Intolerance, lack of respect encourage double standard
I was shocked, saddened and, initially at least, more than a little angry over an encounter I had on Facebook in the middle of last week when I publicly shared a link to a story about an ACLU report critical of what it called the militarization of our police forces.
The encounter also left me asking: When did it ever become
OK to refer to people as “white trash?” It is racist and reminiscent of the
equally reprehensive term “trailer trash.” Ultimately, both terms are
expressions of disdain or hatred based on economic status — in other words, they
are class-based slurs. How can these kinds of terms be any less hateful than other
racial or ethnic epithets?
