I would say that anyone who is proud of their heritage because of obstacles they had to overcome or culture that brings them joy is fine. Anyone that is proud of their heritage because they are not X (insert whatever X is) - does not understand what life and humanism is all about.
In our experience with white folks we usually run into several "types": 1. True good non racist folks. 2. Ones that emulate. 3. Ones that want to prove they're not racist. 4. Covert racists 5. Overt racists
So far, this has been a really damn good discussion. Good read on all sides. It's making me think of socially where we are coming from. I'll need to come back and give a full run-down, because it's going to be lengthy. If I have time later today I'll write it down. Thank you guys for the discussion. A lot to chew on.
Now this I would completely disagree with. I was definitely taught about all the horrible things that white people have done to native americans and blacks. White guilt exists. Not everyone embraces it. Some people revolt against it, but it is definitely taught. Maybe hate isn’t the right word though. We are taught to be embarrassed about our past. Be ashamed of it. Feel guilty about it. Hate isn’t the right word. Although some people might hate being white. I don’t know.
Do you know the first time I experienced overt racism I was 6? They taught me. Ever seen Roots? Glory? Regular American discourse taught me.
It's big. Really big. I think we can start by simply listening and caring. We can also start with the fact that there is a system of oppression that exists and whites are privileged to be the purveyors of that system. The only way to solve it is first acknowledge that the privilege exists. Ask your friends this question:
How about this: white nationalism - the desperate fear that other men have a bigger penis than you do.
You've hit on an important point. All the anti-immigrant and racist garbage of today is just a blind repetition of past mistakes. The reichwing refuses to acknowledge that - even in cases where their own ancestors were the target. My father was a self described "Ozark mountain hillbilly" who grew up in Arkansas during the dpression. What set him apart from many of his peers, was that he *learned* from the anti-catholic discrimination aimed at his own family. His attitude was very simple: if a person was good enough to work next to him all day picking crops or digging ditches, that person was good enough to sit down at his table and eat dinner with. How sad is it that a 1930s "hillbilly" understood that character and behavior was more important than color....but a 21st century president is in the dark on the subject?
I know I'm being snarky here, but keep in mind that many of the people you are refering to also believe that the campfire tales of Hebrew shepards take precedence over science and history.
I've insulted nobody. Advice is not an insult. It is encouragement and assistance. Telling me I need to "fix" some ancient evil that someone with no connection to me committed before I was born is an obviously disgusting insult, but you let it stand.
LOL. Why don't you educate me how I specifically have benefited from racism? C'mon, bring all you've got since you know so much about my privileged life. Seriously, I am interested in why you keep tossing this empty claim around. It's quite possible that I've overlooked something, and either way I'd love to have a better understanding of why you cling to this idea.