Racism by any other name is still racism

by Gordon Cooper

From Broader View Weekly, April 18, 2008

The most recent barrage of hostile rhetoric between the warring Democrat party candidates has brought the issue of racism back to the front pages of our papers. In that sense, I believe, this historic presidential cycle has already served our nation well. I believe the issue of racism should be examined from time to time and regardless of the machine that drags it to the exam room of our minds, we should take the time to give it our full attention.

First of all, let us define what racism is and what it is not. According to the cold, dry dictionary (Random House College Dictionary Revised 1975, to be exact) racism is defined as “hatred or intolerance of another race or other races.”

Now let’s define what racism is not. Racism is not just a poor choice of words. We should not call someone racist just because she/he had a ‘slip of the tongue’ when she/he has not demonstrated a previous lifestyle of hatred or denigration of another race. Racism is not limited to one particular race, i.e. anyone can hate, and hatred of another race is racism. Regardless of the color of the skin that is stretched over the skull, if the mind within that skull is filled with hate for another person solely because that other person’s skull is covered by another color of skin, it is a racist mind. Racism is not merely seeing and recognizing differences. That is just being observant. If, however, by seeing and recognizing differences, one person suggests that those differences make one race superior or inferior to another, that is racism.

If we are to stretch the definition of racism to the point beyond that simple definition given above, we will all suffer for it and the issue will continue to fill the front pages of our papers.

We have only to glance back a few months to find examples of how dangerous and damaging it is when we re-define this term. Men and women have lost their jobs because they made a verbal gaffe. People have been expelled from schools based upon unsubstantiated charges. Companies and corporations have spent valuable time and resources to shield themselves from or restore themselves from being labeled. Politicians have twisted their words like pretzels to avoid offending potential voters.

Now, I am not claiming that words are not powerful, nor am I suggesting that we should not be careful how we use this great gift of language. We should all join David, the Psalmist, when he prayed “Set a guard, Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips.” (Psalm 141:3 NASB) Words must be chosen carefully and there should be similar consequences for using this weapon with malice as there are for using any other weapon with intent to injure or maim.

However, I also believe that the current climate of judging someone solely upon a few words, with no regard for the whole context of his speech, or for the whole content of his character is a dangerous and damaging precedent.

The most recent controversy regarding the former Pastor of Barack Hussein Obama’s church in Chicago and his incendiary sermons illustrates one such example of spewing hatred that would be clearly defined as racism should the target and the shooter be of different colors. In other words, if Pat Robertson had blamed Black America for inflicting whites with AIDS or if a Rabbi had suggested that Black Protestants ruled the air waves; the hue and cry would have been deafening. We should denounce silly accusations and broad generalizations wherever and whenever we see them.

Another example of what happens when the race card is dealt from the bottom of the deck, rather than being played in its proper order, occurred when Geraldine Ferraro was labeled as a racist – even to the point of being referred to as ‘David Duke in drag’ by a ‘not-so-funny’ comedian – for merely making an observation. I did not support her when she ran as a candidate for the vice presidency, nor do I support her political stances now, but I do know that she has demonstrated nothing more than an astute mind when she made the statement that she believed Obama’s popularity had something to do with his race. It was not uttered in hatred. It was not intended to instill hatred in others. It was not the fruit of a lifetime of hatred. There is a wide ocean of difference between her words and those of Pastor Jeremiah Wright. Yet she has suffered the consequence of a stretched out definition.

In conclusion, let us all examine ourselves daily “and see if there be any wicked way in me.” (Psalm 139:23a NASB) and determine if our thoughts of others are guided by hatred for their race. And we should also examine the actions of those accused of racism to determine if their words were just poorly chosen or if they are the fruit of a poisoned mind.