I'll correct you. That is wrong. "Racist" is a negative term. If it meant "classifying people based on race," then the word loses all meaning unless you are completely blind and never notice any of the physical or social characteristics that tend to cluster in human beings.
Historically, people who defend the status quo have tried to broaden the word as much as possible, because one way to "win a debate on the Internet" is to move the goal posts. e.g. If Alice brings up a subject about racism that Bob finds uncomfortable, he asks her if she considers herself Black. When she says "yes," Bob accuses her of being a racist. Alice now spends a frustrating hour debating the meaning of the word "racist" and Bob has neatly eased out of discussing her original disquiet.
Then, I agree that 'racist' is a negative term, in that the motivation to segregate groups of people is usually to derive a undue benefit for either themselves or a particular group of people.
What is odd to me is that some people can engage in racist behavior, and yet feel the label doesn't apply to them because they are 'positive racists.'
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I'll correct you. That is wrong. "Racist" is a negative term. If it meant "classifying people based on race," then the word loses all meaning unless you are completely blind and never notice any of the physical or social characteristics that tend to cluster in human beings.
Historically, people who defend the status quo have tried to broaden the word as much as possible, because one way to "win a debate on the Internet" is to move the goal posts. e.g. If Alice brings up a subject about racism that Bob finds uncomfortable, he asks her if she considers herself Black. When she says "yes," Bob accuses her of being a racist. Alice now spends a frustrating hour debating the meaning of the word "racist" and Bob has neatly eased out of discussing her original disquiet.
It see.
Then, I agree that 'racist' is a negative term, in that the motivation to segregate groups of people is usually to derive a undue benefit for either themselves or a particular group of people.
What is odd to me is that some people can engage in racist behavior, and yet feel the label doesn't apply to them because they are 'positive racists.'