some of ceasar's best friends were slave girls, no doubt he insured they were spared the contempt he held for the anonymous slave. despite the fact that we americans all like to believe we are kings of our own castles, we are citizens in a democratic republic. as such our most important relationship to one another has little to do with our frienships and more to do with our civic duty. unlike ceasar, our personal relationship with an individual is hardly likely to spare him or her the injustice of racism.
as important as they are to all of us, friendships have no standing before the law. if your friend's property is seized, yours remains safe. if your friend is deported, you stay home. if your friend is an immigrant and finds herself on the ugly end of california's proposition 187, that has little bearing on your own health. your friendship, no matter how close, does not defend your friend's civil rights without political action on your behalf.
there is hardly anything anti-racist in being a friend of someone likely to be a victim of social injustice. to substitute the idea of friendship for the necessity of civic duty is a conceit of the highest order. i mean, who are you anyway, ceasar?