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One easy thing every white person could do to make the world a better place


Laurie4b
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By calling people deniers, some people have effectively sidestepped the issue of whether or not there are better ways to discuss and otherwise address the problems that we all know exist.  Obviously deniers need to have "white privilege" beaten into their thick skulls.

 

I think that those being discriminated against should define the discussion...and they feel white privledge is something that needs to be addressed. I think to try to say no, no...lets not call it that, it makes me uncomfortable, is offensive and another form of racism.

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I think that those being discriminated against should define the discussion...and they feel white privledge is something that needs to be addressed.

 

OK, so, I'm curious.  What do you do on a day-to-day basis that makes up for your white privilege?  Other than put down strangers on an anonymous internet forum?

 

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I think to try to say no, no...lets not call it that, it makes me uncomfortable, is offensive and another form of racism.

 

So it's racism to not like the word other people apply to you?

 

Your comment smacks of censorship IMO.

 

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I disagree that systemic racism has anything to do with people being mean to each other. 

 

Systemic racism has a lot more to do how people treat people like them versus how they treat people not like them. Are they more likely to hire a Dalton than a D'Shawn? Is a store security person more likely to follow around a well dressed women in dreds than blond girl in sweats and a pony tail? Do schools in predominantly black school districts have enough money to buy books? I have posted books, documentaries, videos and articles with statistics over several threads the last couple of days dealing with race. Have you bothered to look at any of them or think about any of it critically? Because it has nothing to do with being mean to one another. It has to do with the fact that we have to get out of our own heads and really think about our actions and how we can actively improve the lives of other people.

 

Does the bolded have anything to do with race, though?  I never would have considered that.

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By calling people deniers, some people have effectively sidestepped the issue of whether or not there are better ways to discuss and otherwise address the problems that we all know exist.

 

SKL, what suggestions do you have for improving the discussion? What do you think helps?

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SKL, what suggestions do you have for improving the discussion? What do you think helps?

 

I think we should try starting out with a presumption that everyone wants to do the right thing and we all want people of all colors to be treated the same.  We can trust each other to be caring, considerate, respectful until proven otherwise.

 

When we see an incident of racism, yes, we can call it out.  We can do that without calling each other names or talking like some of us owe a debt to others simply by virtue of our DNA.

 

We can stop censoring people when their words are not intended to harm, and instead encourage them.

 

We can stop insisting that talk about racial injustice is only allowed to go one way.  And that people of color are exempt from the responsibility to keep the discussion positive.

 

We can agree that what some are here calling "white privilege" is simply the treatment all Americans deserve until their own individual actions prove otherwise.

 

People of all colors can call out their respective leaders for stirring racial hate.

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So it's racism to not like the word other people apply to you?

 

Your comment smacks of censorship IMO.

 

 It's racism to tell a discriminated against class of people that they aren't fighting that discrimination properly, that you think they should change the wording to make the dominant class more comfortable.  "yes, yes, I know you are discriminated against, but could you please complain more nicely, in a way that doesn't make me uncomfortable?" It's just silly. 

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OK, so, I'm curious.  What do you do on a day-to-day basis that makes up for your white privilege?  Other than put down strangers on an anonymous internet forum?

 

 You still aren't getting it. No one is saying you have to do something ot "make up for" white privilege. It isn't something one is guilty of, or has to do pennance for. It just exists. And people of color are asking those who have that privilege to at least acknowledge they have it. And then, maybe, use it for good. Use it to give a voice to justice when those of color can't, because their voices are viewed with suspicion. 

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This lady looks like she could have a 10 year old granddaughter.

 

Careful, please!  I, also, have been mistaken for my kids' (and niece's) grandmother.  And this gal looks 10 years younger than I am.

 

:001_smile:

 

To really confuse things, most people tend to be surprised I'm as old as I am when they find out my true age.  They seem to think I'm younger, which makes me wonder just how young the people who thought I was a grandmother were when they started their families.

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And then, maybe, use it for good. Use it to give a voice to justice when those of color can't, because their voices are viewed with suspicion. 

 

As the mother of two brown girls, I am much more concerned that they learn to speak for themselves effectively.

