How to prove you are not racist
I thought about Joe Wilson some more. There are accusations that his outburst is related to racism, and that much of the "nazi-socialist" comments are based in racism.
Of course, there was nothing he said, during the Obama's speech or afterwards, that was even remotely racist.
However, it would be very easy for me to believe that a South Carolina Republican is racist to some extent. And when I see pictures of 9/12, teabagging, Obama-haters; I see older, blustery white people whose veins are popping with anger.
On a personal level, it is easy to accuse any white person of being racist, or rather, it is particularly hard for whites to defend that they are not.
Most people tend to spend time with their own racial group, black, white, Asian or Latino. There is nothing racist about that, but for whites, there is the idea that they are exclusionary towards minorities, which is racist.
I also think it is hard to be conservative and be open minded to other races. By definition, conservative is not open-minded.
I should point that I think almost everyone, including myself, is racist to some extent. Usually the limiting factors are intelligence, openess, politeness, and, for some, deceptiveness. I think smart and open people are less racist, and I know politeness and respect will carry you a long way in the world. Unfortunately, being deceptive about racism will also go a long way.
Of course, using the racist tag is a great way to counter the vitriol coming from the extreme right. It puts them on the defensive, and frankly, since I most of them can't prove they are not racist, it works as a great counter-tactic.
Of course, there was nothing he said, during the Obama's speech or afterwards, that was even remotely racist.
However, it would be very easy for me to believe that a South Carolina Republican is racist to some extent. And when I see pictures of 9/12, teabagging, Obama-haters; I see older, blustery white people whose veins are popping with anger.
On a personal level, it is easy to accuse any white person of being racist, or rather, it is particularly hard for whites to defend that they are not.
Most people tend to spend time with their own racial group, black, white, Asian or Latino. There is nothing racist about that, but for whites, there is the idea that they are exclusionary towards minorities, which is racist.
I also think it is hard to be conservative and be open minded to other races. By definition, conservative is not open-minded.
I should point that I think almost everyone, including myself, is racist to some extent. Usually the limiting factors are intelligence, openess, politeness, and, for some, deceptiveness. I think smart and open people are less racist, and I know politeness and respect will carry you a long way in the world. Unfortunately, being deceptive about racism will also go a long way.
Of course, using the racist tag is a great way to counter the vitriol coming from the extreme right. It puts them on the defensive, and frankly, since I most of them can't prove they are not racist, it works as a great counter-tactic.
Hey - you're blogging! I'll be sure to check back to see what you've been pondering.
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