As we think about and discuss the old yearbook photo of the DEMOCRAT Virginia governor (one man in blackface, another in a KKK costume), so many people talk about racism, prejudice, hatred, etc.

But the first question is: what is racism? Define it.

Intelligent trads know that racism is a made-up term, made up by the bad guys and doesn't really mean anything.

What is racism? Acknowledging the existence of races? If so, then so what? Everyone should be "racist" in that sense, as that is common sense.

The fact that the term is so fluid should make us all suspicious of its origin.

But usually it is meant as someone who acknowledges other races, but also thinks that all members of a given race are bad, subhuman, and various uncharitable (read: sinful and/or criminal) behavior follows. At the very least, behavior that most people consider unacceptable (rash judgment, gossip, etc.)

If a white Catholic came up to a white newlywed couple and said, "You have been married for 6 months and you're not pregnant yet. Are you on the pill?" that is simply unacceptable -- regardless of the race of the parties involved. Now some people would only act this way (rude) towards members of another race. What should we call them? A nebulous, fluid term like "racist" or just what they are: a rude or bad person?

Closely related to this is the concept of a "hate crime". If I (a white man) beat up a black man because he is black, it's a "hate crime". But if I beat up a white homeless man, it's what, a "love crime"? See how ridiculous this is? The logical conclusion of this way of thinking: cover all the so-called "hate crimes" on the news, but ignore the equally heinous white-on-white or black-on-black violence. But that is foolish, because assault is assault regardless of the races of the perpetrator/victim.
So we're doing something wrong. My answer: Race is irrelevant in this context. The real issue is the violence, the rudeness, the sinfulness, etc.

To make a point:

John (white man) beats up Mike (white man) because an argument escalated.
Frank (white man) beats up Tyrone (black man) because he hates black people.

Call me "not brainwashed" or in need of a re-education center, but I consider the guilt/evil/malice in these two cases COMPLETELY EQUAL. There is no added heinousness when a crime is done out of "hate" -- because when you bloody someone, beat them up, or shoot them, it's ALWAYS out of hate! Who cares WHY that hatred arose in the heart of the perpetrator: because of an insult, dirty look, fornication with one's sister, what race they are, etc.


But what of those who just want to joke about the traits of the various nations and races? How does that involve hate in any way?

Dressing up in blackface does NOT necessarily imply any level of hatred or even dislike of any race.

I would say: get a sense of humor.

It doesn't matter what political party he's in... it's just outrage culture sticking its ugly head again. Only in this time does a yearbook photo from 35 years ago become a "scandal", and it's childish.

There are ACTUAL reasons to impeach Ralph Northam — his support for infanticide up to and after birth, mainly.

Agreed.

Dressing up in blackface does NOT necessarily imply any level of hatred or even dislike of any race.

I would say: get a sense of humor.

I've been seeing various "blackface" stories lately that really show how problematic the idea of racism has become.  

Those of us following the developments of the Covington boys incident saw how leftists, when the facts showed their initial narrative was wrong, began to search for other"proof" that the students of Covington school are evil racists.  They dug out an old picture from a "black-out day" a school spirit activity in which the students all wear the same colour, in this case, black.  They use various colours throughout the year.  Some of the kids use body paint as well as clothing, so the picture in question showed a few of them in black body paint.  This was decried as blackface and clear proof of their racism.  This, however, had nothing to do with race, but was about the colour black.

I thought that was absurd, but then I found some even worse stories.  There are people complaining about the chimney sweep scenes in the movie "Mary Poppins" because the soot on the sweeps is blackface.https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/everything-is-racist-mary-poppins-edition  

Even more ridiculous, if that is possible, is the person vociferously complaining about an offensive picture in a mining themed restaurant.  It shows a bunch of miners drinking beer after work.  They are covered in coal dust BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT MINERS LOOK LIKE.  But this SJW is carrying on about it because blackface and it must be removed immediately.  What is interesting in this case is that he admits that no offence was intended but says it does not matter.  His position is that everyone must cater to those who feel offended no matter what the circuмstance.https://www.dailywire.com/news/42851/seeing-racism-everywhere-photo-soot-covered-coal-ashe-schow

Just this past week in Canada students were protesting the appointment of an interim President at Dalhousie University because he wrote a book in which he said students had overreacted to blackface in some cases where there was clearly no ill intent. He made the perfectly reasonable point that their behaviour is likely to create a backlash and will lead people to ignore serious racial incidents.  So now he is a racist, according to some. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/what-dal-president-peter-mackinnon-wrote-about-blackface-1.5001506

Along time ago, blackface was part of show biz routines that often used negative stereotypes about African-Americans.


Al Jolson, famous blackface performer

There is some justification for considering these offensive, but the offense machine took on a life of its own.  Apparently now any circuмstance in which white people have their skin darkened is grounds for outrage.  The way that "racism" is used now is merely part of identity politics.  Members of certain groups get to claim that their feelings of offense are the equivalent of being victims of physical violence.  But only certain groups.  

I'm sure there actually are people who are prejudiced against others due to race.  I daresay that some are hateful and even violent.  But any real problems have been lost in the circus that is race politics and I do not foresee any progress in solving them.

The fluidity of the definition of "racism" is like a logical fallacy. It means anything from hatred of people because of their race, all the way to acknowledging truth behind stereotypes or joking/noticing in a good way the differences between the races. It's all conflated and confused together into one ball of wax.

Racism is whatever it needs to be in any given situation to make the white people the bad guys.

Anytime a white man tries to even begin a discussion about race issues, that's racism.
If a white man wears a red hat that supports president Donald Trump, that's racism.
If a white man...that's racism.
White men are racism.


Also, off-topic, only Traditionalist Catholics go to Hell to be with Satan.  Everyone else goes to Heaven or they're simply annihilated when they die.  

Those most likely to go to Hell are those who didn't believe in its existence. - St Alphonsus Ligouri

Racism: Etymology

The Oxford English Dictionary states that the first English use of the word racism occurred in 1902. The word at this early time did not necessarily have the same meaning or frequent usage as today. Starting the in the 1920s, it was used as a derogatory and misleading translation of the "untranslatable" German term völkische. The German language, especially at this time, makes a distinction between Völk ("People") and Rasse ("Race"). The word was later applied to claimed National Socialism racial ideology and policies.

The 1938 English translation of the book Racism, by the Jєωιѕн sexologist Magnus Hirschfeld (who was also an early proponent of the sɛҳuąƖ revolution), used the word in a sense similar to the modern one and may have contributed to this usage of the word becoming widespread.^[1][2][3][4]


The term racism "replaced earlier words, racialism (1871) and racialist (1917), both often used early 20c. in a British or South African context. In the U.S., race hatred, race prejudice had been used, and, especially in 19c. political contexts, negrophobia."^[5] Today, the term racialism instead has a meaning similar to race realism.

Metapedia link

The best way to minimize having racism accusations hurled at you, if you're white, is to act as differently from non-whites and Jєωs as possible.

Though it's rarely admitted, the way the term racism is typically used implies that whites shouldn't prefer whites to other groups.

Being the case, non-whites and Jєωs couldn't possibly be good role models for whites.

Of course, there's nothing wrong with preferring whites to non-whites and Jєωs.

The leftists cannot win an argument and he must resort to name calling.   A society that accepts name calling to kill a
logical argument is a decedent society.