How do we distinguish between a racist act, racism, or an abuse of power or even Stupidity?

How do we distinguish between a racist act, racism, or an abuse of power or even Stupidity?

 

How can you (we) distinguish between actions that are racist and actions that are just wrong/hateful/stupid/mean, or can it be distinguished? Example:  Recently a white male college administrator (at Duke University in Durham, NC), was caught by the FBI via his Internet communications for child molestation, pedophilia…The administrator was offering a young child (boy) to other pedophiles if they would come to Durham. They asked how did you get such a young kid (now 5 years old), the administrator said it was easy, he is Black and it is easy to adopt Black kids. Is this administrator a racist or is he a pedophile who just wanted the path to least resistance to having an easy way to getting his sexual fill?

 

Have we as African Americans foregone the use of the “Race Card" in order to be PC or to fit in; or do “we" care any more and just want to believe that bad people who do bad things will do them and they just “happen" to do those mean/bad/wrongful things to Black people; or does someone who hire, befriend, date or marry Black people get an automatic pass when they do a racist act but may not be a racist (I remember the Abner Louima case, the white cop who sodomized him with the broom was engaged to a Black female cop…was the white cop racist or just trying to be a big man in front of the other cops who were watching; would he have done that to a white prisoner?)

 How do we distinguish between a racist act, racism, or an abuse of power or even Stupidity?


ETA: Removed several examples

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Hi Value me,
Lawd...

To answer your question the best way that my MS riddled brain can try...I will say that the scenarios given would (imo) constitute racist acts, racisim, stupidity, and abuse of power.

See I believe that racism is so delicately intertwined with other attributes such as ignorance, stupidity, abuse, and so on. I also believe that it is a form of psychological warfare. The Willie Lynch theory is one such example of psychological warfare. It is also demonic. I say this in respect to racisim coming from ALL people of ALL ethnicities.

It behooves me how the theory of racism is so complicated when the theory of "THE GOLDEN RULE" is so so simple, yet we as people have MADE it just as complicated as racism?

Hey Ms. Yess:
I guess to some extent I'm not looking for answers, other than to say that Racism still exists and it is very intertwined with many things. Racial Discrimination is not easy to prove in a court of law and racial prejudice is even harder to see in our daily interactions. I just believe, like a lot of African American activists, that we are losing some of our drive for equality. Fighting is becoming hard and folks are getting tired. The Gates matter raised a lot of questions in Me... each example above in some way related to. Nothing is cut and dry, but for sure, it will be the Black person that gets the short end of the stick.

I know the Topic is long, I appologize...I guess this is a way I best figure things out for Myself.

No need to apologize for being yourself. I agree with your statement regarding drive being lost for equality. The new disparity is that everyone wants to be seen, whereas in the past people were seen but it was more important to be heard.
I never voiced my opinion, but I was disturbed by the turn of events during the Jena 6 protest held by Michael Baisden. What he did was great, and having the means to reach millions over the radio is a blessing that he used accordingly and with good reason. However I was disturbed by the party atmosphere. The work wasn't complete, yet the protest turned into a big party with music, poetry readings, etc. The celebration is to begin after the victory is won and at the time it wasn't. Infact, if I remember correctly Mr. Bell has had further problems since being released.

I've always been a fight back (when necessary) type of person. I wont start it, but if I am hit in between the eyes with it I WILL respond, in person online and otherwise. While living in Oklahoma I experienced the blatant in your face, you either get with em or look stupid type of racism. Here in Michigan I deal with the sneaky smile in your face but cut ya deep racism. My Father taught me as a child to NEVER be afraid of anyone no matter the cost, so my philosophy is "if you gonna lynch me then lynch me" I would rather die and let God judge my oppressor than to back off just because I am afraid to voice my concern.

Okay I am rambling....but my point in the first response was "The golden rule" is a concept that if all of humanity would at least try to adhere to, this world would be a much better place..even with racism and other negative factors.

hijack:

  my MS riddled brain

Major MS moment today.  Feeling really crappy lately and realized today I've taken zero iron for a month.  I bought a bottle of multi vits with iron so I skipped the iron supplement.  Problem was the vits I'm currently taking have no iron.  No iron fairy   came by to upgrade the old vitamins as my MS riddled brain interpreted. 

Alright my MS comrade you've gots ta get those vittlemins
in.

I've felt okay but learned that I have 3 new plaques so to the mri I went on tuesday. They scanned me from the roota to the toota...took 3 hours. Weird that I have no symptoms though, but when I had a teeny tiny one 3 yrs ago, it blinded me, deafened me and damned near killed me.

Keep those vitamins in now. And here is the link I meant to give ya. www.yahoogroups.com/group/The_Urban_Multiple_Sclerosis_Alliance

Racism is part of the fabric of the Western world and always will be.  Today in America and for the past 20 years or so, the media makes excuses and uses terms such as "race card" to imply that racism is not real.  Implying that racism is just a remnant of a distant past that Black people won't let go of.  Terms like "race card"  just under score  how alive and well and living in America racism is. 

Be it an individual or an institution, when non Blacks seek to harm Blacks I see racism until proven otherwise.  If the same entity is doing the same harm to its own, perhaps I can reason that racism was not a part of it.  A pedephile may be a pedephile regardles of race; but, when Black children  are singled out he is a racist pedaphile.  The fact that he was already evil does not negate that fact. 

When you devalue the lives of a people, regardless of the cir****tances, because of their skin color, you are a fuggin racist in my book! and It does not matter if you hurt them one by one as a result of these feelings. Its still fuggin racism!

A person CAN abuse power and NOT be racist....he or she is just a fuggin asshole IMO!