The Race Rat

Erica, Jay, Zack and I were doing our regular weekly chat about American Idol on Wednesday morning, reviewing the performances from Tuesday night and predicting who would be eliminated. We love to take phone calls from listeners to get their perspective too.

One caller near the end of our discussion had had it with us, and everybody else, getting on Sanjaya's case. From her perspective Sanjaya is a very talented performer who isn't being given a chance because he's Indian. She called us racists and hung up.

It occurred to me after trying to explain to the caller that I'm NOT racist, that trying to prove you're not isn't something you can really do-at least not in a 45 second phone call. To try to state your case by saying "...but I have friends who are Indian", or "I loved the movie Ghandi" is patronizing to Indians everywhere.

Is it that everybody is considered racist until proven otherwise? And wouldn't proving it take a lifetime? And do you have to serve on boards or councils that seek to end racist policies to show how unracist you are, or can you simply NOT be a racist person and be considered as such.

I don't think someone should be applauded for not being racist. That should be a basic quality that the most average person possesses. It's not a special quality. Rare yes, but not special. And since racism is another word for ignorance, calling someone racist without really knowing them is equally so.