The term “racist” is a magic word.
It is a word that people cannot define.
Because if it was definable, it would almost never be used.

The next time someone flings the word “racist” around, ask them to say the same thing using other words. If they use “discrimination,” ask them to eschew that term as well, because there is nothing wrong with “discrimination.”

My employer discriminates when they hire — some people make the cut, others don’t. Same with friends — some don’t make the cut. Same with a potential spouse — you darn well better “discriminate” on who will be your life partner.

“Discriminate” is from two words: Di, for two. And Scrim, for line. Think “scrimmage” line in football. Two teams positioned, one on one side of the line, and one on the other. That is “di-scrimm-ination.”

People are ignorant — they don’t know what they are talking about — so they throw out magic words as placeholders for thought. Calling someone “racist,” or denouncing “discrimination” without a qualifier is an appeal to a falsely placed moral authority; it is a foisting of guilt upon the ignorant, largely by ignorant people. When professors — who know what they are doing — lay these guilt trips on people they are liars and hypocrites, the kind John the Baptist and Jesus Christ railed against.

I don’t respect the use of magic words, nor the people who use them. And that is an appropriate decision to place their thoughts beyond the line of what is worthy of me — it is a form of discrimination.

You should be OK with that.

Fritz Berggren, PhD
20 March 2020