Dispel The Myths About Your Country (2 Viewers)

[gray]

It's natural for a person to be more comfortable and familiar with people of their own race.

The point at which it becomes racism is when you make judgements about people you don't know based only on the colour of their skin.

To not be racist isn't to think that all races are exactly the same, of course each race has its own unique cultures and characteristics. But races are merely identifiers, they don't show the value of a person.

 

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[Ivy]

ok, this is just my opinion on Racism.

The word racism to me has 2 parts to its meaning and it's explained even in the definition

rac·ism n.
The belief that race accounts for differences in human character or ability and that a particular race is superior to others.

'The belief that race accounts for differences in human character or ability'

Face it...... you can't consider that people from different races/culture/background are the same. They are not and these 'groups' of people ARE different! That why this world is so wonderfull........ because there IS diversity!!!!! This is the point that accounts for us being able to enjoys all the different taditions/styles/fods/clothes/football styles. It makes a group of people unique.

so don't say that there should be no difference between races. There is.......they are different and unique.

this to me is 1 form of racism. ie: the acceptance that there is difference between groups of peole.

a very common eg. of this: i'm an asian girl. when i go to western countries....Uk, US etc........ people on the streets look/stare at me. Not becos i'm a babe and not becos they look down on me. They are just curious because they don't see asian people often and i am a minority in their teritory. Also as someone has mentioned..... people know little about others cultures and hey have a sterotype in their mind...they probably do look at me just to see if i do make some martial arts moves :LOL: . So i am being treated differently......but not badly.



Now the next part of the definition

'that a particular race is superior to others'

this is the harmfull part. The part that makes a person think that he/she is superior to another on the basis of race alone. I don't have to explain to you this is a bad thing




So what i'm trying to explain in all i've said above is this


-Different races exist! Learn to love this diversity! Not try to deny it and say that there is no difference.


-Different races exist! They are different BUT EQUAL! As long as you don't look down on another human being on the basis of their race.......... i can accpet the fact that you call yourself a racist. If you do....... then i can't say that i like you.


-Racism is normal...... Of course if i put you in a foerign teritory and there are only a handfull of people from the same race/country as you. Obviously you will tend to hang around with your own people more. It's natural.



Thought of the moment. (i have no intention to offend anyone here, pls forgive me if i annoy you)


I see racism on this forum all the time. The fact that there are peole who like to talk to each other in English, Sapnish, Italian, or whatever is your native language. This is racism! can you see it.......?

But, as i've said..... it's not a bad thing because i haven't seen anyone here look down on another poster just because of his/her race. I find that alot of peole, once they see this taboo word 'racism' they go..."oh...that's bad"...... but just think about it because sometimes, it may not be as bad as you think



sori for long post

 

[Majed]

++ [ originally posted by Sunshine ] ++

I see racism on this forum all the time. The fact that there are peole who like to talk to each other in English, Sapnish, Italian, or whatever is your native language. This is racism! can you see it.......?

i agree with most of what you said except for this quoted paragraph.

I dont think this is racist at all. the language threads are just threads for people with common languages to feel comfortable in. some people express themselves better speaking their native language. I've never been kicked out of the Spanish or Arabic thread just because i've spoked english. All people are welcome. the only difference is that people who dont understand the language shouldn't get offended by everyone else in that specific thread because they can't understand everyone else there.

It's more of a "politness" matter in the language case then a Racial matter.

The only thing that might seem racial is the fact that everyone in that thread are ethnicly similar. but i think it isn't racial at all because:
1. Everyone is invited
2. All the members are active in English in other threads.
3. Language is closely related to race, but it's not about the race. People from all over the world participate in The Spanish thread.

That's about the language threads, but what about the people who speak other languages in different threads. I think It is indeed i think it is kinda offensive to speak a different language in a Regular thread. but the type of offense is not racial, it's just a bit rude! That's all.

 

[SilvLightning]

Sunshine, I agree with everything Majed said about that paragraph you wrote. I don't think it's racism at all, and it shouldn't be taken that way. People just like to communicate in their native language because they feel more comfortable expressing their opinions/views, that's all.

 

[Minfana]

Changing back to the Original Subject, if you don't mind!!!

Finland: myths
- polar bears on the streets
- silent, grumpy people - except while being under the influence
- a part of Russia
- blasted every week-end
- women are all blond, tall & beautiful
etc.

Facts:
- no polar bears, but a few brown ones in our vast forests
- we talk a lot - but shyness is quite common, too
- independent since 1917
- we do like having fun occasionally like everybody else
- women appear in many size and colour - sorry guys

We also pay a lot of taxes, have a hellishly long and dark and cold winter, a beutiful but short summer, and we speak many languages because our own is not very known in the world

If you want to know more, just ask!

 

[Ivy]

@Majed and Slivia: I wan't saying that it's a bad thing at all. Its great cos it makes this forum more homely for people when they can sometimes converse in their own language and i don't take any kind of offence to that at all even though i may not understand what the convo is about. If i've made you think that i do....then sori, pherhelps i've not put my words properly.

The point i was trying to explain was that i do think that it is a form of racism......cos it is involving people from different places. BUT i was trying to show that it's not necessarily a bad thing , so the wod racism may not always be refering to something bad...... it can be a good thing too like in this case.

It's just that i feel that sometimes when people hear words like "racism" for eg, they immediately think that its a bad thing and any and everything associated with it MUST be bad. But i don't feel that this is true. It can be both good and bad......it just depends on how it is being used. The majority of my 1st post was spent explaining that.


@Minfana: sori dear , gd of you to turn back the topic :thumb: I just had to reply and explain myself.....sori

I've been to finland for a week once, it was a company trip and we were at a ski resort, not in the city area and i must say........it's BEEAAUUTTIIFFUULL!!!!!! I experienced snow for the 1st time there cos i live practically on the equator and we don't have the 4 seasons here. it's more or less 'sunny' all year round. I even got to see the northern lights :extatic: what an out of this world experience!!!

