Because I frequently disagree with some political adversaries, I have frequently been called a Racist. There seems to be a direct connection: disagree with me? You must be a racist.
That causes me to think about what qualifies someone as a racist. With apologies to Jeff Foxworthy, here goes:
You may be a racist IF:
- The first quality you notice about a person is race
- You try to talk in someone’s dialect to impress them
- You continually want to separate people into groups by race, sexual identity, socioeconomic status, etc.
- You value individuals on degrees of skin pigmentation
- You vote for somebody purely because of race
- You think minorities needs special treatment to be able to survive or succeed
- You identify minorities primarily as victims
Racism is ugly and intolerable. So is race-baiting. When someone from one political persuasion instantly assumes that anyone who disagrees is a Racist, maybe it is the “pot” calling the kettle “black.”
Tom Balek – Rockin’ On the Right Side
The color of your skin don’t matter to me
As long as we can live in harmony
Why Can’t We Be Friends – War
Rockin' On The Right Side 
I think the only thing that really defines somebody as a “racist” is when they think that people are inferior or superior to others based on their race. Everything else may well be “racial,” but it’s not “racist” unless there is that element of derogatory judgment tied to the recognition of race.
For instance, when I meet somebody, one of the first things I notice IS their race. That’s not because I’m a racist, but rather because that’s one of the most obvious physical features of a person. Now, if I was to look at a person, notice their race, and THEN judge them based on that race, I would be a racist. But I don’t judge people based on their race, so I would argue that I’m certainly not a racist.
Well said, Brad.
Fantastic performance for US Olympic gymnastics team by Gabrielle Douglas. First word out of Bob Beckel’s mouth: BLACK. Could have said anything – beautiful, athletic, talented, hard-working, determined – but no, the first thing he thinks of is BLACK. Could be a racist.
Another one: http://news.yahoo.com/the-white-world-of-sports–what-gabby-douglas%E2%80%99-vault-into-olympic-history-means.html