About ten years ago, in an article titled "Talking about Racism," noted psychoanalyst Paul Wachtel made a case for limiting use of the word racism. His rationale for decreasing usage was that the word had become overused and its meaning had become inflated. Although I do not disagree with Wachtel's observation, I absolutely reject his solution to the problem. Wachtel suggested that the word racism be reserved for only the most blatant and inhumane examples of it, for instance, lynching, or burning crosses on lawns. Again, I have to disagree, for, simply put, some of the most egregious examples of racism are not overt but rather so deeply ingrained in American culture that they pretty much go undetected most of the time.