i am not a racist

Okay, first of all, yeah, it's been quite a while since I posted to this blog. I'm not gonna bother making excuses, I'm a man of few words, and often things I intend to work on get left by the wayside. But hopefully soon I will remember not to forget that I have this blog and that I can post to it whenever I want.

But anyway, I've been noticing a disturbing trend. And that trend is the misapplication of the label "racist".

Now, don't get me wrong, racism is a very real thing, as are racists. Racists need to be called out wherever they exist, and they need to adapt a different mindset about how to treat people that are not the same race, color, or creed as them.

But the label "racist" is a loaded term, rife with inherent negativity. In order to qualify as someone deserving of the label, they have to act, believe, and/or treat people that are not of the same color as somehow inferior to their own. Simply noticing that a person or people around you are not the same color or race is not adequate.

Now, on the issue of racial slurs, which I will not enter, because I find offensive, I'm of the opinion that they shouldn't really be used by anyone. Some will argue that they are allowed to use them because they are the same race that it applies to, but anyone who is not, is not. But if two people of differing ethnicities have to argue on that point, maybe it's better that the racial slur die off completely, so that none are bothered by it.

To summarize: racism is dying, but it still exists. People who believe they are superior to those that are different from them should really rethink their beliefs. But calling someone a racist when they're not is counterproductive and does not further the cause of equality.