# Racist against whites? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 20, 2003, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racist-against-whites/183116 "2003-06-20T06:59:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Parkerz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@Parkerz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Parkerz)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racist-against-whites/183116/1 "2003-06-20T06:59:04Z")
Someone told me once that it was not possible to be racist against whites (where I live anyways) because we are the majority, is this true? ---
**Author:** ![Space\_Vampire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Space\_Vampire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Space_Vampire)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racist-against-whites/183116/2 "2003-06-20T07:01:40Z")
Yes, it’s true. It is scientifically verified by hordes of experts. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racist-against-whites/183116/3 "2003-06-20T07:02:33Z")
Of course not. If you judge or make decisions about a person based solely or in part because of his skin color, you are being racist. It doesn’t matter if the person is in a minority or majority group. ---
**Author:** ![grimpixie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecb155/32.png) [@grimpixie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grimpixie)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racist-against-whites/183116/4 "2003-06-20T07:10:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by friedo \* > \*\*Of course not. If you judge or make decisions about a person based solely or in part because of his skin color, you are being racist. It doesn’t matter if the person is in a minority or majority group. \*\* That depends on your definition of racisim - while I agree with the way you have stated it, there are those who would define it as racial discrimination _plus_ oppression. These people would say that it is therefore not possible for a minority (esp. a disadvantaged minority) to be racist, as they do not have the resources to be oppresive. Grim ---
**Author:** ![Tarantula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e274bd/32.png) [@Tarantula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tarantula)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racist-against-whites/183116/5 "2003-06-20T07:17:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by grimpixie \* > \*\*…therefore not possible for a minority (esp. a disadvantaged minority) to be racist, as they do not have the resources to be oppresive. \*\* Not _especially_ a disadvantaged minority -\* Only \* a disadvantaged minority. Look at the Spartans vs the Helots. The Helots were far more numerous, but were savagely oppressed by the Spartans, and discriminated against… Don’t make statements that are too broad. ---
**Author:** ![spanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a6a055/32.png) [@spanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spanna)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racist-against-whites/183116/6 "2003-06-20T07:21:50Z")
The addition of Oppression to the mix is a red herring. Racism as the name implies, is prejudice based on race, any race. Sexism is prejudice based on sex, any sex. Unfortunately people who advocate “positive discrimination” can’t or won’t see that there is no such thing discrimination is discrimination. So to justify “positive” discrimination youo get this bullsh\*t where racism/sexism/discrimination are all bad, unless of course its against white men because historically they were the oppressors. Note the word historically. If my great grandfather was racist/sexist that does not give somebody the right to be racist/sexist towards me. Thats not how it works, the crimes of one generation edo not pass on to the next. ---
**Author:** ![Cardinal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal/32/4000_2.png) [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racist-against-whites/183116/7 "2003-06-20T07:22:04Z")
If you think it’s not possible for a statistical minority to be oppressive to a member of the statistical majority, I encourage you to hang around certain high schools while a member of said majority. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racist-against-whites/183116/8 "2003-06-20T07:24:56Z")
The black majority in South Africa was oppressed by the white people there for a long long time. There is still a great deal of racism is that country. ---
**Author:** ![Tarantula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e274bd/32.png) [@Tarantula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tarantula)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racist-against-whites/183116/9 "2003-06-20T07:25:54Z")
The helots were a different race. ---
**Author:** ![3trew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/13edae/32.png) [@3trew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3trew)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racist-against-whites/183116/10 "2003-06-20T07:28:36Z")
Definitions are vital to this question, to the point where it probably doesn’t have a factual answer. If you define racism as anything beyond hatred and/or prejudice against someone based on their race, you open things up to the point where agreement is unlikely and particular cases (and counter-examples) abound. It can be fun, though. Once the quibbling about oppression and social power and so forth starts, I always like to ask if it’s possible for a Samoan to be racist in regards to a Mongol. ---
