Racism

"Racism is not merely a simplistic hatred. It is, more often, broad sympathy toward some and broader skepticism toward others." -Ta-Nehisi Coates

 Sorry America, that specter Racism is alive and well.

 I know, I know, you don't want to admit it, but sorry, its true.

 Its true in the little things you say, the little assumptions you make, the stereotypes you hold. Its there. You don't have to join the KKK, you don't have to call them N******, you don't have to do a lot of things, many racist attitudes are totally passive. Its about what you say, what you think, what you at heart believe. 

Its funny how often I hear "well blacks can be racist too."

 Ok, I agree, there is a certain percentage of the black population that is racist. They, like the vast majority of racist whites, veer towards the 2nd sentence of the quote.

 There are racist black people, some of them as bad as any racist white.

 BUT, before white folk get all justified in their own little prejudices, let me point something out, the blacks aren't the people in power.

 WAIT you cry! White america is under attack! Look at all the benefits afforded minorities and women! Its so hard to be a white man!

 No, its not.

 White men still run this country. Pardon me, RICH white men run this country.

 If you aren't one of them it isn't affirmative actions fault. It isn't NOW's fault. Its the oligarchy of good ol' boys and new money men who control most economic goings on in the US.

 Here's the thing: People of all races suck. Basically humanity sucks. We're imperfect, we're flawed, we're damaged. BUT, when the group that holds power, and I'm sorry white america, you hold the power no matter how badly you want to believe you don't, holds ideas, prejudices (it can be proven, look at prison sentencing black v. white for the same crimes), hold beliefs, its far more damaging to the country than when the minority holds similar views.

 This is NOT excusing minorities for any general "racist" beliefs they might hold. But, isn't it more understandable they would hold them when they are much more likely to be stopped and questioned by police (most often white), go to a lesser school than their white peers, and generally have the odds stacked against them?

 Blacks in this country have had the deck stacked against them since the late 19th century. The gains made immediately after the Civil War, well, many of them died with Lincoln and others have been destroyed since, whether maliciously by blatantly racist laws or inadvertently by misguided social policy (see the Great Society, though, I sometimes wonder how inadvertent LBJ was really...).

 We are generations deep, in all honestly we are almost 10 generations deep of black families being destroyed, first by slavery, then by economic factors, then by social engineering factors. Its unfortunate that so many black Americans have no idea how to live "normal," healthy lives.

 I'm not even saying that they have to live like middle class Americans because frankly, I'm not sure that's healthy. But the violence that pervades so much of their culture, the lack of a father in too many young black men's lives (and anymore, that's certainly a white problem too), its tragic.

 And while it does not excuse the eventual behavior, it helps to explain it. Instead of fearing, instead of holding prejudice, instead of viewing them as parasites (which so many people do, listen to how people talk, facts don't matter, there are millions on welfare doing nothing to support themselves....right..) maybe view them as fellow human beings. View them as fellow Americans, who just want to live their lives. Maybe you could support them, even third party, through groups trying to help the less fortunate.

 White America, I'm sorry, but you're still horrifically racist. You need to start accepting that, because if you don't, if you, the majority race, don't, why on earth would any of the minority races attempt to do the same?