[PEN-L:8338] Re: racism

["Charles Brown" <CharlesB@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

>>> Rod Hay <rodhay@xxxxxxxxxxx> 06/25/99 02:12AM >>>
Racism is a serious charge that should not be thrown around lightly.

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Charles: There is a sad irony in the new "left"-racist arguments. The charge of racism did not become a very serious charge until the 1960's and 1970's in the U.S..  This was an important accomplishment of the left movement.

The irony comes in with the post-Reagan ,liberal-" lefts" who turn the new gravity of the charge of racism into a basis for suppressing most charges of racism. In effect they say, "I am so respectful of the importance of the problem of racism that I think to say someone or action is racist is a very serious charge, so you , Black person or other person of color, are irresponsible in making the charge so much." In practice, including a lot on these "left" lists, the main thing that happens is criticism of misuse of the serious charge of racism, and almost no criticism of racism.

This is a sort of the 80's/90's"left"-racist snafu.

The white "left"-racists have decided that they understand the theory of racism and the facts of racism better than leftists of color.

Charles Brown