Is racisim a mental illness??

[FreudianSlip]

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This past Sunday, I was bored, and was watching a Law & Order marathon on tv. Anyway, one episode was about a white guy why shot and killed a black guy who butted in front of him to catch a cab. He claimed he was a racist, and that because of that he had a mental illness and could not be held responsible for the crime.
Now, I know it is "just a TV show"..but they do tend to rip from the headlines now and then. Anyway, the defense shrink said that even though it was not in the DSM book of mental illness, the guy had an "unreasonable fear of minorities that caused him to feel they were all out to get him, and were against him".
What do you think? Seems to me that people try to claim mental illness as a defense for anything. Now, I am not making light of people with mental illness, it is out there, and folks do need help for a legitimate illness. But still...
What do you think? How would you have voted if on the jury? The jury on the show threw out his defense and said guilty as sin.

[Twitchin Kitten]

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I'd say that's a clever tactic by the defense on a TV show but I don't see how that would even fly in real life.

Racism is not a mental illness by any stretch of the imagination as far as I'm concerned and you couldn't sway me on that one. People are prejudiced by nature. Same for animals. That's like saying alcoholism is an illness when we all know damn well it is not. You develop or 'catch' an illness, you can't catch alcoholism (or any other addictions).

[FreudianSlip]

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I am with you. It is an interesting concept, and actually I am surprised no one has tried it out as a defense.
I guess there is a fine line when you discuss the addiction/disease thing.

It has been discussed that I have a addiction (to what is irrelevant, but this is NOT hypothetical). More that certain behaviors I exhibt border on addiction...and may need some medical intervention from a Mental Health professional, who I am seeing in a few weeks. BUT, I guess just because something can be treated with meds, does not clasify it as a disease.

I think some addictive personalities can run in families...but it is still not catchy..like the flu or something.

[AnthonyG]

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I believe you can have a genetic weakness towards substances like alcohol and other things in general, just how on the other end people are drug resistant or resistant to certain virus's and bacteria. It has been strongly documented in history that american Indians had little tolerance to alcohol and most that came into contact with alcohol,became alcoholics. However back on topic ,we know so little about the mind and its true workings, that anything is possible however proving it would be extremely hard.

[LKTraz]

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Racism is a learned behavior. Yes, there is a natural degree of prejudice inherent in all creatures including we humans but, ACTUAL racism is most certainly a learned attitude.

[Discarda]

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Is racism a MENTAL ILLNESS, IN A WORD... NO.

[FreudianSlip]

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LKT..I agree with your assesment that it is a learned behavior. I am with the whole children learn what they live attitude.
But I also believe the opposite can be true...children can go against what they witness growing up. Both my parents have very racist attitudes against minorities. Not KKK attitudes, but the "they are not to be socialized with" attitude. I grew up watching, and not understanding their behavior..and found I am much more tolerant than they every were. My brother took on much of their belief system, but I did not.

[Discarda]

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Still does not negate that racism is not a mental illness, you can learn and change your behaviors throughout your entire life, you can become racist from your life experiences as an adult.

It is not a mental illness it can be a reaction to anything that happens through your life.