Races

No, this is not a debate thread about racism or anything of that nature. Rather, this is simply referring to the Race text box you are all able to fill out in your Profile.

I have noticed that it is very common for many of our members to fill this field in with "Human." While I assume some of these are simply a joke, after observing many profiles with this same thing in the Race section, it has made me wonder if people really do believe that is the question.

I thought about creating a drop-down box for the Race option, but that simply is just not doable, considering just how many races there are out there. I suppose I could make it much more vague to be something along these lines. I think I may do that, actually... So, I just wanted to bring this to your attention so that you can edit this in your Profiles.

I'm just guessing here, but I really think a lot of people confuse race with species. To us humans, we no no other sentient beings other than ourselves, so when we hear the word "species," we think of animals. When we hear "races," we think of other human beings. Therefore, it is only natural to think of other sentient beings, such as aliens, humanoids like you'd see in Star Wars and so forth, as being other races, because if we referred to them as a different species, to our ears, that sounds like we're calling them animals. In actuality, other sentient humanoids (or even non-humanoids) like you'd see in Star Wars, Star Trek, etc., are actually different species. The difference (among many other things) is, if one being from one species mates with another being from a different species, they are unable to produce offspring. This is not the case between different races however, obviously.

Just thought I'd clarify!

I understand the difference between race and species.

I wrote human as in "The Human Race". While I realize that biological races do exist, in terms of skeletal features there are only three - negroid, caucasoid, and mongoloid. The rest are further devisions of physical attribute and culture, and all can be put into one of the three above.

I as an american am a whole slew of things and do not fit in one category (even if I only use the above three, I am a mix of cacausoid and mongoloid). Further, Racism is rampant whether we want it to be or not, so I always write either "Human", "American", "Other", or "No Choice", (which is the option I now have here on FOG). It was not a joke. It was a way for me to stand against discrimination. I'm a little sad I don't get to anymore, but "No Choice" will have to do.

The option isn't there to instill racism by any means. It's simply one of many different profile options we have here that you can choose to fill out or not, so that you personally have the choice and the ability to be as open and detailed about yourself or as vague as you like to be. Like I said, I don't want this to turn into a racism thread, as I don't believe that is even related to our profile options, which I simply was trying to improve upon. I apologize if that came across as rude or inconvenient to you, Ryona, or anyone else.

I would totally be for a superdyduper complex drop down menu that lists every possible possibility. Still, the combination we have now of Race + Ethnicity should cover all the bases.

I don't think you are personally being rude, Fate. I think the entire idea of having to fill out your race on tests, applications, etc opens the door for racism. I think it should just be left off, for while they state that "this has no affect whatsoever" how can we really know that, if racism is still out there? So I basically just always refuse to fill it out.

It also is not easy for people such as myself who do not fit into one clear category; sure, I can fill out the "two or more" section, but that really just bypasses the answer anyway, so what is the point? A box to fill it in gives me room to answer honestly, and honestly, I identify being "the human race" over any other subrace of humanity. This is just the distant, anthropologist side of me talking.

Ryona Noel wrote:I don't think you are personally being rude, Fate. I think the entire idea of having to fill out your race on tests, applications, etc opens the door for racism. I think it should just be left off, for while they state that "this has no affect whatsoever" how can we really know that, if racism is still out there? So I basically just always refuse to fill it out.

That's what politicians call "affirmative action". If you're a white male, the score you get is the score you get. But if you're anything other than a white male, the score you get is determined by the current trend of hatred toward one group or another. I blame the Illuminati. You know they're behind everything.

The Ghost Writer wrote:

Ryona Noel wrote:I don't think you are personally being rude, Fate. I think the entire idea of having to fill out your race on tests, applications, etc opens the door for racism. I think it should just be left off, for while they state that "this has no affect whatsoever" how can we really know that, if racism is still out there? So I basically just always refuse to fill it out.

That's what politicians call "affirmative action". If you're a white male, the score you get is the score you get. But if you're anything other than a white male, the score you get is determined by the current trend of hatred toward one group or another. I blame the Illuminati. You know they're behind everything.

Scary stuff!! All those groups that exist that "don't exist," along with our apparent shadow government that surpasses the real one freak me out. I love watching all that stuff on History, but wow, it is frustrating to think how we're all possibly being manipulated without knowing it.

Anywhos. If you guys all agree that we should just do away with the Race option completely from profiles, I don't have a problem with that at all. If it causes controversy, then might as well eliminate it. I just figure why baby the subject forever rather than trying to move forward, but then again, being the way we humans are, I suppose that won't ever fully be realized. It's up to you guys. I'll create a poll here.

I'll vote, but do I have to fill in what race I am and the income I make? Bahaha! .... I'm kidding.... -__-

I still think we could go all out and put tons and tons of options into the drop-down menu. You could have categories. Like, you could have all the main ones everybody knows, then you could have all the mix options, then you could have some more obscure classifications like what Ryona mentioned. Might be fun.

