Sorry, "deplorables": Being called racist doesn’t mean you’re being oppressed

If you want to insult white folks in 2016, call them racist.

Apparently, it’s akin to being called the n-word, slandered or victimized. Just ask Maine Gov. Paul LePage, Donald Trump or the many conservatives who seem to think that being identified as a racist is worse than actually being one.

These days, a lot of white people are feeling victimized and discriminated against, even though they’re not actually being systemically victimized and discriminated against because of their race. In one breath, they will deny that racism exists, only to cry “reverse racism” in the next breath. To racists, the real meaning of reverse racism is having to treat people of color fairly and with respect — to the point where it just feels uncomfortable.

The latest example of this dynamic came in the presidential campaign. At a fundraiser Friday, Hillary Clinton said that “half” of Trump’s campaign is attracted to his message because of their shared racism, sexism, xenophobia and homophobia. She called them “irredeemable” and a “basket of deplorables.”