Inadvertently Revealing Racism

ALTOGETHER, the conversation was pleasant, as it normally is with my right wing pro-Trump friend. We kept it light, as always, discussing the high quality of the cuisine at the senior center where we both regularly have lunch, the weather, sports. We both have the good sense not to broach politics. Then, somehow or other, the topic turned to racism. I forget how that happened. We assured each other that neither of us is racist. Silently, to myself, it occurred to me that we were both well meaning, and believed we were being honest, but perhaps were not. Arguably, technically, anyone who embraces the racist paradigm - that homo sapien sapiens can be neatly categorized according to skin pigmentation, is a "racist", in that they accept race as a valid concept which, arguably it is not. Arguably, indeed demonstrably, every person, living and dead, has a unique skin color, as measured by the wavelength of light reflected from each human body. All "black people" may indeed be dark brown, and all "white" people may indeed be lighter brown. But hold your forearm next to that of any other human in the world; there will never be an exact match. If there is one race, the human race, then there are, as measured by skin color, nearly eight billion races, technically, and counting. The concept of "race" is simply that: a concept, categories devised by society for convenience, just as Aristotle invented categorization to help exlain all natural phenomena. As an emmployer, said my friend, if he received applications from an African-American who was more qualified than one recieved from a "European-Amerocan", he would instantly hire the black person. I felt hopeful. My hopes were womewhat diminished when he indicated his belief that the insurection at the Capitol on January 6, 2021, has been, as he said "overblown", presumably by the media and the public. I pointed out that thousands of rioters smashed down doors and through windows and ransacked the Capitol's interior, that feces were smeared on the walls, and that at least seven peope were killed, and many more severely injured. Also, that Vice President Pence was being hunted, with a gallows erected in the Capitol's parking lot. My words seemed to have little or no impact. Then, he may have slipped. He said, straight out, that if the two applicants for the job were of equal qualifications, that he would hire the white guy. In other words, he is a racist, or so he unintentionally stated. It was Gore Vidal who pointed out that, ultimately, anyone who accepts the categorical skin pigmentation paradigm is, in essence, a "racist". The human mind, unable to comprehend a universe of infinitely unique variety, creates categories to simplify the world, including the artificial concept of "race". Einstein one worte a message for a time capsule in which he said, addressing future generations,paraphrased: "If you have not become more humane and compassionate than we were, may the devil take you". He could have added that he hoped that eventually, future generations would dispense with innacurate categorization, and develop an ability to comprehend reality.