Tag Archives: Racism

Is Racism a Useful Concept?

Posted on July 2, 2021 by N.S. Palmer

I recently participated in an academic discussion about whether or not “racism” is a useful concept. Amazingly, the discussion was cordial and rational except for the moderator and one participant who was a graduate student in some version of victims’ … Continue reading →

Posted in Human Relations, Psychology | Tagged Kendi, Lysenko, Race relations, Racism, Self-reliance | 2 Comments

Chumps ’R Us

Posted on June 7, 2020 by N.S. Palmer

I did something really stupid on Saturday evening. Our city government had imposed an 8pm curfew to discourage rioting and looting. But I’d had a busy day and I didn’t start my evening jog until 7:30pm. So when the appointed … Continue reading →

Posted in Political Science, Psychology | Tagged Injustice, Law, Middle class, Obedience to law, Ordinary Americans, Protests, Racism, Social harmony, Unequal treatment | 2 Comments

“Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”

Posted on June 6, 2020 by N.S. Palmer

In 1741, the Rev. Jonathan Edwards preached a sermon about the total wickedness of humanity. It was titled “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” It wasn’t about something that his listeners had done wrong, but about the idea … Continue reading →

Posted in Psychology | Tagged Fear, Guilt, Neurosis, Race, Race relations, Racism, Religion, Wokeness | 2 Comments

Forgive Us Our Microaggressions

Posted on January 25, 2020 by N.S. Palmer

I have a question, but please don’t take it in the wrong way. I don’t mean to offend anyone. I’m just curious. How is a microaggression different from nothing at all? “Microaggression” is one of those new words made up … Continue reading →

Posted in Human Relations, Life, Psychology | Tagged Lunacy, Microaggression, Paranoia, Political correctness, Racism, Tolerance | Leave a comment

Fighting Racism Starts in the Heart

Posted on January 11, 2017 by N.S. Palmer

My latest blog post for The Jewish Journal: When we think of relations between Jews and African-Americans, we naturally think of our proudest moments. And we should. Abraham Joshua Heschel marched side-by-side with Martin Luther King in 1965, helping America … Continue reading →

Posted in Judaism, The Jewish Journal | Tagged Abraham Joshua Heschel, Affirmative Action, Altruism, Black-Jewish Alliance, Civil Rights Movement, Evolution, Fighting racism, Kin Selection, Martin Luther King, Racism, Shelby Steele, Social harmony, Sociobiology | Leave a comment

Ending the Violence, Part 1

Posted on December 19, 2015 by N.S. Palmer

My latest blog post for The Jerusalem Post: “The road to disaster is paved with pleasant illusions, and the way to deal with evil is not to ignore it,”1 advised Abraham Joshua Heschel. The English philosopher Francis Bacon wasn’t Jewish, … Continue reading →