What is the ESSENCE of Racism?

[merrily]

1. I know this is implicit in what you said, but let me try to make it more explicit.

Racism--or any kind of bigotry, is not the belief that some ONE else is significantly and unacceptably different. It's the belief that an entire group is inferior and undesirable in one or more ways and that all members of that group share those undesirable characteristic(s). Or maybe you identify one or more "exceptions," one or more members of that goup that you think somehow escaped or rose above the stereotype. If this is you, you just may be a bigot.

If you look at everyone with fresh eyes, letting him or her show you or tell you who they are, you just may NOT be a bigot.

Or, you can take the approach a college friend of mine took: we're all bigoted in one way or another against some group or another. Recognize that, then spend the rest f your life trying to make up for it.

Either way, don't stereotype.