" Yet increasingly, readiness to condemn seems to be what people expect of themselves and others. As we demand that people have ripostes at the ready, it means we’re entering conversations armed, our words sharpened, weaponized. Like jacked-up warriors, we’re almost disappointed if we don’t encounter something worthy of condemnation."

Who is this "we" you speak of? I personally don't have a hyper sensitivity to expecting people to condemn things, particularly things that are not even deserving condemnation. I don't feel like either of those people should have lost their jobs for what they said -- or didn't say -- ; based on the clip I watched; it is insufficient to make a judgement about whether the comment was racist or whether, moreso, that Sellers is. And, I also don't even think all forms of "racist" expressions are good reason for a person to be fired from a job. Not all racism is equally bad, and how we socially punish should be calibrated to that diversity. In my mind, the people who advocated punishing them based on that clip and without any meaningful investigation are guilty of a sin. Don't worry though, I'm not going to try to get them fired from their job because of it.

"Of course, there are circumstances when the failure to condemn is itself a legitimate target for condemnation. The former president’s failures to condemn white nationalists in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017 and those who stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6 spring to mind. He had time and a cadre of advisers to help him think through what he might say. As a person with tremendous political power and cultural influence whose words might have prevented violence, he had a moral duty to condemn.

But in our daily conversations as ordinary citizens, we can afford a more forgiving standard. In fact, we need a more forgiving standard if we are to rebuild the social trust that has been in such sharp decline."

Trump finds his way into the strangest of political discussions these days. I'd just like to point out that you can dislike Trump but still do your due diligence of validating some of the most easily and commonly invalidated propaganda before repeating it as if it were fact. Trump did not "fail to condemn" either white nationalists after Charlottesville or the rioting at the capitol. Albeit, I'd argue that his overall response regarding the capitol was deplorable.

"If we shift our posture to a more charitable interpretation and proportionate response, if we expect our fellow citizens to act with decency and honor, we will likely lose the sharpened edge that gives us ready access to reproving barbs."

Except for with Trump supporters right?

I'm curious; when will Democrats begin to condemn the Democratic Party for covering up its legacy of slavery? Many Democratic politicians are now beginning to propose an investigation into reparations for slavery -- are they finally going to uncover the truth that the Democratic Party is responsible for fighting the war to keep it and nursing the KKK, which was responsible for plundering and warring on black people for 100 years after the Republican Party emancipated them? How about the Democratic Party pay for reparations? It's their debt. It would be a crime to have them move that debt to innocent people in the form of using taxes to pay for it--taking the income of first generation Indians to pay off the slave debt of the Democratic Party. Justice for American slavery will not move forward until Americans finally hold the Democratic Party responsible for its war for slavery.