Hate Is Not An Accident

Ignorance of what is hate is somehow expected to be an acceptable apology. When someone significant, influential or just "known" gets caught saying something awful, hateful or racist the most popular excuse is, "I didn't know that was hate. It was an accident. I didn't mean it." Such ignorance is only achieved through intentional inattention. 

Giving air to hate is promoting hate.

Admitting ignorance of what is hate does not un-type or un-say the words. Anyone who objects to hate speech has an obligation to know what it is. If someone is truly sorry about uttering hate, they need to work against hate. The apology is in the actions.

In the world of hate and racism, speaking hate is considered a slip which betrays the speakers true feelings. Retraction or denial is seen as bowing to pressure from "society's masters."  So when Donald Trump, Mel Gibson, Roy Moore or Louis Farrakhan post hateful videos or say things bolstering racism, whether they claim it is an accident, a mistake, misspoken or not, makes little difference. The hate  immediately becomes spray-painted on a psychological wall in our society. Removing it takes cleaning not simply disowning.

Sixty days after Donald Trump re-posted anti-Muslim videos from the hate group Britain First does he now admit it "might" have been a mistake. If it was unclear if the videos were hate, the source he pulled them from certainly clears up any confusion for anyone paying attention.

It is hard to believe an intelligent "least racist person ever" could have done something this problematic, not addressed it for two months and then expect any apology to be accepted as genuine.

Hate is not accident.