The covertly racist - the ones I call the comfortably bigoted - won't go out of their way to oppose progressive measures, but will stab any progressive in the back on any platform that promotes equality or inclusiveness if they feel they can get away with it and not be called on their racism. All they want is to be taken care of by their daddy-state. They're the other brothers of the prodigal son, the ones that sucked up to dad and figured they deserved first choice.
They can be emotionally maneuvered by the specter of public shaming, or be encouraged to "do the right thing", depending if they're motivated by a carrot or a stick. They're still bigoted, however, and that bigotry should be called out, even if it is done so gently, because it's a favorite aunt, or whatever. But you're still able to reach them, if you can connect on an emotional level. They'll still vote for Trump or whomever/whatever their authority figure of choice tells them to, though. It's a "Who's your Daddy" reaction for them.
The active racists, now - they are addicted to their hate. Their hate gives them comfort and power. They aren't going to be shamed or encouraged to do the right thing. Like abusive spouses, they're to be addressed in no uncertain terms. And they aren't going to be "shown the light" - they have to come to it on their own terms, or not at all. If you tell them they're wrong, you automatically become their enemy. If you roll over and "play nice" with them, you're still automatically their enemy, but you have also become something that they disrespect as being cowardly, weak, and shameful. They don't want to be anything like you when the hate has them in it's grip. If you "go high", they look at that as a way to undermine you.
They don't think, they just want to feed their hate. Nothing but a rare lightning strike of epiphany, or riding their hate all the way to rock bottom, will ever change their minds.
The hard, active bigots can only be held in check by the threat of law - of an overwhelming force. With Jeff Sessions, and all the Oaf-keepers that have been seeded into our judicial/policing system over the past two decades however, that's going to be very difficult.
Haele
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