@Draugnar
Because writing something into a law doesn't make it the reality on the ground, this has always been the unfortunate reality.
There are a lot of countries where freedom of speech is in the constitution. And yet people are persecuted for political speech.
Dismissing such persecution by saying "they are legally guaranteed their freedom of speech, though!" is empty. It ignores the reality of the situation.
Similarly, when a black guy is followed around a department store because he is black, there is not much he can do about being discriminated against in this way. He can deal with it then and there and ask them to stop, if he does his behavior has a good chance of being interpreted as aggressive or angry.
He could sue them, perhaps, if he has the money. But the store will just deny race was a factor.
And then you are left with a racist reality.
Writing a law doesn't change the society overnight. It's a good first step, a necessary step. But it doesn't mean you can just call it a day. Doing so will only allow the oppression that still exists to persist.
And because of this fact above, call me a kafkatrapper if you feel the need, proclaiming racism or sexism dead serves to perpetuate it, because, since it still exists, ignoring it will not help it end.
Something very distressing to me over the course of the last few weeks of discussing this with you, primarily Draugnar and krellin, is that I can't actually understand why you seem to refuse to entertain the idea that racism is real.
I give you the benefit of the doubt and don't believe it is because you yourselves are racist. But what then? You decry my supposed self-hatred or white guilt. You say racism is over, white guilt is just liberal nonsense.
But what if you are wrong? The fact that you have been so utterly dismissive is hard to believe, really. Is it really that hard to believe that racism exists? Do you really have to be shown proof after proof, still unmoved? Constantly looking for flaws in studies, in facts, in stories, etc.?
I don't want to say that the racism that exists today is self-evident. The truth is, for white people, it's not. But it's still not that hard to find evidence of.
Referencing comments elsewhere about responsibility to each other as a society - if you know any racist police officers, then there is a problem of racism in the police. This does not make every police officer racist, but it does make for a problem that everyone, not just the racist cops themselves, should address.
I can attest that my own uncle is a racist cop. It's frankly terrifying to hear him talk about black people. He even uses krellin's favorite word to describe them. He even justifies it the same way krellin does.
It your (I'm certain unintentional) association with people like my uncle that puts me ill at ease. Because I genuinely don't believe you are racist people.
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The mind can change hell in heaven (?)
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