Will y'all PLEASE knock it off. This is getting VERY tiring, and getting no
where. Everyone has their own definition of what "Racism" means, no one
will agree with anyone else's definition, some have to do with actions, some
have to do with guessing what is in someone's mind and heart, some have
flavors and levels, some its all black and white, some its presumed and some
its presumed not, some it's a spectrum, others it's a line you step over.
Geez, give it a rest, what a complete waste of time.
There are things REH wrote or said, or that others wrote or said
about him, that some folks will point to and say "Racist." That's that, you
can't do anything about it. They are not right or wrong, as everyone has
their own definition of racist, and is therefore correct a priori. Arguing
over whether REH was racist is like arguing over whether he was tall, or if
his hair was cool. Its all a matter of how you define it, there is no
standard. Geez what mindlessness.
I would think the best you can do is be able to point to the things
that tend to make some folks think he's racist, and the things that make
some folks think that he wasn't, and present that bundle of facts together,
and let each label as he or she pleases. If you want to try and influence
folks, by saying the "mild racist" thing, I could see that being workable,
might get a fair number of folks to accept that on its face without critical
thought. But there will always be those with much more focused views on the
subject, and they will call it like they see it.
And understand, some of those folks may be among the reasons you
don't see REH in schools, as they may consider it racist, whatever their
reasoning. Or poorly portrays women. Or doesn't promote properly social
problem resolution. Or its too violent. Or it glorifies violence. Or its
disrespectful of authority. Or it trumpets the superiority of barbarism.
Or maybe half a hundred other things. Lord save us from a hundred more
emails going "He's was a racist", "No he's not" "Yes he is" "IS not!" "Is
So!" ad naseum.
Paul Herman
