why do we classify people into races?

[shadow]

What would happen if we did away with classifications and just referred everyone as citizens or earthlings?
Would prejudice go away? Could things be equal for everyone? Would I have to be sorry if did something incorrect? Who would you blame then?

[alextemplet]

Doing away with racial distinctions will largely solve nothing, mainly because most people will still make such distinctions. Equality can still exist even with racial distinctions, as long as one race is not elevated above another.

[Ultrashogun]

What would happen if we did away with classifications and just referred everyone as citizens or earthlings?
Would prejudice go away? Could things be equal for everyone? Would I have to be sorry if did something incorrect? Who would you blame then?

Because we are scientists and when we see somebody whos skin has a completely different color then we make distinctions between those people and others.

[alextemplet]

Let's remember, racism is a much bigger problem in single-race cultures than it is in inter-racial ones. In Haiti, for example, a country that is 99% black, people are racists against other blacks of lighter or darker complexion than others. We think of racism as being only between different races, but it isn't. People will always find something to hate, no matter what.

[shadow]

In the movie"The Gods must be crazy", the topic was the how the introduction of a Coke bottle created such disturbance within the tribe of otherwise peaceful people. Until finally the main character had to toss it off the edge of the world.
We should have stopped there. Now we have microwave ovens, cable tv, cell phones. How much do we have to have, before it is enough? How much bling is taking away from the basic needs of the family structure? My kids will just won't have food and clothing, but Goddamn if I am going to give up my DUBS!!

[mith]

Let's remember, racism is a much bigger problem in single-race cultures than it is in inter-racial ones. In Haiti, for example, a country that is 99% black, people are racists against other blacks of lighter or darker complexion than others. We think of racism as being only between different races, but it isn't. People will always find something to hate, no matter what.

Look at star trek and how they depict a society in which all of humanity is united because it turns out we have more in common with each other than with other aliens....and yet we still will discriminate against aliens.

[Ultrashogun]

Let's remember, racism is a much bigger problem in single-race cultures than it is in inter-racial ones. In Haiti, for example, a country that is 99% black, people are racists against other blacks of lighter or darker complexion than others. We think of racism as being only between different races, but it isn't. People will always find something to hate, no matter what.

Look at star trek and how they depict a society in which all of humanity is united because it turns out we have more in common with each other than with other aliens....and yet we still will discriminate against aliens.

**** those Klingons.

[nugget]

As Ultrashogun first said its actually just a term to separate different populations by their skin colour, but what is interesting that genetically there is more variation within a population than there is between populations.

Racism is an unscientific stupid hting that exist and will always exist because we are always comparing ourselves. even within "races" there is predujice and jealousy. OOhhhh my neighbour has a better car than i do, Even early humans -- conquered the neandrathals, out competed them, as they migrated out of Africa --- if you agree with that theory that is we have just been big bossy prejudiced well majority anyway....

Its just the ways too many of us humans think. im so sorry, but it will never go away, its just one of those things. But think about how rich different cultures make our world! you need a positive of good and bad, so just you making peace with your brother is enough of a contribution

[LilKim]

Prejudice will never go away .... people will always find a way to identify another "group" of people as being inferior to themselves.

I was born in a country where over 90% of the population is black ... yet, a great deal of discrimination exists (depending upon if you have a light or dark complexion ... and if your hair is straight versus "nappy" .. of course those with lighter complexion and straighter hair are considered to be beautiful)

... a good movie that says alot about discrimination and racisms = Hotel Rwanda.

check it out