Racism.

Yes an attitude that people really hate and if they don't they should right?  But has anyone ever thought that there may be differing levels of racism?

A - Full on redneck style racism.  They spew hate in every aspect of their lives.  They will go to the extreme of bashing those of differing races either verbally or physically.  They may even have a lot of symbols exhibited in their homes, like swaztikas and rebel flags and things.  They will openly bawlk at interacial marriages and relationships and the like.  And if I were a criminal profiler I would hazard a guess that they are narcissistic who fully believe in their own superirioty in all areas, not just the colour of their skin.  They may hate homosexuals and women too and anything and anybody 'different' to them.  As to them, different means inferior.  An ordinary empathetic person would simply not wish to associate with someone like that.  As their hatred would just ooze from their pores and poison almost every relationship they touch. 

B - Racism based on fear.  Perhaps they've experienced or seen some negitivity with other races and this scares them.  And we all know that fear comes out in a form of anger too so they seem angry at other races.  I don't think they really believe they are superior and they would go so far as to be verbally or physically aggressive but they certain let their opinions known anytime the subject comes up.  They always know someone who knows someone who did this or that and this would then prove that this particular race is bad.  Logic would tell them that not everyone is the same and that you get bad eggs in every race but they won't listen because the emotion that their experiences conjure up is too great.  They can be friends with others because they tend to try and cover their attitude up as best they can as they know it's not socially acceptable.  Generally they can shock people when their real attitudes are revealed and hence may lose credibility as a person.

C - Racism based on logic.  Generally quite logical people who base their beliefs in reality rather than ideals.  They have no problems with other races but can see a real problem with introducing other races into societies who are having difficulties supporting their own.  This seems logical to them and they can't see how this can be classed as 'hatred' or 'superiority'.  It just makes sense that once a cup is full...it's full!  How can you fill it anymore?  So they'll voice this quite a bit in conversations and they generally are well supported in their views.  The media will also confirm their fears for them and they'd feel validated in their beliefs and can't see anything wrong with it really. 

D - Racism based on ignorance.  These are people who are generally lovely people.  They empathise with great many people but when faced with 'logic' they forget their empathy for a moment and readily agree with their logistics.  They'll be the ones who click 'like' on facebook pages or copy and paste statuses...they may even have a bumper sticker on their car.  They'll nod mindlessly and agree with all the logical people, because they make sense to them.  However if one was to point out to them the plight of certain people from certain races...they can actually feel empathy and over time the empathetic in them will be at odds with their logistics  and if nurtured can actually turn them into people who can see both sides of the coin but can no longer bring themselves to agree fully on the logistics of catagory C.

Now I'm sure I haven't covered everyone.  There are others like being racist agains your own race and reverse racism etc etc.  But these are the main ones, I believe, can be defined.

What's really bugging me about people's intolerance against racists is that, although it is a very righteous attitude to have generally, it is somewhat in errant of the fact that not everyone is in the same basket.  This intolerance against racism and bigotry can actually start to look like bigotry on it's own.  When one puts everyone in the same catagory, we then run the risk of looking like the racist who put all races in the same catagory too.  Is this what we want to look like??? 

It's one thing to strongly abhor racism but it's a whole other thing to refuse to separate racism from the racist.  Kind of like loving the sinner but hating the sin.  Now in those who are in Catagory A and B where their racism oozes through every aspect of their lives and lifestyle then no, you really can't separate the sin from the sinner.  They live and they breath it.  But for those in catagory C and D where their racism really isn't based on hatred is it really that abhorant to want to try and be more tolerant and understanding of these people?

Treating them like lepers isn't going to help the situation, I feel.  Being intolerant will only confirm their own  intolerance and ignorance.  A lot can be said for being influential and 'rubbing off' on those who havn't quite looked far enough into why they believe as they do.

I'm sure the lowly housewife who is a lovely down to earth person, who empathise with many a plight and who unthinkingly clicked 'like' on a facebook page, would be devastated if they found out that they've been put in the same basket as Catagory A.  How horrific to find out that they are hated and detested.  And then....to one day think it through and realise they made a mistake in the way they were thinking...and knowing that it's too late that they've already got a reputation of being a racist redneck...:(  How sad!

You know, I don't like racism but I also don't like the self-righteous either.  I feel that they can be just as bad as those that they detest in a lot of ways.  They too seem to ooze hatred and intolerance.  I don't think I would like to be that person either.

So which catagory am I in?  Well I was a cross between catagory C and catagory D.  I'm a realist.  And I see most things logically.  However I'm also a nice down to earth type person who is accepting of most people, as long as you're nice too ;)  However because I mixed with a lot of tolerant people who were able to 'rub off' on me some understanding and empathy I am now no longer a racist.

How cool is that???  Just because someone who detests racism can actually see throught their own self-righteousness and recognise that no...not every racist is the same...that their tolerance was the medicine that I needed to be cured!

Thank God for the REAL understanding, empathetic and tolerant people.  As for the rest of you???  Well, you're not helping the issue...you're hindering.  And as the saying goes..."Evil exists because good people do nothing"...hope you enjoy your time in switzerland, while those at the hand of racists, continue to suffer, because you are too lazy to conjure up enough tolerance to help them.

Shame on you!