I actually did take a sociology corse, but it was in 1967, and it was taught by a fascist, so I’m not sure it’s all that relevant. Back then, though, Hitler was a racist, the Klan was racist, and damn near all of the South was racist. The word has lost its sting now that everyone you don’t like is a racist. You are reaching the masses, but the masses are pretty much unmoved because the word now says too little by covering so much.