 

And I don't believe this is impossible.  It may be an uphill battle, but it's a battle worth fighting.  (And when I say fighting here, I mean working hard toward that goal.  Not being combative.)

 

My black colleagues would probably be pretty angry at the implication that I should speak for them because their voices cannot be heard.  I guarantee they are not teaching their children to step aside and let nice white people do the talking when things get dicey.

 

I prefer to put my efforts into helping disadvantaged kids (of all colors) develop the skills to navigate a world that requires apparent competence and self-respect to get ahead.  Support of literacy programs, services for foster kids and kids in at-risk families, scholarships for low-income kids to participate in valuable social activities, tutoring in ghetto schools, making business investments and creating jobs in low-income communities, choosing to live in a culturally mixed neighborhood, and generally treating everyone like they are of equal worth are some of the efforts I've chosen to engage in.

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 It's racism to tell a discriminated against class of people that they aren't fighting that discrimination properly, that you think they should change the wording to make the dominant class more comfortable.  "yes, yes, I know you are discriminated against, but could you please complain more nicely, in a way that doesn't make me uncomfortable?" It's just silly. 

 

 

Taking steps to further understanding is not silly. "I want to be understood and I'm not going to make it easy for you" is silly, unless your goal is not really to be understood but to vent.

 

There's a lot of burbling in my country about reconciliation but I don't think it is ever going to happen because, for one thing, what that means hasn't really been defined. I think we need shared national myths. I wonder if that would do you guys good too. Not sure where you'd get them from though.

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I can't quote on my phone but I want speak of this comment.

Individual white people can suffer discrimination based on their class and gender, sure. 

They also can suffer discrimination based on racism. For you to deny that can and does happen is astounding to me considering you are against whites having the same denial against black racism and white privilege. Just because it is less often or not as spoken about doesn't mean it is nonexistent  than the fact that slavery being years back makes racism against blacks nonexistent today. They BOTH do happen and shouldn't. If we look at this way, blacks are considered a minority and therefore experience racism among because of their skin color. Whites are believed to never experience racism and can't comprehend only because of their skin color. Both are judged based on skin color and there is no denying it. The only thing to do is to realize racism exists both for and against ALL races and needs to be addressed as such. Denying one doesn't give credence to one and not the other. It only shows that person's own experiences or beliefs. Once we can stop being in denial, then we can do something to make it better. We can teach our children that it does happen and on all sides and what to do when they experience it either firsthand or as a bystander.  We need people who will step out of their own experiences and lives to realize that not everyone has the same experiences as you, negative and positive.

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People disagree on what kind of dialogue actually helps communities to grow together vs. become more divided.

 

The above is the one (and only) point I've been trying to make throughout this thread.  

 

I think many of us here are in "violent agreement".  Meaning, we agree on many of the key issues regarding racism but there is so much "noise" in this discussion that we're talking past each other.

 

Maybe using a completely unrelated (but inherently similar) example to illustrate this point will help.

 

When I was still in the corporate world, I spent a few years negotiating contracts for a major tech company.  These contracts were in the $50 million range and covered the procurement of goods and services worldwide.  In other words, these contract negotiations involved very high stakes discussions.

 

When you're having a high stakes discussion (high stakes = both sides have a lot to gain/lose), one of the most important things you do right at the outset is identify mutual purpose.  Why?  Because mutual purpose brings those participating in the discussion together in working toward a common outcome. It shifts the focus from the points of disagreement/conflict to the points of agreement (which then provide a foundation for addressing disagreement).  Mutual purpose shows that we care about common goals, interests, and values.  It's really the entry condition for good dialogue.

 

Conversations about racism and white privilege are high stakes discussions.  When we start those discussions from a place of mutual purpose - e.g. eradicating racism - we set ourselves up for more effective dialogue.  White privilege provides a much less effective starting point, because mutual purpose is harder to define.  All the actions we might take to address white privilege really fall under the umbrella of eradicating racism.  Since white privilege is also a loaded term for some (not all) white people, and the goal is to find mutual purpose, it makes sense to eschew that term for language that will not start these crucial conversations off on the wrong foot.

 

I like the distinction Rosie made:  is your goal to be understood, or to vent?  If the goal is to further understanding, in the hopes of making headway against racism, then let's start the dialogue from the point of mutual purpose.  If the goal is just to vent, carry on. 

