Okay, so I admit being sucked into the abyss by some progressive click-bait headlines, and this time is no exception. And usually, I just laugh at the foolishness and move on, but sometimes, I just can't, and this is one of those times. It's not just the progressive foolishness that has me going this time; it's the entire argument. Both sides are idiots, and do nothing but fan the flames of racism.
First of all, let me say that I didn't see anything racist about the Facebook posts, but then, I'm reading them from a position of "white privilege" at least according to most progressives, cuz, you know, I'm white and stuff. At the same time, though, that post also shows what I think the real problem is, and how it is that the argument over racism does nothing more than fan the flames of racism.
It's true that having a "white pride" parade or "white history" month would be seen as racist, while "black pride" parades or "black history" month are not seen the same way, at least not by most people. I have a problem, though, with any "race pride" parade, or for that matter, any "gay pride" parade, or when it comes down to it, a "white pride" parade. All these things do is create a division between people, when what most people appear to want is to be inclusive and included. And when it comes to things to take pride in, couldn't we find something else to take pride in? I mean, race is something to be proud about? Why? Being gay is something to be proud of? Why? I'm not saying people should be ashamed of these things. I'm saying they are an improper source of pride. Gay people have made a significant argument saying they didn't choose to be gay, that they were born that way, and I don't think anyone has ever argued that black people (or any other race) made the choice to be that race. So, I don't see how these things can be the source of pride.
And, it's my contention that they shouldn't be the source of pride, nor should they be the source of shame. We are what we are, at least when it comes to race, and if you believe the gay argument, sexual preference. I'm not sure about the gay argument, but it isn't really relevant to this, other than to raise the question, "Why do people insist on being proud of something they have no control over?"
Maybe this phenomenon has gotten to be such a big deal recently because people don't have anything else about themselves to take pride in. I mean, awards and praise are handed out so often that they lose any real meaning. Most people are too hung up on finding the easy way, and if there isn't an easy way, it's too hard. Nobody wants to work hard to make a real achievement.
But, as usual, I'm digressing a bit. In the above linked article, the author states that she "counter to each and every one of his points." So, here are her counters to his arguments, and my counters to her arguments:
"There are also Italian-Americans and Irish-Americans but only one type of American was brought here en masse and by force. The rest came voluntarily."
This may be a true statement, but, what's the relevance? The people brought here by force are not the ones living today, and I fail to see how the enslavement of someone's ancestors makes for a great source of pride. As a white person, I take no pride in being white, and at the same time, I'm not ashamed of it either. Any pride or shame I feel is the result of my own actions, as it should be.
"Poverty leads to crime. White poor people commit crimes as well. Of course, the biggest crimes are perpetrated by white men wearing suits. A poor black man might take a car or a TV but rich white men take homes, jobs and entire livelihoods."
I'm good with the first two statements here. And yes, this actually was a response to a question that was asked in the original Facebook post: "Why are the ghettos are the most dangerous places to live?" Any rational person could actually answer that question. Poverty, duh. But then, the author goes off the rails with the rest of that comment. Apparently, the author thinks that it's a crime to repossess a house that is mortgaged when the owner doesn't pay for it. And, apparently, she thinks firing, or laying workers off because business is bad, is also a crime. And, apparently, she thinks that all white collar crime is committed by white people. No, the people aren't all white, just the collars. Besides, it's really debatable whether any of what she's referring to was, or is, an actual crime. But, yeah, rich white people do those things, and so do rich black people. It almost makes me want to get a mortgage from a black banker, and then default just to see if he will foreclose on my home. Not really, because I know he would. And if I have that part all wrong, then maybe someone can explain how it is that "rich white men take homes, jobs and entire livelihoods," but not rich black men.
"As for the this day this organization, every day throughout history has been for white people. Almost all the history taught in school is white history. Nearly every organization throughout America’s history has been white. It’s relatively recent that black people have been allowed to go to college or enter Miss America pageants."
I suppose the above statement depends on where you live. I'll bet Japanese history isn't White history, for example. Even so, if the majority of people in a given country are a certain race, then it shouldn't really be surprising that the majority of historic figures are of the same race. The main problem with history, though, is that it is extremely subjective and open to interpretation. And a lot of the interpretation has probably been done by white people. So, if black people are concerned about it, then black people should write their own interpretations of history. I, for one, would be interested, and it seems to me that this would accomplish much more than having a whole month to celebrate your own special history, of which, no one is much aware, apparently. I can say, unequivocally, that I haven't become more aware of black history because someone decided that we should have a whole month devoted to it. And finally, we need to talk about the specific meaning of "relatively recent." It was more than 40 years ago that the first black woman made it to the Miss America pageant. And all I can really say about that is that it's an indication of how far we've come, in a relatively short time. The first black person to graduate from an American college, though, was nearly 200 years ago. That is hardly "relatively recent" in terms of the age of our republic, but in terms of the history of the world, I guess it is. For further research, I suggest checking out this list of African-American Firsts.
Finally, the author offers a list of black men who died at the hands of police officers in 2014. It is tragic, to be sure. But, the list ignores everyone else who died at the hands of police officers. This isn't something that only happens to black men. It happens too often to too many different people.
So, everyone, listen up. Take control of your own destinies, do some hard work, accomplish something difficult, and don't put too much weight on what other people think. Take pride in your accomplishments, not your race. And, perhaps most importantly, pay no heed to the left and right wing alarmists out there. If we do that, we may find that race relations here in America are a whole lot better than those people would like us to think. After all, stirring up hatred and outrage generates clicks, which in turn generates ad revenue, so we can rest assured that those type of headlines will never stop, cuz, you know, greed.
Finally, the author offers a list of black men who died at the hands of police officers in 2014. It is tragic, to be sure. But, the list ignores everyone else who died at the hands of police officers. This isn't something that only happens to black men. It happens too often to too many different people.
So, everyone, listen up. Take control of your own destinies, do some hard work, accomplish something difficult, and don't put too much weight on what other people think. Take pride in your accomplishments, not your race. And, perhaps most importantly, pay no heed to the left and right wing alarmists out there. If we do that, we may find that race relations here in America are a whole lot better than those people would like us to think. After all, stirring up hatred and outrage generates clicks, which in turn generates ad revenue, so we can rest assured that those type of headlines will never stop, cuz, you know, greed.
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