Like so many others across our country, I have been labeled a racist. Like so many others, it has nothing to do with who I am, my heritage, my history, what I believe in, the life I’ve led, my values, my thoughts, my words or my actions. Like so many others the label was given to me by people who do not know me. Like so many others the label was given because of my appearance. Like so many others I was given the label because of my current or past vocation. Like so many others the label was given because I refused to buy into the current mob mentality and kneel to it in some form of mock submission. And most importantly, like so many others it is not a reflection of who I am but who the accuser is.
I’ve come up with two definitions of racism, one is factual and the other is from the mob mentality point of view.
- The belief that a particular race is superior or inferior to another, that a person’s social and moral traits are predetermined by his or her inborn biological characteristics. Racial separatism is the belief, most of the time based on racism, that different races should remain segregated and apart from one another.
- Disagreeing with anyone about racism.
While you can also be labeled a racist based solely on the color of your skin and the color of your ancestors’ skin, anyone regardless of their skin color can be labeled a racist if they violate rule #2. Of course, the only surefire way to not be considered a racist is to admit you are a racist. It’s the 2020 version of Catch-22.
Calling someone a racist is the simple solution to pressure them to think or act the way you want them to. We have become a world where simply disagreeing with someone makes you a racist. Presenting an opinion, even one backed up with research, well documented facts and credible witnesses, that goes opposite to the current mob mentality says is “truth” makes you a racist.
If you think, so what, I am entitled to my own beliefs. Consider that people have been fired, had their businesses ruined, looted and burned to the ground, ostracized from their communities, extorted, had their lives, families and properties threatened, been assaulted – and worse for speaking out against the mob mentality. Imagine having the sheer audacity, or if you are white, the caucasity to dare say “All Lives Matter”. It’s no wonder so many people are afraid to speak their mind these days.
I would never suggest that racism does not exist in our nation. It has existed since the beginning of mankind and exists in every corner of the world today. Anyone and everyone, from any race, gender, religion, vocation, status, wealth or appearance can be a racist. What I will suggest however is that not everything is racism and not everyone is racist. The epitome of human understanding is not being able to find racism in every situation, it should be to respect every human for who they are.
The sad truth is I’ve been called a racist, and far more horrible things, in many languages, many times throughout my life. Each time it followed the same pattern of hate and anger used to deflect the blame from something they did to someone else, hoping for a better result for themselves.
These are people who take one look at me or see something I have written or said which goes against the popular narrative of the time and immediately know enough about my life, my history, my beliefs to say, YOU ARE A RACIST. Which, in order to follow the stereotypical racist accuser pattern, is followed up by a litany of personal insults.
Now if someone who actually did know me, who has spent time with me, has seen me interact with others, were to come to me and say, ‘Bob, I think you’re being a racist’, then I might have to take stock of what they are saying and take a good look at myself. Am I doing something that is being misinterpreted or am I really being racist?
For me, the way I was raised, the values I was brought up with, it simply would not have been tolerated. Like so many others, I was raised to treat everyone the way I wanted to be treated, equally and with respect. You know, basic Golden Rule stuff. Race, gender, religion, vocation, status, wealth, appearance or anything else that could possibly set us apart are never an excuse for treating anyone else less than what we expect for ourselves. It’s really that simple.
I am by nature a very private person. Even among those who know me, very few know many details of my own or my family’s history. Even fewer know my original family name or the circumstances that caused it to be changed because of…. racism. But that’s okay because that is my own personal history and history is what you make of it. You can learn and grow from it, or you can attempt to erase it and pretend it never happened. But no matter your past or the collective past of our nation, you – and you alone – are responsible for your actions today.
So, what am I going to do differently now that I have yet again been called a racist? NOT A DAMN THING! Like so many others the only kind of racism I am actually guilty of is the kind that doesn’t agree with the current mob mentality on racism. And that’s not racism, that’s integrity.
I am going to continue to advocate for basic human rights, for everyone. I am going to continue to advocate for Constitutional protection of our inalienable rights, for everyone. I am going to continue to work for solutions to issues with family, education, employment, inequality, crime, justice, accountability and responsibility – for everyone.
Like so many others, I’m proud of who I am and the nation I have been brought up in. I will continue to fight for the rights our nation was founded on, for everyone. Not because it’s easy or because it’s politically correct, but because it’s the right thing to do and what I would want for myself.
Bob
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