A lot of people divorce themselves from this topic because it’s such a blatant double standard. It’s difficult to care when one group is held to an impossibly high standard and other groups are held to no standard at all. OK the internets just got way too serious right there so I’m gonna end with this:

Don’t even think of calling me racist ‘cuz I’ve got two black friends, and another Panamanian.

A lot of people divorce themselves from this topic because it’s such an blatant double standard. It’s difficult to care when one group is held to an impossibly high standard and other groups are held to no standard at all. OK the internets just got way too serious right there so I’m gonna end with this:

Don’t even think of calling me racist ‘cuz I’ve got two black friends, and another Panamanian.

I don’t know about San Antonio being more diverse. There’s certainly a bit of racism there towards Blacks from, of all people, the Mexican heritage community from when I lived there. Not a whole lot of Black folks though. At least not compared to where I grew up, which is ironic (Tallahassee, Fl).

I will say that I do love that water park though Rhi.
Austin is probably the best city in Texas.

Anyway, back in Tally. Racism trips me out and I just wanted to share I had a similar experience as Carlos. Somehow, this Puerto Rican kid who people thought initially was ‘light-skinned’ or mixed was ok to tell racist jokes or say racist things. Totally befuddled me.

I used to be boldly proud of my heritage. My friends thought it was cool, too.
And then 9-11 happened.
I think it’s funny that most people see racism as purely a white/black/Hispanic thing.
I have friends who are Sikhs, Russians, and Persians and they have ALL felt the sting of discrimination.
I see ANY form of bigotry as wrong.

And I don’t necessarily agree with the whole “where you were raised” rationalization because I was raised in a rural, all-white, Southern town (rampant with racism) and I have been vehemently opposed to these attitudes since I was a young child. It never made sense to me, on any level.

Perhaps we are subconsciously programmed to automatically notice someone who is very different from ourselves in appearance, but if we ever JUDGE anything about that person based on their appearance, then we have crossed a line.

If you jump to ANY conclusions about me based on appearances (my ethnicity, my social status, my income, my political preference, or even my weight), then you are equally guilty. You don’t know me & you don’t know my heart.
Bigotry takes ALL forms.
Racism is not the “worst” form of discrimination; it’s just the least socially acceptable.

I think we have a great blessing in that the United States is such a vast mix of peoples and cultures. I don’t think it’s okay to blend it all together and wash away the contrasts. That is what makes our country so much different than the rest of the world!

With my friends of different races, we tend to tease each other about the “cultural” characteristics of our race in an effort to make fun of it altogether. I am white, so I have no rhythm, my friend Mathias makes some mean fried chicken, Hernandez is never on time to rehearsal…etc. I love celebrating our differences and being friends with people to the point that I forget that they don’t look like me….except when on mission trip to Costa Rica, and then Hernandez comes in handy with his fluent Spanish!

All that to say, I think that the racist comments vs. being a racist is a thin line. If I murder, I’m a murderer. If I steal, I’m a theif. If I lie…I’m a liar. So to make a racist comment does at the very least reveal the thoughts that we are having, whether placed there by our grandparents, Al Sharpton, or some other negative influence!

Sorry for the rant Los…

Pretty cool Harvard thing and i think i could have told you that about myself. We were talking about this the other day in a mtg. I fully realize there is a wide variety of folks out there, but I do get frustrated that so often the first filter people put things through are of a discriminatory and defensive nature whether it be age, sex, race, religion, etc vs expecting the best out of people and giving them the benefit of the doubt regarding the motive behind actions or words. I know I wear rose colored glasses, but i have also seen-a) you will always find what you are looking for b) when you expect the best out of people and believe in them as people, they often prove you right. Yes, many will let you down along the way and there may be some days I’m not as nice as I would like to be. But this is one of those areas I’ll try to remember that mercy ALWAYS triumphs over judgement both with others and myself.
All this to say, I agree with you Carlos. I look forward to when it can just be a “strong community”. A community with our identities firmly planted at the foot of the cross and we just happen to be men, women, old, young, black, white, asian, southern, northern, SEC, Pac 10, etc.
Go Vols.