![]() People claiming that Trump said nothing racist may not be exactly the sharpest knives in the drawer on questions of sociology, and Trump himself is, on that score, a plastic spoon. The question is whether Trump in his recent statements is expressing that bigotry as baldly as many suppose. Make no mistake-all evidence, listed elsewhere too exhaustively to bear my repeating it here, confirms that the president is a bigot. They are operating upon the unusual complexities that the word racist has accreted, in a way that allows them to at least pretend they are not racist, and possibly genuinely believe that they are not. But this is oversimplified in view of how the word racist has come to figure in our language-Republican Trump supporters’ state of mind is, in its way, more layered than that. One response is that these Republicans are more offended at being called racist than at being racist. Peter Beinart: By Republican standards, almost nothing is racist But Republicans have taken umbrage at being called racist for supporting such rhetoric. ![]() Many of us hear this attack as saying that the four embody a fundamental otherness, and their true membership as “one of us” is fragile and even cancelable. Three, for the record, were born in the United States, and the other is a longtime citizen. To many, it would seem to fall transparently under this definition of racist when President Trump, irritated with the leftist critiques of America from four Democratic congresswomen of color, suggests that they return to their native countries. When racist became common parlance, rapidly replacing prejudiced starting around 1970, it was understood mainly in its dictionary-style definition: “Prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one’s own race is superior.” What sat in the memory is “It's wrong to think people are inferior because of something like their skin color, or to be mean to them because of that." That’s why our punditocracy is engaged in a drawn-out battle to explain why President Donald Trump’s latest animadversions against certain congresswomen of color are racist, against his and his pals’ claims that they are not-and even why Democrats are entertaining an intraparty controversy over whether House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, of all progressive figures, is herself a racist. Many of us think its meaning is obvious, but it has evolved quite a bit from its original signification over the past several decades. Racist has become a similarly protean term. ![]() Its meaning is so multifarious as to challenge any attempt to tell a foreigner what it actually refers to. It can refer to anything from two people going to a movie one time to two people having a years-long sexual relationship and everything in between. ![]() The pathway to reach racial equity is still long and will require a review of the modus operandi of the Organisation, with particular attention to changing policy and ensuring accountability.Īs the Secretary-General has said, “We must examine our efforts and ask ourselves if we are doing enough to combat racism and racial discrimination inside our Organization.“They dated.” What does that mean? Date is one of the more ambiguous words in American English. Instead, you should use the power that you may have to empower others,” he added. “Don’t be ashamed of your privileges if you have any. Donat remarked that we should think more through the lens of intersectionality and take concrete actions. Donat has additionally joined the DPPA-DPO Anti-Racism Action Group (ARAG) and is particularly interested in focusing on fairness in recruitment, promotion, retention, and opportunities. This event was chaired by Bruno Donat, Chief of the DPO/ Mine Action Service Geneva office and Global Coordinator of the Mine Action Area of Responsibility within the UNHCR-led Global Protection Cluster. “Institutional racism exists also within the United Nations workplace, we have to work on the policies, and it’s a long way to go,” said Bintou Keita, Special Representative of the Secretary-General in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Head of the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo ( MONUSCO). Inspired by the call of the Secretary-General to address racism and discrimination in the work environment, some colleagues of the Office of Rule of Law and Security Institutions at the Department of Peace Operations (DPO) working in Mine Action have been advocating for enhanced inclusion.įor instance, at their recent annual forum, a plenary on “Inclusion and Diversity: Racial Equity in Mine Action” was held, with speakers representing Germany, Sudan, MONUSCO, and the Mines Advisory Group in Sri Lanka. ![]() “Wherever we see racism, we must condemn it without reservation, without hesitation, without qualification.” - Secretary-General António Guterres ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |