This link WSJ requires a paid subscription. However based on what I can read (the title and summary), and as someone that’s done his fair share of statistics and scientific methodologies, I must point out that something can be true (systemic racism) without scientific study to back it up. Enough folks have been saying for years and years that they are scared of the police simply because they have dark skin that I believe them. This comes from folks all over the USA from big and small communities alike. To deny their experiences is ludicrous and extremely inappropriate. The same goes for the semantics - don’t like the word “systemic”? Fine! But don’t use that as an excuse to dismiss folks’ experiences.
It’s a cliche quote, but I feel that Mark Twain’s “lies, d@mn lies, and statistics” sentiment absolutely holds true with this dialogue. I can tell you any story I want with data based on how I collect and interpret that data. But when I actually tune in and listen to what folks are saying, it hits home and I can’t unhear the stories of people that live in fear of police because they’re not white. Not all people, not all police, but at some point there’s enough stories to warrant paying real, authentic attention to. For a lot of folks, that point has long passed. For some, that point is now. For others, the point is in the future or may never come. Some of us are privileged enough to get to decide when we are ready to listen - many never had that choice.
Where I am, looting is being done primarily by white people that are mad as hell and trying to make a statement. I don’t like that part either. But I can’t and won’t dismiss the experiences of black folks simply because I don’t like something else that’s happening. The property damage does not detract from the message.
That’s fine. You are correct. I don’t know what that’s like. I never even claimed in the first place to know what that’s like. I’m not saying his point is less valuable. My point is if I’m going to here it from the opposite spectrum then I’m going to here it from someone with more experience on the issue than a 21 year old college student.
There is a reason I said most people are fine with a protest. There is also a reason I said we should have a civil debate and conversation about these issues. The reason I said those things is because nobody is trying to dismiss the experiences of the black community. We are simply trying to understand them. We don’t have to have anarchy to do it though.
Information I already knew about. Nobody is saying that systematic racism never existed. What I want to know is how that is my fault? Considering I wasn’t even alive during the Civil Rights Movement. I even said the black community has a harder path to success. I believe in fairness regardless of race. Even rich white people discriminate against poor white people.
For God’s sake it’s not about you. That’s the issue with white privilege, you think it’s about what you’ve done. You may not have ever done a racist thing in your entire life, but systematic racism still effects POC. Nobody is taking away your rights and nobody is giving POC more rights. It’s simply about equal rights. It’s about acknowledging that’s it’s more difficult for POC to get to the same point as you because of nothing they can control.
No one is pointing at you directly and saying you’re the cause of systematic racism. But you are getting pretty defensive about emphasizing that it’s not your fault, so sounds like there’s some guilt down in there somewhere.
See that is where you are wrong. You and others act like systematic racism only happens in this country and that it only happens to one specific race. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Systematic racism has been on every continent in history. Even Africans have been systematically racist against white people within their country and vice versa. Systematic racism isn’t the fault of any one race but several.
Ask the white farmers living in Zimbabwe if it was “equality” to have their farms taken from them by the government or was it their “white privilege”? There has never been a point in world history where one race hasn’t been a slave or treated unequally to another. Maybe we should talk about the young white man with a Trump bumper sticker getting his “white privilege” beat the hell out of him for being white and conservative (even though he was just trying to drive past people and did nothing wrong).
So when I hear the words “white privilege” I have to take it with a grain of salt. Because in reality systematic racism exists in all races despite what brainwashing you have been through.
Not really. Everyone seems to be afraid to talk about the elephant in the room. We only act like systematic racism has existed to only one race in one country. When in reality it’s happened to every race on every continent in world history. I could care less what race anyone is as long as they contribute to a better society. I’m just trying to find out what exactly “white privileged” is supposed to be because nobody could give me a reasonable explanation for it until I came to this forum. My point is you’re looked at differently in today’s society if you’re white. Someone commented I shouldn’t expect to know how Chuba Hubbard feels being black. That’s cool I suppose. So how in the world should a black person know what it feels like to be white? If I’m going to be held to a certain standard then shouldn’t that stand be equal regardless of race?
Why? Shouldn’t this be an issue that should be discussed and resolved? The solution to solving any problem is recognizing there is one. All I hear are complaints and what is wrong with the current state of affairs in this country. What I don’t see is anyone coming up with any reasonable ideas or solutions to solve them. You do the patient no good by treating symptoms when they are deathly ill. The core problem needs to be discovered and cured.
Read the room my dude. We get it. You had a hard life. But that doesn’t mean racism isn’t real. Listen to what’s going on. Don’t just be offended because you’ve got things hard too.
I’m sorry but this privilege thing you speak about and other white people is well…a slap in my great,great,great ext. grandparents face to be real honest man. Nothing is free or given to you in this world and never has. They worked hard their whole lives to give their kids an good opportunity to be able to pass it on and that’s why I’m here today! Nothing was given to me as I grew up with very little money and I had to bust my a— to make it where I’m at today and to be able to put food on my table and give my kids that same opportunity to pass on to their kids my man and let me tell you and I speak for a lot of “white” hard working Blue collar workers out here that we do not and won’t except to be put in a category by you and other people! That is not right so before you put I guess your situation and group all of us together in it think before you write PLEASE!!