That’s why its important to ensure clarity when using terms like that. The very first comment on this thread stated “Three words that completely refute Harris’ racist assumption…” and no one challenged the idea that his assumption was racist.

Maryam said “Profiling can only be an acceptable response if one allocates collective blame.” But this frames profiling in a moral context, whereas I think Harris is pointing out that profiling has utility. The reality is that anyone who understands the concept of hedging the odds in their favor (gamblers, stockbrokers, lawyers) understands that there is no 100% certain, fool-proof way to know what someone is going to do next but one can certainly make predictions based on experience and raw data.

I don’t see how Harris was arguing for giving anyone second-class citizen treatment.

As far as hoodies… look – there are criminals in the United States. Those criminals aren’t stupid, and they’ve figured out the best way to conceal their intentions in order to commit their crimes. A lot of time it involves the simple act of wearing attire that conceals or obscures either their weapon, their loot, or their identity (or all three). Things like fluffy jackets, loose jeans, long-sleeve shirts, and hoodies all have very real utility to criminals.

They also happen to be perfectly harmless in their own right. So a criminal wearing these items is quite indistinguishable from an upright citizen wearing the same attire.

So I think when someone like Geraldo offers advice to young black men along the lines of “don’t wear a hoodie”, what he’s actually saying is “don’t put yourself in a situation where you become indistinguishable from people who are genuinely bad. ESPECIALLY don’t do it in locations where people have been harmed by people with whom you might make yourself indistinguishable.”

That sort of advice might trigger a gag reflex in those of us who shudder to think that there might exist a condition here in our beloved United States where an upright citizen cannot exercise a basic right without suffering unjust repercussions. But *it is still sage advice* – whether any of us like it or not!

Look at this picture. I took it myself a couple days after the Martin shooting. It’s on the door of Navy Federal Credit Union in Kailua, HI. It was up there for at least a year prior to the time I took this picture, and it is part of their stated policy. Basically, what they’re saying is “Look, these are things that *most bank robbers wear*, so don’t wear them, and we won’t suspect you of being a bank robber.”

Is this any different *in principle* than what Geraldo was saying? You may point out that Geraldo was addressing black men specifically whereas the NFCU sign doesn’t, but I’m not sure that’s relevant to the point.

The point is that smart money says that if you don’t dress like criminals dress, you have a lower chance of getting treated like a criminal.

Tho your blog is better than nothing, when and/or where, do you plan to be/speak again?

Thanks,

Thanks,

Can’t wait to see video go up if someone got some, though. Text just doesn’t do it justice.

As for him not being ‘racist’ because of no explicit belief in certain races being inherently inferior, that’s a pretty nit-picking legalistic, simplistic definition of racism

No, it’s the fact that that’s the exact, accurate definition of racism. In fact, that you want to privilege the colour of someone’s skin over the contents of their mind makes you the racist.

Now go away. Racist.

As for him not being ‘racist’ because of no explicit belief in certain races being inherently inferior, that’s a pretty nit-picking legalistic, simplistic definition of racism. Racism is often a bit more nuanced than that, and most racists have dispensed with overt hate and inferiority based racism in favor of finding ways to rationalize giving minorities second-class citizen treatment. I’d argue giving young Black males advice like “don’t wear hoodies” is racist in an of itself though not based in any belief in inferiority – just the idea that white people are suspicious of them and it’s their job to keep up appearances.

I’m not stating that Harris is necessarily racist; I’d have to do a much more thorough read of a lot of his writing – but just that racism doesn’t have to fit such a simplistic definition, and it’s a complicated business. It’s quite possible for a person to desire not to be racist, but to end up being racist anyway.