Descrimination (yes, another one)

[Muad'Dib]

[FONT=Microsoft Sans Serif][COLOR=DarkOliveGreen]There have been many threads on this in the past, I'm sure, but why don't we start another discussion, hmmm? I'd actualy like to ask anyone if they themselves have been descriminated for their race, gender, sexual preference, or beliefs. But also to bring this up...

In America, we have the right to believe whatever we like, and there's no law that says "you can't be [insert race and/or homosexual]". This also means that we are not allowed to descriminate for such reasons, correct? But then there's the right of free speech, witch says we can say whatever the hell we want. Now does this mean that if you were blamed for descrimination, could you argue that you can say whatever you like, or that that's what you believe, so they can't blame you for saying it? Probably not, but what do you think?[/COLOR][/FONT]

[Panda]

[quote name='aclu.org']First Amendment: "Congress shall make no law...abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."[/quote]

Freedom of speech doesn't mean you can say anything you want. You can't go into a crowded gym and scream fire! Or go on an airplane and say you have a bomb. Slander, threats and the like are not covered under the First Amendment. If you want to speak out against the government and it's laws, that is covered.

Now on to the subject of discrimination. I haven't felt as much discrimination as my older family members had. My dad was interned in a camp during WWII so he went through a lot more than I ever have. I have been very lucky and haven't felt discrimated against for anything. I think the closest would be at my old job when I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis. Some of my co-workers wouldn't ask me to help since they didn't think I could do the work anymore, even if I could. I am not sure if it was because they didn't want me getting hurt or if the just didn't trust me to help because of my medical condition. It wasn't enough "discrimination" to make me say anything.

All in all, I have been very fortunate to not be discriminated against because of my age, gender, race, religion or anything else.

[Skye]

What Panda said.

I do think, though, that its kinda abusing your privalage of freedom of speech(gah! runnon sentance!) to say things like that. I mean, look at me! I'm not Christian, and certainly not straight! ^_^ Bisexual in fact. I have been, in a snense, descriminated against. Being a seventh grader whos a witch(does magic), and is bisexual is not an easy thing.

I lost a lot of friends when they found out I was a witch. People looked at me funny for a week. But eventually they all got over it, and I am better friends with some of them now, because of that. They put my personality with my religion and everything and thought, hey, she's not so bad.

[SoapyShoes]

I live in a white bread community with about 3 black people, 5 Latinos, and the only Asians we have are from different countries. Do we descriminate? No. Everybody treats everybody equally, but that's prolly cause everyone's a whitey. I myself have blonde hair and blue eyes, and being of the race that Hitler once believed in, I do get comments about that. But it's all in good humor. I mean, there's jokes about other races, and then there's bigotry. One of my best friends is a Latino and he jokes about himself stealing hubcaps all the time. It's funny! That's how minority comedians get their start! They talk about who's different. And if you can't laugh, then you have something stuck up your ***. Probably a gerbil.

[Skye]

Dude... 0.o

Did you really have to quote me in your sig? Thats freaky... you have a point, though. Me, I'm not pure white. ^_^ I am a white cherokee indian asian irish scottish and the list could go on. I have hazel eyes and chestnut hair, and have always been the tallest kid in my class. I am also the only girl soccer player on my friggin team when we play!!! Did I mention I'm part Russian?

Anywhoos... did you have to quote me on that? ::looks nervous::

[Ryu_Sakura]

[FONT=Fixedsys][COLOR=DarkOrange]*Laughs at Skye discomfort*
Well, I've been discriminated, but I've never discriminated anyone. And you know how some people call people who aren't white, african americans and what not? If they were born in america THEY ARE AMERICAN not African American. Jeeze, when I'm called German/Russian/Japanese/British/Danish because my ansestors are from there, it pisses me off. >.<+ I'm American damnit![/COLOR][/FONT]

[Muad'Dib]

[COLOR=DarkOliveGreen]Ha ha! I see your point! Or is it points? Bleh, anyway, My familiy is almost completely German on my dad's side, so if we were discriminated for our origens, it would be hell. Of coarse mom has some scott/Irish I think... hard to keep track in this century.

Thank you SoapyShoes for your input. No, seriously, that's a good point. Without humor, we'd be a bunch of stuck-up... *****.[/COLOR]

[Shinmaru]

I've never been discriminated against, though that's most likely because I live in a community that's predominantly made up of people of my racial background (Mexican-American). Well, most of my racial background, anyway. I suppose I'm part of a growing "trend" around here and the rest of the U.S.: people of mixed ethnicity. There aren't [i]that[/i] many people of mixed heritage around here, but they're definitely around (I'm part Mexican, English, Dutch, German and Native American, in case anyone cared).

