Gunnar wrote: ↑Mon Sep 21, 2020 7:29 pm
Subgenius;
I don't agree that attempts to preserve, share and celebrate unique cultural traditions is inherently racist. Nor do I deny that establishing enclaves like Harlems and Chinatowns and other ghettos were, initially, at least, in large part a result of bigotry and intolerance. So what? That doesn't stop the current residents of these communities from working together to turn them into positive places in which to experience, preserve, celebrate and showcase the best of their unique cultural contributions to society. It still remains true, though, that there is something inherently immoral about systemic racism and segregation.
Do you really have a problem with all that?
Why do you seem so eager to categorize everyone who disagrees with you on anything as racists or bigots? Projection perhaps?
Or are you, perhaps, just trying to play the roll of a "Devils advocate?"
Gunnar,
You seem to understand, so allow me to elaborate.
I believe in freedom of speech and thought. The higher offense associated with "Hate" speech and "Hate" crime are the biggest assaults on liberty in our modern times. With the former being a direct assault on the Constitution and the latter just being a shameful devaluation of crime (eg tell a white woman that her being raped wasn't so bad since the rapist didn't do it for the color of her skin or for her religious affiliation).
Racism seems to be a term of political convenience these days , and is used only to persecute those who refuse, for whatever reason, to celebrate all differences in all people. This seems to be the sole basis for the "morality" you invoke above. This can only be reasoned by a belief that God created all men and women as equal - correct? (careful, this moral argument starts and ends with the divine).
So, i am not sure that there is something "inherently immoral" about recognizing and forming opinions about a person and/or people based upon their skin color / culture. The "immorality" seems to be imposed by whims and winds. It boils down to the idea that our nation's morality should be based upon personal liberty. Do I have the liberty to believe that Chinese people can congregate and manipulate the built environment in such a way as to perpetuate their culture ? And am i also free to believe that Black people can freely impose their culture on that same environment? Then how do we resolve a dispute when these interests overlap and become in conflict?
Do we find resolve by forsaking the culture of both and require that they melt into one big homogenized pot ? Or do we arbitrarily assign one with a greater value over the other as measured by the political wind du jour?
For me, it comes down to the only morality that should exist, and that is personal liberty.