Thursday, May 22, 2008

Everone is racist

Everyone is racist- but not everyone is a Racist. When I lived in California- race was an issue but it wasn't the issue. Since moving to Texas- nine days out of ten, an issue regarding race comes up. Am I just more aware of race since moving? I don't know. It just comes up in everything.
Today I had a long discussion about the Black responsibility in dealing with racial issues and again was tagged with the "Uncle-Tom" title. The same people who cited a Tom Wise authored article on the white responsibility to race attempted to discredit my opinions. Earlier, I stated that racism in America (at this point in time) isn't a Black/White issue so much as it is a Black issue. In quoting a white person's message to white people - the same people made a stronger case for my message to black people. They don't see it that way. Personal responsibility only applies to white people?
There are so many "ist"s ; sexist, racist, fascist, ... . I'm pretty sick of the titles when many people don't understand their meanings. How can it be racist when a white person uses the term "those people" (in referring to others of a different race) but not when a Mexican, Black, Asian or whatever use it to describe whites? I'm not an apologist for whites. I just think that ascribing a higher standard for whites implies the inferiority of other races and cultures. I think that we need to get to the point where race isn't the issue, to where race just becomes incidental.
I may be inherently racist but I try not to let those judgements determine how I treat others. Some would argue that this example is just using prudent judgement predicated on race, culture or looks and since I don't mistreat people based on these judgements - I'm not really racist. It's still racist, just to an acceptable degree. I'm racist - not a Racist.

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