Who here can honestly say that they "don't have a prejudiced bone in their body?"

[Empowerer]

Does anyone here truly believe that they don't have any racial, gender, ethnic or any other kind of bias?

And if you do acknowledge bias, how do you deal with it?

Serious question.

[secondwind]

1. I don't consider myself biased or racist. I have half-siblings who are half-black. My sister

is lesbian, I have cousins on both sides who are gay, I was married to a Jewish man for 25 years, and I am Hispanic.

I think I've covered everything! :-)

[Empowerer]

3. Regardless of the makeup of your family, do you think you don't have any prejudices against anyone?

Have you ever made assumptions about someone based on their race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, etc? That's very different than being racist or bigoted, by the way.

For example, have you ever felt uncomfortable seeing a black man on a dark street? Have you ever assumed that someone with a dripping Southern accent might be racist? Have you ever assumed that someone with a thick accent was not American?

I don't ask these questions in an accusatory way or to suggest that you are not an open-minded person. But even the most open-minded and decent among us have prejudices. Prejudice isn't the problem - how we deal with them is the critical issue.

[secondwind]

53. This is a good question. On a dark street, if I were alone (I'm a 5'4" woman), I would feel

uncomfortable walking towards any man, white or black. I might even be wary of a large woman, I don't know, I've not been in that situation.

I can admit to assuming that a Southern person with a heavy accent might be a Republican, not necessarily a racist. There are hundreds of thousands of good Dems in Red States.

I think I could assume that a person with a thick accent is a recent arrival, so yes, I might think she/he is not a citizen yet. I try not to think people with accents are illegal. My mother spoke Spanish all her life and was so proud when she became a U.S. citizen.

If you are doing research on this, I find it very interesting. You can send me a private message if you want.

[Cronus Protagonist]

2. I'm against mustard

I just think it tastes terrible and should not be in anyone's fridge. Nothing personal against the mustard, though; I'm sure it's nice and all. I just can't stand the taste.

[rug]

35. I think it's fine all by itself. Some of my best friends like mustard.

It should never be mixed with turkey, however.

[Cronus Protagonist]

38. Yeah, I hate to see mustard and turkey together

It just isn't right. I wonder if there's anything we can do about that.

[Cronus Protagonist]

40. I do admit, it's primarily the color that I don't like

It doesn't seem right for food to be that dirty yellow color.

[awoke_in_2003]

61. ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5JIpT4GkyM

[mkultra]

72. back up your preferences with facts please

can you prove that mustard doesnt taste good?

[KurtNYC]

4. prejudice comes from the mind not from bones so word parsers could say no

I think people need to ask themselves frequently 'am I reacting this way because the person is in a group which I am prejudiced against?' and 'would I react this way if they were in a group which I am not prejudiced against?'

People should try to address behaviors and not generalize and stereotype but human nature seems to be to generalize and categorize.

[Ineeda]

5. I'm biased against the stupid and the rethugs.

I remember telling my daughters that I would love anyone they loved - black, white, gay, straight, short, tall, immigrant, native-born -- whatever. But not republicon. So, call me a bigot. I'm okay with that.
Edited to add religious extremists to my bigotry list.

[Empowerer]

8. I'm asking a serious question

And saying that you don't like Republicans or that you told someone that you will love anyone that they love doesn't answer it.

[Ineeda]

15. I was dead serious in my answer to your serious question.

Funny you made no similar comment about the mustard post, for heaven's sake. I will repeat: I am intolerant of/biased against/bigoted toward: #1 the Stupid, #2 Rethugs, #3 Religious extremists. All are dangerous, in my opinion.

[Empowerer]

18. So you believe that you have absolutely no prejudices against anyone based on race, gender, etc.?

Ok. While I think you truly believe that, I think you are wrong.

BTW, I ignored the mustard comment because it was too stupid to comment on. Your post was an intelligent comment worthy of discussion.

[Ineeda]

25. I truly believe I judge individuals for who they are and how they behave,

not for being lumped into any particular group identity. That's not to say I'm fully comfortable in unfamiliar territory. Frankly, I think that's because I try very hard to learn and to be sensitive to issues that pertain to a demographic that is not mine.

