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-> Interesting Discussions
shoshanim999
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 Fri, Nov 18 2016, 1:01 pm
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I live in Brooklyn on a block that is 80% frum. It would bother me a great deal if my neighbors on both sides (who I am not that close with) would move and I'd hear that a black family was moving in on one side and a Mexican family on the other. Does this make me a racist? I never considered myself to be one.
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cnc
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Fri, Nov 18 2016, 1:03 pm
Yes it does.
But I think every person has a bit of racism in them whether or not they admit it.
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sequoia
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Fri, Nov 18 2016, 1:07 pm
Yes. Because you know nothing about these imaginary people other than their color. What if the Black family were two doctors?
Read "Negroland".
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Ima2NYM_LTR
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Fri, Nov 18 2016, 1:14 pm
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Yes, but the good news is that you can change.
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Miri7
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Fri, Nov 18 2016, 1:31 pm
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Yes. I applaud you for asking this question and being self-reflective.
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rfeig613
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Fri, Nov 18 2016, 1:32 pm
| shoshanim999 wrote: | | I live in Brooklyn on a block that is 80% frum. It would bother me a great deal if my neighbors on both sides (who I am not that close with) would move and I'd hear that a black family was moving in on one side and a Mexican family on the other. Does this make me a racist? I never considered myself to be one. | .
People like being among their own kind. It's human nature.
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tichellady
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Fri, Nov 18 2016, 1:32 pm
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this is not really the point but you do know that there are black jews and mexican jews (not that non jews deserve to be mistreated)
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tryinghard
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Fri, Nov 18 2016, 1:33 pm
To me, the question is, how would you feel if an Irish or Italian family moved in.
Meaning to say, if it was me, I prefer frum neighbors. There are those who will call me racist for this, but I disagree, it it a cultural thing. In fact, I probably would prefer non Jewish neighbors over non forum ones, because of influences with regard to my kids, not to mention if I ever need something on shabbos  . But I don't really care whether they are black, Mexican or otherwise.
I'll also likely get some flack for the following: with regard to ANY neighbors who originate from a different culture (read: other than the general orthodox Jewish), I am much more concerned with what kind of lifestyle they live. I don't want to live in an inner-city type neighborhood and I chose my neighborhood accordingly. I far prefer an upper-middle-class black family over a white family with loud music booming, three pit bulls and a group of skateboarding teenagers hanging out in front of the house at all hours.
Obviously this is a stereotype. But my point is we all have things we care about, and it's very simplistic to say "you're a racist!", or in my case, "you're an elitist". I simply have certain things that I want to be around, and certain things I don't - and I chose my neighborhood accordingly.
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SixOfWands
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Fri, Nov 18 2016, 1:39 pm
| sequoia wrote: | Yes. Because you know nothing about these imaginary people other than their color. What if the Black family were two doctors?
Read "Negroland". |
What if they were all Jews?
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sequoia
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Fri, Nov 18 2016, 1:40 pm
| SixOfWands wrote: | | What if they were all Jews? |
That too.
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agreer
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Fri, Nov 18 2016, 1:41 pm
You are not necessarily a racist.
Who wouldn't be upset to have frum neighbors leave and have them replaced by non-frum neighbors.
The question to ask yourself is this: Would you be equally disappointed if a white family moved in?
If yes, congratulations! You're not a racist.
If no, you'd be less upset by a white person moving in than a black or Mexican...yes, you are a racist.
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rfeig613
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Fri, Nov 18 2016, 1:45 pm
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Not wanting your property value to decrease doesn't make you a racist.
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SixOfWands
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Fri, Nov 18 2016, 1:49 pm
| shoshanim999 wrote: | | I live in Brooklyn on a block that is 80% frum. It would bother me a great deal if my neighbors on both sides (who I am not that close with) would move and I'd hear that a black family was moving in on one side and a Mexican family on the other. Does this make me a racist? I never considered myself to be one. |
As others would say, its racist.
But the real question isn't what your super-secret, unexpressed thoughts would be; its what actions you'd take.
If you'd be polite, but not necessarily warm and friendly, you're not acting on your racism. Or as I say, not everyone has to like me, or like Jews; they just have to leave me be.
I mean, let's say that a black family moved in next door. They have a 4 year old and a 6 month old. Your neighbor knocks on the door. "I'm desperate, can you help? My 4 year old just hurt herself, an ambulance is on the way, and I need to accompany him to the hospital. My mom is on her way to take the baby, but she's stuck in traffic, and won't be here for another half an hour. Can you watch the baby until she gets here?" And you have nothing you need to do. Do you say yes? Or "I don't watch no black babies." My guess is you'd do the former. So maybe you're a secret racist, but you're trying not to be.
Trying is good.
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WhatFor
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Fri, Nov 18 2016, 2:05 pm
| agreer wrote: | You are not necessarily a racist.
Who wouldn't be upset to have frum neighbors leave and have them replaced by non-frum neighbors.
The question to ask yourself is this: Would you be equally disappointed if a white family moved in?
If yes, congratulations! You're not a racist.
If no, you'd be less upset by a white person moving in than a black or Mexican...yes, you are a racist. |
The OP didn't specify that they weren't frum.
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shoshanim999
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Fri, Nov 18 2016, 2:06 pm
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Op here. I think the question is does preferring people who are similar to you make you a racist? I think everything being equal, I would prefer a white family over a black family. They are a little more like me. I really don't want to make this a political discussion but in 2012, Obama received an incredible 95% of the black vote vs Romney who received a measly 5%. Sure many black voters chose Obama because....he's black like them. Does that make them racist? I think many people inherently feel more comfortable with people like them.
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amother
Pink
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Fri, Nov 18 2016, 2:14 pm
| rfeig613 wrote: | | Not wanting your property value to decrease doesn't make you a racist. |
Why would her property value decrease if a black family moves in? Racism much?
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sequoia
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Fri, Nov 18 2016, 2:16 pm
The question is, what *factors* are most important to you? What aspects of difference and similarity matter most to you, and which ones matter least?
This is individual and not obvious.
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rfeig613
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Fri, Nov 18 2016, 2:19 pm
| amother wrote: | | Why would her property value decrease if a black family moves in? Racism much? |
That's the way the world works, sadly. I'd love to be in a world where that wasn't the case, but unfortunately, that's how it is.
I don't see any reason to martyr myself over that.
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