 

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I think we should try starting out with a presumption that everyone wants to do the right thing and we all want people of all colors to be treated the same.  We can trust each other to be caring, considerate, respectful until proven otherwise.

 

When we see an incident of racism, yes, we can call it out.  We can do that without calling each other names or talking like some of us owe a debt to others simply by virtue of our DNA.

 

We can stop censoring people when their words are not intended to harm, and instead encourage them.

 

We can stop insisting that talk about racial injustice is only allowed to go one way.  And that people of color are exempt from the responsibility to keep the discussion positive.

 

We can agree that what some are here calling "white privilege" is simply the treatment all Americans deserve until their own individual actions prove otherwise.

 

People of all colors can call out their respective leaders for stirring racial hate.

 

I agree with most of what you've written; however, I don't think we're speaking about the same thing in terms of white privilege; it's broader than just conscious treatment of each other. But I agree that we should be striving to treat each other the way we would like to be treated, and noticing times when maybe we didn't do that because we were influenced by a factor that we wouldn't want to be if we'd thought about it.

 

For instance, as the dominant social group, white values become normative values and others have to adjust. Some examples: the relative value of time, what it means to be "on time," etc. in our culture is taken from a white sense of what those things mean. Nearly every other ethnic group in the US has some expression differentiating "WPT" (white people's time) from their own cultural sense of what is right in terms of values related to time.  Another example would be that what is considered an acceptable level of "volume" of speech, laughter, etc. in public is based on white sensibilities. Norms for parenting styles tend to be based on Caucasian norms and what is normative in other ethnic groups is often viewed as out of line. (ie tiger moms, more physical discipline in certain ethnic groups, looser supervision in other ethnic groups, what age children should have which responsibilities, etc.) These differences can even related to CPS referrals.  How much one puts their emotions "out there" also tends to be evaluated by white values; it's often experienced as too little by African Americans & Latinos and too much by Asians. As a white woman, I "fit" in all these scenarios. What seems normal to me is what is culturally perceived as broadly acceptable. That's an advantage.

 

It's been eye-opening for me to listen to others talk of their own group's values in these dimensions. It's enriching because sometimes I've never considered something from that angle. It also helps me not to judge as much as I would be inclined to.

 

 

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I am not the most intelligent person on this board by far and will admit I don't really know the difference in systemic or individual nor do I care other than to gain knowledge of the meanings. Would the fact that I was turned down for government assistance  based on my color alone while blacks with higher incomes were accepted not fit into systemic  racism? I know this was an overall policy in the dept rather than one racist black person singling out whites as I have seen it firsthand with other workers and applicants. I also mentioned the program that gave away free car seats. Again, whites were turned away for their skin color alone. I know public assistance was a government program but I am not 100% sure about the other. I know the car seats were given out at the wic offices but seems like it was a private company that raised the money for or had the car seats donated. Growing up I preferred to shop at the local black store. Their clothes were more edgy and my style. When I first entered, I was shunned and even treated with suspicion. I didn't give up and ultimately became well acquainted with the store workers and owners. Not sure if this fits systemic or individual. I just know it is. The reason I say in the long run I don't care is because  racism is racism. Justifying individual while condemning systemic still does us as a society no good. We need to address ALL racism. If we only address systemic and brush off the individual racism against whites, what are we to do when tides turn? Is too far of a stretch to think that if we justify it happening while in a small amount then before long it will be harder to control?

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The above is the one (and only) point I've been trying to make throughout this thread.  

 

I think many of us here are in "violent agreement".  Meaning, we agree on many of the key issues regarding racism but there is so much "noise" in this discussion that we're talking past each other.

 

Maybe using a completely unrelated (but inherently similar) example to illustrate this point will help.

 

When I was still in the corporate world, I spent a few years negotiating contracts for a major tech company.  These contracts were in the $50 million range and covered the procurement of goods and services worldwide.  In other words, these contract negotiations involved very high stakes discussions.

