Let’s squash something right now. The excuse of time period to defend a person’s actions is as valid as “I’m not racist, I have a black friend.”

The trailer is not secured to the cab. If anyone says that something considered racist today was not racist one, two, three or four hundred years ago because it was the norm, that person needs to check him/herself.

Racism involves oppression or denial of equal status based on race. American chattel slavery was a racist system run by racist people. They were racist then, and they are viewed as racist now.

Some people believe that if the majority of white folk in this country look favorably upon something, then it is accepted as the norm by everyone.

William Lloyd Garrison, John Brown, the Quakers, Susan B. Anthony, the Grimke sisters and other white people fought against oppression, so what was Carrie Chapman Catt’s excuse?

Susan B. Anthony fought for women’s suffrage without denying access to African people (we weren’t Americans yet) in this country.

Only these people realized that other people’s opinions and feelings counted.

Why do you only consider the majority white opinion as valid?

Using your argument, Hitler could be defended because the majority of Germans followed his rhetoric.

Using your argument, if it is the norm in a neighborhood to deal and use crack, then those activities are defensible.

Using your argument, it is acceptable for white folk to sit and listen to nigger jokes if the whole room laughs.

And, using your argument, if your friends jumped off a cliff, you would too.

There is a concept of doing the right thing. Catt didn’t.

Frederick Douglass did the right thing. Catt didn’t. Sojurner Truth did the right thing. Catt didn’t.

William Lloyd Garrison did the right thing. Catt didn’t.

Ida B. Wells did the right thing. Catt didn’t… And so and so on…

Gabriel Clausen

ISU Alum

Ames, Iowa