 

[Majed]

++ [ originally posted by Sunshine ] ++
@Majed and Slivia: I wan't saying that it's a bad thing at all. Its great cos it makes this forum more homely for people when they can sometimes converse in their own language and i don't take any kind of offence to that at all even though i may not understand what the convo is about. If i've made you think that i do....then sori, pherhelps i've not put my words properly.

The point i was trying to explain was that i do think that it is a form of racism......cos it is involving people from different places. BUT i was trying to show that it's not necessarily a bad thing , so the wod racism may not always be refering to something bad...... it can be a good thing too like in this case.

It's just that i feel that sometimes when people hear words like "racism" for eg, they immediately think that its a bad thing and any and everything associated with it MUST be bad. But i don't feel that this is true. It can be both good and bad......it just depends on how it is being used. The majority of my 1st post was spent explaining that.

now i see what you mean and i agree about your concept and ideas, but i dont agree with one thing....

The word "Racism" is only for the negative aspects. "Racism" is defined as: a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race " --- Merriam-Webster OnLine.

I think the word you're looking for is : "Ethnic Diversity."

 

[Minfana]

++ [ originally posted by Sunshine ] ++

@Minfana: sori dear , gd of you to turn back the topic :thumb: I just had to reply and explain myself.....sori

I've been to finland for a week once, it was a company trip and we were at a ski resort, not in the city area and i must say........it's BEEAAUUTTIIFFUULL!!!!!! I experienced snow for the 1st time there cos i live practically on the equator and we don't have the 4 seasons here. it's more or less 'sunny' all year round. I even got to see the northern lights :extatic: what an out of this world experience!!!

I'm glad for you, Ivy, it is great to see this phenomenom! I myself saw the northern lights just the other night for the first time in my life! And I live in Helsinki, which is located in the southern part of Finland - very rare here!! I was absolutely breathless...

 

[Ivy]

@Majed: ahhh ok, thats Shall refer to it as ethnic diverity then. Impt thing is the concept. I'm glad i could find someway to put it so that you could get my point




@ Minfana: Yes i was not in Helsinki, i was in another place further north(can't remember the name of the place ) and the people there see it each year. I had the impressions that everyone from Finland experiences this often. I must be very lucky then.

 

[Minfana]

++ [ originally posted by Sunshine ] ++

@ Minfana: Yes i was not in Helsinki, i was in another place further north(can't remember the name of the place ) and the people there see it each year. I had the impressions that everyone from Finland experiences this often. I must be very lucky then.

You most certainly are, Ivy! You were probably in Lapland? Anyway, we usually have lots of snow in winter around here.

 

[Minfana]

Adding to my last post: I meant that you can ski anywhere in mid winter, so it does not have to be just Lapland

 

[Ivy]

Minfana, seriously...... there were to many names of places and people thatw wern't in english, so i seriously don't remember now :embarass: but i will flip through my stuff and check. then i'll let you know where i was

 

[Sarah_old]

Hmm, how did this thread got diverted to racism topic?

Anyways, to stay on topic....

1) There are many people who thinks Singapore is part of China...and/or equates us to Hong Kong. This is not true. Singapore is not a Chinese country. I remembered reading an article somewhere where some expats were interviewed on what they think about living in Singapore, and one commented something like, "I love the way how Singaporeans are able to speak Chinese very fast but talk slowly in English " No, not all Singaporeans speak Chinese. We do have a majority of Chinese here, but our country has a mixture of different races (Chinese, Malay, Indians, etc..) who lives in harmony ...with a few exceptions though :groan: there are a few here who feel that some races were not treated as fairly as some others. This is where the racism issue comes in :groan:.


2) We don't always normally "fight" with Malaysia for fun


3) Even though chewing gum is banned in Singapore, it is not actually a crime. But you can be fined. I don't believe that you can go to jail for any offense related to chewing/bringing in gum from neighbouring countries (of course unless you plan to kill someone with it) :undecide:.

4) And no, we are not always proud of our Singlish.

-S-

 

[€lke]

Belgium is famous for his fries (french fries :fero: and they come from Belgium), hos chocolate :lick: and his lace great not?

 

[nosubstitute959]

I love Belgian chocolate from Wal-Mart.

I can't remember the name of the kind I buy though.

 

[€lke]

++ [ originally posted by nosubstitute959 ] ++
I love Belgian chocolate from Wal-Mart.

I can't remember the name of the kind I buy though.

Wam-Mart? What's that never heard about that

 

[nosubstitute959]

It's a famous store chain here in the U.S............I'm surprised it's not international yet.


The moral of the story is........Belgian chocolate is great. :thumb:

 

[€lke]

++ [ originally posted by nosubstitute959 ] ++
It's a famous store chain here in the U.S............I'm surprised it's not international yet.


The moral of the story is........Belgian chocolate is great. :thumb:

ah...misunderstood I thought you meant Wal-Mart is Belgian chocolate

But indeed it's soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo good, it's the best in the world

 

[SilvLightning]

++ [ originally posted by -S- ] ++
3) Even though chewing gum is banned in Singapore, it is not actually a crime. But you can be fined. I don't believe that you can go to jail for any offense related to chewing/bringing in gum from neighbouring countries (of course unless you plan to kill someone with it) :undecide:.

-S-

Chewing gum is banned in Singapore?! Wow, I didn't know that. :dazed: Very interesting info there Sarah.

 

[Layce Erayce]

yeah i heard that to silvia. u get fined for throwing stuff on the street too...its a great place besides that though


btw where are we in the racism topic?