Shooters of color are called ‘terrorists’ and ‘thugs.’ Why are white people called ‘mentally ill’?

[Solly Mack]

52. I have often wondered if some white people want to label racism a mental illness so they

can hide behind the label and tell themselves how glad they are they aren't sick (because they don't kill black people...so obviously they aren't racists) or how the poor dear just couldn't help himself, because he's sick.

Same with all other hate crimes. As in, they tell themselves that they would never kill a gay person, so they're no homophobe....but they sure do like making fun of gays (which they think isn't a form of violence)...but those poor dears who do kill gay people must be sick...they'd have to be...because they're nothing like them.

If you see what I'm saying.

As a means to distance their own prejudices and bias from the exact same prejudices and bias that gets people killed.

I'm not saying hate isn't a mental instability, because I think it is.......but I am saying some white people, straight people, etc.. are all too willing to jump on the mental illness bandwagon as a means to show a difference between their own prejudices and bigotry and those of people like Roof.

As if hateful jokes about Gays and African-Americans are somehow unrelated to the environment that produces racists cops and people like Roof - and McKinney and Henderson (killers of Matthew Shepard). As if harboring bias against African-Americans and Gays is somehow not feeding the hate.

Same with all bigotry. (sexism, racism, homophobia)

The need for people - who see themselves as good people because they aren't killing people, but who still use certain words and phrases, who still harbor prejudices, who still display racism, sexism, homophobia on a daily basis - to make themselves feel better about their own prejudices by pretending they aren't just as racist, just a sexist, and just as homophobic as those who act on their hate with physical violence.

Because racist jokes and comments, etc., are a form of violence and they do inflict harm.

I'm not saying calling me the word that can get you banned is the same as killing me....but if you think of women in those terms, you're really no better in my eyes. Because hate speech can all too often turn into physical violence. Same with the "N-word" , and assorted other hate-filled names people call those different from them.

Oh, and K&R to the article.

Because not labeling white domestic terrorists by their rightful name, is also a form of distancing white skin from the crimes committed. No trouble labeling brown skinned and black skinned people as a group when an individual commits a crime...but goshly bum, no way that white terrorist is representative of the dominant culture he was raised in. Oh, no....he was just someone who was sick and needs help. Not like us at all.