Stephen
The line "If your white etc" is from a song by Big Bill Broonsy, an American blues singer from the 30's through to the 50s. As a negro in that time he also suffered racial prejudice. He tells a story (cover notes on one of his records) of how he moved from the South up to Chicago where he made a reasonable living as a singer. On one occasion he decided to drive back to his old home town driving his new car. He forgot where he was and pulled into a service station to get petrol. The red neck attendant glared at him and demanded to know who owned the car. Quick as a flash Bill answered "the man I work for" so that enabled him to escape.
There are narrow minded racist bigots in every society unfortunately but I don't think we are as bad as the US south was certainly up to the 60s with the likes of the Ku Klux Klan, lynchings etc. Although the racism there is not so blatent now it it still exists and the Republican party panders to it. Just look at the political venom now being targeted at Hispanics.
The fact that we as a society are not as racist as others is no excuse for discrimination now and in the past against non-white fellow human beings.

It's kind of ironic that Realist should say how we are not racist anymore in Australia and refer to how the hatred between Chatolics and Protestants has desappeared... but, what about Muslims mate? How often have I read posts which expressed, if not hatred, certainly deep mistsrust and dislike of Muslims on this very website?

For centuries the Jews were persecuted all over the world, especially in Christian Europe, now we have made friends and Europeans talk of Judeo-Christian civilization, mainly to exclude Muslims, from what has suddenly become "our" European common roots, when only sixty years ago... I am sure I don't need to remind you!

We always find somebody new to exclude and hate. And look guys, of course black people can be racist, too, and sometime responsible for their own misfortunes, but it always seems supsect to me when people accused, with good evidence, of unsavoury behavior and attitudes istead of taking responsibilities for themselves and their own communities (face it, we can all do better!) instead point the finger and say "But look, they do it, they are bad, too" which makes me feel like saying, so what? you are responsible for your own behavior, you make sure you behave ethically as mush as you can and don't worry about other people. To be critical of others as a response to criticism made to us is never a good way to defend our position.

Boaz, isn't there a nice saying from the Bible about not judging the faults in your neighbour while not noticing yours? excuse my ignorance but I cannot remember the right phrase, maybe you can help me out.

Yes racists exist but my observation is that racists are just a bunch of scared and insecure losers. Once you have mixed with them and they discover how nice you are, they tend to 'like' you and at times even wanting to hang out with you more than their own kind. It's mainly ignorance that's all, implying we need to educate them more. The problem is that they are in the majority and education alone is going to take a long time. The young white Australians' mindsets are changing as they mix with other races in schools, uni, workplace, sports, etc and discover that actually what their grand rednecks told them was in fact a lie and so their fears disappear. Racism in this country is mainly to do with ignorance and 'clueless'. The populace in this country are easily manipulated by politicians and the media and they only travel to England and some parts of Asia. But once they have expanded on their travels and horizons some of their fears that bear racism in them disappear. I don't know about the indigenous aboriginals but my observation as an African black myslef is that some of the 'racists' who stare at me on a bus or train or the street are just curios, like they have never seen a black person before in their life; or so I think. As for racists who attack to cause bodily harm, these are just criminals or hardcore white supremacists. An 'average' racist doesn't attack you to cause bodily harm. Just my observation as a black person myself. The article was very interesting and articulate though. These are realities and denying and pretending like these things don't happen is dangerous. It's true fellow black people can even more racist to their fellow black brothers and sisters once they have an 'association' with white. I'm thinking because they feel insecure and inferior, they tend to feel superior once they have established that 'connection' with whites.

PEACE AND ONE LOVE!

Did you know that the definition also defines a racist to include those who call other people "Clueless","Ignorant","Redneck","Inferior","Loser"??

Suebdootwo,
Where did you get this definition from? I do not know your skin colour or race but it appears you definition might just include yourself.

"Did you know that the definition also defines a racist to include those who call other people "Clueless","Ignorant","Redneck","Inferior","Loser"??

http://www.tightrope.cc/forum/showthread.php?p=40616#post40616

Peoples, racism is not just persisting it is spreading like destructive cancer. Like a substance abuse in our youth its spreads and ruins good potentialities.

For those who are on dial up (its slow) here's racism the racist-denial mob deny. Sounds like the holocaust, stolen children, global warming deniers are in a constant state of denial.

"...
Schoolchildren have been taught that Australia's settlement started with the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788.

But log onto a government website and our white ancestors are practically listed as the enemy. NSW opposition leader Peter Debnam was furious to see that the fleet's landing 218 years ago was being hailed as the day 'Australia was invaded'...

The National Parks and Wildlife website claims the invasion of Australia "lasted for a long time and took many forms".

The First Fleet is only one of many events and things which have fallen foul of our obsession with not offending. Even the Bible is in the firing line, banned from hospital bedside cupboards because it may upset non-Christians.

This is the most open and dangerous attack the Jew has lauched in Australia, by removing the Bible from public places because it may offend some of these sh*tskin immagrants that should have been shot before they even had a chance to taint our golden shores with their filth is discraceful. And they have the hide to say that the Aryan invaded this great southern land. We as Aryans settled this land, those creatures the Left would have us call Aboriginies are nothing more than flora and fauna.
__________________
John8:44 - Jesus said unto the Jews:
Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. "
ENDS
Jesus was talking to people like Nazi's and others that ignore the Commandments. Jesus was no racist.