 

When you're having a high stakes discussion (high stakes = both sides have a lot to gain/lose), one of the most important things you do right at the outset is identify mutual purpose.  Why?  Because mutual purpose brings those participating in the discussion together in working toward a common outcome. It shifts the focus from the points of disagreement/conflict to the points of agreement (which then provide a foundation for addressing disagreement).  Mutual purpose shows that we care about common goals, interests, and values.  It's really the entry condition for good dialogue.

 

:iagree:  with everything above.

Conversations about racism and white privilege are high stakes discussions.  When we start those discussions from a place of mutual purpose - e.g. eradicating racism - we set ourselves up for more effective dialogue.  White privilege provides a much less effective starting point, because mutual purpose is harder to define.  All the actions we might take to address white privilege really fall under the umbrella of eradicating racism.  Since white privilege is also a loaded term for some (not all) white people, and the goal is to find mutual purpose, it makes sense to eschew that term for language that will not start these crucial conversations off on the wrong foot.

 

I think those of us trying to communicate about it are up against people's gut reactions to a term with a specific definition, but" that word doesn't mean what people think it means, " to not quite quote Princess Bride. I think most of us who are using the term the same way (as invisible advantages that whites in the US and some other English-speaking countries have) are trying to say that if we don't recognize that we are already advantaged, even if we have hearts of gold, we're going to tend to really miss some important steps in eradicating racism, because if a person is not aware that their experience is significantly different than that of other groups, they will be missing  very critical information needed to arrive at  good solutions to the goal of racial reconciliation.

 

I like the distinction Rosie made:  is your goal to be understood, or to vent?  If the goal is to further understanding, in the hopes of making headway against racism, then let's start the dialogue from the point of mutual purpose.  If the goal is just to vent, carry on. I see people who are talking about this talking about their own experiences or those of their friends or relatives, not venting, but trying to give examples.

 

 

*

 

 

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OK, so, I'm curious.  What do you do on a day-to-day basis that makes up for your white privilege?  Other than put down strangers on an anonymous internet forum?

Jumping in here -- I don't I don't remember anyone saying that anyone needs to do anything to "make up for" our white privilege. I think it's simply a matter of recognizing that it does exist, and being willing to speak against discrimination, whether racial, socio-economic, whatever.

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I hate that people are treated that way. I grew up around a fair amount of racism and racial profiling/general stereotypes but I feel like I see less of it these days. Not sure if it's because I've grown or moved away or if with each generation it gets a little better. However, I do feel like the lady in the video had her own stereotype of the elderly women behind her. Not every elderly person is racist or profiles based on race. It seems so deep-seated on both sides that no matter how much we try to fight it, it will always be there to some extent.

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I don't have data. I have never cared to even look to see if it is available. As I said, I would love to know the difference in the two types of racism for knowledge sake but think it doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things. Racism is racism and should be shunned whether it fits into either category or whether it is rare or prevalent.  I don't need data to know that I have experienced racism as a white person no more than a black should have to prove to me that being white does have its privileges or that they have experienced racism. I just wish that if people would expect me as a white person to acknowledge both cases then they would be willing to acknowledge that what I have experienced is also true and maybe not as isolated as you believe. Even if it was, it doesn't make it justified.

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Maybe it would be less of a " trigger" phrase if we were discussing this by saying " dominant culture privilege"  rather than " white privilege,"  as if it existed only and universally for whites. The phenomenon is totally related to the dominant culture of a specific area--which group gets to define their culture as the normative one for that area or group. As in the example earlier of the white woman in a Chinese city---there she was dealing with being an outsider, but within the society there is "Han privilege" because Han is the dominant ethnicity in China, as I understand it--  http://facesofchina.net/articles/29/han-chauvinism. In the US and especially in homeschool circles, there is Christian privilege (very visible in the struggles currently over whether government meetings can or should be opened with very specific and very devotional Christian prayers). I'm sure in majority Muslim countries, there is Muslim privilege. There is heterosexual privilege. There is male privilege. There is class privilege. In medieval England after 1066, there was French privilege. It's all about who gets to determine what is desirable and, literally, "normal."

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You're correct, however I thought this discussion was about white people sharing the burden of calling out racism in Western countries, specifically America ? That was the focus of the initial video. And if that is the context of the discussion, then using the term 'dominant culture privilege' is effectively saying 'white privilege' anyway...so why not just call it for what it is ?

