A new study finds that stupidity is the one constant factor behind racism. The report from Brock University in Ontario also said that people with low intelligence tend to gravitate toward socially conservative ideologies.

Gordon Hodson, the lead researcher, said that children with low intelligence demonstrated the same prejudiced attitudes as low intelligence adults. This causes a vicious cycle where hatred literally breeds hatred.

Hodson said that his research is attempting to find out why people are racist. Hodson said:

“Prejudice is extremely complex and multifaceted, making it critical that any factors contributing to bias are uncovered and understood.”

The study, of course, will cause some controversy. Brian Nosek, a social and cognitive psychologist at the University of Virginia, told Live Science:

“They’ve pulled off the trifecta of controversial topics. When one selects intelligence, political ideology and racism and looks at any of the relationships between those three variables, it’s bound to upset somebody.”

Nosek says that several studies have connected right-wing ideals with racism, but why the relationship exists is still a bit of a mystery. Hodson believes that the question of intelligence could connect all three together.

Hodson did say, however, that his study does not conclude that all conservatives are ignorant racists. Hodson said:

“There are multiple examples of very bright conservatives and not-so-bright liberals, and many examples of very principled conservatives and very intolerant liberals.”

According to the study, people with low IQs may be drawn toward conservative beliefs because they offer structure. Hodson said that people who have a hard time understanding the the complexities of the world find comfort in a simple believe system. Hodson said:

“Socially conservative ideologies tend to offer structure and order. Unfortunately, many of these features can also contribute to prejudice.”

What do you think? Is racism tied to intelligence? Are conservative people more likely to be prejudiced?

Conservative Beliefs, Low IQ, Linked to Racism is a post from: The Inquisitr

“If Frederick got two beatings per day, how many beatings did he get in 1 week?” Is the answer 14? Or “are you kidding me Beaver Ridge Elementary School in Norcross, Georgia with this slavery homework assignment? My kid is not answering that question.”

A school in Georgia gave its elementary school students a slavery homework assignment that asked children to solve different word problems based around slavery. One question asked:  “Each tree had 56 oranges. If 8 slaves pick them equally, then how much would each slave pick?”

The Atlanta Journal Constitution reports that the principal at the school will personally work with teachers to come up with more appropriate lessons. But parents at the Georgia school, where a majority of the students are minorities, are demanding an apology.

Christopher Braxton, a parent, said:

“It kind of blew me away. I was furious. … Something like this shouldn’t be embedded into a kid of the third, fourth, fifth, any grade.”

According to the AJC, the last accountability report for Beaver Ridge says that there are 1200 students at the school. 62% are hispanic,  24% are black, and 5% are white.

Jennifer Falk, a community activist, said:

“I think the teachers should be reprimanded for using that poor judgment, and an apology should be made. But the bigger question is how could something like this happen?”

The slavery homework assignment should have been reviewed by the district before it was distributed to students, but according to district spokeswoman Sloan Roach, that didn’t happen in this case.

The Beaver Ridge Elementary School isn’t the only organization getting in trouble for racism lately. A Papa John’s customer recently received a receipt with a racial slur printed on it. Papa John’s fired the employee who issued the receipt and offered a public apology. Do you think the Beaver Ridge Elementary School should do the same?

Slavery Homework Assignment Teaches Racism, Not Math is a post from: The Inquisitr

New York Police Department (NYPD) officer Michael Daragjati has been charged with using racial slurs against a black man earlier this year while later bragging that he lied about the man’s resisting arrest charge.

After leaving the black mans court hearing Daragjati, 32, was recorded on his phone as he said:

“I sat there for a couple of hours by the time I got it all done but, fried another n***er … No big deal.”

As if that information wasn’t damning enough for the eight-year veteran of the NYPD he’s also being brought up on extortion charges for punching and then threatening a neighbor who he thought stole his snowplow.

Adding to the officers troubles he has been accused of intentionally bashing a truck while claiming that it was nothing more than an accident.

In the meantime the officers charges may actually help civil rights groups who have long argued that New York City officials should end their stop-and-frisk program which they say unfairly targets blacks and Latinos.

The news of racial targeting comes after a former NYPD detective alleged that framing people is a routine practice used to meet departmental quotas.

Are you surprised to learn that a NYPD officer could be charged with so many different crimes before his case makes headlines and he’s suspended?

NYPD Officer Charged With Racial Attacks And Extortion is a post from: The Inquisitr

Recently Hank Williams Jr. has been in the news because of a statement he made that compared President Obama to Hitler and that got him into hot water with ESPN. The comments were made during his appearance on Fox News Channel’s morning show Fox & Friends and quickly spread through the web along.

For years Williams Jr. has been associated with ESPN and Monday Night Football with his song “All My Rowdy Friends” became the opening theme song for the Monday night NFL game. Immediately following Williams Jr’s statement ESPN pulled the song from the last Monday’s NFL game and issued a statement distancing the company from Hank Williams Jr; but there was no mention of it being a permanent situation.

