Race - Should It Be Ignored?

[Revoltingest]

I noticed in an article about a crime that police released descriptions of the perps being sought.
We know they're female & young, & we have detailed descriptions of their clothing & hair.
But race isn't mentioned at all. Wouldn't this be useful to know? But if it's wrong, then is it
also wrong to give accounts of their gender?

12 Girls Haul Teenagers Off Subway by Hair, Steal Cell Phone: Cops | NBC New York

Are we too politically correct about race?

 

[Iti oj]

Race is an illusion their is not genetic difference only different phenotypes. The real issue here is socioeconomics

 

[Willamena]

Well, not the Indy 500, but other races can be ignored.

Does it concern you that it wasn't mentioned because they were white?

 

[Revoltingest]

Well, not the Indy 500....

Boring! I ignore it.

Does it concern you that it wasn't mentioned because they were white?

No. Were whites involved?
I don't even know which were the victims & which were the perps in the video.

 

[Me Myself]

Yes, it would be useful to know if they are white or black or "latina".

It´s a very prominent part of the visual description to talk about their skin color.

 

[Revoltingest]

Race is an illusion their is not genetic difference only different phenotypes. The real issue here is socioeconomics

It might be an illusion, but race is central in politics & in identifying people.
As a business owner, my state requires me to identify my race. The US census form requires the same.
Cops use race as a characteristic to identify people, along with height, weight, eye color, scars, etc.
I don't believe in pretending that "race" doesn't exist in some cases, while acknowledging it in others.

 

[MysticSang'ha]

I think it's difficult to qualify physical descriptors with race.

Does skin color equate to race? The Cherokee in my blood makes me dark-skinned pretty easily, but that doesn't change my race. Heck, there have been some summers when I've been darker than some of my friends who are African-American!

I think if the dispatch and report were to describe using terms like "dark-skinned" instead of "black", it might not blur the lines as much.

 

[no-body]

Race on an apb for the police is a lot different. Race shouldn't matter to us but it is still there.

Still a nebulous term. I never know what to put down on forms for my race except hispanic I ignore the white, black, whatever portion because none of them describe me. My family is a huge mixture of God only knows what.

 

[gnomon]

I noticed in an article about a crime that police released descriptions of the perps being sought.
We know they're female & young, & we have detailed descriptions of their clothing & hair.
But race isn't mentioned at all. Wouldn't this be useful to know? But if it's wrong, then is it
also wrong to give accounts of their gender?

12 Girls Haul Teenagers Off Subway by Hair, Steal Cell Phone: Cops | NBC New York

Are we too politically correct about race?

I don't know why there is an issue in describing someone as dark skin, black, white, pale, olive skinned, etc.

It's no different than describing someone's hair color. There's no need to refer to it as race. Just provide a physical description that is a point of fact.

Is there any use in bothering with certain classifications that reference outdated racial concepts or more relevant ethnic ones? I do think so. One only need to look at our prison system to see that there still exists an institutionalized problem regarding views towards race and ethnicity that cannot be simply explained away by historical economic inequity.

 

[bobhikes]

It might be an illusion, but race is central in politics & in identifying people.
As a business owner, my state requires me to identify my race. The US census form requires the same.
Cops use race as a characteristic to identify people, along with height, weight, eye color, scars, etc.
I don't believe in pretending that "race" doesn't exist in some cases, while acknowledging it in others.

First off the police released a video. I assume it has pictures. Second race is not a valid characteristic. If I say the white man, black man, hispanic man and he is not in the room what have I told you. If there are ten of each in the room what have I told you.

So lets say in NY City I ask you to find me a specific 6 foot black man that speaks english. Do you really think you could find the one I want.

You need lots of details when describing a person the more detailed the better. When you say white man you have said nothing. The range for your specific colors is much to big to be useful.

 

[Falvlun]

So lets say in NY City I ask you to find me a specific 6 foot black man that speaks english. Do you really think you could find the one I want.

Well, it would give me more to go on than if you just told me the suspect was a 6ft man.

I agree with gnomon. Skin color can be a useful descriptor and is a more accurate term to use than "race", which is outdated, loaded, and not as precise.