[AndrewP]

19. Actually, I'm right with you

I think it is a legit answer.

I honestly don't feel I have any issue with anyone based on race or sexuality. I'm bi-racial so maybe that impacts it. I don't know.

But I really do find myself judging people very quickly if they identify as a Republican. Seriously. I immediately know that they must be in one of two categories. 1. Rather dumb for being willing to go against their own best interests or 2. Greedy and lacking empathy for anyone other than the WASP power structure.

[Happyhippychick]

6. I see myself as fighting against my prejudiced moments. I can't say I don't have them but I wish

I didn't.

This is me being honest and looking at the parts of me that I don't like.

[Empowerer]

9. Thank you for the honest answer

You are doing what we all need to do - recognize our prejudices and then fight them. Sadly, it seems that too many of us don't even recognize them - or won't admit them. We treat prejudice as if it's an illness or flaw that OTHER people have - and it makes us feel a little superior.

[Happyhippychick]

11. Totally agree. Examination of my prejudices makes me feel much less superior.

I can use a little of that! :)

[texastoast]

7. sorry

Too serious for a beautiful Friday morning. But yes, I have a serious prejudice. I won't speak directly of it and just say Hook 'em Horns!

[obxhead]

10. I am prejudiced against the perpetually stupid

regardless of race, creed, or gender.


In all other matters I do my best to see things from their perspective and treat everyone as an equal.

[Empowerer]

14. I think the operative words in your post are "do my best"

You are working to overcome your natural biases, which is a great thing. That's all any of us can do, but in order to even get to that point, we have to recognize and acknowledge that we don't initially operate from a completely unbiased viewpoint.

[obxhead]

17. You are correct.

I have bias in some matters and I do see people fit stereotypes rather well. I still try to treat them as equals, unless of course they fit that intentionally stupid category. If they go into the latter I try to just put distance between us.

[Empowerer]

21. That's a good point

Interestingly, we often don't recognize that we are stereotyping or judging people because the very essence of prejudice is assuming that our view of other people is based upon a fact, not on a bias. Black men are scary, not because we're prejudiced against them but because they really ARE dangerous. We're wary of an Asian behind the wheel because Asians really ARE bad drivers. The woman boss is pain because women really ARE hard to work for. Etc. . . . We're often not even aware that we're prejudiced because we think we are making our daily judgments based upon fact and reality, not prejudging people because of their race, gender, etc.

[alcibiades_mystery]

12. Racial, gender, and ethnic prejudice often operate at a preconscious level

It's not a "property" of the individual; it is, rather, a symptom of systemic forces as they operate on the body and consciousness. So it's quite true that everybody experiences these effects from time to time, since we all live in culture. The question, then, is not how you have the feelings, but how you interpret them. If you interpret them as a legitimate feeling that reflects social reality, then you are practicing bigotry, misogyny, and racism, not least because you are buying into the systems of power that produce these feelings, and reproducing it. If you interpret them as systemic effects grounded in social power, as symptoms that must be overcome, you are at least trying to short-circuit the forms of power that actually hurt people.

Asking after "having" such responses to situations is always asking the wrong question. The point is what we DO with them, not whether we have them.

[Lil Missy]

13. Possibly, but I wouldn't broadcast my feelings on National TV.

[Empowerer]

16. Why not?

There's a difference between talking about them as if to justify them - as people like Buchanan, O'Reilly, etc. do - and talking about them in order to help people see how to overcome them.

I have found that I am much more successful at helping other people overcome their bigotry when I am honest with them about my own prejudices. They can see that I'm not judging them as morally or socially inferior and that there is a way for them to move forward from where they are. But not admitting to others that we have prejudices only helps the problems to fester.

[alcibiades_mystery]

20. Well

You keep insisting that Williams was doing the latter. That's a tough row to hoe given the context and actual content of his remarks. Could you clarify how you've developed this opinion?

