"As a white guy", My Top 10 Laments...

Relic · #1 02-17-2011, 11:46 AM

Take this for what it is - a tongue in cheek sorta collection of thoughts that have gone through my head at one time or another regarding race. Feel free to agree, disagree, just don't troll please.

1-as a white guy, I sometimes feel that we're portrayed very unfairly in the media. It often seems like we're all racist if you believe what you read...but I'm telling ya we're not. Not really. Most of the time we really don't even care what color you are. If you're cool, you're cool, if you're a jerk you're a jerk, doesn't matter one iota what your skin color is. I suspect that almost all of you out there who are not white, probably feel the same. So why we even arguing??

2-as a white guy, sometimes I really get tired of being equated with some of the racist nutcases that belong to the same race as me. Argh! I hate them. But because I have a similar skin tone, doesn't mean that I feel the same way. To assume so...is racist, so stop, please it gets me mad as hell!

3-as a white guy, sometimes I feel like there is this sort of "double standard" where someone of a different race can say something vile and nasty about my race and it seems to be almost a trivial matter, yet if a white person says something similar, it seems as though the evilness of that statement is magnified a thousand times. I dunno, racism is stupid and wrong no matter what the source is or who the recipient is. It's just wrong, period.
I say "it seems" in this matter, because honestly, I've never seen it definitively claimed that "all white people are racist, all minorities are not", but there always seems to be this implied undercurrent. Or do I just have a guilty conscience?? Speaking of which:

4-as a white guy, man am I ever so sick of "white guilt". I'm not even sure what it is? It's as though I'm supposed to feel this overwhelming guilt and sorrow for things that people with my skin color did to others of a different skin color. I feel terrible that such horrid things happened, and hope to god that they never ever happen again. But...I didn't do it. I don't feel guilty about it, not at all. I feel anger, I feel sick to my stomach, I feel sadness when I read what was done. I think to myself - Why did these heartless idiots do what they did?? I hope they burn in hell". But - I didn't do it.. Matter of fact, at the time of slavery in the US, at the time of the exploitation and near genocide of the native peoples, my ancestors were in a world of hurt in Europe. I'll spare the history lesson, just suffice to say that there were folks in Europe who were suffering as well, which is why many came to America when they could. So again - I feel no guilt. I feel sadness, anger and regret, and even a bit of privileged and honored for being able to live in this land that was built in no small part by folks with a different skin color than mine, but I do NOT feel personal guilt.

5-as a white guy, I 100% know that folks of other races are just as capable of being racist as folks of my own race. I see it often in fact. The hypocrisy is unfair and gets me angry. So please take a look at yourself before criticizing me.

6-as a white guy, sometimes I think that we white folks are almost too diverse a group to be lumped all together. To explain - my background is pretty different from someone of Sicilian ancestry for instance. We kind of see ourselves like that: "Oh, Joe is Italian, Pete is Swedish" - both nationalities have distinct traits that are handed down, but it seems like "white" trumps it all, but does it really? I think that given my background I have more in common with a person of Mexican descent let's say than one of Danish descent.

7-as a white guy, I love women of different races. I've dated Black gals, Asian gals, Latin gals, I love em all! When you love someone, all color and race just disappears. Just shows you how silly we people can be.

8-as a white guy, I'm sometimes puzzled by what I'm "allowed" to say and what I'm "not allowed" to say. I'm not really referring to the "N" word - shoot, I bought and read Randall Kennedy's book on that word to try to understand better, and I do. What I mean is that sometimes you'll run into someone sooo sensitive that you really are not sure what you can say and what you cannot - one slip of the tongue and *BAM!* your that "racist white guy" even when racial issues or the ilk was the farthest thing from your mind. Stop it! Just let me talk and stop assuming that I'm saying something racist or racially insensitive - if I do, then I'm an idiot, but I assure you, if I'm talking to you it's because I like you and am not judging you or your race. Who am I to even judge anyway? I'm just lil ol me.

9-as a white guy, sometimes I get uncomfortable around folks of other races when meeting them for the first time. Why? I dunno, I think it's because of points 1, and 4, and 8. I sometimes feel like I'm on my guard until I know that YOU are not judging ME. If I seem a little aloof, it's NOT because I'm racist or something, it's because I'm hoping that you're not. All I'm doing is trying to keep it "safe" so we can in fact, be friends once I know that we're cool.

