Dude, you were afrit of a specific group of people defined by only two characteristics: age ("teenagers") and race ("black"). It was racism. It was understandable, knee-jerk racism - but it was racism. No, it's a reference to that terrible PC build video The Verge put out. Allow me to clarify: "That's what people your age do now." "People your age." If you'd said "that's what you black people do now," that'd have been racist - tarring all black people with a broad brush. You said "people your age," tarring all people his age with a broad brush - ageism, rather than racism. Incidentally, I don't know how old @MLyons is. I know he's either still in or just recently out of university, but for all I know he's just a slow learner...
For the avoidance of doubt, what I'm about to say is absolutely not an accusation of racism on your part - it's a general point about prejudice and not specific to you. It's quite possible for racists to "have black friends". Quite possible for someone to be prejudiced against people from certain groups when they don't know them, but to find common ground and build relationships with them once they actually get to know them. It's why the black friends defence is a load of absolute shite - being prejudiced doesn't mean being against every single member of a particular group, so not being prejudiced against a particular individual doesn't mean someone isn't prejudiced against a group in general.
Well I thought racism was hate. Which is a strong word. I know about The Verge video. I was probably one of the very few people who felt bad for the guy, and hated seeing him set on by a pack of rabid animals desperate to up their Youtube views. I don't see how fear is racism. Survivalism perhaps? IDK. It didn't make me want to go out and beat the crap out of a black kid, any way. Like I said, that would have been stupid and at least at 13 I could understand that much. TBH I could not believe the reaction to that video. It was quite sickening tbh. Amazing how many people apparently know so much better, yet have probably made some real mistakes in their time. Ironically it was all very hypocritical, as certain Youtubers have drilled holes through motherboards and blown up AMD CPUs by over volting them without understanding what LLC is. However, I did not feel so high and mighty as to make a video on Youtube ridiculing them. I'm from camp "Learn from your mistakes". Not "Don't ever make any and be perfect". That's a daft ideology.
This is quite false. It is entirely possible - and indeed very common - to be racist purely out of ignorance. Because it's all one has ever known, because one has grown up inundated with it so one perceives it as "normal", and thus any deviation away from it as abnormal. --- Circling back to representation in blockbuster movies: a small increase in representation heading towards actual population distribution rather than away is not a "trying to replace white people". Instead, it is a small step away from a historical abnormality towards a more normal representation. What you perceive as 'normal', an overrepresentation of white actors, is instead the result of white actors replacing others.
This may be where the confusion lies. To quote Merriam-Webster - not because I particularly rate it as a dictionary, but 'cos it was the first hit on DuckDuckGo for "define:racism" and I'm lazy: Nothing about hate in there. You were prejudiced against black youths - specifically black - because of what you experienced. Being prejudiced against the very specific youths who pulled a knife on you? Sensible. Being prejudiced against all youths who share the same race as the very specific youths who pulled a knife on you? Understandable reaction, but undeniably racist.
From what I have seen in life racists obviously blend in very well. They'd have to, given they wouldn't dare air their views to a black person. Racism is a very cowardly thing. Not something people would go talk about on a public forum at least. Have a think about that for a moment. I might be many things but I'm not bloody stupid. Like I said, you can think of me what you want but the reality is probably extremely different to what you expect. Those who have met me will vouch for that. If you want racism just go on Yahoo and read the comments. Ignorant racism comes from stupidity. Kinda like the asshats who follow Tommy Robinson and joined the EDL. When their website was hacked and all of those who donated money via paypal were exposed I relieved myself of three "Friends" on Facebook. So as I say, they do blend in well because I had no idea. One of them didn't come as a shock really. The other two I must say did take me by surprise. To be that ignorant you have to be stupid, and trust me this guy was. IIRC he had an IQ of about 90 and was the quiet one out of us. Hardly ever spoke.
I mean, Stephen Yaxley-Lennon's made a career out of being a very public racist. And, going back to an earlier point, the dude in the shop was utterly confident that I'd share his hatred of black people simply because I was white. I mean, he didn't say it to the black guy presumably 'cos he didn't want a punch in the nose, but he had no fear about showing his true colours to me during what was supposed to be a professional transaction at his place of work. Then there are the "I'm not racist, but"s. They genuinely believe the first part of the sentence, yet invariably say something racist immediately after the "but." When called on it, reactions vary from the classic "I can't be racist, I have black friends" to "bloody political correctness gone mad" to my very favourite, and that of several politicians of note, "well, they are a bit funny, aren't they?"
So did that bellend on Twitter "Old Holborn" . Until someone hacked his account and found out who he was and not just the racist belm behind the mask. He absolutely **** his pants. Went silent overnight. Funny that ! Whatever it was I felt when I was a kid? I can only hope it wasn't racism. I absolutely deplore it. I also hate how it is so cowardly.
As I said, in BIG LETTERS, I was not accusing you of racism. I'll take issue with the part of your post that I've bolded, though. Sure, there are racists who wouldn't say boo to a goose in terms of being openly racist to anyone's face, but there are also racists who are perfectly willing to be overtly and blatantly racist. And I have the feeling that overt racism has become more common in the last few years, or at least it feels like it has.
I'm afraid it was. As I say, it was an entirely understandable reaction - but it was, by the very definition, racism. If the perpetrator were actively seeking white youths to attack simply because they were white, then the perpetrators were racist - and in a considerably worse fashion than "I reflexively checked for a clear exit when I saw a group of black youths walk into Maccy D's" - but that doesn't mean your reaction wasn't racist.
Well then I am glad it didn't do any lasting damage. And yeah, it was rough. Like I said we didn't exactly lay out the welcome mat and the police made everything a hundred times worse. It was them who did the most lasting damage. Mostly because the whole stop and search thing was all but scrapped because of it, and now kids are dying because of that. Ugh.
22 but didn't go to University. I did an apprenticeship here at bit. Yes my Linux knowledge does at times give off the slow learner vibe.
Everyone inherently uses prejudice to process what they don't understand. We are all in the same boat. What matters most is how you act on your pre-judgment of things you don't empirically know.
I did read a study after the Liam Neeson incident that said we would all feel it at least once. The thing is I wouldn't call it prejudice. To me it was fear and survival. It's kinda like saying that a kid who is bullied at school feels prejudice because he wants to avoid his tormentors after school. Like, when my mate Ash used to have to run away at the end of every school day because otherwise he'd get beaten up. He does make me laugh... Says "Thank god I was a fast runner". But yeah, I can't compute how you would call that prejudice. More survival, at least that's how I feel. There was a lot of it about when I was a kid. However, decent human beings will learn and adapt. My grandparents eventually got better and my mum has never really cared who or what you are, a lot like me in that respect. So long as you're a decent human being.
"Those kids beat me up, I will avoid those particular kids" = Reasonable "Those kids beat me up, so I will avoid black kids" = Racism.
