Is Racism, Sexism, and Homophobia Dying With Older Generations?
 

In my short 30 some years on this earth I've noticed what I believe to be a decrease in racism, sexism, and homophobia. When speaking with my nephew who is 12-years-old, he doesn't even have a notion of black and white being unequal in any way. It seems that the older generations who held these specific hates are dying off and with them goes their hate.

Do you agree?

yes.. i think now it's just a matter of going through the 'lash back' racism

wouldn't believe the amount of times i have been in 'trouble' because i said something 'racist' that i had no clue was racist to begin with

I doubt it , it has been ingrained in their offspring:2 cents:

Sure if you do not count racism against white, and "positive" racism(affirmative action).

At my local Dunkin Donuts, sometimes I eat in, and there's always the same group of crusty old fucks sitting in the corner. The entire time I'm there, I hear spick this, n**gger that. I know there are tons of people who carry true hate for other races in their hearts, but it's hard for me to believe there's still some who are so blatant about it.

So when these assholes die(hopefully very soon), will another generation of old racists take their place? Probably, but there'll be less and less of them.

I think the same. There will always be racism passed down from generation to generation, but I think with the influence from friends and other family members that pattern can be broken. The more breaks, the less racism.

I know from personal experience, my grandfather was a mean and nasty person and a vocal racist. He died and he's not missed much. The family didn't adopt his views or values and I'm happy to have friends and family that are accepting of all races, sexes, and sexual orientation.

That movie Monster's Ball shows kind of what you're talking about. It was about three generations of a racist family, and it was being filtered out down to the youngest family member -- and mostly by outside means from society.

Sure, put in the same bag a hill billy, rockfeller, a white slave merchant and George Bush and tell to do the hill billy that he fucking white that dominates minorities because he is a white man... good idea

It's pretty much proven by polling that these attitudes are dying off. There will always be racists and homophobes but the general societal consensus on those things have been dying off for years. In the future some things may come back if there are large societal upheavals and scapegoats used but all things being equal and stable you'd think these attitudes would at least halve from their current levels...

i think not, it will show up on some other shit

I think there are obivously younger people who grew up with racist parents and are racist and homophobic because of it, but I think with the internet and information so readily available some of those people break the cycle and many young people end up being just the opposite of their parents.

There was a cool store a few years back about how the current generation of kids from age 10-20 are a generation that has much less racism, homophobia and religious hangups than any generation in the last 100 years.

is it racist to say that this thread is gay ?

edit: i mean happy

there is a growing number of people who go out of their way to be offended on behalf of someone else.

Certainly.

When I was in high school (graduated in '97) there were no out people in my school or any other schools that I knew of.

Now it's not uncommon for high schools to have 30 to 50 students who are out and do not receive much shit (other than from the jocks who shower together).

is your nephew black??

No, he's white, just like me. Do you think that if he was black he would see things differently or the same just like my nephew?

My hope is that my nephew doesn't think twice about color. So, seeing a black face is the exact same as seeing a white face, or a brown face. I also hope that the black kids in his school think the same way even though there is less of them. But, I would imagine they may be more vulnerable to thinking differently if they aren't in the majority.

What are your thoughts?

well a few of those situations i was rather naive.. but most of my experience with racism is what i have experienced myself

which, you know, is odd

Are you talking globally or just the US? It is readily apparent that there is a lot of racism in Europe. Hell, just read a few threads on GFY and that will become obvious,

When I made the thread I was just thinking about the United States. Although I would hope that there is a reduction globally as well. What do you think about the question locally where you live? I'm also curious to know how people think from town to town.

if he's not taught to notice he will probably ask why people have a different color. im not really going to lay to much here. racism is deep worldwide he will get a taste we all do directly or witness it or both.

I hope if he does witness it or gets a taste of it he's confident enough to know that it's wrong and not influenced negatively. We brought him up the best we could, and will continue to, but ultimately it's his decision.

Really racism is insignificant on the individual level.

institutional racism, sexism, and homophobia is what created issues, and it's been eradicated, for the most part, in the US.

I find that people nowadays very rarely rationalize their actions and behaviors based upon their most superficial racial attributes, though it may appear so outwardly and even in their own mind.

For example, the last presidential election.

One day these isms should probably be classified as mental illnesses.

Though, as one person noted before, depending upon the situation, they are still useful political means.

I remember one time my grandmother saw a white chick with a black dude and called her a "zebra lover". No kidding.

Yikes!

My grandmother, who shares a room with a black woman, still uses the word "colored" to describe her. Every time she does the black woman says "my honky roommate called me colored again." The black woman is about 10 years younger and laughs it off, as does my grandmother. They are both in a nursing facility and really make a great pair.