h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

It is possible to use the word race to describe the culture and origin of someone or their family, without implying that they are in anyway not a person like everyone else.

And honestly you can't expect to change common usage of a word just because you want it to mean something different.

Its possible to use the word hawk to describe a handsaw, but is it saying what you really mean?

A culture describes a set of values and social customs. British culture today is not what it was during the Vitorian period, it changes but when did it become contemporary, there ws no precise day so any discussion of culture will use aproxximate and fuzzy definitions. Likewise the colour of peoples skin does not correspond exactly to that of their parents and just where on the scale do we divide black from white? Because using race as a definition of a person requires that discernment or to give it a more accurate name discrimination to be made. To identify someone as being of this or that "race" you have to decide what diviveds that "races" and what makes them different. Subconciously or with malice you have to accept that people are different to use racial definitions.

Truth is if we abandon the "idea of race" we have no need for these questions so we can stop troubling ourselves for the answers.

I dont want to change the useage of the word I would like to see an end to its use.

We dont use the word phlogiston much because we now know what friction, fire, heat convection and infra red rays from the sun *really* are. We dont go around saying the four elements are earth, fire, water, and air because we know what they really are http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A593110. We have expanded our understanding and accepted the new ideas because they are correct and not wrong like the old ones.

So if we know that the aboriginals of Australia are simply a group of people whose history included a period of geographical isolation why do people insist on using the word race which does more than identify ethnic origins it also implies division.

And honestly you can't expect to change common usage of a word just because you want it to mean something different.

Its not really the word that bothers me its the idea and the divisions it implies that bother me. While we are still erroniously using the word we leave our minds open to ideas that have blighted the lives of people for thousands of years and still lead to killings, abuse, disenfranchisement and all manner of ills all around the world even today.

One Love.

It's not an original idea, but Canada's (now deceased) PM Trudeau said the difference between the US and Canada was that the US was a cultural melting pot and Canada was a cultural mosaic. I've always felt that that inclusion of cultures rather than the push to a *norm* is a very accurate description. I don't have white friends or black friends or asian friends, I just have friends.

When people ask me, "what are you?" I look them straight in the eye and say. Virgo.

I belive that to some extent the concept of race is becoming, or has become, anachronistic. My ethnic background is, as I've stated before, mixed to say the lest as are the ethnic backgrounds of most english people. One thing we should accept though are that there is such a thing as 'racial' charecteristics. I have a big nose because of my Jewish grandfather, Kenyan's, and I know this is a generalisation and I'm sorry, often do well at marathons and long distance running because their heel developed differently to the heels of europeans, and people should be proud of their differences. I'm proud of my herritage and everyone should be. Categorising people by race can be both a good and a bad thing, affermative action is a good thing, as without it the ingrained discrimination would still be there. However it is not something I like as it is still a form of discrimination and in an ideal world it wouldn't be needed, but it's not an ideal world and so it is neccessary.

Having firemen turn up and soak all your possesions with water is only a *good thing* when your house is on fire.

Having your head cut open and having little bits cut out is only a *good thing* when you have a brain tumor.

You're right.

Affirmative action is only a *good thing* when it redresses hundresd of years of unfair treatment.

Categorizing people by race is always a bad thing but unfortunately becomes necessary to put right the wrongs caused by doing it in the first place.


Im not so sure that....

people should be proud of their differences.

Why should I be proud of anything that I did nothing to acheive and have no control over. Should I be proud of my height, my curly hair? If I am proud of these things it means that someone else should be less proud of their misfortune at having been born short with straight hair. I dont think that anyone should be proud or ashamed of their genetic inheritence. When James Brown sang "Im black and Im proud" it was a rejection of the idea that being black made him and others somehow intrinsicly inferior, it was less *Im glad Im black* more *Im not ashamed of being black*.

One love

yeah, that was kind of what I meant, no-one should be ashamed of what they are, everything about you is what makes you you.

WTF? BB< I have never had a termination, let alone two, so what on are you talking about, and why bring it up here?
(I spoke to azahar about my *sister*, the real, actual sister, (I have two sisters, neither have any connection with h2g2, one has had terminations, it's none of your business and I wish I had never mentioned any of it here.)
why azahar then invited you to bring it up on a totally unrelated thread, I just don't understand. I should have known better than to tell her anything about my family, Dave's spreading insults to other family members everywhere, then you spread this. You truly have lost you little glass gaming spheres, haven't you?
I begin to wonder of you are not actually *dangerous*.

I'm with cl and Lentilla on this one.

I'll just add this :

There is no reason for me to be "proud" of being white. However, I do appreciate what came before me in terms of family history, and also my cultural history - that is, what my grandparents were, and what happened, and continues to happen in my country of origin. I also love certain other aspects of other cultures, like Japan, China and American.

We are all one race, but we are all different too. You can go right down to the roots of appreciating each persons individuality, or just certain periods of history.

What is important though, is that we don't sit there and either try and lump everyone into the same pot, or become so absorbed in our own race that we hate every small difference.

I've been to an American news site this morning, and I can't get over the hysteria about Janet Jackson's breast. It's actually quite funny. They should be inquiring as to how Justin Timberlake gets to have a career!

Della - there are some great photos up on my new photohosting part on my blog. Go look!

Thanks, Saturnine, I will...

which news site was that Della? Didn't we already have this discussion?

Della wrote to blickybadger: <<(I spoke to azahar about my *sister*, the real, actual sister, (I have two sisters, neither have any connection with h2g2, one has had terminations, it's none of your business and I wish I had never mentioned any of it here.)
why azahar then invited you to bring it up on a totally unrelated thread, I just don't understand. I should have known better than to tell her anything about my family>>



Speaking to the thread as a whole, Della did not ever speak to me personally about anything personal. She posted all that information about her family and 'forced terminations' on a public thread called Partial Birth Abortion while using the alias Adele the Divided. If it was confusing which 'sister' she was talking about this would be because Della and 'Adele' pretended to be sisters and a 'third sister' was never clearly mentioned to my recollection.

I did not at any time invite blickybadger to bring up this topic on this thread.

I have not had any direct posting communication with Della since she posted a thread called 'War' on my personal page a month ago (quite pleasantly posted there on my birthday). Why she thinks I am discussing her with anyone else now is beyond me and I can only assume she is suffering from delusions of self-importance. Because I honestly have no interest in her whatsoever.

To find out that she has written blatant lies about me here on a thread I am not even participating on is quite angry making to say the least. I repeat, I have never been told anything personal or in confidence by Della and the accusation that I invited blickybadger to say anything about her here on this thread is not only ridiculous and insulting but entirely her invention.

azahar

azahar, you know that you and BB have so 'muddied the waters' that anyone who gave a toss, would have a very hard time finding out what *really* happened. BB was obviously upset that I pointed out his inconsistency in advocating voting for the BNP, so he brought up (again!!!) the whole tissue of lies and stories about my 'terminations' (never happened) my 'lies' about my sisters (your misunderstanding) and Dave has been 'helping' by posting links to the growing confusion!
When I told you about my sister, and her problems it was on the thread called War. Sure, I was p*ss*d with you, but I changed the title of the thread to War? (note the question mark) when you objected.
It is not relevant here. Let it go.

most recently, all I posted was a question asking which US news site you were looking at about Jackson. Which one was it?

http://worldnetdaily.com

no wonder you have such a warped view of the US

I like to read it, to see what the nutcases are up to - also, http://frontpagemag.com
Fortunately, it's not my only view of the USA!
I also like the FAIR site, bushoncrack, moveon.org etc.