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A possibly sensitive question…

If someone doesn’t know about your culture or ethnicity, are you okay with them asking you questions, if they do it respectfully, or do you find it offensive ?

(Personally I’d rather be asked than have the person making assumptions that are [b]really[/b] insulting.)🙁
Graylight · 51-55, F
This is the question for the day, no? Having just read about the 'scandal' involving Whoopi Goldberg, please allow me to use that as a template here.

She had a point to make that, in her thinking, was legitimate. It happened to be in disagreement with many known teachings, but in no way was it said with malicious intent, dismissal or a sense of racial superiority. How many decades have ignorant white people echoed the sentiment that black crime is committed against blacks and if they don't want crime, they should just stop fighting with each other?

So she stated an opinion of the Jewish and the holocaust. It was her perspective, it was supported by her train of thinking & experience and it was said in an attempt to sort out a complex situation. If people live in fear of ridicule, chiding and legal repercussions, how free are any of us to ask questions? And without questions and the investigative process, how can we ever expect to recognize salient new information?

The way we learn is by taking detours, investigating other sides of other fences and tripping along the way. Questions seeking enlightenment aren't always cogent and incisive; sometimes they're obtuse, awkward, off-track and silly. But it's all done with the aim of educating others and thereby elevating the human race as a whole.

Personally speaking, there are a few boxes I check as "different." I'll entertain questions and inquiries all the live-long day if the intentions are authentic. I'm eager to teach, to share, to include. I want to learn about others, too, but the only way I know to do that is to talk openly and honestly with them.

Rather than watch in glee as Goldberg had to fall on her sword, maybe we should have been re-asking the same questions if we can't answer them, either.
Diotrephes · 70-79, M
@Graylight This is a complex issue. Even the Bible says that Jews are contrary to all men - 1Thessalonians 2:14-16.

Remember, the Jews helped the Muslims to invade Spain and fought with them against the Christians for over 700 years.

They were domestic enemies against Germany and tried to destroy it in WWI and institute a communist government like they had done in Russia. They even wrote the Soviet constitution. And before WWII they had started a world-wide boycott against German goods and services. And given all of the history it was only natural that the two sides regarded each other as deadly enemies. The Zionists wanted to force all of the lower class Jews out of Germany to move to Palestine, where they would build it up for the upper class Jews who would arrive later in comfort. The problem was that a lot of the lower class Jews were not interested in that agenda so they stayed in Germany. There were tens of thousands of Jews in Germany when the shooting stopped.

Once the Nazis started rounding up the Jews and throwing them in the concentration camps, they gave them special uniforms to plainly distinguish them from all of the other groups. When you look at pictures of camp liberations you will see lots of smiling, well-fed Jews in their unique uniforms. The other ethnic groups were skin and bones but they were in better condition than the Indians that Churchill had starved to death in India.

And, although the Nazis were racist, they were less racist than the Americans and British were. The Americans were so racist toward Black Americans they wouldn't allow them to directly fight the White Nazis or to make war equipment to use against them. The Germans did have some Black troops in their army. In the meantime the Americans were lynching their Black citizens and maintaining a system of rigid apartheid.

So, Whoopi was basically correct in her opinion. People flip out over Hitler because he was more interested in killing other White people than he was in killing Black and Brown people. Of course, he might have gotten around to that if he had won but he lost the war when he fired the first shot. He didn't have the system necessary to fight a modern war. He would have been OK in the 19th Century but he was a loser in the 20th Century, just like Japan and Italy were. And have you noticed that no one ever mentions the atrocities committed by the Italians and Japanese or the ones done by the Americans and British?

