Am I racist when?

[wynn]

I call 'Load Shedding' a 'Black Out'
I call the 'Backhand' demanded for certain business 'Blackmail'

Or what?

[ians]

Lets not even go there. I keep my comments to myself.

[ians]

I am so tired of raciest and the word "BLACK" get over yourselves and focus on what you can do to improve your own life instead always of looking for other people to blame for everything.

[Dave A]

I call 'Load Shedding' a 'Black Out'
I call the 'Backhand' demanded for certain business 'Blackmail'

I suggest that falls more in the "raw nerve" territory. Using the words "black" or "white" isn't racist in itself; it's dependant on the context.

(Yes, I know blackmail has a negative context, but it's not a racially black context...)

As a comparison, I think the following is a racist comment even although the author never used the words "black" or "white" -

Isn't it ironic that certain South Africans claims one race is racist, yet those same are exhibiting criminally racist tendencies towards their own race?

Posted by a closet racist who is probably in denial, methinks. But the underlying racial profiling of the author's paradigm is pretty easy to spot.

[wynn]

An interesting opinion on black racism

http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/opini.../#.VTiZIvCiRR4

I still do not consider myself racist because I am white and benefited from the Apartheid dispensation, as in the above article I certainly don't hate anybody from another race or religious group, perhaps from time to time I just get 'Other Fatigued'.

I tend to treat all as equals but experience has taught me that certain ethnic groups tend to behave in a manner that irritates me, for example I now refuse to give credit to any 'BEE Contractor', not because as a group they are mostly black but because as a group they 99% don't pay on time if ever, funnily enough there are a growing number of previously advantaged contractors that are also falling into this category, mostly because they are also battling to get paid, but at least most of them keep in contact.

Having a credit form filled in doesn't help because once they go delinquent they are never at the addresses given and never answer their phones, also when you contact the references that gave them glowing reports at the time you were doing your due diligence now they also can't find the particular contractor to collect payment.

[Justloadit]

When transacting in other countries, there is no such thing as credit. It usually is COD. Place the order, pay when collecting, so why do we have to give credit?
When I started out in business, I never got credit from anyone. I only got credit some years down the line, once I had proven myself to be an astute business person (hahahaha - I wish) sorry I meant making more money than I lost, did companies start giving me credit.

[Butch Hannan]

You are all missing the point. Only white people are considered as racist. I was told by a friend of mine who is black and an engineer that racism is alive and well amongst our black brothers. Do you really think a Pedi likes and trusts a Zulu. I do not think so- they most probably remember the "mefacane"