Racism: a term to be avoided
From my perspective, "racism" (and "racist") are less adjectives and more epithets. The definitions are far too diverse and subjective for the term(s) to actually have meaning.
For example, calling a member of a non-white minority by some sort of recognized slur is generally considered racist. Makes enough sense. It's aggressive, intentionally offensive, and surely pertaining to the subject of race. But what about when the tables are turned and it's the Euro-descended person having aspersions cast upon his ancestry? How about we further complicate the situation and make it two whites of different nations having an ethnically charged confrontation?
Many people would say that anti-white ethnic/racial slurs are, in fact, not racist. The sort of fuzzy logic behind that thinking likely wouldn't go over well on THR, but the "post-modern" cultural lefties who largely dominate Western racial discourse are all for it.
But what if we move from the realm of outright insult to the (hopefully) more civil territory of politics? There are those who argue that opposing affirmative action is inherently racist because it potentially denies opportunites that level the playing field in a society that some see as naturally favorable to whites. Of course, on the other side there are those who maintain that supporting affirmative action is undeniably racist because wanting to put in place those sorts of rules must mean that you either believe that certain minorities are unable to compete in a fair contests or that you're conspiring to keep them dependent on (and therefore faithfully voting for) you.
And what about the (at least theoretically) ultimately neutral realm of study, both amateur and academic? There are those in the academy who fanatically campaign for any mention of race (aside from critiquing the very concept) to be removed from textbooks and curricula. This lot is also generally the first to cry "RACISM" whenever a MD, biologist, etc makes public his or her beliefs that different groups of human beings have physical differences. Sadly, folks often seek to get good scholars' tenures revoked, reputations sullied, publications taken out of print, and a employ a whole host of other speech-supressing tactics. Conversely, the above alluded to MDs and biologists may not have a malicious bone in their bodies when it comes to race and just want to study human differences because they and their colleagues keep finding that different medications and therapies effect identifiable human groups in divergent ways and they simply want to be able to better treat patients. Which group is right? Is the basic recognition of human phyiscal diversity inherently racist because race is merely a social construct or is it fundamental to understanding our species as a whole?
Like I said earlier, I see the term(s) as definitely undefined and likely undefinable so I generally avoid using it/them altogether. Slippery words like that are signs of speech based on emotional reactions instead of thought and reason.
Furthermore (and in keeping with THR's general interest in civil liberties) I see the social taboos surrounding the mere discussion of race, gender, sexuality, etc that have come into being out of fear of offending anyone as being
severely damaging to freedom. In polite company a person will be frowned at and cause a room-wide silence if he or she says something that differs from the orthodoxy on those topics. Not the worst thing that can happen to someone, but it's a bad omen for our intellectual climate when potentially erroneous opinions are met with disapproval instead of counter-arguments. It means that the foudations for a creeping authoritarianism are being laid. Look at it this way: when was the last time you saw the freedom-loving THR users argue against gun control with social coercion? People who value liberty respect the right to disagree and base their debates in fact instead of convention. The importance of this distinction is impossible to to over-estimate.
Unfortunately, even more extreme methods for enforcing conformity are on the way. Take a look at university campuses today. Skepticism about any of the sacred cows can get a person written up, thrown into mandatory sensitivity classes, and even expelled or denied graduation. The people on the receiving end of these policies aren't arm-band wearing goose-steppers, either. They're regular folks like you or me. (links for those who like to get their blood-pressure elevated:
here and here). Our future leaders are being taught to accept and even participate in this sort of blatant dragooning. This does not bode well for freedom in our nation.
"Racism" is an intellectual truncheon used to beat dissenters into line. Avoid its use and do what you can to rob it of its power.
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Sorry for the long first post. I'm new here and you'll be seeing more of me. On the gun-related threads, too!
I'll likely be talking about ComBloc military weapons or asking questions about guns that I'm in the market for. Hope to see all of you around!