[Empowerer]

24. I gathered this by listening to the entire exchange

It was obvious that Williams was trying to explain to O'Reilly - who was arguing with him and trying to convince him otherwise - that while he himself might be personally prejudiced against Muslims at times, that this view is wrong and we can't base public policy and behavior on treating an entire religion a certain way because of how a small group of them behaved. I have often used the same method to make such arguments. For example, I have shared my own prejudice to make a larger point - and if anyone tried to cherry pick my comments, I, too, could come across sounding like an ignorant bigot rather than someone who is constantly struggling with trying to do better. I think Williams' mistake was trying to argue with Bill O'Reilly, who never lets anyone actually make a point but instead ends of just saying snippets of what they're trying to say.

[alcibiades_mystery]

32. If it's obvious from the exchange

I'm sure you can point to the parts that make it obvious?

[Empowerer]

36. Listen to the entire exchange

"Pointing to parts" of it is what led to this imbroglio. This is a case where context matters.

[alcibiades_mystery]

39. Not at all

You have to provide textual evidence for your conclusion. "pointing to parts" is only problematic when you can't justify your conclusion from the whole. You have a conclusion about the whole, so now show how we got there. Let's start with this premise: I've listened to the whole exchange, and I disagree with you. Show me how I'm wrong.

[Empowerer]

43. I'm not interested in "showing you you're wrong"

We disagree. So be it.

[Name removed]

45. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[alcibiades_mystery]

65. So you can't demonstrate your point

Great.

[AlinPA]

67. Did it ever occur to you that Williams was following a script prescribed by a Fox "news" producer?

Or that O'Reilly was following his script as well? These people are paid to say these things. Notice that Williams got a raise , probably because he did his part correctly.

[Lil Missy]

34. Why? Because I'd expect to get fired, that's why.

Workplaces are not democracies.

[Empowerer]

37. It depends on where you work and what the context was

If you are working in an environment in which discussions about race are appropriate and even encouraged and you are engaged in a subjective conversation about race as part of your job, then it is not inappropriate to discuss one's personal prejudices - especially if it's being done to prove a larger point.

[Lil Missy]

44. Says who? You?

I also reject your presumption of his job description.

[AlinPA]

69. Fox "news" pays him to say those things. He did what he was paid to do. nt

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

22. I can. I'm pretty sure

my prejudices don't come from my bones. :silly:

[AndrewP]

23. It's a fair question though...

As I stated above, I don't really think I have a serious bias against any race or gender at this point in my life.

However, just the basic fact that when I was younger I literally didn't personally know any Muslims made me initially uncomfortable when we started working together in my first job out of school.

I really don't think I was ever "Oh, those creepy bastards" about it. But yeah, I was uncomfortable just because of the basic cultural differences. Being 18 at the time, I wasn't exactly nuanced considering I grew up in a smallish Midwestern town.

I think the point you may be making, not to put words in your mouth, is that it's good to have a recogniiton of our biases or weaknesses. If I am reading you correctly, I totally agree. The best thing we can do is understand our faults and work on them.

[Empowerer]

27. You nailed my point exactly

Unfortunately, too many of us insist that we don't HAVE any prejudices to work on - while sanctimoniously sneering at those of us who admit that we do.

[ellenfl]

26. not me. i have prejudices. i just try to overcome them.

i will admit to crossing the street to avoid people at times just because of how they look. being a single female has colored a lot of my behavior in this regard. i do try to do better. i grew up in an area which was not overtly bigoted.

ellen fl

[bemildred]

28. You cannot function as a human being without views, opinions, biases and prejudices.

They are shorthand, heuristic methods that save you the necessity of rethinking what to do with each new event in your life, stuff "you already know".

The notion that you can "be objective" is false, as a generality, you cannot, you could not function that way, you function by having functional "views, opinions, biases and prejudices" that allow you to make decisions about what to do quickly.

The questions are:

1.) Do you easily change your views when confronted with new experience and information?
2.) Are the views you have sensible and coincident with your experience or are they faith-based belief systems that you cling to?