Heck, King Leopold II of Belgium killed 10-12 million Black Africans in the Congo and chopped off countless arms and no one ever said a mean word about him.
Graylight · 51-55, F
@Diotrephes Again, I'm not debating the content of her message - it's a complex issue not of my lineage and I don't pretend to be anything but a casual student of Judaism. I just have to wonder at all the Screamers thumping their chests about freedom and the right to express themselves who then turn around and suggest TV hosts (and students, and parents, and teachers) not ask questions to investigate a matter.
Diotrephes · 70-79, M
@Graylight I agree with you. The point is that the "holocaust" is pure propaganda. Critics can dump on every other issue under the Sun but as soon as they express doubt about one of the Jewish fairy tales they get drawn and quartered.

If the Nazis were so intent on exterminating the Jews they were the lousiest killers in humanity. They built housing for them and gave them special uniforms to wear throughout the war. And look at all of the survivors. The easiest people to kill would have been the children but it seems that they gave them special protection, considering the number of them who are still alive and bleating today.

America's favorite hobby during WWII was burning people alive in Germany and in Japan. Imagine how many kids got roasted without a second thought.

If you want to understand the Zionist propaganda read Theodor Herzl's [b][i]The Jewish State,[/i][/b]. You can Google it and read it free on the internet.

This is a very complex issue and a million pages would barely scratch the surface
LucyFuhr · 56-60, F
It really depends on who's asking for me...

Most people just assume that I'm what I [b][i]appear[/i][/b] to be. They rarely even think to ask. The ones who do ask though, they're probably even worse, especially when they realize I'm not what they thought I was.

And no matter how polite it starts, it usually ends up being offensive AF.
Mellowgirl · 31-35, F
I agree it's better to be asked, but after a while it gets boring!
Especially if I'm not asking them sh*t!
But does that mean I'm not really interested?
Does that mean I've lost the art of communication?

I see a lot of people asking each other a lot of things.

I think because it's related to race, I feel a bit touchy whereas when someone from my own ethnic group were to ask although I answer I would also still find it weird.

This I'm slowly learning to just ignore as being a "irritant".

I suppose there's that thing at the back of my mind, am I being a traitor?

Hurtful things said in the past "uncle Tom" "coconut" "he's only dating you because you're the latest trend"
It sticks..
@Mellowgirl I’ve heard those things, too— because of my interests, because of the way I speak. But when people assume things about me, I’d rather they’d ask so that they can be educated. In my country, education was how a black middle class came into being, how a lot of prominent black families came out of poverty. These are things even some black people here don’t know.

And some Africans don’t know that that middle class fought to change immigration quotas that limited the numbers of black Africans (and other groups of color) who could come here (while Europeans could emigrate here in droves). Middle and upper class black American families sponsored students from several African countries initially to attend our HBCUs and after integration, other schools of their choices.
Mellowgirl · 31-35, F
@bijouxbroussard I think of these last few years have taught me anything it's that were all to blame for these mentalities.
Like you've said above why isn't there more promotion of these good things?

Did we really need another race to pat us on the back and say here let's promote this or should we have been raising our own up and self promoting?
Depends on who is asking ,if I just met a stranger and he is trying to judge me from a racial aspect I feel offensive.
If it's sheer curiousity I usually entertain , cos it is true that every ethnicity has something unique of their culture,and if respect is there ,I don't mind.
I always love to share where I came from and my culture.
The assumptions about my ethnicity etc doesn’t really bother me. Most of them, I find amusing.
Gangstress · 41-45, F
I have had people just ask really stupid questions which didn't bode well.
I honestly don't mind genuine questions though.
SW-User
Yes I think it's always best to ask instead of assume
Catzgano · 31-35, F
Yes it’s offensive they like always assume I’m from a foreign country even though I speak better English then they do. It’s been happening forever too
ServantOfTheGoddess · 61-69, M
@Catzgano They may assume you are from a foreign country [b]because [/b]you speak English better than they do :)
Diotrephes · 70-79, M
@ServantOfTheGoddess Actually, Americans speak American and English people speak English. There is a lot of difference between them. Since television most Americans speak the same standard dialect.
ServantOfTheGoddess · 61-69, M
@Diotrephes The Americans I know actually speak quite differently depending on the regions they are from.
I have never seen an issue with someone asking ._.

