Editor,
In the Aug. 20 issue, several letter writers expressed their views on racism, defending the current president and criticizing of the former president. What struck me about these letters is how easily the term “racist” is bandied about these days. As a baby boomer, I vividly remember the civil rights movement, and in the 1960s, “racist” meant not hiring someone based on skin color, not renting or selling them a home in a particular neighborhood, not allowing persons of color in places of business.
Nowadays, “You are racist” means “I don’t like you,” instead of referring to how one person treats another.
I don’t know if our current president dislikes humans because of their skin color, beliefs or country of origin. I also don’t know if/when our previous president promoted people of color, if that made him a racist. However, when I read letters from my neighbors calling fellow citizens racist because they disagree with them, I must point out that a difference of opinion is a long way from assuming one race is superior to another. We need to stop throwing around “racist” as an insult and look more closely at the person’s actions.
Pamela Jackson, Noblesville
