RE: The Word "Racism" Doesn't Mean Anything Anymore
I'll keep on throwing my plankton upvotes at you then. :)
I definitely agree that the reaction in this instance was overblown, and that too many people nowadays from all sides are too quick to judge.
However, I don't know why the phrase, 'Chink in the Armor' is racist in and of itself, regardless of whom the story was about. The phrase predates the use of 'chink' as a derogatory term for Chinese people, and it has to do with being vulnerable or deficient in something. In this case, Lin's game was supposedly lacking.
I think being insensitive, inappropriate or offensive with someone of another race might make you ignorant or racially unaware (or a jerk), but I don't think it should automatically without question or examination of intent make you a racist.
Since racism is a belief that people of the same race all have some particular (usually undesirable) traits because of genetics that somehow supposedly make them inferior to another race, there are quite a few requirements that need to be met before racism should be invoked.
I think it depends on the contest and the intention. It can be used in a racist way, it can be a stupid ill-advised joke and it can be absolutely nothing. As we don't know what the intention was, we can't really say. It can certainly look bad and it doesn't matter which phrase came first. He can be honest when he's saying it was a mistake and an oversight or he can be using it as a defense. If that's the only instance, I think he deserves the benefit of the doubt - innocent until proven guilty.
One instance of behavior like that is not enough to know if somebody is a racist. We can say that this or that action might appear racist, but to say it about a person, the person must have shown a consistent tendency towards this type of behavior. We can all be insensitive at times, we can all be jerks at time and we all have some prejudices like it or not, which can rear their ugly heads it one point or another. Or we can just attempt a joke that misfires or turns out bad. Anybody could mess up. Intent and long-term behavior are what's important in my book.
There might be different reasons for being racist, not just belief in genetic inferiority. Different people might have different reasons. As long as there is hate or desire to discriminate based on race or ethnicity, it's racist in my book. It can sometimes be emotional or culturally ingrained, not supported by any type of real reasoning.
I think we're now almost fully aligned on this segment of the topic. :)
My observations of racism and its use were based on the definition in the dictionary, which I think places it at a higher standard than its more common and ever devolving usage. There are other terms for all of the other instances that often are cited but then lumped together. I think they should be used instead.
I agree with your comments about context and consistency. By our thoughts, words and actions we tell the story of our true selves.
I am in agreement that hate or discrimination based solely on race or ethnicity is bad (hate being bad in general, while discrimination still depends on context, like race).
Most of what seems to constitute racism has more to do with differences in opinion, politics, culture, goals, interests, values, behaviors and real or perceived social and economic injustices. There's probably more, but as I said, I think we're already agreeing on principle here, and that's cool. :)