 

[Skwim]

While "race" in a taxonomic sense is no longer valid, in other fields, like forensic anthropology, it still serves an important role. And, in common vernacular the term does differentiate those people with unique physical characteristics from others. I suppose we could come up with some other term to designate these sets of characteristics common to groups of people, but to what purpose? We'd still be speaking to the "racial" differences we now recognize. So, while "race" has been tainted in our efforts to erase various social discriminations, I think the word is still beneficial in certain contexts, one being law enforcement where profiling suspects is important. So to those who bridle at any use of "race," get over yourselves, and recognize that the word has other uses besides abetting discrimination. No need to throw out the baby with the bath water.

 

[no-body]

I don't know why there is an issue in describing someone as dark skin, black, white, pale, olive skinned, etc.

There is a taboo surrounding this which I think has to do with bigotry towards those with darker skin by those with lighter skin even within the same race. You are correct though it would be a more valid descriptor than race but I'm not sure society would accept it very readily.

 

[Hawkeye112200]

I like e.e. cummings take on race:

To like an individual because he's black is just as insulting as to dislike him because he isn't white.

 

[Skwim]

I like e.e. cummings take on race:

To like an individual because he's black is just as insulting as to dislike him because he isn't white.​

Why should ones likes and dislikes be regarded as insulting? Can we really help what we like and dislike? Do you actually choose to like sweet over sour? I doubt it. So, if we don't really choose such things why should we be held responsible for them? And if we aren't responsible for them why consider some of them insulting? Seems like cummings blew this one.

 

[Hawkeye112200]

Why should ones likes and dislikes be regarded as insulting? Can we really help what we like and dislike? Do you actually choose to like sweet over sour? I doubt it. So, if we don't really choose such things why should we be held responsible for them? And if we aren't responsible for them why consider some of them insulting? Seems like cummings blew this one.

Simple.
Humans are not born to like or dislike the color of skin. It is a learned horrible way of life.
Humans however, are born to like or dislike sweets or sours.

cummings got this one dead right.

 

[Skwim]

Simple.
Humans are not born to like or dislike the color of skin. It is a learned horrible way of life.
Humans however, are born to like or dislike sweets or sours.

cummings got this one dead right.

Yeah, that was a poor comparison. I'll rephrase.

"Why should one's likes and dislikes be regarded as insulting? Can we really help what we like and dislike? Do you actually choose to like heavy metal music over classical, or fiction over non-fiction? I doubt it. So, if we don't really choose such things why should we be held responsible for them? And if we aren't responsible for them why consider some of them insulting? Seems like cummings blew this one."
​

 

[Nashitheki]

It would be nice. Living in a southern rural area of mostly Anglos, I'm sometimes called a Mexican. Not there's anything wrong with being Mexican, that is when one is dealing with normal folks instead of the 'Larry the Cable Guy' gang accusing me of coming to America illegally and taking their jobs.

 

[Revoltingest]

First off the police released a video. I assume it has pictures. Second race is not a valid characteristic. If I say the white man, black man, hispanic man and he is not in the room what have I told you. If there are ten of each in the room what have I told you.
So lets say in NY City I ask you to find me a specific 6 foot black man that speaks english. Do you really think you could find the one I want.
You need lots of details when describing a person the more detailed the better. When you say white man you have said nothing. The range for your specific colors is much to big to be useful.

Certainlly, racial descriptions can be difficult & inaccurate. They can also be spot on.
The same is true of gender, albeit to a lesser extent.
Every now & then I meet someone whom I couldn't identify as either male or female.
So if a descriptive trait isn't 100% useful, should it be avoided?
Is it then wrong to use even gender in a description?

 

[Revoltingest]

It would be nice. Living in a southern rural area of mostly Anglos, I'm sometimes called a Mexican. Not there's anything wrong with being Mexican, that is when one is dealing with normal folks instead of the 'Larry the Cable Guy' gang accusing me of coming to America illegally and taking their jobs.

Yeah, Indian & Hispanic folk too often look like each other & also like us Scot/German mongrels.
There certainly are limitations & problems using race.