Race vs. Gender?

Oy.  Yet another article about whether sexism is worse than racism.Although I really, really dislike the media’s sexist portrayal of Hillary Clinton, I dislike even MORE the notion that we can quantify which kind of oppression is worse.  After all, although Barack has been treated more kindly by the media in general, the attacks against Obama have certainly been fueled by prejudice as well.I think the article does point out some important things at the end, though.  Perhaps overt sexism is more acceptable to the public than overt racism in this particular race.  But, when you look at how people think, act, and vote privately, both sexism and racism are certainly in play–I would argue equally so.  And in some cases (such as funding for public schools for example), racism most definitely plays a larger role than sexism.  It is extremely dangerous, then, when we assume that one type of -ism is worse than another.  After all, if people assume that racism is no longer an issue, then I can guarantee that implicit forms of racism will worsen.I think Carol Anne Douglas said it better than I can:

A thorough, effective opposition to sexism, that strikes sexism at its roots, also will be antiracist, striking at the roots of racism, and a thorough, effective anti-racism ultimately will be anti-sexist. Possession of other people, defining other people as biologically inferior, must be opposed by opponents of both sexism and racism.