Racism is a mental illness. And I know this topic can be touchy, mental illness, for some, and even triggering, but to genuinely hold hate in your heart for a group of people for something as superficial as skin color indicates some mental impairment.

Just to add on to this, since I’ve had discussions with more people in the comments (you can read them) and I think it would be interested to share the IDEAS that have been circulating through my mind about this topic, in regards to #AmyCooper

This sort of behavior seems like a sort of mental illness, and I don’t even like using that word, because this seems like a more extreme mental illness. So I’m going to just shorthand this behavior as a mental illness, for lack of a better word

However, I think racism is not the root of the issue in these people, from a psychological perspective. There is something that is MUCH DEEPER and embedded in the subconscious of the individual, and what we’re seeing is intense fear and psychotic behavior.

This fear is abnormal, and it is because these people have been mentally conditioned to believe that black people are a threat to the security of white privelage, which holds them at the top of the structure of hierarchy. Which is a direct result of colonialism.

In a sense, Colonization is the mental illness at the root. The desire to conquer and oppress others for the benefit of one’s own gain. Can you imagine how sick a person must be to actually believe stepping on someone else is OKAY to keep one’s own security? Something isnt right

And to even further add on, just because these people may have a sort of mental illness, colonization syndrome (not a real term, I made it up), it doesn’t give them ANY excuse for their actions. The same way a serial killer is not excused for having mental illness.

These people MUST be held accountable for their actions, but if we’re trying to understand racism, we have to look at it from a psychological perspective, because there is something inherently wrong, besides ignorance and stupidity, with these people.

And it results in

1) fear
2) psychotic behavior
3) irrational decisions
4) Violence
5) Abuse of Power (white privelage)

These are some of the thoughts that Ive had about the Amy Cooper situation, and I’m still trying to process how we can all find a solution to racism, because racism CANNOT and will not exist in world we live in.

Also if you’re uncomfortable with me talking about racism because you think it’s just pure ignorance rather than mental illness, remember that there are serial killers who are mentally ill and their mental illness doesn't them from the fact they KILLED PEOPLE.

I’m going to talk about race and bring up these psychological discussions, revolving race and mental illness, so if you don't like it: kindly mute or block me. Mental illness is not an excuse to be an asshole.

And often times theres the idea of being a victim associated with mental illness, but again: your mental illness is not an excuse for you to act like a dick. And I should also mention, the causes of mental illness are also ambigious and is VERY nuanced.

Instead of jumping to “they’re ignorant and stupid” as your first instinct, please look a little deeper into the issue because there is something SINISTER rooted in racism beyond the fact that racist hate black people.

Also an interesting article to read on this topic. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1071634/