KMB

It is very naughty of you to give that example when you know full well how feminists tub-thumped for women to vote for Hilary Clinton.

What about some of our home-grown examples? For instance, in Victoria positive discrimination against 'white men' is promoted as a jolly good thing by none other than the the CEO of the Equal Opportunity Commission, Dr Helen Szoke and so much so that it will be made mandatory by legislation. If you are male and white, expect to miss out on training, education, job and career, 'just because'.

But that is not racism nor sexism, no siree. Why not? Well, because the Equal (?!) Opportunity Commission says its not, that's why.

Are white people who vote for a white candidate racist too? KMB forgets that white candidates were counting on a strong white vote as well.

It should not be difficult to imagine that in a country like America where the history of black people was marked with slavery and racism of the highest order that black people would be inspired and encouraged by a black President.

It is also not surprising that most African-Americans vote Democrat because in general they are the Party most likely to hear their voice and deal with the exhaustive list of social issues affecting black neighbourhoods throughout America.

I don't know how many black US citizens would have voted for a Republican/Conservative black candidate if their policies worked against improvements in black communities.

Hilary Clinton had the support of many black voters too - and she is white and a woman to boot.

I suspect that not only is there such a thing as "being just a little bit racist" but that it's much more common than either full blown racism or complete freedom from racism in our society.

The type of racism that prompts the thought which pops into the head when you see someone do something which conforms a stereotype about their apparent racial group. Not the type of racism that lets you take that thought as truth, not the type of racism which demands action based on that thought. It may not be a good thing but it's a fairly obvious part of the line between racism and a genuine lack of concern about race.

The type ofr racism that thoughtful people challenge in their own heads when it happens but which still happens occasionally.

The case described in the article seemed more like one person not fully understanding anothers sensitivities and the other looking for negative meanings rather than positive. Ther may be good reasons for the latter but it's unlikely that they are the fault of the person being blamed.

I think it's pretty much impossible to treat others in the workplace with any kind of genuine warmth or seek to establish a raport without risking giving offense if the others values or perseptions differ significantly from our own. It's the risk of human interaction, it needs courage and care to do the risking and a willingness on the part of the one who could be offended to choose otherwise.

R0bert

Does racism exist in Australia? If so, how do we stop it?

To start with, I feel somewhat qualified to deal with this topic since, as a teenager, a mate once tried to affront me by calling me Marcia Hines. The insult was largely founded on Marcia Hines being a girl while I’m a guy. There was some resemblance, but my large lips and curly hair were more incidental, though obvious links.

Racism is a pretty strong word. For mine, the only racists are those that believe that distinct human races exist, that members of certain races are inherently more meritorious than non members, and that the races ought to be encouraged to develop separately.

This characterised South African apartheid. Its philosophy was wrong. There is only one race. It is called the human race.

Do any Australians fall under this definition of racist? Some might, but most Australians do not. However, let’s not believe that all is squeaky clean. Though we’re mostly not outright racists, we do have cultural bias; blind spots in our thought processes; attitudes that unfairly bring insult and injury to those who are different from us. This is partly unavoidable and comes with the human condition. But we should strive to be more humane.

My cousins who are more shaded than me say that you’ll never know what it’s really like in Australia until you’ve walked a mile in their skin.

Sticks and stones can break your bones, but words can tear you to pieces. Words do count. The AFL and other sporting bodies’ recent crack down on on-field racial comments has been a revelation.

Otokonoko, in the apartheid days South Africans labelled ‘coloured’ had that word stamped onto our identity cards. We never found it more offensive than the whites whose cards were stamped ‘white’. All that is disappearing and a new mentality is starting to enter South Africa (exemplified in the cricket team that toweled up Australia this summer).

While context is important, words do count. I have doubts that VCAT is capable of dealing with the subtleties involved.

Mill-Observer> You mention the term African American. I was watching a talk show with the American actress Whoopi Goldberg, and she said I don't know why so many of my people refer to themselves as African Americans. She said I always say I am American. We are all Americans to say I am African American is racist.

Hi Dan,

I probably jumbled my words a bit. What I was getting at with the 'coloured' reference was that many black Africans I have come across object profusely to the term 'coloured' that was bandied about as a politically correct version of 'black' a little while back. They seem to think that 'coloured' people are below them, just as many white people think that black people are below them. Naturally there should be no reason for coloured people to be offended by the term - after all, it is simply a label describing their race. My mum still has her papers declaring her to be white; I still have my Zim birth certificate declaring me and all of my ancestors to have been white. None of us are offended by that, and I would imagine that coloured people would be no more offended.

I guess what I was getting at is that there is no term for 'black' that pleases everyone. A full-blooded Matabele can get quite fired up if one calls him (ignorantly or otherwise) coloured; some people hate to be called black, negro or any other term. Make the mistake of calling a Torres Strait Islander 'Aboriginal' and you will hear all about it. Call a Scot 'English' and it's the same. Why we have to refer to ethnicity (other than in obvious identification matters) is beyond me - certainly it seems to cause more trouble than it's worth.