I was going to call this stupid
But you know what?
Some Thoughts on Bigotry Commentary by Martin Kelly
November 24, 2004This column abhors all discrimination against black people, women and homosexuals on account of colour, gender or sexuality.
However, it also denies the existence of concepts called ‘racism’, ‘sexism’ and ‘homophobia.’
The words ‘racism’, ‘sexism’ and ‘homophobia’ are rooted in Marxist thought. As a life-long anti-Marxist, one cannot endorse or approve of anything that started as a Marxist construct designed to ensure Marxism’s ascendancy by creating divisions.
There is a very much more suitable and ancient word to describe those who despise black people, women and homosexuals on account of colour, gender or sexuality. That word is ‘bigot’, and common humanity, not Marxist political correctness, should at all times inform the conservative to disavow and shun bigots.
As long as you don't deny the actual existence of the problems or the need to address them, then if I sweat you over your choice of terminology, I'm being as silly as you are.
The reason I was going to call it stupid is I don't want bigotry defined as the intersection of the three manifestations but as their union.And I don't want folks feeling every anti-bigotry gesture must address the full union; I don't want people to forget that by reducing the size of one of the union's components you reduce the size of the union. And I want people to understand that reducing the size of component A can reasonably be seen as a neutral event by members of population B…and excessive insistence to the contrary may be seen as a hostile gesture.
And I was going to call it stupid because racism, sexism and homophobia manifest in different ways, on different levels…the concepts are rooted in manifest existence. And both sexism and homophobia, being based on physical differences of significance, have a more ancient, venerable history than racism…which was assembled. Their different origins and natures make different concepts more than appropriate. It makes them necessary.
However, as I said, if you really like this particular conflation I'm not going to be as silly as you. If the words 'racism', 'sexism' and 'homophobia' sets your knee jerking we can talk 'bigotry' instead. But I will frequently specify racial bigotry, sex bigotry, anti-gay bigotry.
Because I know what I mean to say.
