The Meaning of Words

The constant assault of 24 hour news has created a world where words do not seem to have meaning anymore.

Rush Limbaugh's accusation that Sonia Sotomayor is somehow a racist turns this horrible word into nonsense. It takes the history away from the word, wrenching the hegemony that is implicit in racism apart from what racism does to make people feel inferior and less than human. Racism is about power, and making someone into an "other," with the power to enforce those assumptions.

Sonia Sotomayor is not a racist, Rush.

Rush Limbaugh should be worried, because the world of the white man is disappearing. Unfortunately for the rest of us there is nothing more dangerous than an insecure white man who believes that he is losing power and authority.