[Empowerer]

29. BEAUTIFULLY said!

Thanks!

[bemildred]

33. My pleasure.

:hi:

[Inchworm]

79. Every time I saw this thread

I tried to put into words what you said.. failed.. and gave up :)

Screw everything being brand new. I'm pretty sure the sun will come up tomorrow. It did today and yesterday.

:thumbsup:

[bemildred]

86. Thank you. nt

[shraby]

30. I'm prejudiced against prejudiced people..can't tolerate

prejudice, and let them know when I hear it.

[nevergiveup]

31. I have racial prejudices

and fight them all the time but my good side is winning and in control and I am confident it will remain this way. I am the guy at the party who will speak out when something racist is said even though it can be uncomfortable. I am not bragging but just pointing out my strong feelings about everyone being given a fair shake in life. I should also add that I have never personally met a person who I thought was totally 100% free of all racial/religious and gender prejudices. I think we all have our own personal little inner battles with prejudice.

[TreasonousBastard]

41. Of course I have prejudices, but...

I won't tell you what they are. I am aware of most of them, and do my best to hide them and not let them interfere with my, or anyone else's, life.

I believe that we are hard wired to rally 'round our own tribes and prejudices are a natural result of this trait-- the existence of these prejudices can't often be controlled. Bigotry, on the other hand, is the expression of these innate prejudices and can, and should, be controlled.

So, I find it difficult to believe anyone who claims to not have any prejudices-- we have just not evolved to that point yet.

[Ninga]

42. I am older than dirt, and in the 1940's I remember my dad bringing home a

Co-worker from the auto factory they worked at.

They talked about how big money has all the power. In 1947 to be exact.

I have always been wary and prejudice toward big money interests.

[Arugula Latte]

46. I will admit

I have a sort of kneejerk reaction against a lot of older white men, especially if they have a paunch and some sort of cap on, my stereotype of a Teabagger look. (I'm a white woman.) I have to tell myself that, who knows, they might actually be cool and liberal (unless they have some sort of offensive shirt on or something).

[treestar]

47. I agree with that

Also a white woman. Even older white men well dressed - I tend to guess they will come up with conservative views, which may not always be true. I just know so many of them.

[cliffordu]

48. I hate right wingers, pretty much.

I hate the Koch brothers and their ilk.

[proud patriot]

49. I have bias

If you oppress another being in my sight, you have declared a war with me.

If you manipulate, or control the means of living for any being on this Earth, you have declared a war with me.

If you use your influence, money, or power, to castigate or impoverish any being, you have declared a war with me.

[Empowerer]

51. This is like saying, "I'm a perfectionist" or "I care too darned much"

when asked in a job interview to name your biggest flaw. :-)

[jenmito]

50. I can...

My dating history, my husband, family make-up, surroundings growing up, liberal views taught to me by my parents, and taking this test which I recommend EVERYONE take: https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/demo/

[Empowerer]

52. Wow - you must be a remarkable and breathtakingly rare person

But I wonder if you have as keen a self-eye as you think you do since virtually every human being has some kind of prejudice.

It's unfortunate that more people can't recognize or admit this flaw since prejudice does not make one a bad person - it makes us human. How we deal with shows us what kind we are.

[jenmito]

54. All I can tell you is that I don't have any

prejudices, I don't fear anyone different from me, I don't have any preconceived notions about anybody, etc. I grew up exposed to a vast variety of people and see everyone as equal.

[Kind of Blue]

57. Ding! "Grew up exposed to a vast variety of people"

is a good key in my case as well. Though taught differently about "the others," I've also met many people who broke away from their homogeneous group to actually be among diverse groups of people. Found them exceptionally balanced as well.

[jenmito]

62. Yup...

it's dangerous to be exposed to only "their own." It does not allow for the thought that, "There IS no 'them and us.' There's just 'us.'" :hi:

[Kind of Blue]

56. Thanks for the link, Jenmito!

Just took and went as fast as I could in the process. Made a few mistakes but results are: Your data suggest little or no association between Black American and White American with Harmless Objects and Weapons.

