MovieChat Forums > American History X (1998) Discussion > Do you really think Derek was really rac...

Do you really think Derek was really racist? Or even Seth?

posted 8 years ago by unknown1000
6 replies | jump to latest

The reason I ask this, and some people might disagree, is that many of the character didn't use said racial slurs to those groups much yet they used it when those groups were off screen?

EXAMPLE: (and I'm censoring this so I don't offend anybody) When Seth is talking to Danny, he says that the African American teacher Sweeny is a *f ing n***er", yet during the basketball game he never used the n word i think he used the word Black.

another example is when Derek tells the Black basketball players he says something like "if we win then you get your black asses outta here". He doesent say "if we win then you get your n***er asses outta here" so would that still say that he is racist?

im sorry if this seems like a awkward post or if it doesn't sound right, im just being careful with how i write it.

This is just something i wondered. thank you

[–] TompaDompa 8 years ago

Yes. They clearly believe that not all races are equal. That's what it means to be racist. It's entirely possible to be racist without using racial slurs, as well as vice versa.

Don't listen to the negative ones; their arguments are irrational.

[–] Man-In-Black08 8 years ago

The most likely reason they didn't call black people "ni@@er" to their faces, especially at the basketball court, was because they realised it could lead to violence. The basketball game was against gang members. They stood a good chance of getting shot if they started hurling racial slurs at them.

[–] mikeyg24 8 years ago

It's thinking not words that make them racist, it's not a congenital condition, it's not etched into your DNA from birth it doesn't fuse with your soul nor is it a physiological disease, it's a condition programmed into the mind which promotes negative feelings and emotion which in turn are directed against the individuals in question.

Hey! You're not old enough to drink! Now go and die for your country!!!

[–] unknown1000 8 years ago

However, Lamont called Derek a cracker (a racist word for someone who is Caucasian).

[–] mikeyg24 8 years ago

He also says 'in the joint, you the ni***r, not me. Words are cheap. If you had read my post correctly you would see I give no weight to vernacular attitude. People call each other all types of names all the time as a general insult it doesn't necessarily have to indicate a feeling or pattern of thinking. Given the type of person he was dealing with Lamont probably figured he needed to meet Derek on his level as much as possible to show him he wasn't going to be a pushover.

Hey! You're not old enough to drink! Now go and die for your country!!!

[–] nightcal 8 years ago

I think this post shows how people have a very narrow definition of what racism is. You don't do all the stuff Derek does, including becoming a neo-Nazi and think all the things he does about other races being inferior, without being racist. The fact that he does not use a specific word does not disqualify him from being racist.

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