It makes no sense to me how it is offensive. Likewise, if I don't wanna answer, they should have no issues either. It's not too deep in your average situation
DragonFruit · 61-69, M
No, I don’t mind being asked politely....it’s better than people assuming that my culture/ethnicity is one thing when it’s actually much more than that.
SW-User
I'd be fine if someone asked, although online it works best if it's just something that comes up through messaging when you're friends.
i would rather be asked about [b][u]everything[/u][/b] than have confusion end a friendship before it might start!!
Diotrephes · 70-79, M
@SHREKPage The important thing to remember is that everything we say about all issues is our opinion and not necessarily fact. Whenever we say that something is a fact about a social issue it is our interpretation of what other people have said or written about the issue. As a group, we know very little about most issues from our own experience so we have to rely upon what other people have said about the subject. If their statements seem credible we usually adopt most, if not all, of it into our belief system. But it is still opinion and not 100% factual.
@Diotrephes Well, I [b]guess[/b] that’s an easy enough way to dismiss what people may know about their own lives and families. 😳
Madmonk · M
It’s best to get everything out in the open. Questions no matter how uncomfortable facilitate this. So yeah. Ask away.
Diotrephes · 70-79, M
@Madmonk Can you recall the most difficult question you were ever asked?
SW-User
If they’re respectful then it’s more than fine with me. Actually, I’d be glad to talk about it & explore the differences in cultures.
ServantOfTheGoddess · 61-69, M
Personally I enjoy it.

I don't really understand the objections that some activists raise to questions like that, assuming, as you said, that they're asked respectfully or out of friendly curiosity.

Like you I do not like to be the subject of ignorant assumptions -- even friendly ones. Example from real life: "I know that the Jews are God's chosen people, because most of the rich people in the world are Jews!" (Ummm, no, they're not. And I know lots of Jews who are struggling to get by.)
tindrummer · M
I have a good friend on fb (Japanese heritage) who doesn't want to be asked so 🤷 different strokes huh?
I don't mind someone asking. I would rather have someone ask me questions than just make random assumptions.
Peaches · F
I'm okay with people asking me. 😔 It's better than "assuming." NO, not all people brought up in the south are "inbred" or "hillbillies." And just because I have blonde hair doesn't mean I had an easy life, it was a hard life with no special "privileges" at all. I was a lonely kid. I had very few playmates because my mother was such a mean drunk. Even on social media sites people will ignore you if you came from a "bad" family.
Entwistle · 56-60, M
It's fine,no harm someone wanting to learn something.
Carlisle · F
Yes usually everyone has good intentions and just being friendly.
SW-User
I don't mind them asking if they do it in a respectful way.
sciguy18 · M
I have no problem with people asking questions.
caPnAhab · 26-30, M
Better to help them learn. I rake no offense
Iwillwait · M
People be like:





Burnley123 · 41-45, M
I think it's better to ask than to assume.
Dino11 · M
I'm an open book, when it comes to that.
Lilred2289 · 31-35, F
I don’t mind at all.
If people want to know about Scotland, I'm game. Even if it's about my ancestors killing people in their beds
PirateMonkeyCabinet · 36-40, M
In terms of asking, it's not really how they ask but the context that matters to me. If someone asks I'd generally just answer. Same goes if it's asked in a way some would construe as offensive; context is what matters to me. If it's clear they were looking to cause trouble or otherwise actively discriminate then sure we'd have a problem. If it wasn't really meant offensively or was said jokingly, say someone said something as silly as "are you one of them half-breeds?" (or worse) I'd probably just laugh and try to come up with a funny return and at the same time answer.

Mostly the same about assumptions too, context and intention (mostly!) matter more than the assumption itself... although there are a select few that irks me.

 
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