be watching.

 

[BuffaloBayouBevo]

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[Gadfly]

There are tests online that prove unconscious racism and sexism exist in even the most liberal people. I'll post the link.


https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/

The research shows just about everyone is racist (depending on how you define the term).

"Race ('Black - White' IAT). This IAT requires the ability to distinguish faces of European and African origin. It indicates that most Americans have an automatic preference for white over black." - even black people

 

[majorwhiteapples]

Again, pick the color of the person, if you need too.

I don't, I know my neighborhood, I know probably 95% of the kids that live in the two three block area, I don't look at the black kid any differently then the white kid. If I see one of them acting a fool, I will ask them what they are doing? I will call their parents regardless of being white or black.

This whole thing my subconcious what? Don't give me that mumbo jumbo, that is the biggest bunch of ******** in the world. Maybe if I grew up in the 1940's or 1950's I could give that to you but I have grown up with Black kids being good and white kids being bad and vice versa.

Let's try this:

Pretend I had a choice of going down two streets, and this is a real scenario in parts of Dallas, one that is crime ridden mostly African American or another street that is mostly white and almost no crime occurs.....which street am I going to choose, most people regardless of color will choose the safe street every time.

If it was a trailer park full of white trash and meth houses vs, I can't think of the name of that street, I want to say Grande, I am choosing Grande.

What you are not getting is I don't care what color you are, if it is dangerous or you dress or act like a crook, you are going to get more looks from me then if you dress like a respectable human being. What is respecable to you and me may be different, which is fine, that is not racist that is from my experience and there is nothing wrong with it, just recognize that if you dress like a crook, others may single you out whether you are white black green blue orange it does not matter.

If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck and looks like a duck, I am betting it is a duck. I don't give a dam what color the duck is and I am getting tired of people telling that that I do care......it is how one acts.........

 

[BuffaloBayouBevo]

majorapple,

Just for clarification, are you rejecting that anyone has unconscious biases or just you?

I think it was clear from my post that I am not trying to make the point that conservatives think one way, but liberals are so enlightened. ..

To the contrary, the point I am trying to make -- which is backed up by substantial scientific research -- is:

(1) human thoughts and behaviors are materially influenced by our subconscious mind, and

(2) we tend to rely on cognitive shortcuts which may be include stereotypes

(3) we are not necessarily aware (and probably are not aware) of these biases as they occur,

and

(4) this is not unique to any political group, ideology, or education level.

 

[ProdigalHorn]

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[Gadfly]

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