You Might be a Racist If.... (My Effort to Contribute to the Racism / Bigotry Dialogue)
Posted: Tuesday, August 03, 2010
by Vince Robertson
As I watch the national dialogue (or monologue) on race, I hear numerous phrases continually resurface. I thought perhaps it might be helpful to present a few statements which are offensive to some, but others are completely oblivious to.
As a white man I have myself been guilty of saying or thinking nearly all the following statements before I came to understand how they can be perceived by others. I'm not trying to condemn anybody with these statements, I simply want to help the reader think about the ramifications of their statements.
You might be a racist if...
...you have a strong "individual responsibility" view.
Have you thought, "I've worked hard for mine, and no one helped me. You go get your own!"? The fact is, in America, no one is truly self-made. Every American relies on public streets and utilities, services like the U.S. Postal Service, private property laws, and National Defense, all of which have been provided by public dollars and with great sacrifice by many. Many have been the beneficiaries of generations and generations of time where these public services favored the majority class, where education and the assumption that anyone can be whatever they want to be is the norm. This puts the minority class at great disadvantage.
...you have thought or said, "If that's how you feel, then why don't you leave?"
This sentiment relies on the presumption that you deserve to stay more so than the person who sees issues which need to be addressed. This is a classic "white entitlement" view. There are obviously things in this country which you disagree with, but you don't feel it necessary to leave. Why is that?
...you've looked at people thinking they didn't have the intelligence to vote, or you've thought "...and we let these people vote!"
This relies on the presumption that certain people own the right to vote, and it is they who allow others to vote. This is another classic "white entitlement" view.
...you believe America's best days were in her past, and want to go back to the good old days.
This is yet again another classic white entitlement view. While it's fine for everyone to long for the days when the life was better for them individually, to project onto others that the past was better than the present is both short-sighted and narrow-minded. Ask a black person if they would rather be alive during the much famed 'Leave it to Beaver' days of the 1950's, or today, and they would most likely stare at you like that was a dumb question. How about women who now feel that it is acceptable to leave an abusive husband? Or children who feel it's ok to tell others of secret sexual abuse? These were not the norm in the 1950's. I'm glad we have progressed beyond this.
...you earnestly hope for this Country to return to the values of our Founding Fathers.
As much as we don't want to think about it, most of our Founding Fathers believed that slavery was perfectly acceptable and owned slaves themselves. They believe that blacks were not fully human and women were incapable of intelligence. Many were serial womanizers. That was part of their value system. It sounds great to hold to such a noble goal as to return to the values of our Founding Fathers, but many understand the reality would be disastrous to minority races and women.
...you proudly hold that the smaller the government, the better.
Anyone making such statements has never thought this through to the logical conclusion that this means that no government is best. Or they don't understand civilization enough to know how having no central government always results in human rights abuses and grave corruption. The fact is, there is a right size for government and it is the size that is no bigger than what is necessary for it to do what it needs to do to serve the citizens the best.
This becomes a race issue when you understand that it was government that ended slavery in America. It is government that prevents the majority from over-running the minority. It is government which has required utility services like electricity, water and telephone to be available to poor rural communities. Without a strong government, there is little hope for minorities to live the American dream.
...you've thought that it's unfair that blacks can have Black History Month, and whites can not have a White History Month.
Simply put, every month is White History Month. If you don't think the majority race re-writes history to favor the majority race, you should visit Texas.
...you believe that those who are offended at things which you don't find offensive should just "get over it."
Please forgive my crudeness, but I believe this is like saying that the perpetrator of rape should be the one who determines if the rape victim is telling the truth or not. This is also classic white entitlement. A good recent example is the poster of President Obama in whiteface that has been visible at a lot of political rallies. Many say that this is Barack Obama as the Batman villain, the Joker, and it has nothing to do with race. Others sees it tied to the history of blacks performing in white face, subservient to their white audience. Who's opinion is appropriate to follow? Not the one who committed the rape.
...you believe that reverse discrimination is a bigger problem than discrimination.
Not even close. Whites have stolen from, enslaved, tortured, raped and murdered minority races for generations. Now we complain when we have to 'press 1 for English.' Ask yourself how these two sets of 'inconveniences' compare.
...you deny reparations for injustice by asking "when will the injustice be fully repaid?"
Trust me on this one: The injustice of slavery in America hasn't been repaid. Again, like the perpetrator of rape, it's not up to us white folk to decide.
I hope you have found these statements useful for understanding a little bit better what others may be thinking when they hear you speak. I know I'm just as guilty as anyone in perpetrating these statements, but I'm trying to improve my understanding. I hope you are too.
I know many who read these words will say that they don't see a connection between these sentiments and racism. I can assure you, whenever we speak them, there are those who hear us saying, "I am racist."
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Top-level comments on this article: (5 total)Love the format! You've done a nice job of showing the assumptions underlying some common statements. Well done!
What a great article! I hear so many of those same arguments in South Africa, they drive me crazy. You've answered each one with sanity, perspective and sound judgment. Thanks!
Very well-written article.
I think those clearly depict a racist persona. It definitely has been viewed on most classic civil rights or slavery movies like Roots or King (aka Martin Luther King, 1978).
Hi Vince.A very interesting perspective on the issue of prejudice (and I use that word the way Zeph Agayo defined it as prejudgement). Luckily, I pretty much never find myself saying any of those things you detailed. But it do find myself thinking something like, "What the heck was she thinking when she got dressed this morning?" As if I might know better what that older, heavy set, white woman walking past me in the grocery store should actually be wearing. I've a rule that I instituted just a couple of months ago that I am to slap myself in the face whenever I think such a thing. I'm sure that woman wondered why I hit myself as I was walking past her. Presumably, I will at some time (through the employment of negative reinforcement) have trained myself not to think those sorts of things. :)I found your addition to the this topic to be very interesting and informative.Dianne
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