[jenmito]

60. No problem, Kind of Blue...

I recommend everyone take it to discover if they DO have prejudices. :hi:

[joshcryer]

83. I played around with this some more and their final quiz is at least weighted by 50% or more.

So if your "attraction" scores are even moderately different across race lines, you will get a "you're a bigot" score.

[boppers]

68. I can too...

The OP, however seems to reflect something all too common, which accepts bigotry under the ruse of "it's okay if other people do it too, because everybody does it"

Interesting tests, but they seem to reflect some very weird binary thinking assumptions.... or they're just weird to me. :)

[Empowerer]

75. You have completely misread my post and missed my point

At no point did I say or even imply that I accept bigotry or that it's "ok if other people do it, too because everybody does it."

In my view, what is really weird is the fact that so many people here seem to truly believe they have absolutely no prejudices.

[boppers]

77. How is it weird to have a tolerant society? Hmmm....

I suppose it really depends on one's environment and circumstances.

I grew up in Arizona, which, as you may be aware, has it's share of bigots, but it *also* has incredibly accepting and diverse communities. Central Arizona passed SB1070, Southern Arizona cops sued against it, central Arizona fought for English only, Tucson Unified School District fought for more Hispanic culture classes, etc. I went to a Hoi Polli high school that was almost entirely white, and then a Fine Arts magnet school where I got to rub elbows with my friends from the barrios and elementary schools.

When I was living in Atlanta, I could go for days without meeting somebody who *didn't* wear bigotry on their slave. In that environment, your post makes a lot of sense... it's everywhere, and reasonable to assume that most people are blind to their personal participation in it.

Out here in Portland, Oregon, though, the tone and interactions of everyday life are significantly different.... the mindset has expanded beyond speaking "Politically Correct" to thinking "Emotionally Correct", where people are keenly aware of their histories, and possible resulting prejudices, and thus keep the community somewhat less bigoted.

[joshcryer]

80. Eh, I was moderately biggoted but I took it again and magically I'm not.

Who would've thought.

[ampad]

55. Aside from republicans

I can honestly say I am not a bigot. Growing up in an area where the N word was spouted regularly had an impact on me. As a African American I know how it feels to be looked down upon and judged. It is probably one of the worst feelings a person can experience. Being looked down upon because of sexual orientation and the color of your skin. Two aspects of a person's biology that they cannot change. I find the very thought to be ludicrous. Just this week I broke all ties with a friend I have known for little over five years. She is African American as well. I broke those ties because she proved to be prejudice against gay people. If anyone could understand the stigma of being a minority you would think it would be an African American. Not trying to derail your post but just trying to prove a point. That there are in fact people out there who truly open to all types of people.

[Empowerer]

64. fyi - prejudice does not equal bigotry

All of us have prejudices. Most of us are not bigots.

[Vinca]

58. I only have one bias that I'm aware of: willingly stupid people.

The dim bulbs on the other side who couldn't name a Supreme Court justice for a million bucks, but proclaim vast knowledge of the Constitution. The same dumb shits who want to give their social security money to Wall Street banksters and who let their neighbor's house burn down over $75. They're idiots and should be shunned ... or turned into soylent green.

[Yeshuah Ben Joseph]

59. I can!

But then, I was there when My Dad drew up the blueprints, so I know for a fact that all the "differences" you mortals invent as excuses to pick on each other, only exist in your own minds.

[awoke_in_2003]

63. at a primal level...

we are naturally wary of those different than ourselves. However, we moved out of caves long ago, and only acknowledging it and working to overcome it via education and life experience will keep it where it belongs.

[Old Troop]

66. I think you're correct and it shames me.

[BootinUp]

70. I pretty much believe its part of the human condition, and

that we all have succumbed at one time or another.

[Hello_Kitty]

71. I can't. The structural racism and sexism of this society make that an impossibility

[mkultra]

73. dont think for one second that juan got fired for expressing mild prejudice

[Doctor_J]

74. I must confess to this prejudice

whenever I see a vehicle with a Republican bumper sticker, I jump to the conclusion that the occupant is a thundering moron.

