Racism

Part 1

Is Racism a Western Idea

                In this article there was a bunch of information. It talked about what racism is, also it talks about racism and slavery, and it also takes us back in time to find out where it, racism, all started.

                According to dictionary.com racism is a belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human racial groups determine cultural or individual achievement, usually involving the idea that one’s own race is superior and has the right to dominate the others or that a particular racial group is inferior to the others.

                Though slavery was a huge part of racism, it is not the origin in which this all started. Slavery has a practice in people’s cultures for thousands of years. The ancient Sumerians, Egyptians, Babylonians, and Assyrians all practiced slavery in the past. The difference of slavery from then to now is that back then, slavery had nothing to do with race. They were mostly of the same race as their masters.

                According to the information that was given in the article about different times in ancient history and what they used for slaves. I believe that there is no racism back then around the world. They used their own people as slaves and not another race that they thought was less than them like we did here in America.

How Racist We Are

                In the beginning of this passage it’s pretty much stating that no matter who you are or what you believe; there is some racism in you. Some people argue this and say that they are not racist at all. But what most people don’t know or forget to see is that racism is more than just hating African Americans or people from any other race. It can be those thoughts in the back of our heads as well. Those thoughts that we have when we are quick to assume things like when you hear about a shooting or a violent crime in a big city most people, without any other information, would automatically assume that it was a black gang member or just a black in general. The truth is that humans today are so judgmental and are so quick to assume the worst just based off of the way they look or where they come from. Just because some people of a race make bad decisions and do bad things does not mean that the entire race is bad and will make the same decisions. The fact is, we are all equal and all created in Gods image. He sent all of us here for the same reason and that’s to worship him through everything we do because of what He did for us on the cross.

Cultural Bias for Racism

       In this article it talks about how researchers are trying to find out why and how Americans and their culture today are contributing to racism. One big thing that they talk about is how American literature and the media play a huge role in social stereotypes. There are so many examples of this that if you just watch the news or read a news article you would probably find your own example. One example that I can think of right now is the whole Adrian Peterson thing and how he went too far while punishing his kid. There are so many people out there today that are white and do way more than that yet you never hear about it. To me it seems like the media goes too far in some stories and blow them up so much that they start to sound and look racist. This article also talks about how literature, movies, TV shows, radio, Internet, etc. There is so much stereotypes and wrong thinking in all of these examples. Also reading books, magazines, news articles have a part of our culture and what information we as Americans are learning. It is amazing how fast news can travel and how it can influence those who hear or read it.

Part 2

Is racism culturally universal or a Western Civilization concept? Is it a byproduct of media and western culture? Where did it come from? When did it start? Is it everywhere?

After reading these articles I do believe that racism is a western concept because though there was slavery in other places around the world, we were the ones who made a different race be slaves instead of our own. We as whites made ourselves think and believe that we were, and some still think we are, superior to them and that by our skin being white, we have the write to literally own another human being just because they aren’t white and don’t look like us.

I definitely believe that the media has a role in how our culture thinks and acts against other races. The way that they blow up stories for some people because of the color of their skin or because of what they believe in.  As humans, especially children, what we hear and see plays a huge role on how we act, what we believe, and who we become.  (Article 3)

Racism was started in Great Britain when they started trading Africans for goods they could use instead of trading their own people like it was done in ancient times. (Article 1)

                Though racism didn’t start off everywhere, I believe that it is everywhere now. With all the stereotypes and all the instant media news gets around fast. Also people today do things that they normally wouldn’t do just to a part of a group and so that they don’t stand out. People today want to fit in and so their actions and words to someone else, maybe of a different race, may not be what they usually would do.

                Now racism isn’t just to blacks either. If some people see a Muslim the first thing that comes to their mind is terrorists. People look at others and judge them for what their people, their race, have done not for them as a person.