In the media wake of Sotomayor?s nomination the term Reverse Racism has been thrown about like so much confetti at a Rip Taylor performance and some contrarians have argued that there is no such thing as Reverse Racism; that there is only racism no matter who perpetrates it.
This argument seems logical enough at first blush. If you pre judge somebody based on their skin color, gender, religion, or ethnic background, does it really matter what your skin color, gender, religion or ethnic background is? As it turns out the answer is yes.
Semantically, racism is racism and bigotry is bigotry and it doesn?t matter one whit if you?re a Hutu who hates Tsotsis, a Jew who hates Palestinians or Rush Limbaugh hating? well? everybody. Unfortunately, we do not live in a purely semantic world and in the real world the bigotry of those in power has more impact than the bigotry of the oppressed.
The racist statement piles on to the tide of existing racism in our society and taken in with said tide helps to make the non white, non male person less likely to feel they can truly excel. Less likely to try. Less likely to? really if I have to explain how racism in general is bad to you, you shouldn?t be reading this in the first place. Let?s move on.
The reverse racist statement though it may be just as bad a statement as the racist statement will only have the same effect when, ironically, there isn?t any more racism. Sotomayors statement isn?t going to make any white kids grow up and think they can?t be judges. Questioning the intelligence of a woman who graduated 2nd in her class at Yale while suggesting she might have only gotten there through affirmative action, taken in consort with the other racism in society, could make a young Latina think she can?t be a judge.
I know this is all very touchy feely and shades of grey for many people but basically it comes down to this. Once there are no pay gaps based on gender or race, when our government representatives approximately represent the demographics of the people, when the percentage of CEOS or Firepersons, or Nurses breaks down approximately by the demographics of the communities they?re in, then there will be no reverse racism because there will be no more societal lean toward non-reverse racism. You can?t have one without the other.
(so shut up, Cracker ass cracker!)
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There are a groups of people who want equality as equalities sake. They become protected beneficiaries of government programs, and are kept perpetually weak, and maintained as voting blocks. Roman bread and circus anyone?
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