[Caretha]

76. I no longer

have any tolerance for stupid. I'm too old, too jaded and too worn out to deal with idiots, liars and thieves.

Just the way it is.

[proteus_lives]

78. Everyone does.

Whither they admit or not.

We soak it up since infancy. It's about being aware of yourself and what you do with your life.

If you're aware, you can overcome.

[LittleBlue]

81. There is no such thing as a completely unbiased person

That would almost require a lack of emotion or background.

[Raine]

82. Having those prejudices is one thing

and I would bet that most everyone has them but what's important is your actions regarding them.

[JCMach1]

84. No, I am prejudiced against fundamentalists (all religions) and Republicans

and that's not going to change...

[LaurenG]

85. Yes I do

I feel very unkind and think very unkind thoughts about teabaggers and fox news heads and chauvinists and those suffering from religiosity. I usually just leave the scene when the sickening energy of the sickest among us arrive.

I don't hate them but I wish they had their own planet all by themselves far away in another universe.

[saltpoint]

87. Bigotry cannot be defended by arguing, as some far-

Right media "analysts" have suggested, that prejudice is a universal human trait.

By high school most of us knew what prejudice was and most of us saw it in one form or another in our local communities and cities. Certainly it was apparent in the international news when we were young adults and then older adults.

Most people would agree -- I hope -- that it is wrong and that one should be vigilant regarding prejudicial thinking or acts. I'm not sure that is in dispute.

When a news "analyst" isolates a given subculture of citizens here or abroad and paints them with an extreme and broad brush to suggest that they are a menace to others' safety on airplanes, based on what they WEAR for godsake, that is inexcusable. Juan Williams said what he said on purpose to please the powers that be at FOX News who not surprisingly are the same people who write his fat check for his trouble. And if Juan can smear public radio in the same swoop, so much the better. He's as useful a tool as can be found at FOX, and that's saying something.

I don't sense a whole lot of vigilance about prejudicial thinking in the FOX News organization. What comes across instead is the deliberate focus on debasing Democrats, no matter which Democrats, so long as it's Democrats to the left of Joe Lieberman, who not coincidentally is no longer even a Democrat.

What Williams said was smarmy because he knows better and he did it on purpose anyway, and is being rewarded for it by FOX, which is in essence the public relations and propaganda office of the GOP.

[Empowerer]

88. Recognizing that prejudice is a universal trait is not a defense of bigotry

But pretending that one does not have any prejudices whatsoever demonstrates either an incredible lack of self-awareness or a deep misunderstanding of what prejudice and bias are. It also provides a platform for a sense of self-superiority and sanctimony since it's easy to look at OTHER people as somehow morally inferior when it comes to this issue while absolving oneself of any culpability. THEY are the problem, not ME!

Most people, even the most bigoted among us, tend to believe that their biases are not biases at all but rational judgments based on fact, so we assume that we are not engaging in the kinds of prejudging of which we accuse others. Only when we take close and honest looks at ourselves and our attitudes do we really understand that we ALL have biases. Admitting prejudice is not a defense of it - but it is the only way to actually work toward eradicating it in ourselves and others.

One of my favorite Stephen Colbertisms is his ongoing claim that he's colorblind: "I can't see race." That entire running schtick is a dig at those who claim not to have any prejudices at all. It's funny for a reason.

[saltpoint]

90. Agree. My objection comes from times when it is

used AS a defense of bigotry.

[Warren Stupidity]

89. Fuck Juan Williams. Good Riddance. NT.

[Arkana]

91. I can't.

I hate to admit this, but the big joke in my family is that my last job turned me into a racist...no, not against black people or Jews, or Hispanics, but against Indian people.

Yes, before you ask, I'm in IT. I have an immediate visceral reaction to anyone I meet in an IT job who's Indian, and it makes me so ashamed because I know they don't deserve it. I think it comes from bad experiences with Type-A personalities...all of the people I've met who were Type A were also Indian.

:(