Comment 60581

By Undustrial (registered) - website | Posted March 02, 2011 at 14:03:09

The difference between "racism" and bigotry and prejudice, as far as my academic training and reading is concerned, is mostly contextual.

Bigotry and prejudice are feelings people have - they may not like natives, black people or Muslims, but while they might occasionally gripe about it to friends, it doesn't translate into larger forces or actions. Racism, on the other hand, involves more than talk. Redlining - the process in which black neighbourhoods were refused mortgages for decades by banks, for instance, was racist. As is the continual targeting of native people by Canadian police, or black and Hispanic people by American cops. These aren't just talk - there's huge bodies of evidence studying their methods and consequences.

When is talk racist? When biotry reinforces broader racism. This relates to specific kinds of "talk" - speech which is public, influential, and advocates racism. For instance, somebody with a relatively privileged position using a public forum to advocate these kinds of actions. When talk-radio hosts endorse racial profiling with stereotypes about black people - that is racist. As is having a bumper sticker that supports Klan lynchings.

So, by this measure, are the quoted statements racist? Yes. They take place in a clearly public forum, encourage military action against Six Nations, contain many hateful stereotypes (geared at encouraging the use of force) and a thorough ignorance of all the surrounding issues.

Oh, and by the way, y'all know that white supremacists have been involved, right? http://www.stormfront.org/forum/t354309/

"Today, the notion of progress in a single line without goal or limit seems perhaps the most parochial notion of a very parochial century." — Lewis Mumford

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