Wartime Racism

[Freakapotimus]

Many people are against racism, and believe that race/color/ethnicity/nation of origin should not be a factor when making friends, hiring new workers, or admitting students to university.

During WWII, Warner Brothers and Disney each made their own cartoons depicting Germans and Japanese in unfavorable lights. One of the popular war songs of the time was "When Those Little Yellow-Bellies Meet the Cohens and the Kellys."

Today we consider those displays of racism appalling and disgusting. Some people are ashamed of the views they held back then, even to go as far as changing history (as in the movie Pearl Harbor).

But some people do things like this today. After 9-11, my mother had the gall to say "...and they wonder why we hate them." A friend of mine wanted to get a cab home that day (when they let everyone go home from work) but walked instead because she was afraid to get a Muslim driver. People in my neighborhood talk about "those fuckin' a-rabs" (that rhymes with hay-grab).

Do you think that during this war we'll see a rush of racist images, videos, and editorials? Do you think that most people have the theory that it's not racist if we're in war? Do you think that we should like or dislike people for who they are and not for their home country?

[JMHX]

I think after September 11th, the attack of racism on the American people reached a peak unseen since Pearl Harbor, which is understandable since it's basically the same parallels of devistation. However, with this Iraqi war and even to go so far as to say the French anti-war sentiment coming from Paris, we're seeing a new breed of racism.

Remember, when it was the colonists against the English, we had all sorts of horrible names and songs for them. Since then, it's just followed down the line of whoever our enemies are - Germans, Japanese, Vietnamese, Koreans, Afghanis. I have even heard people go so far as to say that the French are our enemies! This is sheer madness!

There are numerous games on Newgrounds with flagrant racism towards certain groups of people. "Freedom fries" is a sign that we're still going to discriminate against those who see the world differently than we do. Racism is a plague that is showing no signs of going away, and it's sickening. It disgusts me like no other.

I've snapped at many people to stop attacking the entire Iraqi nation for the problems of its leadership. It shows the ignorance and ego of the American people, and it's a side the rest of the world knows too well but we're blissfully ignoring. The next person who makes a topic trashing the French people is going to get a postful from me. It's not the entire nation of France, just its government.

It is my sincere hope that we can get through this war with minimal racially fueled aggression in a nation that was created to give freedom and equality to the entire spectrum of people who have risked life and limb to come here.

[VasIndustries]

At 3/20/03 09:52 AM, Freakapotimus wrote:
But some people do things like this today. After 9-11, my mother had the gall to say "...and they wonder why we hate them." A friend of mine wanted to get a cab home that day (when they let everyone go home from work) but walked instead because she was afraid to get a Muslim driver. People in my neighborhood talk about "those fuckin' a-rabs" (that rhymes with hay-grab).

Yeah, a lot of people I know were like that too. We live near the Muslim centre of NJ, and whenever we passed it they yelled things and gave middle fingers. My friends are usually pretty sensible, so I tried to reason with them that their anger was misdirected, and they said I was right, but it didn't stop them the following times. I can't stand rascism.

Do you think that during this war we'll see a rush of racist images, videos, and editorials? Do you think that most people have the theory that it's not racist if we're in war? Do you think that we should like or dislike people for who they are and not for their home country?

Well, if there were anywhere to see such videos it would almost be on NG. No offence, I love NG, but a lot of the people here are 16(minus) and close-minded.
And I Totally agree with your last sentence. How much did you participate in deciding what country you were born into? If you planned on being American, Canadian, Iraqi ... then maybe you can shun other people for their homeland, but if that's not true than consider that you could have just as easily been born Iraqi and would be cowering in a corner right now.

[Der-Ubermensch]

Racism has always been a major problem of American society. September 11 may have motivated a slight percentage of its whole, but the remaining is a remnant of long ago, passed on still from generation to generation. I myself lived in Louisiana for a while and must have heard the words N*gger, sand-n*gger and the like spouted a couple of dozen times. This was done by seemingly normal middle-class youths.

Is racism more rampant in the south than in the north? I believe so, but havn't really had the chance to make a comparison.

[VasIndustries]

At 3/20/03 11:19 AM, Ruination wrote:
Is racism more rampant in the south than in the north? I believe so, but havn't really had the chance to make a comparison.

