Leonardo Rodriguez

This is very much the case of the blind trying to lead the blind. That racism is not based on religious beliefs is true. However, that racism is solely based on physical appearances (phenotypes) is as false as the previous statement is true. Racial acts have for eons been committed against people who for all purposes could be white in the way they look. Thus came the old word “passing.” Those were people who looked white but were in fact of mixed racial descent and passing as white. The problem was that no matter how white they looked, once it was discovered that they had a drop of black blood in their veins, they were most often beaten, spat at, and sometimes killed by whites. Racism is based on a concept of racial lineage not on physical appearance. Back in those not so long ago days things were cut and dry. The “one drop [of black blood] rule applied at all times, and the lines were clearly drawn. Today, it is so much more difficult to identify a racist. It is also so much easier to defend racist acts, as they are now subtle and carefully camouflaged. Lastly, how do you define progress? If your definition includes Haitians developing a high sense of inferiority because their religious beliefs are maligned and debased, than you go right ahead and continue to scream at anyone who will listen to you. However, I’m not into psychological or cultural destruction, so I’ll stick with people who want to help, but don’t want to use the poor Haitians for self masturbation.