Harmful Racism

An accusation of racism these days is equivalent to banishment from society. To be banished from society someone needs to have committed significant harm. Thoughts and speech about ethnic or racial traits do not by themselves cause significant harm.

They do not qualify as harmful racism.

Does everything qualify as harmful racism?

Racism that causes actual harm occurs when one's views on the color of skin—and how it affects human traits and behavior—substantially affects another's ability to pursue life, liberty, and happiness.

Thoughts on behavior of those with differing skin colors—perhaps drawn from a lifetime of experience and observation—do not by themselves qualify as harmful racism. Comments that result from such thoughts and opinions do not either.

Humor based on ethnicity or skin color is not harmful racism by itself. Making comments about positive traits of those of different races—blacks are better athletes, Indians are better mathematicians, French are better cooks, Italians are better lovers—do not qualify as harmful racism.

Harmful racism requires harm

Thoughts, words, and jokes that incite something ugly—mob action, violence—qualify as harmful racism. When thoughts, speech, and jokes lead to someone not being able to capitalize on an economic opportunity—getting a job, advancing in a career, etc.—that qualifies as harmful racism. If someone is unable to pursue happiness—by living in a certain neighborhood, sending his kids to a certain school, or spending his money where he wants to—that qualifies as harmful racism.

If a man cannot receive the best healthcare available for himself, or his family, because of his race that is harmful racism.

Harmful racism requires power to harm

Most people who engage in thoughts, comments, or jokes that deal with matters of ethnicity or race cannot cause harmful racism. That's because most people lack the ability to cause substantial harm to others. Only those with power of life, liberty, and happiness over others can actually be guilty of harmful racism; only they have the ability to cause substantial harm.

Someone in a position of power to cause harm to others, who makes comments that deal with matters of ethnicity or race—but whose actions benefit (or do not harm) those he's commenting about—is not guilty of harmful racism.

Freedom of speech releases racial tensions

Suppressing ethnic humor, comments on race, or even thoughts related to differences between people of different races and ethnic backgrounds may lead to substantial harm to those of different races. When such thoughts, words, and humor are suppressed it can build up to something harmful.

Allowing people to think, speak, and joke freely—the marks of a free society—can lead to a lessening of racial tensions, and changes in racial thinking. Freedom of thought and speech gives others a chance to: a) discover what people are actually thinking around them; b) engage in meaningful, helpful discussions; and, c) laugh about racism—thereby releasing some of the potentially dangerous social and political tensions that surround the issue.