[Crimson Dynamo]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

I hate having to go back here every once and a while on TiBB but find myself having to again.

There are different types of racism. Institutional racism, and personal racism. Institutional racism has a power element involved and the vast majority of institutional racism is carried out by white people, for obvious reasons, and can only be carried out by a majority population. It is not exclusively white, because it also occurs in non-white majority countries such as Japan, but globally, institutional racism is white.

That does not mean than non whites can't be racist. There is also personal racism, which is between individuals and does not involve any element of power nor oppression. Any form of racial prejudice is personal racism. An individual of any race can be guilty of personal racism. It doesn't even have to involve white people at all - a black man who hates Native Americans is racist. A Japanese woman who can't stand Chinese people is racist. Etc etc.

Also just to pre-empt the usual secondary argument: severity doesnt change the definition of the word either. The fact that historical white-on-black racism is far, far more serious (and institutional racism in general is still more serious) than pockets of personal racism, does not somehow make the word "sacred" or change its definition. "You can't say this is racism because here's some REALLY BAD racism so you need a new word!". It's not logical. Someone who skins a hundred people alive is a mass murderer. That doesn't mean someone who "just" shoots one person between the eyes "can't possibly be a murderer because there are worse examples".

Pointing out the obvious fact that personal racial prejudice - AKA racism - exists in every racial group doesn't take away from the horrors of historical or institutional racism.

well put TS