Aww, Charlie!

Either way it is an optional fill in, so I don't mind if you just leave it there. I was just answering the question you posed as to why I put "Human" ^_^ Oh, and then clarifying that I wasn't angry or anything. Sometimes when I write and I'm tired, everything comes out...odd!

Edit: And don't get me started on Affirmative Action...For the life of me I can't understand why someone thought it would be better to be more selective by race rather than just doing away with the category all together. Every application should get a number, no name, no race, no gender, no age. Applications should be based on skill, experience, and written essay.

And why, oh WHY should ghosts be discluded? I guess you are in the No Choice category with me, Charlie

I understand. I'm glad I wasn't stepping on any toes.

Ryona Noel wrote:Applications should be based on skill, experience, and written essay.

That would be super nice! If that were the case, I'm sure I would have heard back from one of these hundreds (literally) of jobs I've applied for since back in March when I started applying.

Poor Charlie.

I am with Ryona on this one. It's an optional fill-in. People can choose whether or not to fill it out.

Besides, I think everyone here is mature enough not to take offense to what ever way you decide to present the option.

I think a blank box would be easiest. However, with that open, people could still put 'human'. (Though, I did find that a bit clever.)

I left No Choice, mainly out of personal choice (that was witty, wasn't it ?). While I can understand the biological/anthropological notion of "race" as opposed to "species", whenever someone brings up the r word, somebody will get pissed, somewhere. I remember having a little moment of hesitation, and then just leaving "No Choice" out of ease and lack of commitment.

I agree, you'd expect people on this forum to not overreact, but heck, you never know with some people. Personally, I'd vote for deleting it. Then like that, when you discover someone's actually black, you can go "Shi' man, I didn't know you's was a niggah, bra !" and do some proper gangsta-speak and bitch slappin' ...

Okay, I'll stop now

See? Exactly! I don't think having the option to disclose your race should be done away with. It should be a point of pride, not prejudice. (Hey, that's catchy. xD) I think the world as a whole has been going more positive that way, and knowing does help one know how to talk to other people.

Kinda like how, those people who at first don't fill in male or female, you (just me?) feel like you have to avoid slanting your tone because you don't want to make them feel awkward by talking to them a certain way. (Did that make sense?) Or like if you've known a person on a forum for a while and then you realize all of a sudden that they're the opposite gender.

For me at least, I talk to different genders and races differently. Not bad-differently--different-differently. Female minds are different from male; different races and ethnicities have different ways of seeing things. It's nice to be able to know more often than not--as you would in real life just by looking at them--how you can make them feel nice by the things you say and how you can avoid inadvertently offending them.

I agree with Kalon's response. As for AA in American Schools, sure in a lot of ways its unfair, but there are those individuals who quite literally need it.

AA was the wrong step in the right direction

Edit: In my humble opinion, of course.

Unfortunately my experience has a lot to do with it. Being a minority and female, I had plenty of opportunity for scholarship funding...my husband, whose family had absolutely no money and no way to help him get into college, had very limited access to financial help because he was a white male. Even though I wasn't on the losing side of AA, I still could see what it was doing to honest people who need help. People who need help come in all shapes, sizes, ages and colors.

Yeah, I have to agree with you there. It sometimes seems to me that we're doing so much equal opportunity that it's going too far the other way. Can't we just take care of the majorities AND the minorities?

Most of my views on this is based solely on my personal experiences. And seeing as I grew up poor in a Latino neighborhood in the city and suffered some racism when venturing out to more "well off" neighborhoods to now living in a small town where racism is still something that my wife (Manda who most of you know and love) and I come across near daily. From these experiences I can tell you one thing. Western society is far FAAAAAAARRRRR from leaving racism behind, as much as we like to be optimistic and bright eyed with hope, the truth is racism is still in the very fabric of our society.

As for AA when it comes to college work and the arts.....well to be honest. My feelings on the subject can be best summed up in these two links. Enjoy, they are funny and enlightening.



The Big Picture - Skin Deep (5-6 minute look into race in popular culture, namely movies.)

I wish I could watch the videos but my brother is playing drums and no matter how hard I try I cannot hear what is being said

Nice, Squall!
I watched like six of those Big Picture videos in a row! xD

*Bows* Thanks Kalon. I try my best to find enlightening things to post on here. And I'm a big fan of most of this guys work. He's a smart guy with a pretty good view on things, and though maybe I don't agree with everything he says he always makes a good argument. As with this, we must not forget that it was only our grandparents/parents generation that minorities were seen as second class citizens and sadly even today some still see that as the case. The fact of the matter is racism has been engrained in our society since the 17-1800's. And it will take more than 2-3 generations for it to be purged from our world, if ever.

You can always try it later Ryona.

And now to brighten the mood I bring you kitten vs pillow.