"If you vote for Donald Trump, you are a racist. You have no wiggle room."
--Jemele Hill, Twitter
That tweet received almost 300,000 likes. And Jemele Hill is not marginal. She has a verified Twitter account with over 1.3 million followers. She writes for The Atlantic. Spotify hosts her podcast. She has squirmed about Nick Cannon’s anti-Semitic remarks, and her most recent column was an apologetic account of of black anti-Semitism and what to do about it. But a backlash from whites and Republicans about calling all Donald Trump voters racist? No chance.
Her accusation is no small thing. In America, there is almost nothing worse than being called “racist.” It’s worse than being called a criminal, a thief, or an adulterer. It’s even an implied threat. The mere accusation of racism can cost careers, friends, or family. Calling someone “racist” also puts a person in physical danger from left-wing extremists that law enforcement too often tolerates. America is tearing itself apart because people fear this word. ...
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