Racism always depends who & where you are - for Brazilian indians all non-indians are 'brancos' white men, be they black, white or yellow. Branco is synonimous with some outsider who is invading & seeking to dominate their territory. I imagine that for Iraquis, Pakistanis, Afghanis, American is probably a blanket term with the same significance as branco ... the outsider who has come to rob you, kill your children, deplete your resources... for most of Latin America, probably most of the world this is true. So what if the president is black ... just another branco

I think that for the most part any person in this society who thinks they don't suffer from some sort of white supremacy/white chauvinism is fooling themselves.
And it is not enough to say I know it is bad and wrong and therefore I must change my ideology. There has to be a basis for changing these backward and dangerous ideas.
With the equality of poverty rapidly affecting both white and black working classes the basis for unity finally is emerging. Every attack on the standard of living is carried out on the minorities first. When successful they are then applied to all of society.
But Black nationalism and White Chauvinism are two sides of the same tarnished coin. Both prevent unity and progress. Black nationalism is a reaction and response to White Chauvinism and can't be eliminated till we eliminate White Chauvinism first.

This liberal disease, this "mea culpa," is how the right got right and the left got left. It is what supplies fuel to the Rush Limbaughs of the world, and what has contributed to the disempowerment of now three generations of African Americans. By treating people differently because of perceived lack of privilege, that underprivileged condition is perpetuated. By pretending that racism -- and even exploitation -- is a white disease (even though we white folks have done our looting and plundering on a larger scale), we excuse dysfunction on the part of "oppressed people" and consequently do those people a disservice. While the gains from being a "victim" may serve short term needs, long term it's the booby prize.

I once lived in a society where people were just people, regardless of how they looked or spoke. It was a hippie commune in Northern California in 1969 and 1970. I don't doubt that many of us came there influenced by prejudices taught to us by our communities of origin, but in sharing an adventurous outdoor life without electricity, running water, automobiles, and telephones, and that featured spontaneous gatherings to work in the community garden or build houses, or to share food and make music together, we got to know one another as friends. These friendships are deep; I communicate often with many of these people 40 years later.

Racism is like chicken pox, it never leaves your system. I was brought up in a very racist society and my recovery was long and included the last integrated march for civil rights in 1963. But still every once in a while I feel it stir, a moment of anxiety for no reason for instance recently when I met a good friend and person of color in a restaurant that was once for whites only. It doesn't happen often any more, and when it does now it amuses me. But racism lurks there in my blood just as chicken pox does.

This is hard! My daughter teaches at a college on an Indian reservation. Her little son attends head start. She sees the ravages of our racism where she teaches. There is a high incidence of asthma as a result of a nearby power plant that was sold to the tribe as "jobs" but they did not materialize and there is still over 80% unemployment. Hi rate of high school dropouts, high rate of incarceration. She teaches adult ed and young people come to her in orange jump suits. I think she does a pretty good job because she sees them as kids in need of being treated as human and able to see future in learning.
her little boy asks his mama "Am I the only blond boy?" he just needed information. that is okay.
We have so far to go. Let us hope.....

Alcoholics Anonymous is a nice fantasy when you don't ever live on the receiving end of someone else's ethnic hatreds and animosities. In which case, it seems like "racism" is only a *white* Euro-American phenomenon. Mexico, for example, is an extremely racist and classist society, much, much moreso in many respects than the U.S. With a lot of that and otherisms coming into the U.S. and the tune of "My name is so and so and I'm a racist -- and those who know the true faith -- must stand and proclaim themselves as such too in our church" -- well, the fact is, that guilt for sins for never committed (so often the case with most major religions) is apples for the pickin' for the unapologetic Mexican corruption coming in to the United States and against the interests of Americans. Am I a racist? No, I'm not, and sanity to me, is reflected in another person's ability to respect my right to speak my self. I DID go to integrated schools, I had some black teachers, I certainly had black friends, and friends are most often the greatest teachers we have in life. But I think we're really long past that period in history where everyone was intellectually masturbating their racism. It's good in some ways, but I also see it as holding us back as a nation when it comes to confronting certain problems -- oh gee, you must be a racist because, for example, you think Mexicans here illegally -- or on visas to support illegal immigration -- should be sent home. Now that's quite a stretch of the definition. It's become a cult movement of people groking together with any real self-examination. They are on the inside of their truism bubble that they carry everywhere, even in beautiful and extraordinary places like Israel. They never saw Israel because they were too busy groking in their truism bubble. Or .. consider health care anyone? Would you publicly cancel and burn your health insurance policy so that all Americans, including the greater percentages of minorities in substandard or no health care at all -- could have something as good as yours? The policy you're not brave enough to part with? Why not? Are you a racist? Can you see why?

Mike in NYC is so jealous of your rectitude, Ed, that the print fairly glows dayglo GREEN! The perfect opportunity for him to admit what a foul, loathesome waste of protoplasm he is, and he thinks he can lob back your Truth & Reconciliation Ownership, with his typical flaming and frothing ad hominem attacks; making it so obvious that he's a useless bigot, rather than stepping over the line to join the Human Race. I almost feel sorry for the idiot . . . almost . . . not there yet . . . anytime soon . . .