Trisha's Thoughts

White People: It’s Not Helping It’s Hurting

white-privilege-4So I heard about this documentary that Jose Antonio Vargas and MTV were doing called ‘White People’ and at first I was very concerned about it, but then decided to watch it because how could I judge something that I didn’t know anything about right?

Well I watched it, and I was absolutely right to be concerned about it.  It was basically a documentary that focused on ‘white privilege’ and how we should feel ashamed to be white.

Say What?  

So Jose, are you trying to tell me that because the majority of my DNA is Western European and my skin color is white that I should feel ashamed?  Are you telling me that because some of the white European men who came over to this land we now call America and killed some of the Indians and brought over slaves that I should be ashamed?

Really Jose?  Really?

Well let me tell you something Jose.  My DNA isn’t all white.  Nope, it isn’t. It’s also a bit of Indian, Italian, Asian, etc. in it.  In fact, many people, including blacks and Hispanics, have a mixture of other cultures in them.  But it’s ok for them because the color of their skin isn’t white right?  You also forgot to note that it wasn’t just the white man who brought slaves over to America.  Nope! Slavery existed literally everywhere on earth before the American slave trade and had been an accepted aspect of human history from the very beginning of organized societies.  Virtually all of the enslavement of Africans was carried out by other Africans (different tribes for money), but the concept of an African “race” was the invention of Western colonists, and most African traders saw themselves as selling people other than their own.  But I should be ashamed because some old white men helped bring them over, and I may or may not be related to them because I have white skin?

You’re part of the problem Jose.

In a world full of hatred towards different races, it isn’t just the white man who is racist.  It is in every culture and more so in some, but you forget to point that out.  So what you’re saying is that to be white in America seems to be something that we should be ashamed of right?  What you are doing is telling our young white people that they should be ashamed to be white because they have more privileges than any other race, when what you are really doing is putting gas on the fire of the race war our government paid media is already starting.

YOU are part of the problem!

What we should be teaching our younger generation, is that it’s ok for you to be any color and to be proud of it.  Teach them to love each other regardless and look past the color of their skin, but you’re not.  You are just making things worse.  You’re trying to make young white people be ashamed of their skin and now should somehow apologize for who they are? Like I said, you are part of the problem.

I will be the first to admit that I do see why other races may think that we have ‘white privilege’.  

Being a “white” female in this world does has its advantages.  I’ve traveled around the world and I can tell you first hand that being of darker skin usually doesn’t get you far in most cultures, and in some cultures you are looked down on completely and are treated badly.  Yes, it’s true.  To this day extreme racism is happening around the world and most American’s are not aware of this.  But it’s just not the color of the skin, it’s also religion and social status that’s under attack, and yes we see that in America as well, but at least in America all colors of the rainbow have a chance to better themselves.

Racism is something that is always going to be there.  You can’t make it go away, but if we American’s work together to teach our younger generation that they should never be ashamed of the color of their skin, their religion, their political beliefs, their social status, and to just be proud of who they are and to teach them to discuss problems instead of pointing fingers, then maybe our younger generation will be able to live in a more peaceful America than we see now.

One can only hope for peace for our children instead of chaos from our media.

Until next time…

 

 

 

 

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1 Comment

  1. I am SO proud of you Trisha! You write SO well and once again you “hit the nail on the head”! Love you. By-the-way..how did you find out your DNA? This is something I would like to do.

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