 

It is an uncomfortable concept for white people to come to terms with but it doesn't or shouldn't need sugar coating just because it makes people twitchy. That effectively makes the focus of discussion keeping white people comfortable and becomes an example of the very privilege we are discussing.

 

My purpose in reframing the term as a point of comparison is not "to keep white people comfortable"  but to give another angle from which to view the discussion. I don't see it as "sugar-coating" or minimizing the issue at all. Sometimes when the discussion becomes entrenched in hot-button phrases, taking a look from a somewhat different perspective can help break through barriers to understanding.

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My purpose in reframing the term as a point of comparison is not "to keep white people comfortable" but to give another angle from which to view the discussion. I don't see it as "sugar-coating" or minimizing the issue at all. Sometimes when the discussion becomes entrenched in hot-button phrases, taking a look from a somewhat different perspective can help break through barriers to understanding.

I agree. I've never heard the term white privilege before this discussion. Using in conjunction with racism just makes one hear, yet again, how terrible white people are for being born white.

 

I can't tell you how many times I had to go into a predominantly black neighborhood on a call to end up hearing "gray girl" or "cracker" or worse. Yet, I've never treated anyone while I was on the job without respect. (In my private life i can get bitchy. nobody's perfect) I've never uttered a racial slur. I've never told ethnic jokes. My people were, until my parents' generation, poor as dirt. We never had an indentured servant much less a slave. But I'm one of the bad guy for being born white. How is that not racism? And what privilege am I getting?

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It goes beyond kindness and grace. It needs us to examine our own thoughts, prejudices, reactions and actions in a critical and analytic light.

You and I have vastly different ideas of kindness and grace if the above is your reaction to my statement.

 

Your posts are radiating anger and confrontation. Are you just looking for a fight? I won't give it to you.

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Jumping in here -- I don't I don't remember anyone saying that anyone needs to do anything to "make up for" our white privilege. I think it's simply a matter of recognizing that it does exist, and being willing to speak against discrimination, whether racial, socio-economic, whatever.

 

Sorry, but I believe your second sentence contradicts your first.   Being willing to speak against discrimination, etc., is doing something. 

 

I'm not disagreeing with those things, but it doesn't make sense to say no one needs to do anything, and then list the things that you think they need to do.

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I think it's equal parts awful and hilarious that a conversation a black woman wanted to have with white Americans has turned, in this instance, into a discussion concerned with white suffering and white sensibilities. Such an exquisite and ironic example of white people protecting their privilege.

 

:huh:

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you seem very angry and bent on twisting words and insulting people.

 

Nobody said racism doesn't exist, or that we are trying to hush it up or not deal with it to protect our white selves. Please.

 

Racism is devastating for everyone. If we are hell bent on letting one race become a victim while everyone else is told to shut up and not even allowed to have a conversation, how is that improving things?

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I think she means to do those things less out of guilt and more out of responsibility, if that makes it clearer ?

 

I know I have zero personal guilt over the white invasion of my country. So any time I use my white privilege to - idk - fundraise for indigeneous literacy projects - that's not out of guilt but because I feel a responsibility to act in a way that doesn't perpetuate historic wrongs.

 

Are you replying to my comment? 

 

I think it was pretty clear: there are things white people should do for other people, simply because they (we) happened to have been born white and happen to be part of the dominant culture.  

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 Yes. I think if my life is made easier by being white in a culture that privileges whiteness, then yes, I do have a responsibility not to perpetuate racism and to be active against it.

 

If you don't believe in white privilege then I can see why you would resent that.

 

I believe all of us have a responsibility not to perpetuate racism and to take action against it - regardless of our skin color.  

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 Yes. I think if my life is made easier by being white in a culture that privileges whiteness, then yes, I do have a responsibility not to perpetuate racism and to be active against it.

 

If you don't believe in white privilege then I can see why you would resent that.

 

I've never said I don't believe in white privilege.   I don't resent anything.

 

I was simply commenting on a previous post in which the poster said there was nothing for white people to do to make up for white privilege, but then immediately contradicted herself by listing things white people should do. I even said I didn't necessarily disagree with those things!  

