1. You think, talk, and worry about race almost every day
Rock legend David Bowie was married to a black woman. When asked how they handled the situation, he said we've never talked about it. This is a portrait of people not fixated on race. Why should the journalist be more obsessed with race than the married couple? In India, arranged marriages still occur. Imagine two sets of couples. The bride and groom who focus more on love for each other and less on the problematic historical baggage surrounding the tradition have a far greater chance of personal happiness and relational bliss. The same is true for a nation's race relations.
2. You think race is the cause for most success or failure in life
In the age of internet anonymity, globally monetized websites and free enterprise, race often plays no part in the buying and selling of goods. The beauty of capitalism is that satisfying a customer – earning profit – is a colorblind process.
In my upcoming eBook, "The 9 Gifts of Capitalism: Why Prosperity Requires Freedom," I have a diagram (below) that explains the three things every action must have – every action, from picking up a quarter on a sidewalk to writing Hamlet.
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For example, to pick up a quarter we must have the desire and ability to do it, and the opportunity also, which means that the quarter must be present. In the same way, capitalism rewards all three essentials to action: desire, ability and greater marketplace opportunity for buyer and seller. This is the magic of capitalism: Economic freedom raises living standards for more people than socialist government monopolies can, a system that suffocates all three elements of action.
3. You think racism against some groups is cool
Double standards exemplify moral bankruptcy. Other than ISIS, no one says raping certain girls is OK. No bank president condones embezzlement of only 20-dollar bills and smaller. Who says that cheating on a math test is OK but not in other subjects?
Abraham Lincoln explained, "Those who deny freedom to others, deserve it not for themselves; and, under a just God, cannot long retain it." Racism for one group begets racism for all.
4. You're convinced God loves some races, hates others
Creation is an act of love. Mankind will always be more racist than God for that reason. It's been said that racism is reduced when people humanize each other, meet and talk to each other. God knows how human we are.
5. You think certain races belong in the Republican or Democratic Party
When Jesus was questioned harshly about working (picking grain) on the Sabbath he said, in Mark 2:23-27, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath." Translation: We are called first to love our neighbor, not to rigidly follow rules that may at times obstruct that love. In the same way, people are not made for political parties. Such factions and governments were made to serve us.
6. You believe the phrase "All Lives Matter" is hate speech
When all lives matter, racism subsides. The moment one race is told they don't matter, that being dehumanized is their fate, then racism grows stronger. Even being a victim does not justify becoming a perpetrator.
7. You believe certain people can't be racist
Prejudice means to pre-judge: judge someone or something harshly before you have evidence. To make a decision before all the facts are presented is a common experience. For example, we expect poor food and service because of a restaurant's shabby exterior but are pleasantly surprised. If we hear a knock on the door at night, we imagine it to be a burglar; that's also prejudice. No group is exempt from it. The argument goes that people without power cannot pre-judge is absurd. Power has nothing to do with cognitive function.
8. You think meritocracy is racist
The exception to this is Olympic competition and professional sports. With few exceptions, the best performers make the team. Period. The racial mix of the NHL, NBA and NFL is rightfully ignored.
However, everywhere else, racists go out of their way to poison the level field of anonymous transactions and free market meritocracy. If someone has one dollar more than you do, it's because of their greed, race or so-called "privilege" to work harder and satisfy the needs of more customers. If business or professional success is racism, then happy customers and bosses are too. Sick.
9. You would vote for someone based on the color of his or her skin
This is so obvious a clue – that content of character means less to you than race. Martin Luther King Jr. sees you as part of the race problem in America, not the solution.
10. You think justice for "your people" is more important than justice for all
Justice wears a blindfold; she doesn't let police dogs attack anyone without due process. She turns her fire hose on no one without a fair trial. If you don't want a colorblind society, you don't want justice for all. If you don't want justice for all, regardless of race, you are a racist by definition.
We are never a victim of a bad choice; we are victims only where no choice exists. Racists always act like victims, pretending it was self-defense that made Democratic Party Klansmen lynch innocent black people. Socialist dictators rise to power as victims, standing beside the mass graves of their "oppressors." The demagogic Farrakhans of the world always claim to be innocent victims before they poison the well of society with hatred.
Tyrants know that those they intend to dehumanize must first become public villains. Blind hatred burns them in effigy so people will say, "We are only retaliating against evil." What despots and race-baiters do not tell you is this simple truth: Victim mentality must kill your conscience before it awakens your rage.