10-as a white guy, I'm hoping that this thread does not now paint me as a racist! Despite the general belief nowadays that you should be proud of who you are, that everyone's special etc etc it's very odd that one can be "proud to be Irish", "proud to be German", but NOT "proud to be white"? Eek! That's KKK territory, son! (see point#2!!) The fact is that it makes no sense to me. I can be proud of the achievements of white folk, but certainly not at the expense of acknowledging some of the bad stuff that was done by white folks, nor at the exclusion of the wonderful achievements of folks of other races as well! I'm proud to be white! I'm proud that I have a wife who is not! I'm proud to have a racially mixed son, shoot, he and those like him are our collective future in my opinion!
Once we're all blended together, maybe we discriminate based on shoe size? who knows

Thanks for readin'

fenderhutz · #2 02-17-2011, 11:49 AM

You forgot one.

11. As a white guy- where is my support group?

hover · #3 02-17-2011, 11:50 AM

nice.

Relic · #4 02-17-2011, 11:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fenderhutz

You forgot one.

11. As a white guy- where is my support group?

Didn't include that one because I don't feel the need for one. We live in a Euro-centric country. Unless you have been an ethnic, racial, or national minority somewhere, it's difficult to understand. Again - IMHO

**nutdog** · #5 02-17-2011, 11:52 AM

This is all you need to know:

DO NOT TOUCH A BLACK PERSON'S HAIR.

Your European-standard-issue brown strands might be "just hair" to you, but black hair is far beyond the average skull insulation. Black hair is sacred and almost mythical, both revered and abhorred by the head upon which it grows.

Touching a black person's hair without permission is a cardinal sin

DaveDeVille · #6 02-17-2011, 11:53 AM

as a fellow white guy ...
i can say that you're awesome !!

Jared Lash · #7 02-17-2011, 11:53 AM

As a white guy I don't like that every black comedian's impression of white guys makes us all sound like Tiger Woods.

Selta · #8 02-17-2011, 11:53 AM

I'm subscribing to this just to see where it goes.

MIJ-VI · #9 02-17-2011, 11:54 AM

#$%^& 'shoesies'!!!

Dr. Cheese · #10 02-17-2011, 11:54 AM

Relic, I'm glad you got it out of your system. It's always good to know how other people see things.

Mark Latimour · #11 02-17-2011, 11:54 AM

As a not so white guy, I think Relic needs a hug.

fenderhutz · #12 02-17-2011, 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jared Lash

As a white guy I don't like that every black comedian's impression of white guys makes us all sound like Tiger Woods.

Dr. Cheese · #13 02-17-2011, 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jared Lash

As a white guy I don't like that every black comedian's impression of white guys makes us all sound like Tiger Woods.

That's so true!

neurotictim · #14 02-17-2011, 11:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ray Salamon

I'm subscribing to this just to see where it goes.

Ditto.

Also, without going all political, you should look into a book called "Ten Things You Can't Say In America" by Larry Elder. Great read.

hdracer · #15 02-17-2011, 12:01 PM

You forgot just being a "guy" is bad enough.
You did not know that men are the cause of all evil?

MakiSupaStar · #16 02-17-2011, 12:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Relic

Take this for what it is - a tongue in cheek sorta collection of thoughts that have gone through my head at one time or another regarding race. Feel free to agree, disagree, just don't troll please.

1-as a white guy, I sometimes feel that we're portrayed very unfairly in the media. It often seems like we're all racist if you believe what you read...but I'm telling ya we're not. Not really. Most of the time we really don't even care what color you are. If you're cool, you're cool, if you're a jerk you're a jerk, doesn't matter one iota what your skin color is. I suspect that almost all of you out there who are not white, probably feel the same. So why we even arguing??

2-as a white guy, sometimes I really get tired of being equated with some of the racist nutcases that belong to the same race as me. Argh! I hate them. But because I have a similar skin tone, doesn't mean that I feel the same way. To assume so...is racist, so stop, please it gets me mad as hell!

3-as a white guy, sometimes I feel like there is this sort of "double standard" where someone of a different race can say something vile and nasty about my race and it seems to be almost a trivial matter, yet if a white person says something similar, it seems as though the evilness of that statement is magnified a thousand times. I dunno, racism is stupid and wrong no matter what the source is or who the recipient is. It's just wrong, period.
I say "it seems" in this matter, because honestly, I've never seen it definitively claimed that "all white people are racist, all minorities are not", but there always seems to be this implied undercurrent. Or do I just have a guilty conscience?? Speaking of which:

4-as a white guy, man am I ever so sick of "white guilt". I'm not even sure what it is? It's as though I'm supposed to feel this overwhelming guilt and sorrow for things that people with my skin color did to others of a different skin color. I feel terrible that such horrid things happened, and hope to god that they never ever happen again. But...I didn't do it. I don't feel guilty about it, not at all. I feel anger, I feel sick to my stomach, I feel sadness when I read what was done. I think to myself - Why did these heartless idiots do what they did?? I hope they burn in hell". But - I didn't do it.. Matter of fact, at the time of slavery in the US, at the time of the exploitation and near genocide of the native peoples, my ancestors were in a world of hurt in Europe. I'll spare the history lesson, just suffice to say that there were folks in Europe who were suffering as well, which is why many came to America when they could. So again - I feel no guilt. I feel sadness, anger and regret, and even a bit of privileged and honored for being able to live in this land that was built in no small part by folks with a different skin color than mine, but I do NOT feel personal guilt.