In terms of racial jokes, I just look at it like this: If the joke is funny, I don't take offense to it. If the joke is not funny, if it's done in poor humor, then I'm offended by it, because I take offense at people wasting my time with bad jokes. I employ racial humor from time to time, but it's mostly in reference to myself, because I feel more comfortable poking fun at myself than some random person, heh. I know what offends me and doesn't offend me; I don't know what would offend someone else.

[~*Lilith*~]

We have the right to speak our mind but it is how we do it that gives us the respect we deserve. I mean if someone thinks a certain way you can't change them regardless of how much knowledge your give them. Most likely people change do to life events and/ or they never felt that way in the first place. Discrimanation is a key part of judging someone on the first shot without knowing them. We all do it whether it is watching tv and judging a pop singer or judging someone's race... We all as humans do it... It is a matter of how much knowledge we get that can change or not change our opinion. Opinions have two standings one they are personal and ignorant and two they are personal and intelligent. Which one you are it varies from your opinion and what you consider in your moral sense of knowledge.

But anyway we have the freedom to speak and protest are butts off it is how we do it that make's us intelligent or just plain ignorant. But also we can't speak everything on our mind cause if we do someone has the right to sue us for false information on them or even their race or creed. So becarefull what you say... Not everyone will be happy with you.

[Heaven's Cloud]

[color=indigo]I am an equal opportunity discriminator, I equally hate people of all races and religions. However, I make an exception for seventh grade bisexual witches...I really hate them. Really, how can a seventh grader be a bisexual witch? Isn't that a biblical sign of the pending apocalypse?

[i]And when the sky grows dark and rains the blood of a hundred fallen angels a lone child of the seventh grade shall declare to be both a bisexual and a witch. The sea will swallow the earth, Drums of thunder will echo throughout the air, and man will fall...[/i][/color]

[Skye]

[QUOTE=Heaven's Cloud][color=indigo]I am an equal opportunity discriminator, I equally hate people of all races and religions. However, I make an exception for seventh grade bisexual witches...I really hate them. Really, how can a seventh grader be a bisexual witch? Isn't that a biblical sign of the pending apocalypse?

[i]And when the sky grows dark and rains the blood of a hundred fallen angels a lone child of the seventh grade shall declare to be both a bisexual and a witch. The sea will swallow the earth, Drums of thunder will echo throughout the air, and man will fall...[/i][/color][/QUOTE]

0.o Are you joking? Are what? I feel unloved. Hey, dude! Shinmaru! I'm part Dutch, too!

[ChibiHorsewoman]

[quote name='callmegoddess04']0.o Are you joking? Are what? I feel unloved. Hey, dude! Shinmaru! I'm part Dutch, too![/quote]


[color=darkviolet]Of course he's joking. Besides, the sign of the appocolypse is when G.W. BUsh is elected for a second term in office.

[i]And when the sky grows dark and rains the blood of a hundred fallen angels, George Walker Bush shall be elected for another term in the office of the president of the united states. The sky will echo with thunder and teh seas shall swallow the earth.[/i]

I've never discriminated against anyone-except stupid people, but they need to be discriminated against. There are way too many stupid people in this world.

As for me, well, it's never been direct. I've been treated badly because of my weight and the fact that I'm a lot more argumentative than a person should be when they're not popular. So getting snubbed is somewhat ritualistic for me. [/color]

[eleanor]

[color=firebrick] There's seriously nothing worse for me to sit in a room and listen to a bunch of people slaughter the Korean language and scream screwed up Chinese-sounding...screeches. >_>. People at our school will call Asians 'stupid Chinese people' for no reason at all, but I manage to brush it off because I just think of them as idiots. *shrugs* The only other discrimination I've encountered are people mocking my parent's English speaking skills and this old lady calling us 'stupid Chinese' in a supermarket once. O_o. What's with that saying, anyway?[/color]

[Skye]

[quote name='maladjusted][color=firebrick'] There's seriously nothing worse for me to sit in a room and listen to a bunch of people slaughter the Korean language and scream screwed up Chinese-sounding...screeches. >_>. People at our school will call Asians 'stupid Chinese people' for no reason at all, but I manage to brush it off because I just think of them as idiots. *shrugs* The only other discrimination I've encountered are people mocking my parent's English speaking skills and this old lady calling us 'stupid Chinese' in a supermarket once. O_o. What's with that saying, anyway?[/color][/quote]
STUPID CHINESE?!?! Gods, that makes me mad! I mean, reallly! Your Korean, and they can't tell teh difference! One of my buds is Veitnemese(sp?), and a really cool guy! STUPID chinese my *****... Sorry, that makes me mad. I know a lot of Oriental people. Notice I didn't say Chinese... that type of discrimination is stupid.

