A Bit Of A Gripe

[poliphilo]

I understand that racists are not necessarily bad people- just frightened ones- afraid of difference, afraid of the unfamiliar. 

This doesn't mitigate the fact that racism is profoundly stupid- and destructive of civil society.

You have racist views.  Fine.  Please keep them to yourself.

But if you talk to me in ways that assume that I share your views don't be surprised if I take it as a personal  insult.

Comments

[daisytells.livejournal.com]

It is that! When I was involved in the Civil Rights movement over here, I was amazed at all the "nice" people who had attitudes like the one in which they stated "Well, the 'colored' are entitled to some rights after all -- at least the 'nice ones' are."
There was a lot of that among those majority people who were not actively and nastily fighting the Civil Rights movement in the streets.
Suffice to say that during the recent presidential campaign some of those very persons surfaced again, this time with reservations that "A black president probably won't get enough support to get anything done." That seems to have become a self-fulfilling prophecy, except for the fact that Obama is a Democrat, and that it is Republicans who are bucking his every effort. Not at all a racial issue, even though some would make it so.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

It's the "some of my best friends are black" syndrome.