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Sadie, no one is ignoring anything. At least not on this thread. You seem to be focusing on a part of the whole thing called racism.

 

The title of this thread is offensive. It isn't just white people who are haters. And the white people that are are a percentage. Some white people need to do some different thinking. Some black people need to also. As do the Hispanics, the Indians, the native people's. everyone.

 

All people- every last one of them- need to get past their prejudices. That has been my point through this entire discussion. Racism isn't just white on black. Not even in the US is it always and everywhere white on black. Within the myriad cultures in the US one gets white on black, black on white, Hispanic on white and black, black and white on Hispanic, white on intuit, intuit on white. It is also christian on muslim, muslim on jew, men on women, heterosexual on non-heterosexual, and on and on. And it is systemic within each of these cultures.

 

I think maybe the only ones who don't experience discrimination, prejudice and racism are mostly from (but not all of them) the top 1% wealthiest people (whatever their race or ethnicity). And that is because they are so far removed from day to day reality it doesn't even enter into line of sight. They are too well insulated.

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I agree we all have a responsibility regardless of skin colour.

 

Ability to take action doesn't occur on a level playing field, however.

What is it you want? Do you want white people to say that they are evil just by existing? Is it all white people you have this issue with or just some?
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I am white, therefore in this country I have privilege.

I am middle class, therefore I have privilege.

 

I am educated, therefore I have privilege.

 

I am not a male, so that is not a privilege I have.

 

I am not a white male, another one I don't.

 

I am not upper class, nope...not that one either.

 

A black woman would have certain privileges that black males would not, as in while she might not be treated the same as a white woman, she is less likely to be outright feared, or avoided on the street. 

 

Once I took my car in for repairs, they told me it would be two hours, after 2.5 hours of me waiting in the lobby and seeing several men in suits come and go with their cars even though I got their the minute they opened. I called my mom to come get me.  2 hours after that I called and was told it was going to be several more hours.  I had to leave town  that afternoon to be at our house closing and having that repair done was imperative. My husband called not 5 minutes later and was completely polite but asked what the hold up was, and tried to pin them down.  The car was ready 15 minutes later.

He has NEVER been asked where his wife was at the hardware store when buying plumbing or electrical parts.

He has never been accused of not loving parenthood because we only have child.

No one has ever asked him about his testicles, penis, or testosterone when he was angry.

 

So we, two educated middle class white people, are not on the same field. By accepting he has privilege I do not, I am not saying I dislike him, I simply know that he plays by a slightly different set of rules than I do, and by him realizing this and internalizing it, he can understand why I have stronger reactions to certain situations that he might see as no big deal at all.

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The 'white privilege' aside, this very thing happens in REVERSE where I'm from. I have seen it, been a recipient of it time and again. The black cashier chats, smiles and jokes around with the black person in front of me. I get up there to check out and the chatter stops, the kindness stops. I'm lucky if I get a grunt...even when I am polite and try to make chatter. It doesn't happen every time, but many many times I have checked out it has.  It goes both ways, and both ways, I'm sure, is infuriating.  Now this is JUST the checking out part, not the check writing, id thing.

 

Racism goes between all races...and the title of that clip actually annoys the heck out of me. Why do only white people have to make the world a better place? EVERYBODY does.  One thing PEOPLE can do to make the world a better place.

 

*I'm just now reading through some of the latter comments and see that that point has already been made.

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Chucki,

 

I am very sorry if the title of the thread is offensive to you. It was the title of the video, which I thought was very well done, so I copied the title directly. Can you explain why it's offensive?

As I've been saying with each post I've made in this thread. Racism isn't limited to white people being racist. Shoot, of the 7+ billion people on the planet, 54% are Asian. As several posters pointed out, Asians have their prejudices also. Apparently against each other and outsiders.

 

Something like only 15% of the world population is white. How are the white people going to make the entire world a better place?

 

As I said before prejudice is learned. Everyone must work to not teach prejudice and hate to our children. Only then can this racism madness end. Everyone- not just white people. (here is where I find offense in the title of the thread.)