I'd say so. I've been south many times and a lot of them cling to their confederate roots. In fact every other car/pick-up truck has a confederate flag decal. I'm only really talking about the black and white issue. I don't know how the South feels about other races, but I think they are still more racist than the North. Although, in the late 70s there was an incident in Boston with the desegregation of schools. It wasn't as bad as the Little Rock incident, but there were still injuries.

[bumcheekcity]

i think it is a pity the american news is censored so heavily. you aren't told what is happening because your government keep it from you. unfortunately, while many british people know WHY osama attacked the US (and i would have done so if in his position) a lot of americans don't, purely because they aren't told the full story.

i think we will see an increase in wartime rascism, but it saddes me that i believe that

[NJDeadzone]

since when do normal governments keep everything to the public, they're not supposed to. It's supposed to implement three functions: protect the government from the people, protect the government from other governments, and to tax the people. If they're not doing those three, then it's time to wonder what's going on. Form your own opinion.

[Ted-Easton]

You're more likely to see racism if the country's name or citizenry term rhymes with a popular derogatory word.
Iraq and Iraqi doesn't rhyme with much, so people will lose interest and stop, if they ever start.
However, to my great frustration, the so called "insults" of gay, nazi, fag, etc. still seem to permeate every sentence average people make.

[PreacherJ]

Before I start, I'd just like to point out-

I'm not racist.

But stereotyping exists for a reason, even if it's been blown out of proportion. Arab-Americans (and other members of countries with Arab descent)can't help it if a select few members of thier race decide that the Americans are "White Devils," but by the same token, do you really care about somebody's feelings if your life is at stake?

Sure. Most Arab-Americans aren't going to strap a bomb to their chests and come after me. But I don't really care about hurting someone's feelings who isn't a bomber if I cross the street instead of walking next to them, no matter how small the chance is that they harbor suicidal resentment.

What if they do? I don't explode.

Many people are racist idiots, but by the same token, many people are just afraid for their lives. You only get one chance, and you might as well be careful with it. Think of your life as a vase you carry around. Now, suppose for the last 10-15 years, the media has portrayed Arab-Americans as clumsy fools that trip everywhere, and recently, a group of Arabs tripped into the pilots flying not one, but TWO planes, causing them to crash into the WTC, causing thousands of deaths. I don't give a rat's ass if you're the most graceful Arab-American in the world- I'm crossing the street, because if you can topple two huge buildings, my little vase doesn't stand a chance.

You might be hurt, but YOUR emotions are a small price to pay for MY safety. Berate me all you want, but there are plenty of people who would place their own safety (however small the chance may be) over somebody else's feelings. As long as I don't beat the crap out of these people, or do anything else worse then just crossing the street quietly, I don't really see what their gripe would be in that. If the Irish (my nationality) Republican Army (a group of extremists) took control of planes and crashed them into the WTC, I'd completely understand if people would rather avoid me quietly than interact, just as long as they don't throw beer bottles at me or call me a stupid Mick.

Word.

[MuscleHed]

Racism is a sad thing. Statistical, though, it is equal in the North and South, and always has been. Even during the Civil War, the People of the north never wanted the African-Americans any more then the South. As for War time Racism, it is a sad, and wrong thing. However, the color of our enemy sick is the only uniform they have. I have an Iraq Uncle By marriage, and he is a great guy, and I may know he isn’t going to bomb us, but he understood when he made a large Wire transfer for his company and the FBI froze it for a few days to investigate. He was by no means angry, he understood. This was only a few months after 9-1-1, his last name was “Afgani” and he had just visited his family in Iraq a year earlier.

Bumsheekcity- Just out of curiosity, what did you mean by “you aren't told what is happening because your government keep it from you. unfortunately, while many british people know WHY osama attacked the US”? Please do not tell me you are one of these people who think it has something to do with the US helping Osama fight Russia...

[panik]

I've seen an increase of racism towards Muslims out here in california. It's really sad because people generlize the Muslims based on the actions of a few fanatical fundamentalists. TO make a generalization like that you would have to call all white people KKK members.
My best friend is from India, not Muslim, and has been called racist names just beacause he looks like one. I just hope the general population of America is intelligent and open mined enough to relize that this war is not against Muslims, its not even a war against Iraq, it ia a war against Saddam. I urge everybody to strongly support your Muslim friends and neibors now and show your community that racisim towards Muslims will not be tolerated.

[Zio-Shirai]

yeah, i think itll happen, its like something natural in the US, but at least in here, i dont think itll affect that much, we r pretty much accepting of other ppl