Now that the goalposts have moved again, can anyone tell us what one has to do to actually be

[Empowerer]

held accountable for racist behavior?

It's always been difficult to justify it based on anything they say - because they were misinterpreted, we overreacted, and we don't know what's really in their hearts, etc.

And now it seems we can't base it on them parading around in blackface and posing for pictures in said blackface while grinning next to someone in a Ku Klux Klan outfit even if their nickname at the time was "Coonman." Because he hadn't done it lately so why destroy his life by trying to hold him accountable for it?

Could someone please tell us where the line is now?

Do they actually have to be caught on tape calling a black person the n-word? (Although I think that being photographed in blackface with a guy in KKK regalia is at least equal to if not worse worse than calling someone a racist epithet and the same excuses being given for absolving Northam of his behavior would certainly be applied to an n-word tape).

If someone gets caught and admits to inflicting physical violence against a black person while wearing black face under their KKK robes and yelling the n-word, can we say that was racist?

Where exactly is that line?

Thank you.

[manor321]

1. I'm embarrassed by the Northam defenders.

Northam should have resigned Saturday or earlier.

[ismnotwasm]

5. It is fucking embarrassing

And enraging.

I understand that not everyone understands the history of institutional racism, and concentrates on specific acts of racism— thus dismissing old racist acts as no matter, and no current importance, ecause people can and do change, but this defensiveness is bad by the most lenient of standards. I am literally sick to my stomach.

There is a lot of hypocrisy as well, as white people do evolve on issues, we change our language, we learn how to befriend, and if we are lucky, learn how to be an “ally”

But there’s a lot of cheery picking done by white people on who gets forgiven and who doesn’t.

My personal opinion is if there is a bigotry I personally haven’t suffered from, I don’t have the right to “forgive” only those who were targeted and suffered do.

Northam mismanaged this badly, which is itself a suspect act.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

2. In a way, you've hit upon it. White supremacy is so ingrained in our culture, our institutions and

our society that many white people don't recognize the violence that discovering a would-be ally has worn a racist costume and didn't think to bring it up to campaign personnel, or thought he could brazen his way through it, can cause. The fact that so many white people on here can't wait to talk about how HORRIBLE AND RACIST their upbringings were, complete with vivid examples, also show that white people don't understand the grinding oppression of bearing witness to these incidents day after day after day. Racism is so much more than cross-burning and saying the n-word, but white people have gotten really good at believing that actively, personally violent incidents are the only things that matter when it comes to racism.

After all, THEY'RE not racist, so their posts, dismissals and experiences can't be racist, either.

[LexVegas]

3. Northam defenders are fucking pathetic. nt

[SidDithers]

8. +1...nt

Sid

[TCJ70]

4. I think there are a lot of factors that people use to examine this stuff

1. Time - 35 years is a long time and leaves a lot of room for someone to change and do other things with their life that aren't reflective of an incident being focused on.
2. Repetition - Self explanatory. We have two things with Northam: A picture and a nickname. Both of which were 35+ years ago. Not necessarily a pattern.
3. Willingness to own it - Is your past shady? Own it. Don't apologize and walk it back. If it was you, it was you. Show how you've changed over time and cite your record to defend yourself.

For me, the fact that he tried to walk it back is what moved me from "don't resign" to "resign". He doesn't necessarily have a bad record on things from what I've read. That makes sense given that people tend to change over 4 decades...some for the better, some for the worse. But that unwillingness to just be straight forward is a real problem. Calls other things into question. Just own it, man.

[Freethinker65]

6. It was racist behavior and he is, to some, being held accountable.

The question becomes, what is accountable for what types of behavior. So far Northam has been publicly ostracized from members of the opposing and his own political party.

I still think he should resign for being stupid to not realize this would someday hurt him politically if he did not address it earlier. His inability to just be honest about his past behavior and that of many at the medical school he attended is pathetic. It was racist behavior.

However, is publicly apologizing for past behavior enough? Not now.

Will his resignation be enough? Possibly for some.

Could remaining as governor pledging to serve only one term as the Fairfax mess gets sorted out be an alternative? Politically for some, yes.

I do not have any answers...but it seems to me Northam will be paying the price of his political career for his behavior whether or not he completes his term as governor.

[peacefrogman]

7. I call it at the point of going by the nickname coonman thru out his teenage years to

his second vote to Bush in 2004.

If he came to an awakening or even understanding with a decade in the Democratic Party, I give him at best, Privileged white man that has barely touched the surface of racism and lacks basic understanding and knowledge.

Ignorance. But, he has only had a decade even looking at the issue and minimally at best as a privileged white man.

I see the same in our Democratic Party with misogyny and sexism, too. Look how we address HRC differently than any other, ever in history and how we are doing it with our women leaders today. "Vagina" vote. Shrill. Too aggressive. Out of control.

Now, throw in the mix the Lt Gov being called out for sexual assault from the same source.

I am going to do a lot of listening, watching, paying attention. This is important.

[whopis01]

9. From what I've been told, it is be something other than a Democrat.

Because we can't afford to have any Democrat's hurt over trifling things like klan robes and blackface. At least not the white Democrats.

[Empowerer]

10. Kicking because I still don't haven't gotten an answer