I am not a racist person. I very rarely hate anyone, but when I do, it has nothing to do with color of skin, or ethnicity, but rather because they did something horrible and I've yet to work up the ability to forgive. That list of people I hate is quite short; two names. Only two names on that list, both people that did terrible things to me that I have yet been able to forgive. Both of those people are white.
The list of people I consider a friend is much longer and contains people of all colors and backgrounds. I have dated white people, black people, and Hispanic people. My stepmother is Japanese. My dearest friend is Indian (as in from India). I am more Native American than not. Basically, I just don't care what color someone is or is not; it doesn't make a difference in my ability to call one a friend or to be called a friend in return. I have never been the person that race mattered too and I never will be that person because It. Doesn't. Matter.
And so knowing all of that about myself, I have a complaint to make. I am absolutely tired of people assuming that because my skin is white, I must be racist. It's a crock and I'm, for one, rather tired of hearing it. And while this is a rant about people thinking white people are racist simply because they are white, this goes equally for everyone. If you're calling someone racist because they're Hispanic, or black, or Asian, I'm talking to you just as much as anyone else.
I was recently in class with a black girl. We got along quite well until our class started discussing racism and bigotry in law enforcement and it all went downhill from there. We were asked whether racist behaviors are found in only one race or if they're more broad range than that. This girl responded with something along the lines of "of course racism is everywhere, but white people are more racist than anyone else and that's a fact."
Um, no. White people aren't any more racist than black people or any other people. I told her my thoughts on her statement because statements like that drive me insane. We went back and forth for a while and then she got incredibly antagonistic and rude over the entire thing and continued to make outrageous claims about how white people have always been responsible for oppresion and slavery because white people hate people of color and on and on. Apparently to her way of thinking, if you aren't black you're white and white people are the sole reason slavery ever existed, be it in ancient times or currently and it was because white people have always been racist assholes not for any other reason. Eventually I got tired of listening to the ridiculousness with no basis in fact that was being tossed out and just left it well enough alone. I was tired of being labeled as being more racist than anyone else because I'm white, when I had done and said nothing that could even be construed as racist during our discussions.
But, the entire thing really irritated me. For someone that claimed others were racist, she was sure doing a fine job of acting prejudiced herself and failing to see it. And that's nothing new. I have noticed that many of those who claim another group is racist are generally the people who tend to hold some racial bias themselves. And that's what really aggravates the piss out of me; we're racist because we're white, but you can say whatever you want about us and that doesn't make you racist?
Lately it's just been all to common. I call Michael Vick a heartless bastard for his actions and I'm automatically racist because apparently I'm not allowed to call out another for disgusting behavior if he or she isn't white. I gripe about the fact that a contractor (who happens to be Hispanic) painted our door and instead of letting us know so we could remove the door decorations, they just tossed them on the ground (one is now MIA) and I'm racist. I say I don't think affirmative action is the best policy to fight discrimination and I'm racist.
Basically, anything I say makes me racist because I'm white, but others can rant about how white people are this that and the other and that's not racist. Frankly, I don't care if you're white, black, Hispanic, Asian, or Plutonian. Judging another because of the color of their skin is ridiculous. Twisting and distorting what someone says in order to call them racist is ridiculous. I don't judge you for what you had no say in, so please return the favor and remember that just because I'm white doesn't mean I'm a member of the KKK, that I hold racist attitudes or that I hate you. When I say something about someone of another color, or gripe about something someone of another color did, it is not because I'm racist. It is because I don't agree with their actions. And last time I checked, that wasn't the same thing as being racist.
So, for the love of god, if you are one of those people that I am ranting about (and again, I'm not just talking about black people here, but everyone who is guilty of judging based on color), just think before speaking next time. How much do you really know about that person beyond the color of his or her skin? Are you sure that you're painting them in the right light, or are you just too busy painting them with that race brush to bother really looking?
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