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>>>Are you white? >>Yes I am white > >I'm glad you know that you >are. Otherwise, we would have >had some serious problems. > >>>Because I think you are white. >>>You sound white. And even, >>>that was a very white >>>response. >>Meaning my response to what racism >>is? Ive heard blacks >>use this too, are you >>saying then they have been >>assimilated? > >Read what I have said elsewhere >(and probably in this topic) >-- in America, people confuse >racism, bigotry, and prejudice and >we are not exempt from >this. However, without the power >analysis, you have either race >prejudice or bigotry -- not >racism. People of color can >have prejudice, can be bigotted, >but they cannot, I repeat, >cannot be racist. >Your opinion, we have different feelings on what racism is in lots of aspects, I respect your opinion, and hope you can respect min. >>>What I mean is this, you >>>don't have to think about >>>the power piece because it >>>is part of your privilege >>>as a white person. >>Yes, I do realize that there >>is a definate advantage of >>being white, I do realize >>that when driving I am >>not going to be glared >>at by cops, in stores >>I know I will not >>be followed. Its like >>a man riding is bike >>up a hill, being white, >>Ive got the wind pushing >>up my back helping up. >> If I were black, >> that wind would be >>at my front. > >And this is a good beginning, >but you are speaking metaphorically, >not about realities. Actually, I have seen this as a reality before. Being in stores with black friends, and being followed by 3 different employees in manner of 5 minutes, go in the store by myself, nothing like that happened. I've also seen heads bug out before when walking into a restaurant in a group of blacks(3) and whites (2), or at my friends graduation when about 4 white kids meet 4 blacks and show nothing but love(fellow crew members) It isn't >simply an "advantage" to be >white, it is a privilege. >To say that it is >an advantage is to say >that, for some reason, you >deserve this extra edge. But >it isn't an advantage, is >it? You aren't better than >other white people or people >of color, are you? It >is a privilege, something you >expect and you wouldn't know >what to do without it. No, its not an advantage(excuse my term) it is a privilage, I dont pick words as carefully as I should sometimes. No, Im not better than others, I dont know why you are asking this question to begin with. And what exactly do you mean I wouldnt know what to do without it? my "whiteness"? > >> You >>>don't have to think, see, >>>hear, or feel anything YOU >>>don't want to. It isn't >>>going to change or shift >>>your life in any way, >>>sense, form, or idea. >>Well, I dont have to, but >>I choose to see these >>things going on in the >>world, and I feel they >>should be changed. > >Ah, but your thinking isn't changed. How? >You took a step, but >it is time to take >another. You are still choosing >to see what you want >to see. And that's ok. >Maybe the totality of it, >and how you fit into >it, would be too much >for you to withstand at >this point in your journey >of recovering... But we are >not really talking about "the >world" or at least I >am not. Sorry not really what I meant (america) I don't know >about the world. I know >about America. And assuming that >you are an American, you >do, too, so let's stop >universalizing and talk about America. >Home. Where you eat, shit, >fuck, and sleep. > >> Yes, >>it does shift my life, >>b/c it pisses me off >>to see anyone treated this >>way. > >It pisses you off. But it >doesn't take bread from your >table. True. How often do you >use that unearned privilege of >yours to aid people of >color? Meaning why do I not intervene when I see these things going on? *leans head to the >side* You know, you aren't >the first white person to >stick his head outside of >the European matrix... Thanks for stating the obvious and I >tend to think we know >what they look like and >they tend to know that >they could do more and >we hold them accountable because >it is easy to grow >comfortable with your unearned privilege. > > >> Or the fact >>that I have an advantage >>to being white. >>Yes, there are white folk >>who dont like having this >>advantage. > >But there are more white folk >who know that they have >this privilege and feel guilty >about it and yet do >NOTHING. White guilt ain't gone >help people like me and >your Black friends. True. there are things I need to better in my life-Im at that point where Im really starting to look at myself and see what I can do that I know to be right, and try to make things right b/w black/whites/asians/hispanics, which was one of the very reason why I love hip-hop so much and the culture, b/c I see it truly as a way to break barries b/w races and unite us and make things better. I go to a punk show, and I see whites, they stand for many of the same things I do, and what Ive been saying, but like myself arent reaching out the way they sould be doing. When Ive thrown hip-hop shows, people of types show up, we got rich kids, black kids, white kids, asian kids. You get my point (I hope) but Im rambling... again >>>Being white means that you want >>>us (read: people of color) >>>to see you as being >>>an individual. But if you >>>are so individual, why do >>>you have this privilege? >>Did I ask for this privilege? >>No, it just happened that >>way. > >Honey, it didn't "just happen" that >way. I know it didnt just happen that way. Like I said maybe I can choose words and what not in a better way. More like it ended up to be like that. Your privilege as a >white person was built on >the backs of my ancestors >and was then perpetuated by >people like you... and unlike >you. White people who brought >into it and furthered it. >White people who felt guilty, >but did not allow their >guilt to do anything other >than make them feel bad. >White people who started to >look into racism and found >their mirrored image staring back >at them. Look at your >history. Look at yourself. Listen >to what people of color >have to say. You didn't >"just happen" to have unearned >privilege. It was passed down >to you like a family >heirloom. And all of you >got it. Regardless of whether >you were a woman, gay, >really irish or italian or >jewish, because you can become >white. It is a legacy, >this unearned privilege. > >>And >>>why is this privilege spread >>>to other people who look >>>like you (or who became >>>white) collectively? >> b/c we look like the >>ones who were/are the oppressers. > >No. Because they walked into this >country being whoever they were. >And then they got a >taste of America. They understood >what it was like to >be an "other" and first >chance they got, because, after >all, their skin _was_ the >right color, they assimulated into >"white". They joined the dominant >culture, the oppressors. And now, >they are the oppressors themselves. > > >Peace, > >Q > > >^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^*********^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ > >"americans are gross!" -utamaroho > >Uplifting thoughts: > >"We are the end result of >our ancestors prayers as they >died. We you are the >sum total of their answered >prayers." > >"I am because we are; we >are because I am." > >"falling in love with somebody's soul...their >essence their personality their walk >their talk the way they >speak and smile...no matter what >the physical outer body is..male >or female...is a temptation i >hope i am never foolish >enough to resist." - Hot >Damali
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