“Racism is a white problem.”

It was shocking to read these words in an article about racial tensions in the Sept. 29 issue of Forbes. The article by Chris Ladd says that minorities, in specific African-Americans, should have the right to say and do whatever they want to retaliate against racism by whites. This view is mistaken and dangerous.

Racism isn’t any one group’s “problem” — if anything, it’s all of society’s.

This is because racism, from any mouth, is still racism. While historical context gives some reason for why many white people are forced to just let much of the racism thrown at them go, it’s simply unhealthy for society to allow any group the freedom to step on another due to a vague moral obligation.

Although the saying is a cliché, the idea that two wrongs don’t make a right is an appropriate way of describing this issue.

While not nearly as widespread as the suppression of minorities in America, much of the hostile stereotyping of white people done by minorities can be just as harmful.

It’s become ominous how prominent double standards have been in mainstream media. When a white person talks badly about a minority, it’s unacceptable, but when a minority does the same to other minorities or whites, it’s brushed off. This isn’t to say racism by white people should also be brushed off. In fact, this is more to say that no racism is ever good or OK, even if done by minorities who feel justified to do so because of past wrongs.

The idea of affirmative action, which has long been a hot-button issue among American universities, shows how racial discrimination against whites is often seen as acceptable. In one famous example from 1978, a white student, Allan Bakke, was rejected from UC Davis’ medical school while having academics that put him well within the range of accepted candidates for the graduate program. This was due to the college reserving spots in its class for underrepresented minorities. The case was taken to the Supreme Court, which ruled in favor of Bakke and stated that racial discrimination, even against white males, was still illegal and a violation of constitutional principles.

Affirmative action as an issue has continued into present day. In fact, as recently as 2003, affirmative action, and more accurately race as a factor in college, was ruled as legal by the Supreme Court.

Surely, a correct response by minorities should be to try to spread awareness about key issues affecting their communities rather than taking violent action that only undermines their ultimate cause of true social justice and equality.