5-as a white guy, I 100% know that folks of other races are just as capable of being racist as folks of my own race. I see it often in fact. The hypocrisy is unfair and gets me angry. So please take a look at yourself before criticizing me.

6-as a white guy, sometimes I think that we white folks are almost too diverse a group to be lumped all together. To explain - my background is pretty different from someone of Sicilian ancestry for instance. We kind of see ourselves like that: "Oh, Joe is Italian, Pete is Swedish" - both nationalities have distinct traits that are handed down, but it seems like "white" trumps it all, but does it really? I think that given my background I have more in common with a person of Mexican descent let's say than one of Danish descent.

7-as a white guy, I love women of different races. I've dated Black gals, Asian gals, Latin gals, I love em all! When you love someone, all color and race just disappears. Just shows you how silly we people can be.

8-as a white guy, I'm sometimes puzzled by what I'm "allowed" to say and what I'm "not allowed" to say. I'm not really referring to the "N" word - shoot, I bought and read Randall Kennedy's book on that word to try to understand better, and I do. What I mean is that sometimes you'll run into someone sooo sensitive that you really are not sure what you can say and what you cannot - one slip of the tongue and *BAM!* your that "racist white guy" even when racial issues or the ilk was the farthest thing from your mind. Stop it! Just let me talk and stop assuming that I'm saying something racist or racially insensitive - if I do, then I'm an idiot, but I assure you, if I'm talking to you it's because I like you and am not judging you or your race. Who am I to even judge anyway? I'm just lil ol me.

9-as a white guy, sometimes I get uncomfortable around folks of other races when meeting them for the first time. Why? I dunno, I think it's because of points 1, and 4, and 8. I sometimes feel like I'm on my guard until I know that YOU are not judging ME. If I seem a little aloof, it's NOT because I'm racist or something, it's because I'm hoping that you're not. All I'm doing is trying to keep it "safe" so we can in fact, be friends once I know that we're cool.

10-as a white guy, I'm hoping that this thread does not now paint me as a racist! Despite the general belief nowadays that you should be proud of who you are, that everyone's special etc etc it's very odd that one can be "proud to be Irish", "proud to be German", but NOT "proud to be white"? Eek! That's KKK territory, son! (see point#2!!) The fact is that it makes no sense to me. I can be proud of the achievements of white folk, but certainly not at the expense of acknowledging some of the bad stuff that was done by white folks, nor at the exclusion of the wonderful achievements of folks of other races as well! I'm proud to be white! I'm proud that I have a wife who is not! I'm proud to have a racially mixed son, shoot, he and those like him are our collective future in my opinion!
Once we're all blended together, maybe we discriminate based on shoe size? who knows

Thanks for readin'

**bassybill** · #17 02-17-2011, 12:11 PM

Thoughtful and very well written collection of comments, Relic. Nice job.

Schlyder · #18 02-17-2011, 12:15 PM

I think being called "white" is as racist as being called any other racial slur.
I am not "White" or "Whitey"... (I am Caucasion, Northern European decent.)
If it is inappropriate to call other people racial slurs based on their skin color, why is calling us white OK??

Selta · #19 02-17-2011, 12:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Schlyder

I think being called "white" is as racist as being called any other racial slur.
I am not "White" or "Whitey"... (I am Caucasion, Northern European decent.)
If it is inappropriate to call other people racial slurs based on their skin color, why is calling us white OK??

It's a descriptor, I believe. Much like being called "black" isn't racist.
We as people "have" to put everything in boxes of sorts. Everything "needs" a descriptor attached, everything "needs" delimited and organized into groups.
I'm not saying it's right, I'm saying it is what it is.

Dr. Cheese · #20 02-17-2011, 12:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Schlyder

I think being called "white" is as racist as being called any other racial slur.
I am not "White" or "Whitey"... (I am Caucasion, Northern European decent.)
If it is inappropriate to call other people racial slurs based on their skin color, why is calling us white OK??

If most "white" people made it clear that they felt the way you do, those of us who are not white would stop using that term to describe you.