Was doing some research on the term "racism" and "oppression" using wikipedia and the onlinedictionary and I thought I would share a bit of what I have discovered.
First of all the first definition of Racism is the prejudice that members of one race are inherently superior to members of another race.
Then I looked up prejudice and found out that it essentially means an unreasonable judgment or opinion without actual knowledge or any real examination of the objective facts. It comes from the verb to prejudge meaning to judge before a full hearing or investigation.
I will assert, based on my participation in this forum, that there have been many examples of prejudice. I have noticed that in repeated instances individuals, including myself, will state opinions as if they were objective facts. People seem more inclined to just state a belief, opinion, perspective or intense emotion and not terribly inclined to provide the basis for such statements. One can discuss specific experiences an individual has gone through as the foundation for a belief or opinion. In that case the more specific the connection made between the actual experience and the belief/opinion that followed the bettter.
A writer here can also build their opinions on a foundation of other sources of information and analysis such as books,articles, statements of others and in this case the more reliable the source then the more foundation one has for the belief.
Do folks by and large agree with the above?
If you are still reading...what follows are some observations, perspectives I have articulated...but am repeating in a more step by step manner. That is, I am attempting to follow my own above advise.
I stated that there are far more people of color in the world then there are whites. That is an objective fact. I stated that this is also the case in the United States. That is also a fact.
I then went on to state a particular perspective in relation to these facts. That perspective was that this quantitative fact is not reflected in the qualitative power dynamics. Whites have, in many places and during many eras in history, yielded great economic, political, legal, and plain old brute power over peoples of color. I would assert that this is pretty close to an objective fact.
Certainly it would be hard to argue that the above fact is wrong. Does anybody dispute my assertion as regards the power white people have had in relation to colored people?
This seems important to me because there is, more then likely, an important psychological aspect to this. What internal dyanmics are at play in an oppressive situation where a smaller group dehumanizes a much larger group of human beings?
Before I go on any further I will simply say this...obviously I am building an argument. And the argument is essentially that when I examine my own emotions and also look at the experiences I have had I have concluded that a great deal of very painful feelings are connected to the above description of racism. The premise that an oppressor is dehumanized in the process of oppression is not a novel premise by any stretch. It has been made countless times by many authorities. I am simply trying to state that I experience it as true in my life. When I think about the relationships I have had and continue to have with other white people I also conclude that it is true. That other white people are profoundly dehumanized in their role as oppressors.
I will stop and simply ask...if someone does not agree with the above...do they believe that my facts are wrong or my conclusions? One person replied that there "is no white power structure" that it is "all in my head." Well, ok. As far as there being "no white power structure" I would ask for some evidence. I can fill ten pages with data that would most certainly suggest a structure, a set of laws, rules, codes of behavior and institutional relations that is run by white people and run primarily for the interests of white people. Anybody disagree?
Anbody who does not believe there is a "white power structure" is incorrect. I believe that such an entity exists in reality. And I do not have a problem proving it. It simply frustrates me that I should have to. But if needed I am more then willing.