The problems with "race"

[strredwolf]

I have a problem with "race." Just the word, in the context of differentiating two groups of people. Nothing else.

What's wrong with it? Think about it: The white race. The black race. The asian race. The Arian race. Geeze, folks. We're all HUMAN, homo sapien. The only difference is that only a slight part of our genetic makeup is coded differently. It's like skins in Winamp or Quake. The base don't change, the operational code doesn't change, and yet folks want to make them different species.

We are not different species. Get that through your thick heads. We are very technically the same species, and any court would throw you out laughing.

I like three words better.
Breed for technical comparisons, Class for nontechnical comparisions. And for comparing WolfSkunks and Drygers, species.

Now can we all get folks using some non-offensive terminology that's actually accurate? Just a little? I may be a bit politically correct, but "race" just doesn't cut it for Canmephians.

Comments

[xilimyth.livejournal.com]

Well... had I known a direct translation of the d20 core rules would've incited that response...

[strredwolf.livejournal.com]

Nah, it's just something which irked me when I was working on the WolfSkunk docs *before* comming to KeenSpace. Still does.

[scixual.livejournal.com]

And biologically, there's really no such thing. "Race" is just a family resemblance. There is no discernable line between races, they're not discreet. Breeds of dog are more disparate than the two most different "races".

[talldan.livejournal.com]

Even Homo and Sapien are breakdowns of the Phylum, and Class, etc.

I concur with your assessment.

My grandpa said "Were all pink on the insides.", and I find this to be true.

[scixual.livejournal.com]

...but it's fun to check!

Re:

[talldan.livejournal.com]

Hehehee

[raemonde.livejournal.com]

I agree wholeheartedly with the fact that we're basically all the same. Hell, all living beings are made of the same chemicals. In fact, it all comes down to energy, doesn't it? We are all brothers and sisters.

I don't take offense at "race" though. It's the common-usage term. It's the bigots that I don't care too much for.

.Rae

Welcome to the tribe!

[fferret.livejournal.com]

Way to go, Striker!! I've been using this reasoning for a number of years now. When my daughter (now 10) was born, the hospital insisted on listing her race as 'black'. Her mom's black, I'm white. I went back to the administrators, and told them to correct it to 'human'. They said that that was not allowed, due to state regulations. I said something on the order of 'Bugger state regulations!', and insisted on 'human'. They filled it in as 'mixed', which apparently is allowable in Maryland. I tend to use 'ethnicity' in place of race.