CDZ Legitimizing racism?

[Circe]

Come on. You know as well as I that words matter and how one expresses one's ideas is important. I suspect that you, I and plenty of others can talk about race all day long and never once say a damn thing that panders to political correctness, that is tacitly obsequious toward thin skins, or that could without "stretching" be construed as a racist remark.

I know damn well that if I can do it, and others who aren't entrusted to serve in the highest offices in the land can do it, then it's not asking too much of our elected and appointed high office holders to the same. Of course, one who is indeed a racist probably cannot do so and/or may not be willing to make the effort to do so; or doing so, would think themselves as pandering to political correctness, which, being a racist, they'd be right to think that.

But that would be silly. Just SAY it. Just SAY what you think, and don't apologize for it. All this dodging, and dancing, and tip-toeing!! We need to stop this, just say what we think, and blast the people who do the racist-racist name-calling.

 

[BulletProof]

1. For the word "racism" to remain a uniquely negative allegation, "two terms must be met: 'Racism' must be clearly and narrowly defined; and the definition must be one that the vast majority of people accept."

Hello. Jewish Journal? I wouldn't make it a habit of reading the works of that filthy gentry which hates Christ, unless your goal is to know your enemy.

The extreme daily abuse and misuse of the term "racism" has failed to diminish the impact, to any degree, of the uniquely negative allegation.

The left yells racism, and the right runs around in groveling panic. On this point, Trump has been a bright exception

 

[usmbguest5318]

Come on. You know as well as I that words matter and how one expresses one's ideas is important. I suspect that you, I and plenty of others can talk about race all day long and never once say a damn thing that panders to political correctness, that is tacitly obsequious toward thin skins, or that could without "stretching" be construed as a racist remark.

I know damn well that if I can do it, and others who aren't entrusted to serve in the highest offices in the land can do it, then it's not asking too much of our elected and appointed high office holders to the same. Of course, one who is indeed a racist probably cannot do so and/or may not be willing to make the effort to do so; or doing so, would think themselves as pandering to political correctness, which, being a racist, they'd be right to think that.

But that would be silly. Just SAY it. Just SAY what you think, and don't apologize for it. All this dodging, and dancing, and tip-toeing!! We need to stop this, just say what we think, and blast the people who do the racist-racist name-calling.

Just SAY it. Just SAY what you think, and don't apologize for it.

As goes the context of racism and remarks/deeds that may by others be plausibly and with reasonable probability be construed as indicative of one's being a racist:

I, likely most folks, have no problem with individuals/groups saying what they think so long as the speakers/actors realize that they will be held accountable for thinking what it is they express in words/deeds. If one doesn't care to be held accountable for thinking the thoughts one expresses, then one is well advised not to share the thoughts one has. The words and the saying of them is not at all problematic in most instances; actually having the thoughts one does may or may not be problematic.

Part of prudence is recognizing that one would prefer not to be held to account for a thought one has expressed in words (or deeds), and therefore keeping mum about such thoughts. Another part of prudence is knowing the potential implications of one's words and deeds and, if one cannot keep mum, bothering to also express more completely the nature and extent to which some or all of those plausible and reasonably probable (others might call that "foreseeable") implications are not part of what what one has/had in mind when uttering the words or doing one's deeds.

Just SAY it. Just SAY what you think, and don't apologize for it.

It's probably worth noting that it's rare that any single remark is going to seal one's fate as goes being labeled a racist. That said, depending on the expectations incumbent on a speaker -- whether "you" think the expectations should be extant is beside the point; if they're present because the culture puts them there, they are then and therefor present and must be considered by the speaker because many members of the speaker's audience will -- a speaker may not get a "pass" in the aftermath of having made remarks (deeds) that were they made by others who not subject to those same expectations, would be overlooked or, at least, accorded markedly less significance.

that would be silly.

In consideration of my remarks above, what strikes me as silly is not realizing the concepts I've described while also holding and/or wanting to hold very public role in society. I'm not of the mind that one has to like the way a culture places higher expectations on individuals whom it grants the privilege of being in a spotlight. I'm of the mind that if one is such an individual, to retain one's vaunted position thus, one would do well to acknowledge the burdens attendant to it, earning it, and having it. Alternatively, one can reject those burdens and endure the consequences, one of which rightly, depending on the nature of the culture of which one is a part, may well be one's "fall from grace."​

 

[Circe]

In consideration of my remarks above, what strikes me as silly is not realizing the concepts I've described while also holding and/or wanting to hold very public role in society. I'm not of the mind that one has to like the way a culture places higher expectations on individuals whom it grants the privilege of being in a spotlight. I'm of the mind that if one is such an individual, to retain one's vaunted position thus, one would do well to acknowledge the burdens attendant to it, earning it, and having it. Alternatively, one can reject those burdens and endure the consequences, one of which rightly, depending on the nature of the culture of which one is a part, may well be one's "fall from grace."​

What Trump's ascension to the presidency teaches us is that we can fight back against the thought and speech bullies and say what we think, as Trump did and nevertheless succeeded. I take that lesson and many others I've learned from him very seriously.