Phobia: A specific phobia is excessive and persistent fear of a specific object, situation or activity that is generally not harmful. Patients know their fear is excessive, but they can’t overcome it. These fears cause such distress that some people go to extreme lengths to avoid what they fear. Examples are fear of flying or fear of spiders (American Psychiatric Association, 2018).

Words have meaning. Nearly any week in the last 10 years you will hear some version of “X-phobic” being used in the context of someone disliking something. Most recently in the national spotlight, the now debunked “racist and homophobic” attack on Jussie Smollett comes immediately to mind. Calling someone a slur, or epithet is not the same as being “phobic” of the persons “identity.” Being called a “cracker” by someone does not indicate that they have an excessive and persistent fear of me – it means they are an asshole. That or they are a friend, and cracker is a term of endearment (sort of like the way that other words are used as terms of endearment in other ethnic groups). At any rate, they are not necessarily “Anglophobic (did I just coin a new word?).” Calling a “Trans” person a “trannie” is not necessarily being Transphobic – it is using a slur. Calling a homosexual a “faggot” is not necessarily Homophobic, it is being a dickhead, and using an epithet (although a LOT of people who are that outspoken seem to have some latent tendencies…jes sayin). Finally, being leery of the motivations of a politician who has associated herself with known Islamists, and happens to wear a hijab, does not necessarily make one an “Islamophobe” – as that is not an irrational reaction. While most of these are asshole things to say, can we just stop tacking “phobic” on the end of everything? Thanks.

Along the same lines – can we stop using the term Caucasian? It is an antiquated, and wholly inaccurate word to describe European “white” people. We no longer use the words that were invented along with the root Caucasoid – because Mongoloid and Negroid are also dated, mis-representative, and to some, offensive (Takezawa, 2013). I mean, unless you are referring to someone from the Caucasus of Southern Russia…

Speaking of which – can we please stop calling every bigoted statement, slur or epithet by the moniker of “racist” – it cheapens the word. YES, use of these sorts of words makes you a bigoted asshole, and might get your teeth punched in. AND, that is not to say that there are not actual racists out there – Klan Members, Skinheads and the like exist. However, most claims of “racism” from all sides are usually simple bigotry or bias – not actual racism. Use of a stereotype, slur or epithet, does NOT automatically signify the presence of “racism.” Racism, according to the OED (because FUCK YOU Merriam Webster) is “Prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one’s own race is superior (Oxford English Dictionary, 2019).” We can see real racism in the likes of Kipling’s poem about American Imperialism “The White Man’s Burden” – The people of the time believed that it was the duty of white people to help lift people of color out of their primitive ways, because they were inferior, and needed that help – sort of like how many in the US Democrat Party treats people of color now – the racism of low expectations (Kipling, 1929 & Sarkozy, 2018). Most of the rest of what you see is usually simple bigotry and stereotyping – not actual racism. This is not to say that bigots should not be called out – but let us call them by their proper title!

Similarly, the claim that only “white” people can be racist is both ludicrous and blind to both the definition of the word, and the reality of people all over the world. There is concrete historical evidence of nearly every Asian nationality seeing themselves as “superior” to their neighbors – to the point that some see their neighbors as little more than animals. Indeed, they often look at Caucasoids and Negroids as inferior as well (see what I did there, it sucks, doesn’t it?) (Ryall, 2018). Ever heard the term “gaijin” or “gwailou”? Yeah – neither is used to describe someone of European descent in a particularly flattering way. Those (black) Hebrew Israelites that were involved in the MAGA Hat Smirking Kid vs the Stolen Valor Native American episode in DC? They are not too far removed from The Nation of Islam when it comes to truly racist ideology (Southern Poverty Law Center, 2019) (YES, I cited the leftist SPLC on purpose). Sooo – it ain’t just us Caucasoid Crackers who have racists among us.

Words have meaning people – let us use the correct words – Words have meaning people – let us use the correct words – PLEASE!!!

References

American Psychiatric Association. (2018). What Are Anxiety Disorders? Washington DC: American Psychiatric Association.

Kipling, R. (1929). The White Man’s Burden: The United States & The Philippine Islands, 1899. In R. Kipling, Rudyard Kipling’s Verse: Definitive Edition. Garden City, New York: Doubleday.

Oxford English Dictionary. (2019). Definition of racism in English. Retrieved from Oxford English Dictionary: https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/racism

Ryall, J. (2018, July 20). Why is racism so big in Japan? Retrieved from This Week in Asia: https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/2123539/no-chinese-why-anti-china-racism-so-big-japan

Sarkozy, L. (2018, March 14). Affirmative action and the racism of low expectations. Retrieved from Washington Examiner: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/affirmative-action-and-the-racism-of-low-expectations

Southern Poverty Law Center. (2019). History of Hebrew Israelism. Retrieved from Southern Poverty Law Center: https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/intelligence-report/2015/history-hebrew-israelism

Takezawa, Y. (2013). Problems with the Terms: “Caucasoid” , “Mongoloid”, and “Negroid”. Kyoto: Institute for Research in Humanities Kyoto University.