Ever since Dr. Timm Peterson decided we all had to be educated on the true definition of ”racist” (Voice, July 2), every zealot we encounter has been using the explanation of the word to hide behind his bigotry.
The latest to test the validity of Dr. Peterson`s definition of
”racist” is Don Zahorick (Voice, July 24) who says he is puzzled by the definition and wonders ”why Peterson bothers to mention institutional, economic or physical power as further qualifiers for racism, since this only undermines his definition.”
First of all, the word is the adjective ”racist” not the noun
”racism” as Zahorick mistakenly quotes. According to Webster`s New Collegiate Dictionary, the less specific definition of ”racism” is ”race hatred and discrimination.”
Maybe the whole etymological argument can be solved by referring to
”racist” people as ”illiberals,” which Webster`s defines as a person
”lacking a liberal education; without culture; unrefined; intolerant;
bigoted and narrow-minded.”
And my experience has been any word that even remotely smacks of
”liberal” usually sends bigots into apoplexy.
