So good I had to read it twice...
I am posting this in my journal because I recognize its power and truth. The LJer who posted it originally has gained my respect and admiration. I am a black man who has mostly white friends. My taste in music and film lean heavily toward what most would call white culture. So I'm sure that most seeing me from the outside would assume much from that. However, like many blacks who attended mostly white schools, when I reached college I became very angry. I learned the history and much of everything else I'd learned had been heavily shaded. I just wanted give you a glimpse at what does go through my mind when I see and hear some people talk. As a Christian I try to love all people. However, I won't lie and say that I don't shine on people who've never had to struggle. People who never have worn off brand cloths and drank check cola. Anyway, read below and gain some knowledge.
This was written by "absolutcalm"
I submit that American Whites (Caucasians and their Cauc-Asian assimilites and Assimi-semites) cultivate a culture of blith ignorance and pettiness in any areas involving the 'darker shades.'
For believing that "Black Entertainment Television" is unfair while ignoring "Latino Entertainment Television" and the fact that most other television uses, relies on, and mostly casts white actors-- pettiness.
For believing that a culture is not a culture without speaking a completely different language (i.e., ignoring and denegrating black culture)-- ignorance.
For misrepresenting Affirmative Action's true failures with nothing more than instant accusations of ignorance on the part of any and all benefitiaries (when Affirmative Action does not 'lower standards' in order to take in minorities, it simply forces there to be room for the minorities who meet the standards)--- ignorance.
For misrepresenting the crimes of the American government and, in some cases, their own ancestry-- by focusing on slavery, when post-slavery America forcefully held blacks back, as a people, through law and de facto segregation, through an entire culture of oppression, through till the 1970's -- for being so ignorant of what amounts to recent history, with living relics still able to recall events that shaped our national racial debate--- ignorance.
For misreprensenting "Welfare" as being a "reparation"-- when more whites than blacks are currently benefiting from it-- ignorance.
For taking the Civil War, ignoring State Declarations of Indepedence stating 'slavery' as their first reasoning and dumbing it down to being "not about Slavery" and, instead, about economics--- of which slavery was an institition-- for pointing out that "farmers fought the Civil War and they didn't own slaves," knowing damn well that Farmers fought the War of Independence while Lawyers and Merchants owned and benefitted from it, that farmers fought the first World War when baronets, nations and soviergn's benefitted from it; that young men, through time, fight old men's wars and that the poor will always pick up the tab on the battlefield for the rich--- ignorance.
For thinking that empire, sciences and civilization never touched Africa-- and thinking Europe genetically superior for it. Just plain self-centeredness....
For ignoring that discrimination exists, simply because *you* don't *feel* as if you discriminate or *you've* felt like you've been discriminated against; for living in a bubble and never thinking outside of it... petty ingorance.
For blaming racism on blacks, because we talk about the subject while others never live a day of it... ignorance.
(This one is for the liberals, of all shapes and sizes) For thinking all blacks must, or should, be Democrats... ignorance.
For thinking that "N*gger" is just another word when its spat at you, muttered behind your back, or written about you and those like you... sigh.
.
.
.
.
For reading this post, for getting defensive, and for being completely unable to see how very petty and unneccessary such ideas and arguments are, and own up to it whenever and wherever it applies.... Not ignorance. Just the American way.
This was written by "absolutcalm"
I submit that American Whites (Caucasians and their Cauc-Asian assimilites and Assimi-semites) cultivate a culture of blith ignorance and pettiness in any areas involving the 'darker shades.'
For believing that "Black Entertainment Television" is unfair while ignoring "Latino Entertainment Television" and the fact that most other television uses, relies on, and mostly casts white actors-- pettiness.
For believing that a culture is not a culture without speaking a completely different language (i.e., ignoring and denegrating black culture)-- ignorance.
For misrepresenting Affirmative Action's true failures with nothing more than instant accusations of ignorance on the part of any and all benefitiaries (when Affirmative Action does not 'lower standards' in order to take in minorities, it simply forces there to be room for the minorities who meet the standards)--- ignorance.
For misrepresenting the crimes of the American government and, in some cases, their own ancestry-- by focusing on slavery, when post-slavery America forcefully held blacks back, as a people, through law and de facto segregation, through an entire culture of oppression, through till the 1970's -- for being so ignorant of what amounts to recent history, with living relics still able to recall events that shaped our national racial debate--- ignorance.
For misreprensenting "Welfare" as being a "reparation"-- when more whites than blacks are currently benefiting from it-- ignorance.
For taking the Civil War, ignoring State Declarations of Indepedence stating 'slavery' as their first reasoning and dumbing it down to being "not about Slavery" and, instead, about economics--- of which slavery was an institition-- for pointing out that "farmers fought the Civil War and they didn't own slaves," knowing damn well that Farmers fought the War of Independence while Lawyers and Merchants owned and benefitted from it, that farmers fought the first World War when baronets, nations and soviergn's benefitted from it; that young men, through time, fight old men's wars and that the poor will always pick up the tab on the battlefield for the rich--- ignorance.
For thinking that empire, sciences and civilization never touched Africa-- and thinking Europe genetically superior for it. Just plain self-centeredness....
For ignoring that discrimination exists, simply because *you* don't *feel* as if you discriminate or *you've* felt like you've been discriminated against; for living in a bubble and never thinking outside of it... petty ingorance.
For blaming racism on blacks, because we talk about the subject while others never live a day of it... ignorance.
(This one is for the liberals, of all shapes and sizes) For thinking all blacks must, or should, be Democrats... ignorance.
For thinking that "N*gger" is just another word when its spat at you, muttered behind your back, or written about you and those like you... sigh.
.
.
.
.
For reading this post, for getting defensive, and for being completely unable to see how very petty and unneccessary such ideas and arguments are, and own up to it whenever and wherever it applies.... Not ignorance. Just the American way.