Is it racist?
As I hear the word, “racist” increasingly utilized to replace merit, it not only loses its meaning, but also its impact. As a result of our children’s daily inundation at nationwide indoctrination centers (i.e., public schools), they have become overly sensitized. Without a practical perspective in approaching issues concerning race, a lacking or less sensitive stance becomes the most viable option.
Case in point:
A few years ago, I was at work late in the evening, finishing paperwork at the end of my shift (suffice it to say, I’m a vendor). I was nearly halfway done, when a fellow vendor I knew came in and decided to make what he thought was a lighthearted joke. “Hey,” he says, “my last name is just like you.” Puzzled, I said, “What’s your name?” Without blinking an eye, he responded, “coon.”
My mind immediately went to a place I did not like and caused me to think in ways I normally would not. However, I just as quickly reminded myself of who I was talking to. This was a guy I had known for a significant amount of time, and generally spoke (unintentionally, I might add) without thinking, and was considered by some to be a little, “off.” I also understood that he (to the best of my knowledge) did not have a racist bone in his body. To him, this was a harmless statement, and that’s how I took it.
Was it racist?
Your average dictionary would probably describe a racist this way: ‘A person who shows or feels discrimination or prejudice against people of other races, or who believes that a particular race is superior to another.’ So, what does that mean? Well, it basically means, or at least implies one’s intent. How many times have you heard someone make a statement that should not have been said, but you overlooked your natural response based on who they were, or by the context in which it was said? Similarly, there are also times when that same or similar statement angered you because of who they were.
Take for example, Jackie Chan in the film ‘Rush Hour’. In one of the most memorable scenes in the film, undercover detectives (played by Chris Tucker and Chan) walk into a pool hall, trying to locate a suspect. Keep in mind that this was in a predominately Black neighborhood. Tucker meets the bartender and says, “wassup, my nigga?”, and the guy responds in kind. Tucker gets some info and proceeds to another room. Chan hears this and repeats the phrase from Tucker. “Wassup, my nigga?” A fight of course ensues, and you probably know the rest.
Where do we draw the line?
The Leftist media and the like throw the word “racist” around like a ping-pong ball so much that the lines are soon blurred, and the original meaning gets lost. However, keep in mind we are talking about intent. When we miss that, our focus is then magnified based on the race of the person making the remark, and that’s dangerous. Why? Because when you attack the person, rather than the statement (i.e., ad hominem), any hope of communication is lost. Sadly, that’s exactly what the Left counts on. Anything that gets us closer to civil war is the goal. And far too many are falling for it. Are you?
Here’s the point:
We have all said things we don’t mean, or things we didn’t mean the way they were taken. God forbid that we do not all get drawn and quartered or crucified day in, day out for it. Every person making racially couched commentary is not meaning to be intentionally racist. Every time race is mentioned isn’t meant to be disparaging or insensitive. Sometimes, a statement or a comment is just that; race happens to be a component- not necessarily the subject at hand.
Does racism exist, and are there racists?
Absolutely. No one is debating that. What is of concern are the blatant labels and rampant desire to mark everyone that disagrees with you concerning race like Hester Prynne in the ‘Scarlet Letter’. Clearly, the onset of Cancel culture reveals that we are not far from making such broad convictions now.
So, the next time someone says something racial or regarding race to you, take a moment and ask yourself, based on the statement alone; not the person:
Is it racist?
