I just heard something that I have disagreed with for awhile and that is -?

Question

the statement that racism is always taught, doesn't the fact that racism exist at all prove this wrong since someone had to come up with the idea first and was never taught it in the first place? What's your thoughts on this?

Answer 1

What isn't necessarily taught is that it's in human nature to fear what is unknown or different from us.  What is taught, or more correctly "learned" is how we choose to respond to that fear.  Racism is a the product of acting adversely to that fear.  Putting someone else down, acting superior, discriminating, or being prejudiced is largely the result of poor management of that fear and social reinforcement for those ideas or actions.

Answer 2

Since ALL behavior is learned - then it follows that on this particular subject it would have to be learned - and whatever is learned is taught.

I was raised in Texas - it was not overtly taught, but covertly one "learns" that they should not play,associate,marry outside their own race.

I have been married to a black man for 25 years, have 4 children - so I RElearned.

We all have free choice - we can choose to educate ourselves even when we are covertly or overtly "taught" that we should look down upon a different race....

covert = Secrecy is the practice of sharing information among a group of people, which can be as small as one person, while hiding it from others

overt = The open practice of sharing information, usually in a deragatory manner

Answer 3

Racism is tought.

A small white child's first reaction to a black (or asian, etc) child isn't going to be thoughts of racial purity. Hate is something you learn to do, you aren't born that way.