Vortigern99
Sorcerer Supreme
The idea of race has been scientifically discredited. Trait clusters exist (EG epicanthic folds and lanky black hair among east Asians; dark brown skin and higher levels of testosterone among persons of African descent. etc.) but these groupings of characteristics are too vague and non-universal to be useful or practical. And besides, the idea of race as it tends to be used today involves far more than mere physiology.
The concept of race depends on a multiplicity of affiliated factors, such as anatomy, culture, ethnicity, genetics, geography, history, language, religion, and social relationships. But these overlap among all populations, to the point of rendering the idea of race wholly inaccurate, especially today when there is so much global interaction. Yet the general public, the media and even scientists continue to employ the term race as though it's definable, real, present and quantifiable.
In American media today, accusations of "racism" are routinely brought against public figures who acknowledge, celebrate, emulate or poke fun at the differences that exist among human populations. Recently, for example, a young actress was excoriated in on-line news articles for dressing up on Halloween as a character from the TV show Orange Is the New Black. The actress in costume is called "white" and the character and actress she was dressed up as is called "black". Despite the young woman's explanation that she admired the character as whom she dressed, claims of racial insensitivity were made, references to "Minstrel shows" and "blackface" were invoked, and the costumed actress was generally portrayed as "stupid" for applying a light mocha-colored make-up to her own face. This kind of horrified reaction to a simple acknowledgement, or even celebration, of distinct physical traits among populations is common in the US, both publicly and privately.
My immediate questions were and remain: Why are "white" persons only allowed to dress up on Halloween as members of their own so-called race? This seems unnecessarily restrictive. Some people have darker skin than others; in what way is it offensive for a person to playfully costume him or herself as having a different color skin, or pretend for the sake of humor or in the spirit of a holiday that he or she belongs to another so-called race?
This is the Race Paradigmm. The above is only one example, and I'm certain the members here can think of many others. I submit that we try to eradicate the paradigm, to move forward where not only "racism" but the very idea of race is abolished from our enculturation process.
Summary and TL;DR version: Morgan Freeman once famously suggested to interviewer Mike Douglas that Douglas stop calling Freeman a "black man", and that Freeman should stop referring to Douglas as a "white man". This is the kind of thing I'm on about.
The concept of race depends on a multiplicity of affiliated factors, such as anatomy, culture, ethnicity, genetics, geography, history, language, religion, and social relationships. But these overlap among all populations, to the point of rendering the idea of race wholly inaccurate, especially today when there is so much global interaction. Yet the general public, the media and even scientists continue to employ the term race as though it's definable, real, present and quantifiable.
In American media today, accusations of "racism" are routinely brought against public figures who acknowledge, celebrate, emulate or poke fun at the differences that exist among human populations. Recently, for example, a young actress was excoriated in on-line news articles for dressing up on Halloween as a character from the TV show Orange Is the New Black. The actress in costume is called "white" and the character and actress she was dressed up as is called "black". Despite the young woman's explanation that she admired the character as whom she dressed, claims of racial insensitivity were made, references to "Minstrel shows" and "blackface" were invoked, and the costumed actress was generally portrayed as "stupid" for applying a light mocha-colored make-up to her own face. This kind of horrified reaction to a simple acknowledgement, or even celebration, of distinct physical traits among populations is common in the US, both publicly and privately.
My immediate questions were and remain: Why are "white" persons only allowed to dress up on Halloween as members of their own so-called race? This seems unnecessarily restrictive. Some people have darker skin than others; in what way is it offensive for a person to playfully costume him or herself as having a different color skin, or pretend for the sake of humor or in the spirit of a holiday that he or she belongs to another so-called race?
This is the Race Paradigmm. The above is only one example, and I'm certain the members here can think of many others. I submit that we try to eradicate the paradigm, to move forward where not only "racism" but the very idea of race is abolished from our enculturation process.
Summary and TL;DR version: Morgan Freeman once famously suggested to interviewer Mike Douglas that Douglas stop calling Freeman a "black man", and that Freeman should stop referring to Douglas as a "white man". This is the kind of thing I'm on about.
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