Racism and Tolkien.

[radagastly]

So many times I have argued with people who make up all sort of complicated linguistic stuff to to supress or hide the fact that racism exists within ALL organisms.

1) To pre-judge someone is prejudice.
2) To express this prejudice is bigotry.
3) To act on this bigotry is discrimination.
4) Society's acceptance of discrimination is racism.

Predujice exists within all organisms, but never racism. Racism is a creation of civilisation. "All organisms" are bound by prejudice, but never "racism". That is a choice of individuals in concert with the society in which they live. It may be born of their own predujice, but it is not inherent until it deliberatly extends to that society and is no longer exclusive to that individual.

I wish I had a copy of "Letters" so I could quote Tolkien's response to the Nazi censors when they were checking on his racial "purity," in order to publish a translation of The Hobbit in Germany under Hitler. He was acerbic, clever, and still non-racist in his response. He also got The Hobbit published.