I read Mike Downey’s column trying to explain away Marge Schott’s record of public racism as the idiosyncrasy of a misguided older person (“Racism is too serious a shot to take at Marge,” Sports, March 4). I was very disappointed in his decision to try to expunge her history as mere “bigotry” rather than racism. His point, that generally she was a nice old lady who was merely plagued by an inability to see why her stereotypical views were inappropriate, is not valid.
As a white, male, Christian Republican, I fight an equally disgusting stereotype: I myself am a racist because of my demographic status. I have carefully explained to friends who use racist language or jokes that these comments are unwanted in my presence. I have taken pains to raise my children to see no difference between people because of how they look, but rather, to judge people as I do: individually by how their character expresses itself in their actions and words.
Many of us know people who, raised in an earlier time when expressing such sentiments was expected let alone allowed, have not learned to curb their enthusiasm for racist words and jokes. They are to be pitied for their ignorant view of humanity.
But a person who is a public figure and expresses these viewpoints runs the risk of being exposed as a racist.
Being a racist is not the sum and total of Marge Schott, I am sure. But it was a major character flaw. It is her public epitaph. To characterize an individual as a “bigot” and as less reprehensible than a “true racist” draws a line of distinction that I am unable to see.
