Geraldine Ferraro

Yesterday Geraldine Ferraro stepped down from her official post on the finance committee of the Hillary Clinton campaign for the presidency. I'm glad. I've been wondering how many times the surrogates of the Clinton campaign were going to get a pass on behavior like this.

Ferraro still hasn't come to terms with the fact that her comments were racist--not because she is prejudiced in any way (her record clearly suggests otherwise), but because of who she is (the same reason Hillary invited her to fund raise). Because of who she is, Geraldine Ferraro's words, despising Obama's being black, have the power to negatively and indiscriminately impact Obama's professional aspirations solely for racial reasons: that makes her words racist.

Racism isn't just a synonym for bigotry or prejudice. Racism connotes the unjust power that privilege has to inconvenience the lives of others by virtue of their race, ethnicity or national origin. Bigotry and prejudice are basically how one feels toward another. This is an important distinction. This is why we can speak of racism as being structural and systemic. It is also why we pass laws to limit people's ability to do this sort of thing, at least overtly.

I use to think one could be a bigot without being racist, yet not a racist without first being a bigot. Ferraro's comments--or perhaps the preponderance of inane such assaults coming from the Clinton camp--mark the first time I've consciously noted that one who is not prejudiced can do just as much racist damage as one who is.

Race is undoubtedly a part of who Barak Obama is, but it can't be used to belittle or even critique him--any more than Hillary Clinton's gender can justly be used against her. That's crossing the line.

*After being informed by Keith Olbermann of Ms. Ferraro's history of making such statements, I must reserve the right to alter the temperance of my views regarding her intent. Watch Olbermann's courageous response to Sen. Clinton's tepid reaction to Ms. Ferraro.