It allows them to separate themselves from more extreme forms of racism, allowing more subtle forms of racism to go unchallenged
But I think that's something that the "we're not racist" crowd have done quite successfully. They decry the obvious acts of bigotry, but they don't notice the more subtle forms - the ones that they're guilty of themselves.
There's a perception that if one is absolved of being "actively bigoted" then one is not racist. Racism is only extreme acts - hate crimes, if you will. It has nothing to do with talking to someone of a non-white background like they're an idiot, or presuming that someone of a particular background has a particular interest stereotyped for that racial background, or even tensing when someone of a 'threatening' racial background walks past you in the street.
no subject
But I think that's something that the "we're not racist" crowd have done quite successfully. They decry the obvious acts of bigotry, but they don't notice the more subtle forms - the ones that they're guilty of themselves.
There's a perception that if one is absolved of being "actively bigoted" then one is not racist. Racism is only extreme acts - hate crimes, if you will. It has nothing to do with talking to someone of a non-white background like they're an idiot, or presuming that someone of a particular background has a particular interest stereotyped for that racial background, or even tensing when someone of a 'threatening' racial background walks past you in the street.