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ARE YOU A RACIST?

I am often bewildered when privileged people choose to disregard the humanity of others. When they are called out, they become offended.

When you intentionally mispronounce someone else's name; you are corrected and you say you don't care. Like calling VP Kamala's name anyhow, or calling Iraq and Iran like you call Apple's products: I-ran and I-raq. Wrong! Wrong !! Wrong!!! This is a lesson in social intelligence quotient FAILED.

A cardinal rule in social IQ is to "treat people the way they want to be treated." Deliberate and nonchalant attitude towards mispronouncing others' names is the hallmark of race supremacy that was exemplified during the slavery era that extended into Jim Crow, and now into today's mindset of some right-wing white supremacists in the name of opposing "political correctness" - they erased all the cultures of the enslaved Africans - and forced them to take on their master's name, to never speak their native language among themselves, punish them severely if they did any of the above... They wiped out their root identity in an attempt to stamp their authority and dominance... to prevent rebellion against the wicked oppression of slavery.

Sociologists will tell you that one of the things that enhances our humanity, productivity, and positive outlook on life is identification with our roots - by our names, language, traditions, culture, dress, and beauty, among other things. When you remove these things, we aggravate anxiety, depression, and rebellion. This is one of the root causes of violence within the Americans of African descent communities in the US. Those who have traced their root back to Africa express the same feeling of peace and fulfillment. They conclude, "Our life is not all about the experience of being oppressed... there are those who look like us who are self-governed and free to make choices without looking over their shoulders."

I once called out a member of a choir I belong to here for behavior that is next to racist, and he was angry. For one and half years, every time this person saw me, he would do the impression of "I am watching you" at me with two fingers pointed to his eyes and at me. I was the only person of African descent in that group. He did other things that I ignored. All I told him was "That is not nice," and he responded, "I am not like that." You are not like what exactly? I did not tag his behavior, I only told him his behavior was appalling and he got the message and he interpreted it correctly that his behavior was short of being racist. He never spoke to him again after cautioning him. You do not have to be intentional to demonstrate racism. Instead of being offended for a bad behavior, just stop it. Otherwise, you will wear that tag of "racist" well.


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