Jim Crow died two generations ago. It does our society no good to attempt to right the wrongs of the past by perpetuating affirmative action, racial quotas, and the racial double standard.
Many may harbor bigotry in their hearts. But that's a matter of morality, not law. So to attempt to purge it by using the force of government is wrong and counterproductive. "Equality under the law" was the goal of the civil rights movement achieved by Dr. King and others, black and white, who struggled by his side. It would be a shame to see that lost in our attempt to right the wrongs of the past, by resorting to state sanctioned discrimination--just like the Jim Crow laws of the South.
It sounds to me like you've got a good dose of white guilt. In my opinion, black bitterness plus white guilt equals a dysfunctional multiracial society--with only escalating resentment as a result. "Equality under the law" is the law of the land. So at this point in American history, if one lacks the talent or the drive to succeed--they should have no one to blame but themselves.
I think he was on a bit of a soapbox.
I was trying to point out that racism is not de facto a political issue. And it certainly wasn't something invented by anglo-saxons.
I am not sure there can ever be an answer to personal racism. Racism has it's roots in tribal behavior, and if you start thinking primitive, I'm talking Lord of the Flies type societies, distrust of strangers has it's place.
As far as Richards is concerned, he basically lost his cool and simply struck back. (or perceived he was striking back). The commentary might be made that if the words he used had no value or meaning, and people weren't so overly sensitive to them, he woulda been seen as making a complete fool of himself.
In no way am I defending racism. But it is part of the psychology of every living animal. Hell, even dogs join in packs and are highly suspicious of strangers.
How so? I don't like Affirmative Action any more than anybody else. I don't feel any particular guilt about what happened in the South before I came along. Why should I? I honestly just don't care. But I can't sit still while people claim most people back in the 60s were happy to see the Civil Rights Movement come along. Where I lived- the South- it was enacted by force. You don't have to use the military to force something on people if they're happy about it in the first place.