Someone I know (when discussing Trump) said "I'm uncomfortable around black people, does that make me a bad person?" And it got me thinking. Though I do believe that it's awful to hold a view like the aforementioned, he/she is one of the sweetest people I know. And despite what he/she confessed he/she still treats black people with respect and kindness. Yet he/she still admits the discomfort. So I wanted to know what others thought.

No, it doesn't. Everyone's a little racist.

If someone has many bad experiences with people of a certain race, I can see why they think a certain race, but if they flat out look down on people because of their race or use race to discredit someone, then they are flat out racist assholes.

^^Relevant link quote about outright vs. masked racism.

You can be uncomfortable without being a dick about it, like in Z's example. You can't help the way you feel, but you can help the way you treat people.

^ That's why I lean more towards disagree; actions speak louder than words. And on top of it I think (to some degree) it's like arrogance or selfishness or greed. All are ugly traits and can end up hurting others but most people only view those as one trait within a person. And one trait shouldn't rule out all positive traits. Again I don't condone racism and it's an ugly trait but if the person keeps it to themselves I don't think that the person is all around bad.

it is a bad way to see things.......
but people can be good in many ways....
if they do more good than bad then they are good people
racism is not good it is a terrible ugly trait, i say this as a human who has faced racism....
... but people can do many good things even if they be racist....
it is not a good thing but it is not poisonous to a whole person if they are good about it and not harming others based on the races they have

link

@AxisOfAwesome Agreed, I simply think that people are more than one trait. Racism = dreadful. But as you said; if they are good about it and not harming others then I think that their good traits out weigh the bad.

@Riku I think your link is broken.

Maybe not through and through but I have an extremely low tolerance for racism. It very rarely just stops at mere prejudice. Take Zanhar's example of her friend that is uncomfortable around black people. Sure she/he might treat them well now but what happens in the future? What if they are hiring someone for a job and without even really thinking about it turn down a black person's application because they have a bad feeling about the person? It might be so subconscious that they don't really even realize they're doing it because of race, but if enough people act this way, and just remain apathetic to race issues as a whole you get the horrible situation black folks are in now.

I think Zanhar's friend is a bad person. Maybe not for having that feeling, no one can really control how they feel. But for trying to wave it away and pretend that it isn't problematic and something that needs to be addressed.

I should add that this friend is in her 40's. I think at this point it's safe to say that he/she isn't going to change much for the worse. Of course (s)he could be a rare example. This friend is very good with keeping biases to him/herself. In general, addressing younger people with these views it's more up in the air. Make or break; they can either continue to simply keep biases in check, end up becoming more accepting of x race, or start acting aggressively. No one is the same and I think it could go any way. I hope I explained that well.

Speaking generally a person with this view in a hiring position could be a bit more damaging. As this person is directly impacting another. Fear is powerful and it's definitely an issue with an interviewing job. But I still don't think that it makes them 100% bad. Espically if they realize that they have this unconscious biases and aim to fix them. I simply think that a person is more than one ugly trait. And that if they can keep that trait in check (though changing it would be better) that it isn't quite as harmful. Granted there are always exceptions and specifications as you examplified above.

I'm also going to say (in defense of said friend) that he/she isn't waving it off that's why he/she asked me in the first place. 40 years into his/her view, growing up with a racist mom, he/she is starting to question those beliefs. If that makes sense. I suppose I should have added that in my first comment but I wanted to get to the point.

Ask yourself if you are NOT racist, does that automatically make you a good person through and through? Likely not, because like with being racist there are other deciding factors that determine whether you are a good or bad person. Racism/acceptance isn't the only one.

^ That's a very good way of phrasing it.

^^I disagree with that logic. Take some unequivocally bad things -

Murderers: "not being a murderer" doesn't mean you're a good person. But you're still a bad person if you are a murderer.
Ergo Nazis, rapists, lawyers.

So I don't think the negative has much bearing on this question. "Not being racist" is not really an indicator of how bad/good you are - there are many other more important deciding factors, like you said. However, being racist is an important deciding factor. I would say one of the most important ones.

Not necessarily decisive. But a significant and compelling indication. And I agree with Aang: being racist yet "trying to wave it away and pretend that it isn't problematic and something that needs to be addressed" is more important than the feeling itself. And it depends on circumstances: is this person racist because they've been brought up like that in some backwater with no exposure to opposing ideas and actual facts? Or is this person in a metropolitan place, in contact with people of other races, and have they been exposed to the statistics and facts of the matter, yet still they think other races are inferior? If it's the latter, I'd find it hard to regard them as a good person.

Historically there have been some pretty good people who were kind of racist because of the culture in which they were raised.