That stance has apparently changed as ESPN issued a statement today saying that they have decided to part ways with Williams Jr permanently. In a statement released by Williams Jr he tried to spin the situation to make it his decision to pull the song claiming his First Amendment rights where stepped on.

ESPN has decided that rather than replace the opening song with another musical intro they will instead be going with a narrated opening by Detroit Lions Hall of Famer Barry Sanders. The open will highlight the stadium atmosphere and then cut to preview segments with booth commentators.

via Hollywood Reporter.

Hank Williams Jr. permanently cut from Monday Night Football by ESPN is a post from: The Inquisitr

Everyone with an iPhone has been a victim of autoincorrect at least once- share a story in the comments?

[via]

iPhone autocorrect- it’s totally racist is a post from: The Inquisitr

If Aquafresh offends your racial sensibilities with their colors-in-harmony, you might want to try this “white power” toothpaste.

[via reddit]

For racially pure teeth and fewer cavities is a post from: The Inquisitr

As if sleeping with the husband of America’s Sweetheart didn’t make this woman hated enough, there’s always this Nazi pin-up photo shoot dug up by TMZ to serve as a character reference for Michelle McGee.

Yes, the woman blabbed to the media about her lengthy affair with Sandra Bullock’s husband Jesse James, just weeks after Bullock won her first Oscar for her role in “The Blind Side.” McGee claims that James carried out an affair with her the entire time Bullock was filming “The Blind Side,” and that was pretty awful and enough to find her distasteful. But the appearance of the pics below, coupled with TMZ’s assertion that some of her many tattoos are of the “white power” variety (image one, below) will hopefully dash any hopes this woman has of piggybacking off Bullock’s celebrity by hurting her.

Court documents questioning her fitness as a parent also allege that Michelle McGee has a Nazi swastika tattooed on her stomach. (Not visible in the pics, but the armband really says it all, doesn’t it?)

Jesse James mistress Michelle McGee surfaces in… a Nazi photo shoot? is a post from: The Inquisitr

Glenn Beck has been censured even by the far, far right Fox News channel.

Beck sparked some outrage when on Fox and Friends, by going off on a bit of a crazy rant about how President Obama is basically a racist with a hatred for- I’m not making this up- “white culture.”

I’m not saying he doesn’t like white people, I’m saying… he has a problem.

Video: Glenn Beck calls Obama a racist is a post from: The Inquisitr

Much has already been said elsewhere about the so-called “racist” robots from the recently released “Transformers” sequel, claiming the characters Mudflap and Skids are poor and offensive caricatures of African Americans and black culture in general – everything from the voice acting to the “gold tooth” to their facial features is being used as evidence for these arguments.  However, there are a few problems with this:

1. Who ever said they were supposed to be black characters?
2. One of the two voice actors responsible for the robots’ personalities is black.
3. It’s not racist.

Let’s assume, for simplicity of argument, that both voice actors were told to portray this kind of character, with the intent of producing a “ghetto” robot, and they both obviously agreed to participate.  Does the studio asking them to create such characters constitute racism?  Or even some sort of one-sided stereotyping?  I would argue no, and the reasons are quite clear.

First, look at any number of accepted pieces in the media:  The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, most of Eddie Murphy’s work, and anything Tyler Perry has ever sketched an outline for on a napkin.  Do they not include generalizations and stereotypes?  If so, does the race of the characters’ creator somehow alter the offensiveness?  Stereotypes prevail in media regardless of race – Everybody Loves Raymond and Will Ferrell movies will easily prove this as true for those who happen to be white.

Second, how can these robots be caricatures when the behaviors and language are modeled off of reality?  Compare Mudflap or Skids to Lil Wayne, Kanye West, or most modern rappers/”gangstas” – are there discernible differences?  Does Transformers take it past the point of reality as an over-the-top portrayal of real life?  No.

Bill Cosby famously once said that the rappers and “gangstas” of the world were doing nothing but perpetuating their own stereotypes to the detriment of their race.  By these kinds of personalities being included in modern movies, and even portrayed by futuristic robots, it could be argued that the purveyors of such culture finally won the battle – they are recognized as a cultural subset worthy of big screen attention.

Is it sad to see such changes happen in the modern world, both on and off the screen?  Of course – any time people choose to be unintelligent and offensive for the simple reason of being so, it is a loss to humanity.  But is it racist for these changes to appear on the silver screen?  No – most movies are a presentation of an augmented reality, and Transformers is no different in this regard.

So let’s leave Michael Bay alone, alright?

Kyle Brady is a contributing columnist for the Inquisitr, an entrepreneur, and has a future in science fiction.  He can be found at his blog, via email, or on Twitter.

Reality Check: “Transformers 2″ Is Not Racist is a post from: The Inquisitr