Is There Such A Thing As Unintentional Racism?

Racism is probably the most damaging aspect of our society. If you dissect many social issues, and analyze their root causes, you are bound to find racism and or prejudice present on some level. The concept of race as a criteria for ones character is ridiculous, invalid, and void of all reason. It is nothing more than a thorn in the side of the human condition. But the question that I have often struggled with is whether racism is always intentional. On many occasions while pondering this notion I have made an effort to erase this question from my mind. Writing it off as over analysis, mainly because I have a habit of over analyzing. Figuring, of course, that all of the hatred, violence and discrimination directed toward minorities has to be intentional given the premeditated nature of the beast. But as I get older I have begun to realize that much of our behavior as human beings is 50 percent learned, 25 percent conditioning, and 25 percent habit.
This does not excuse the behavior because the vast majority of us are cognoscente and capable of making informed decisions, if we choose too. But cultural conditioning is so pervasive in the world that it's grip and influence are virtually inescapable. In a multi-media driven world, bias, prejudice, and racism are slanted according to the agenda of those who control these outlets. As a result, stereotypes are reinforced and promoted without objectivity, and people can find like minded talking heads to validate their ignorance, not even knowing that they are ignorant.

So while I do not believe that racism is always intentional, I do believe that the decision to stay uninformed, ignorant, and in the dark, is. Simply because, for some it is easier to move a mountain than to use their minds. Anything that contradicts the general consensus of the tribe is too ludicrous to be considered because each and every member considers themselves one of the enlightened few. In other words if everyone inside of a bubble is content with the world and the concepts created and validated there in. There is no desire for most to venture out. If a persons perception of knowledge is that they know all that they need to know, there is no point or purpose in learning, and the condition continues to be a tradition.

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