**Author:** ![Muad\_Dib](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/35a633/32.png) [@Muad\_Dib](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muad_Dib)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racist-against-whites/183116/11 "2003-06-20T07:31:34Z")
I had a high school teacher that once said this. She said the reason why is that only white people are in the position of social power needed to be a racist. ---
**Author:** ![Tarantula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e274bd/32.png) [@Tarantula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tarantula)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racist-against-whites/183116/12 "2003-06-20T07:34:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Muad’Dib \* > \*\*I had a high school teacher that once said this. She said the reason why is that only white people are in the position of social power needed to be a racist. \*\* Why what ??? ---
**Author:** ![Muad\_Dib](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/35a633/32.png) [@Muad\_Dib](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muad_Dib)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racist-against-whites/183116/13 "2003-06-20T07:35:08Z")
Good question. ---
**Author:** ![Cardinal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal/32/4000_2.png) [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racist-against-whites/183116/14 "2003-06-20T07:40:44Z")
> [@](#): > > She said the reason why is that only white people are in the position of social power needed to be a racist. This ignores the countless situations where the “minority” is in fact the current majority, and is able to exert social and even physical pressure, sometimes veeeery effectively. I would NOT like to be the person to sign up to be the new white kid at Compton, (CA) High, for instance. ---
**Author:** ![Tarantula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e274bd/32.png) [@Tarantula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tarantula)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racist-against-whites/183116/15 "2003-06-20T07:44:54Z")
\*\* Cardinal \*\* - how can you respond to what Muad’Dib said - what does he mean ? ---
**Author:** ![Joe\_Random](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Joe\_Random](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joe_Random)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racist-against-whites/183116/16 "2003-06-20T07:48:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tarantula \* > \*\*Why what ??? > > . . . how can you respond to what Muad’Dib said - what does he mean ? > \*\* Holy Reading Uncomprehension, Batman! The “why” that **Muad’Dib** was referring to is the subject of this thread. Namely: “it [is] not possible to be racist against whites.” ---
**Author:** ![Tarantula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e274bd/32.png) [@Tarantula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tarantula)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racist-against-whites/183116/17 "2003-06-20T07:52:21Z")
There is now Why in the Op of this thread, and say what you like about my comprehension, but that post by Muad’Dib was utter bullshit - it made now grammatical sense whatsoever. Even with your help, the post is still unintelligible. Muad’Dib, please come and explain. Thx ---
**Author:** ![Tarantula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e274bd/32.png) [@Tarantula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tarantula)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racist-against-whites/183116/18 "2003-06-20T07:53:27Z")
read “no” for “now”… ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racist-against-whites/183116/19 "2003-06-20T07:56:52Z")
\*\* Parkerz \*\*: Someone told me once that it was not possible to be racist against whites… \*\* Muad’Dib \*\*: I had a high school teacher that once said this. She said the reason why is that only white people are in the position of social power needed to be a racist. What is the grammatical error here? If you must have it expanded in order to comprehend it, read it as “She said the reason why it was not possible to be racist against whites is that only white people are in the position of social power needed to be a racist” ---
**Author:** ![Joe\_Random](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Joe\_Random](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joe_Random)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racist-against-whites/183116/20 "2003-06-20T07:58:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tarantula \* > **There is now Why in the Op of this thread, and say what you like about my comprehension, but that post by Muad’Dib was utter bullshit - it made now grammatical sense whatsoever.** It made perfect sense. > [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Muad’Dib_ > **I had a high school teacher that once said this. She said the reason why [this is the case] is that only white people are in the position of social power needed to be a racist.** The highlighted “this” is a placeholder for “it is not possible to be racist against whites,” that is in the OP. The “[this is the case]” that I added to help clarify is implied in the sentence, and not really necessary. It would be the same as me saying: “I don’t eat peanut butter. The reason why is I am allergic.” Not the most gramatically correct sentence, but perfectly understandable. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racist-against-whites/183116.md?page=2)