If you were to travel back 10 years from today, you would find that a lot has changed. From the way we use technology to the relationships with friends we’ve developed or lost. One major difference you might find is the way we use a term like “racist." Fast-forward back to today and you will find that this term is slowly losing whatever meaning it once had and only act as terms to derail meaningful conversation about the differences in opinion you might have.

It all started back in 2008 when I was just a freshman in high school, the presidential election between Barack Obama and John McCain was in full swing. I remember talking about the election with friends and discussing whom we wanted to be elected. I remember specifically saying: “I don’t agree with Barack Obama on the majority of issues, but I also don’t agree much with John McCain either” one friend that was near me said: “If you don’t agree with Barack Obama, you’re a racist.” Me, being someone that has an African-American niece and nephew, couldn’t believe it. I was shocked, as I had never been accused of that before. However, I soon found that this wasn’t an isolated incident and was something that many people faced and it wasn’t something that was going away.

As I got older, I attended DePaul University for my freshman year; this was during the rise of the idea of “white privilege” and its place in our society. During one of my English classes, we discussed “white privilege” and those who are affected by it. During the debate, I said: “I don’t believe that white privilege is real, actual privilege comes from the amount of wealth you have, no matter if you’re white or black.” The professor then said: “You’re only saying that because you’re a racist.” Once again, I was shocked that the word “racist” had lost enough value to become something you can throw at those that may not align with your own opinions.

Using the term “racist” in regards to things that you may or may not agree with only manages to take away value that these words once had. It also manages to derail any meaningful conversation that could come from these terms and can be used to shut down any descent against your views. This term is meant to be applied to situations or things that are legitimately racist, not an opinion that doesn’t align with your own.

I encourage those that use this term in a way that doesn’t apply to the situation to open their minds a bit and attempt to ask why, instead of applying judgment.