[Muad'Dib]

[COLOR=DarkOliveGreen]Actualy Steph, Chinese and Koreans look exactly the same... same for Japanese... it would be kind of difficult to tell the difference. Anyway, back on subject...

People who would say "stupid chinese" who aren't stand up comedians (stand up comedians are exceptions when it comes to racism) should be taught a lesson... a very hard lesson. Most people aren't for revange, but stuff like that tends to piss other people off, and that's when you feel like punching their lights out... *ahem* anyway...

Heaven's Cloud, it would be appreciated that 1)If you're joking about something like that, tell us that you're joking and 2) Don't post just to joke around.

Geez, why would anyone diss anyone from China/Japan/Korea? They're a lot cooler than we are. No, seriously, I mean it. lol ((Japan's the #1 country in technology!))[/COLOR]

[Korey]

wow there is some heavy talk in this room. have you guys ever seen or been "sports discrimination", when refs screw you out of something that you know something you know youve won. for me it is not about racism or anything. mostly it is because i am from a different state man. it ticks me off big time. one time a wrestling ref counted points for the wrong guy. my coach was watching and i looked at him after the match. the coach asked the ref why they awarded him points. he said it was because that the other guy had control WHEN HE OBVIOUSLY DIDNT. i might be a little biast, but i know when i score and when i dont. it just like a six sense of mine.

[SoapyShoes]

[quote name='Sesshomarufan']wow there is some heavy talk in this room. have you guys ever seen or been "sports discrimination", when refs screw you out of something that you know something you know youve won. for me it is not about racism or anything. mostly it is because i am from a different state man. it ticks me off big time. one time a wrestling ref counted points for the wrong guy. my coach was watching and i looked at him after the match. the coach asked the ref why they awarded him points. he said it was because that the other guy had control WHEN HE OBVIOUSLY DIDNT. i might be a little biast, but i know when i score and when i dont. it just like a six sense of mine.[/quote]
I'm a wrestler and my team saw that crap all the time. I guess discrimination can come in all forms: race, what team you play on, what clique you're in, etc. But yeah, I've seen refs make bad calls all the time. Unfortunatly, they cannot be questioned or you lose a team point. My coach makes you sit out for your next match for that, whether you suck or you're the best freaking wrestler ever. Well, whatever. I don't think it is as harmful as racial discrimination, but sports discrimnation is abundant as well.

[Heaven's Cloud]

[QUOTE=FirePheonix727][COLOR=DarkOliveGreen]
Heaven's Cloud, it would be appreciated that 1)If you're joking about something like that, tell us that you're joking and 2) Don't post just to joke around.
[/COLOR][/QUOTE]

[color=indigo]Wow FirePheonix727, congratulations on becoming a moderator! Now I can rest assured that people with witty posts will instantly be put in their place and all of the fun will be sucked out of this message board until it becomes a dry, humorless void.

Allow me to elaborate on said topic. Discrimination towards a person due to there race or ethnicity is abhorrently wrong; no one should be castrated from society because of the color of their skin or the language they speak.

To an extent I feel that no one should be discriminated against for their religion, however, I am going to make fun of Wiccans. That is because I find many of the traditional Wicca practices to be humorous and funny. It is also because I have yet to meet anyone on these boards that claims to be a Wiccan to actually have extensive knowledge on this archaic practice. Don't fret though, if I meet someone that worships Thor by bleeding a ram to death or pays homage to Anansi the spider by piercing their children's body parts at an early age I will poke fun at them as well. However, there is a difference between my playful jesting and discrimination, any idiot knows that.

Homosexuals should not be discriminated against because I believe that they truly are just attracted to members of their own sex. That attraction is wholly natural. I do think that bisexuals are people that have to great of a sex drive and not enough self control. Bisexuals need to make up their minds and choose a team before they start screwing around. Do I discriminate against bisexuals? No. Do I find them to be selfish pathetic people? Well, that seems to sum up every bisexual I have ever met. Every bisexual that I have ever met, however, has also ended up being a homosexual. When they finally have that epiphany they usually become much better people. Then again, I am generalizing, I'd be happy to be proven wrong.