This is a world wide problem. Not something limited to the US. Yes, in the US there is a predominant white/black racism. But it isn't the only racism in this country. Not by a long shot is white/black racism the only kind people experience in the US. Elsewhere in the world there is just as much jrejudice and bigotry. Some of it is even subtle. Unless one knew what to look for one wouldn't see it.

 

And let me be clear, all of it sickens me.

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...and the title of that clip actually annoys the heck out of me. Why do only white people have to make the world a better place? EVERYBODY does.  One thing PEOPLE can do to make the world a better place.

 

.

 

I apologize that the title was offensive. I took it from the video which I thought was well done. But I'm curious as to why a video that says "what x people can do to make the world a better place" is correlated with " x people bear all the responsibility to make the world a better place."  I'm not getting where you hear the blame anywhere in the video. Could you explain it?

 

For instance, I can imagine I would be interested in a video titled, "How seniors can make the world a better place" (cause I'm fast approaching that) if it talked about things I could do because I was a senior that I couldn't do as easily if I were a young adult. I wouldn't assume that was saying seniors were at fault for something, but that seniors were in a unique position to contribute. That's the way I understood the video as well.

 

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I apologize that the title was offensive. I took it from the video which I thought was well done. But I'm curious as to why a video that says "what x people can do to make the world a better place" is correlated with " x people bear all the responsibility to make the world a better place." I'm not getting where you hear the blame anywhere in the video. Could you explain it?

 

For instance, I can imagine I would be interested in a video titled, "How seniors can make the world a better place" (cause I'm fast approaching that) if it talked about things I could do because I was a senior that I couldn't do as easily if I were a young adult. I wouldn't assume that was saying seniors were at fault for something, but that seniors had a unique position to contribute. That's the way I understood the video as well.

 

Hopefully you'll never encounter too much of that which makes one as cynical as I am and lose that outlook.

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As I've been saying with each post I've made in this thread. Racism isn't limited to white people being racist. Shoot, of the 7+ billion people on the planet, 54% are Asian. As several posters pointed out, Asians have their prejudices also. Apparently against each other and outsiders.

 

Something like only 15% of the world population is white. How are the white people going to make the entire world a better place?

 

As I said before prejudice is learned. Everyone must work to not teach prejudice and hate to our children. Only then can this racism madness end. Everyone- not just white people. (here is where I find offense in the title of the thread.)

This is a world wide problem. Not something limited to the US. Yes, in the US there is a predominant white/black racism. But it isn't the only racism in this country. Not by a long shot is white/black racism the only kind people experience in the US. Elsewhere in the world there is just as much jrejudice and bigotry. Some of it is even subtle. Unless one knew what to look for one wouldn't see it.

 

And let me be clear, all of it sickens me.

 

Please be patient with me. I'm trying to understand. How does the video imply that only white people are racist or that only white people can do something about race relations? I am not getting the connection between the video or even the title and those thoughts.  (As I said just a minute ago to another poster, to me, it's the same as a video titled "One easy thing seniors could do to make the world a better place." If the video showed something that seniors were in a position to do more easily than are young adults, I would be interested in how I could use that stage of life to contribute.) That's the same way I see the video.

 

Obviously, you are hearing it really, really differently and I would genuinely like to understand what is triggering that.  

 

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Probably because "seniors" refers to a stage of life that anyone can attain simply by not dying. Most people associate different life stages with certain responsibilities, so the video of your example comes across as general advice that the entire world will find useful at some point.

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Please be patient with me. I'm trying to understand. How does the video imply that only white people are racist or that only white people can do something about race relations? I am not getting the connection between the video or even the title and those thoughts. (As I said just a minute ago to another poster, to me, it's the same as a video titled "One easy thing seniors could do to make the world a better place." If the video showed something that seniors were in a position to do more easily than are young adults, I would be interested in how I could use that stage of life to contribute.) That's the same way I see the video.

 

Obviously, you are hearing it really, really differently and I would genuinely like to understand what is triggering that.

 

If the title had said something along the lines of, "One hard thing white Americans can do to make America a better place" I might have felt differently about the title of the thread. But since white on black racism isn't the only (and maybe not even the biggest) race problem in the US it would have still chaffed.

 

I also have a deep seated and well earned cynical side. I hardly ever see the "innocent phrase" as innocent. Everyone has an agenda.

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