[Roberton3]

Your original post didn't distinguish between present and past racism. 

Sorry -- I thought that would be obvious based on the comments I was responding to.

And from the way you wrote it, your ambivalence about racism's effects, past or present, led me to believe that you weren't aware of some of the history on the housing issue (you wrote, "and that might be because of current racism, or because of past racism, or for any number of other reasons", which sounded to me like you just didn't know the history)  I really didn't mean any condescension.

OK -- thanks.  Evidently I didn't write clearly enough -- one of the dangers of responding too quickly.  I am far from ambivalent about racism's effects, and certainly don't want to give any other impression.  Racism is horrible.  But because it's so horrible, one needs to be especially careful about jumping to conclusions.  And untangling the causes of current inqualities is a tremendously challenging task, even if you know the history very well.

[Roberton3]

Your original post didn't distinguish between present and past racism. 

Sorry -- I thought that would be obvious based on the comments I was responding to.

And from the way you wrote it, your ambivalence about racism's effects, past or present, led me to believe that you weren't aware of some of the history on the housing issue (you wrote, "and that might be because of current racism, or because of past racism, or for any number of other reasons", which sounded to me like you just didn't know the history)  I really didn't mean any condescension.

OK -- thanks.  Evidently I didn't write clearly enough -- one of the dangers of responding too quickly.  I am far from ambivalent about racism's effects, and certainly don't want to give any other impression.  Racism is horrible.  But because it's so horrible, one needs to be especially careful about jumping to conclusions.  And untangling the causes of current inqualities is a tremendously challenging task, even if you know the history very well.