I write this while sitting at a computer terminal in my parents local library because their house is under rennovation. Truthfully, there is internet there, but it's dial up and I have become so spoiled by the high speed internet at school. I mean, my alma mater.
I am now a college graduate with a degree.
What I am most frustrated by right now, is the idea of political correctness, which is really a nice way of saying that these days you can't just be respectful, you have to be uber-sensitive. How can we honestly have a open dialogue about issues if simply admitting there is an issue is now equated with being racist, sexist, or some other "ist"? I admit that generalisations have their drawbacks and should be used carefully, but how can we talk about "Americans" without generalising the citizens? No one has a problem with that. But talk about "blacks" as a community and suddenly you have a problem. Statisitcally the black population earns less than it's white counterpart. That statement alone will earn me all kinds of retribution from readers... yet, if we take a mathematical approach, that statement is correct. Some would see it as a problem... but simply identifying the statement, let alone the problem, will already land you in hot water. You can now be not simply a racist, but a "colour-blind racist."
My brother is reading a book for school on the idea of colour blind racism and there are some points in there that spark worthwhile conversation. However, according to the author, simply being white makes me racist. Talk about original sin! It doesn't matter how I act, treat people, or wish for the world, I simply am a racist in a society that will allow other minorities to flourish in order to keep the black population oppressed. End of story.
Um, no.
Not the end of the story. I don't believe you can call a race "racist". I think this is one situation where a generalisation is not appropriate. People are not born racist, they become so. There may be all kinds of societal factors creating a racist atmosphere, there may be all kinds of subtle ways in which white people offend or hurt black people, but I do not believe that I was born racist because my parents are white. Not only is that racist, but its extremely pessimisstic.
If we can get people past deciding which labels are appropriate and calling each other names like "racist" and "bigot" then maybe we'd actually get somewhere. Maybe we'd be able to point out a problem or two and actually work towards a solution. Black people earn less. This can be linked to inferior education... so lets work on education. There have been some very promising schools that have been carefully integrated so the populations reflect the neighborhoods, and the kids grow up tolerant. Now its time for the adults to play nice.
I'm sure I'm going to get kicked for this, but:
Slavery ended hundreds of years ago. You can't ask us to pay for what our parents parents parents parents did. Not going to happen, not ethical, lets move forward.
What's needed is money... and lots of it. Since white people have so much of it, we pay tons and tons of tax. We give lots in charity and lots of it goes to black communities. Where's the money and the support from Jay Z and Biggie? How much did they give back to the schools they went to? Oh yeah, none. They were too busy buying 10 beamers and a tricked out Navigator. Do you know how many school books that money would have bought? Where's the sense of community?
We don't like to mention it but there are successful black people in the world. Not as many as there should be, but they exist. And I'm sure many of them do try and help their commnunities, but this is where change is going to come from. That's how other minorities made it. It's possible. It's even probable. But its not going to come from the white man alone.
I am going to get killed for writing this. If I was smart, I would have hit delete.