I will try to get the ball rolling toward coming to an understanding of these questions. Please get involved and help me out here. Before I give my take on these issues, I am going to state that I think at the very bottom of racial hate lies the thought that the other race does not respect or like me and my brother and sister; and aren't fair to me. So you 'think' you hate them for that. But I believe in reality that it's not real hate; but rather just an exageration of negative feelings because your inner pride is being hurt. If people would just understand there is no real basis in the modern world to hate - there is only a basis to hate the way some stupid people behave - then healing and relations can occur. ...

The questions:

- What is the difference between true racism and benign insensativity?

~ I think this is the central issue in most all racism in this country. There is true racism by each race to other races of people - it's not just racism when a majority race does it to a minority race, it's also the other way around. I do have the opinion that racism was mostly started by Euro settlers in this country; mostly wrongs against Native Americans and Africans and African Americans. There were very wrong atrocities committed by some Euros against these people in the 1800's. There were also wrongful atrocities committed by Native Americans against Native Americans and Africans against Africans. If you better understand why this likely occured it may reduce your hatred of what happened to your ancestors. The truth of the matter is that all the world's people and races back then were even more intrinsically preservationsist by nature than we all are today; by necessity. That made it more than natural, it made it necessary to form tribes of like peoples for their very survival. Right or wrong, that was the basic law of the land and world mindset as we entered the 19th century. And as I said, it wasn't just tribes of races, it was also tribes within races. But perhaps the biggest historical mistake as I see it was when Euro settlers developed a mindset of superiority over the other races due to numbers of people and better weaponry. This has unfortunately prevailed to this day among some white anglo Americans - and it is not correct, it is "true racism". To think that you are a superior white person that deserves more privilage than minorities is "true racism". It's ugly. So is the same upper class white society mindset of superiority and oppression of the lower white classes in this country. Ugly! And it still exists intensely in a few stupid white Euro people who are racially derogatory and separatist; which unfortunately plays right into the bottom line of "they don't respect or like us" so I feel hatred - unfortunate because that thinking is often placed on the whole white race because of a few bad apples. Fortunalely, it's a minority of whites that truely feel this way - not the majority as I sense many minority races of people think. This syndrome also exists in some minority people; among Blacks and Indians (BTW, I was told by a Native American that it is acceptable to them to be refered to as Indian - correct? - it is easier to type) and other races. They have strong attributes that make them feel superior - that is true racism if used derogatorially and separatist against other races, rather than just kept as pride within. An example of a minority's true racism; "get out of our gym honkey, you can't jump" - that has been said by some Blacks to a lot of very good white basketabll players (I have personally wittnessed this many times). Another form of true racism is making an innocent individual of another race an outcast or uncomfortable near your space just because you disdain that person's race. It still happens by white Americans often in this country - but it is the stupid minority of whites that do that, not most of the race. And it is true racism for Blacks and Indians to disdain all the more common non-racist whites because of those stupid whites. Just as it is for some whites to disdain all Blacks because their is a little higher crime rate statistic for that race. It also happens to some whites by some individual Indians on their sovereign land or even in common fishing areas - as reported on this and other fishing BB's many times. But that is not a reason to disdain the Indian race! It happens to white individuals by some Blacks if the white person goes thru their "territory". But don't disdain all Blacks because of that! Those things are ugly wrongful true racism by some individuals of all races. And as I stated above it is mostly born of the mindset that the other race doesn't respect or like me, and thus isn't fair to me. If that simple notion could be irradicated magically then racism would be reduced to a tiny fraction of what it is overnight! But it is going to take a lot of communication and understanding to irradicate this over time. ...

So what is benign racial insensativity? To me it is when we do or say things that are exagerated by the other race as being racist when the true racism described above is not present. That obviously needs to be corrected on here and everywhere. Try not to be insensative for sure. But perhaps more important for all races of people is not to make too much of a big deal about benign insensativity! Like one guy said in that controversial thread "be a little more thick skinned", or as I say "understand that the disrespect you feel is very often not as strong as was intended, or even meant at all"! All races cut down on racial defensive mindset and we have gained a whole lot! Lighten up when it's appropriate - and it often is. ...

I also have the opinion that many minority race individuals use what is often refered to as the "race card". This is where the defensive racial mindset is used improperly - such as when improper blame is placed on present day white ancestors of wrong doers the century before last. In fact, many white's ancestors were not involved at all in the wrongs comitted against Indians or Blacks way back in another lifetime! Mine weren't - so I dislike and disrespect a minority that holds some degree of inner disdain for me because I'm the same color as those wrong doers I'm not even related too. That is a very big issue that many Blacks and Indians must understand! And must get over! Be very sure of true racism before you use the race card! It is both unfair and angers the other race. ...

To help heal these ills mentioned above it will be helpful to discuss the other 2 questions. Due to the length of this post, I will give my take on those questions in the following posts. Please join me.

Steve (RT)