You notice I said some people???????? Why? Because I don`t think you are racist at all!!
But with that said I do think perhaps you used a poor choice of words, that is why I pointed out that some people....
Have a good night!!
Firstly, my response is just to the idea you brought up and not to you specifically. I don't see anything wrong with what you said even though I advocate looking more deeply.
To that end, I'm clear with the words I chose, although it's definitely stepping into an area that's less comfortable. If we see racism as a relative measure where there is some socially determined although a bit fuzzy threshold for where racism properly starts, then I agree I'm not at all racist. If we define it as overt acts and not covert acts, thoughts, feelings, or unconscious phenomena, then I agree I'm not at all racist. And I realize that I'm a biased observer, so if anyone else sees something I don't please let me know.
If instead, we see racism as including those other things and measured absolutely instead of relative to some societal standard, then unequivocally I know I have racism. I know further of specific instances which thoughts or feelings I think are wrong have come up and I felt too much anxiety to confront. So much that I have fear imagining sharing them. And these are things that I believe are basically normal and in line with everyone's experience. And I know that my pursuit of knowing myself better has both made me less racist and more aware of my racism. That's good and it's uncomfortable. Even knowing that it is true that what I am encountering is not just normal but universal, it isn't easy to talk about.
But here's the problem that I suffer from which was created in me as it has been created for all of us by the society we live in. My fear isn't warranted. How could I be bad for being the same as everyone else? Racism doesn't make people bad. It makes us people. Now, we have learned and I agree that racist acts and systemic racism emanating from unconscious biases are inherently bad for society. But being part of them doesn't make a person bad. I personally believe that good and bad aren't categories which are appropriate wholesale for people at all. And I also recognize that some people's function in society is such that it violates the rights of others so much that they should be removed from society temporarily or permanently. That doesn't invalidate my respect for them as people, but it doesn't also mean I think because there are no bad people we can't take action to stop people from doing bad things or punish them as a consequence.
So anyway, I think what would be best for society is for us to try and add more safety to talk about the racism that's out there which is not so bad as we could choose to collectively ignore. I think my racism is in that category, but I'd rather it not be ignored even if society would do nothing to keep me from that or even push back when I put it out there.
I don't see that the spreading of infectious diseases by illegal migrants is a significant issue compared to all the other problems caused by travel, including the spreading of disease from richer countries to poorer ones, which seems to have been a bigger problem both historically and right now.
There's also, when it comes to the US southern border, a very particular history of using 'disease concerns' as a means of harassing and stigmatising migrating workers. E.g. in past eras demanding Mexicans who crossed the border daily to work on the US side, to undergo de-lousing and inspection every single time.
I don't think it is a present significant issue either, though it is plausible to be different at some point in the future. Unlikely still to my judgment, but not so unlikely as to cast off an analyses of the possibility as a waste of time.
As to the latter, it's a real concern. And while I'm testing the waters here of engaging in a conversation about it, I still fear it enabling xenophobic stances. My observation since talking about it here, though, is that those who have shown that problem here have since engaged in a more moderated fashion with their comments. Still, I could be wrong. If I am, then at least I hope someone else also shares their sadness that consideration for something of real merit no matter how small has no place in the world.