Tom Ellis
Aug 17, 2021

One thing I agree with here is that "racist" has become a meaningless sneer word, akin to Republicans' use of terms like "libtard" or "socialist" for people (like me) who adhere to the basic principles of human equality and democratic governance in the public interest.

If everyone of European descent is a racist, and if nobody of Asian, African, Indigenous, Polynesian, or Semitic descent falls into this category--all based on accidents of their birth--then "racist" is an utterly meaningless term. It is, in fact, racist--if you use the original (and useful) definition of the term: one who predicates his or her judgment of others on their ethnicity, rather than on their character, personality, interests, or achievements.

Tom Ellis
Tom Ellis

Written by Tom Ellis

I am a retired English professor now living in Oregon, and a life-long environmental activist, Buddhist, and holistic philosopher.

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