First and foremost let me say I am not trying to call any of you racist, and often here I am making generalisations. I think everyone at some point in their life will have either thought or said something racist, it's almost inevitable - maybe you have a relative or co-worker or whatever who has disdain for a certain race, and tells you his/her beliefs. These beliefs may have some influence on you. The important thing is not to let it build up to severe prejudice. For example, I used to have a friend, who seemed ok, then I found out he viewed indians/pakistanis as inferior peoples, and held support for the BNP (British National Party - a fascist party - i'm british - this is why it's relavant). His prejudice began as a joke, then developed. Racism can also be influenced by the location of your home/upbringing. If you were raised where i'm from - middle england - a monocultural place - or perhaps the south/midwest US, then you will have a greater chance of being racist. If you are from an urban centre, then you will probably live in a multi cultural area, and therefore be more tolerant to other races. The worst I have done was to make racist remarks to various black people, when i was alot younger. I was called on this, and so made it my business not to let it happen again. i now strive to make sure I have no prejudice to other races, and am frequently apalled by other members of my local community - white Brits with often right wing views (I am white as well btw). The point is that racism is one of the worst forms of discrimination, and can lead to terrible things (ever heard of the holocaust, the great purge, or apartheid?). Therefore, it is important to keep it out of all of our lives, and tolerate each other.
I'm done now, it's all good