I’ve written before about the over-use of allegations of racism. These are disturbing because racism is itself such a vile thing. To falsely accuse someone of racism is thus reciprocally vile. Falsely calling someone a racist is in this respect like falsely calling someone an adulterer or a child molester or a person given to any other form of moral turpitude.
Unfortunately, false allegations of racism are all too common in our society, and they appear in different contexts.
In the current debate over illegal immigration, for example, some have charged that those who want America to secure its borders and stop the influx of illegal immigrants are racists.
Such sentiments have even been expressed by some posters in the combox of late.
While there no doubt are individuals who harbor racial prejudice against Latin Americans, and while they no doubt disapprove of millions of Latin Americans entering this country illegally, it cannot be inferred that because someone disapproves of illegal immigration that one is racially prejudiced against Latinos.
Indeed, many Latinos who abided by the rules and entered this country legally–or whose parents or grandparents did–are opposed to illegal immigration, and it is hardly likely that they harbor such prejudice.
"Okay," one might say, "those who are Latino themselves should not be accused of racism if they oppose illegal immigration, but what about non-Latinos?"
It doesn’t make any difference. The formula "non-Latino + opposes illegal immigration" does not equal "racist."
The fact that one is white or black or Asian or what have you does not cause one’s brain to be unable to disapprove of millions of people entering one’s country illegally unless one is also a racist.
I’m quite sure that the vast majority of people who oppose the current influx of illegal aliens would be just as concerned if there were twelve million Canadians or Swedes or Germans or Russians or what have you who had entered America illegally.
In other words: Race has nothing to do with it.
At least in the mind of the great majority of people.
In view of how vile racism is, it is vile for anyone to carelessly lob charges of racism around, but it is particularly so for Catholics, who in the Catechism of the Catholic Church have a clear articulation of the following points:
2477 Respect for the reputation of persons forbids every attitude and word likely to cause them unjust injury. He becomes guilty:
- of rash judgment who, even tacitly, assumes as true, without sufficient foundation, the moral fault of a neighbor;
- of detraction who, without objectively valid reason, discloses another’s faults and failings to persons who did not know them;
- of calumny who, by remarks contrary to the truth, harms the reputation of others and gives occasion for false judgments concerning them.
2478 To avoid rash judgment, everyone should be careful to interpret insofar as possible his neighbor’s thoughts, words, and deeds in a favorable way:
Every good Christian ought to be more ready to give a favorable interpretation to another’s statement than to condemn it. But if he cannot do so, let him ask how the other understands it. and if the latter understands it badly, let the former correct him with love. If that does not suffice, let the Christian try all suitable ways to bring the other to a correct interpretation so that he may be saved.
2479 Detraction and calumny destroy the reputation and honor of one’s neighbor. Honor is the social witness given to human dignity, and everyone enjoys a natural right to the honor of his name and reputation and to respect. Thus, detraction and calumny offend against the virtues of justice and charity.
To simply assume that someone who says he opposes illegal immigration is a racist is–in the absence of further evidence for racism (e.g., the use of racial epithets for illegal aliens)–is to commit the sin of rash judgment, which is a sin whether one expresses this judgment publicly or not.
If the charge of racism is publicly made against someone who is not, in fact, a racist then the sin of calumny is committed.
As the Catechism explains, we must be on guard against the rash judgment and calumny that are often involved in playing the race card.
Much good would be done if people–inside and outside the Catholic community–would take the Catechism’s advice and attempt to give a favorable construction of others.
Justice and charity require that those who say they are opposed to illegal immigration are to have their statements taken at face value unless sufficient evidence of a sinister motive is present. The mere opposition to illegal immigration is not enough to infer racism. To do so is rash judgment and to say so will be calumny more often than not.