The only group of people that I would ever honestly, totally, truly discriminate against is a seventh grader that claims to be a Witch and bisexual. First, a seventh grader may or may not know if he or she is gay, but my guess would be that a seventh grader claiming to be bisexual is really just pleading for help. Your hormones are just kicking in at that time and you don't really know up from down. Second, rarely would a true Wicca state "I'm a Witch", however, his or her parents could be practicing Wiccan?s and I could be mistaken. But, since I find Wicca ideology as archaic as episodes of Green Acre, I still find it laughable, Third and finally, I am nearly twenty-four and I don't know a damn thing about the world, I have never truly been discriminated against, but I also don't claim to know what it is like. A seventh grader that says he or she is discriminated against because he or she stated that they are a bisexual witch is lying. They are not discriminated against because of their faith or their sexual orientation, they are just generally disliked and teased by their peers. My guess would be that they have adopted bisexuality and claim to be a witch because it is easier to state that someone is teasing you because of your beliefs than that they are teasing you for the hell of it.
I would guarentee that same oerson would be teased and humiliated to the same extent if they claimed to be a heterosexual catholic.

On a side note, I just remembered another group of people that I think deserve being discriminated against: people that demand I justify my statements yet have neither the intelligence nor the authority to do so. Fortunately there is no one on this message board that moronic.[/color]

[NeoNabishen]

I don?t know if this counts but I have been discriminated against for having blue hair.
why is everyone a hater? I like my hair and if others cant handle that then its their loss
I don?t know if this counts but I have been discriminated against for having blue hair.
Why is everyone a hater? I like my hair and if others can?t handle that then it?s their loss. Imp a really nice person, but some people are not willing to see that through my choice of hair color, and maybe the clothes I were, but the point is. Don?t be a hater my brothers.

[eleanor]

[i]Actualy Steph, Chinese and Koreans look exactly the same... same for Japanese... it would be kind of difficult to tell the difference. Anyway, back on subject...[/i]

[color=firebrick]....

Please, do not ever say that...ever again [in a serious tone]. It is completely untrue and just another type of stereotype about Asians. I don't mind if a white person or another race will get us confused, but Japanese, Chinese, and Korean people have very distinct characteristics. Most people aren't familiar enough with us to tell us apart, but it's wrong. It is so damned irritating when people harrass us until no end trying to guess what country we're from, not even taking the time to consider what it's like.

I'm not directing this towards you, since from your post you are against discrimination, it's just a bit of advice.[/color]

[Aurus]

I got a lot of discrimination in my middle school years because I wore rather eccentric clothing... I liked leggings and baggy t-shirts, I wore long socks, I never wore make-up or jewelry or anything fancy. Then again, maybe it wasn't so much "discrimination" as it was constant brutal remarks, laughing behind my back, everyone assuming I was gay (which I didn't have a problem with in essence, it just made it rather difficult to talk to other people without them shying away), that sort of thing. That stuff has died down - I think (well, I hope) that my fellow students are a bit more mature than they were then, and mostly they just ignore me... really, that's how I like things to be.

Discrimination on the basis of things like clothing and hair color - mine happens to be tangerine-orange at the moment - it's immaturity at some of its worst. It's guilt by association. Because I dye my hair, does that make me a slut or a punk? Because I like wearing black, does that make me a criminal?

For the record... I have a number of wiccan friends and I am a former wiccan myself, and within their circles of fellow practitioners, "wiccan" and "witch" are often used interchangeably.

Sometimes I just wonder, you know... what would this world be like if people didn't stereotype? If everyone could accept other people's religions and appearances and ethnicities and orientations. After all, our ethnicity is something that not only we cannot change, but we should embrace and enjoy (for example... I am proud that my ancestors are Scottish and Irish, and I let everyone know it, too!), and our appearances, the way we dress, our religions and our orientations, are all personal aspects of ourselves that I see as no different than what we like to do in our spare time or our favorite food. They're just one more thing that makes us different, and gives us reason to learn more about each other. After all, if every single person in the world was straight, Protestant, with brown hair, fair skin, and green eyes, who all believed the exact same beliefs... the world wouldn't be that interesting, would it?