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Michael Berkowitz's avatar

Thank you very much for your thoughtful response.

I must admit, though, to not seeing the "structure" of the racism here. If the proximal cause of a problem like leaded water is poverty, not race, then even though racial minorities make up a disproportionate number of the poor there's no racism.

If the problem doesn't gain sufficient public awareness because it mostly affects racial minorities then that's racist, but it's personal, not structural.

If the problem is simply 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗢𝗻𝗲𝗱 as racist because it has a racially-weighted π—Ώπ—²π˜€π˜‚π—Ήπ˜, well, I don't consider that a racist structure either. By that definition sunburn is a racist structure.

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peace warrior's avatar

Yes it may be personal (en masse) or individual racism that keeps those who can change the situation apathetic but the fact that these apathetic people are in power is structural. :)

I'm not 'woke' or any of that but I am FURIOUS that nothing about real environmental or climate related issues can be acknowledged much less solved because it hasn't affected the elite enough yet.

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Michael Berkowitz's avatar

Thanks again. I'm not taking a side in this either, I'm just trying to understand whether "Systemic Racism" (or whatever we're calling it) really means something and, if it does mean something, whether it exists. I gather from your answer -- and the attached smiley -- that what you've described so far doesn't quite fit.

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