Opinion: Anti-racism is not racism
Recently my state senator, Sen. John Johnson, R-North Ogden, made the puzzling statement that “Anti-racism is racism.”
That’s sort of like saying an anti-aircraft missile is actually an aircraft construction kit.
I want Sen. Johnson and all who hold that viewpoint to know that I disagree with them. Rejecting racism is anti-racism.
I want him to know that I reject racism. I reject it when it’s covert. I reject it when it’s overt.
I want him to know that it’s painfully, clearly obvious that racism exists in our state and our nation, and that “color blind” laws are not enough to confront and destroy that racism.
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Nobody is racist solely by belonging to a race, but nobody can be excused from the racist consequences of the society they create solely because they didn’t intend that society to have racist consequences.
I want him to know that it’s possible to exclude people simply by neglecting them. Let’s work to make them whole.
And I want him to know that if he wants to represent me, he has to reject racism too. He has to learn to be anti-racist, or I won’t vote for him.
Alan Grover
North Ogden
