I know as I write this, I am opening myself up for perhaps the worst criticism I have ever endured since I began blogging for the Sandusky Register in May 2008. I have a feeling that I will be ripped to pieces worse than when I defended the Underground and local music. But as you may have read before, I’m done caring what people think of my opinions. They are my thoughts and views, and I have my God and Constitution-given right to express them. Now that I have stated that, I want every one to know: I am not racist.
However, I must bring to light a (shall I say “delicate”) topic. No, I am not racist, but why is it I am accused of bigotry if I am proud of being Caucasian? Technically, I’m not even “white.” I am a quarter Hispanic on my mother’s side. But, no one would ever really know by looking at me. That’s beside the point. If I were to stand up and say that I am proud to be white, I would be looked upon as racist, although I have never thought my race was better than any other. I have never thought any other culture, race, or religion was beneath my own.
There’s the United Negro College fund, but if there was a college fund given to just Caucasian students, it would be racist. If there was a W.E.T (White Entertainment Television), it would be racist, yet there is still a B.E.T (Black Entertainment Television), and no one thinks there’s anything wrong with that. A white woman can not be in the Miss Black America pageant, but any member of any race can be in the regular Miss America pageant. There are many all/only African American colleges, but if any other college denied some one based on the color of their skin, there would be an immediate uproar.
I’ve been called a cracker, honky, spic, and bean digger by members of other races. But if I were to use a derogatory word toward black people, I would be a bigot. Please don’t twist my words, and think that I wish to be able to use that word freely, because that’s far from true. However, many of my African American friends use the word without consequence. Why is it only they can use it without being racist? At homecoming this year, I was told that I dance “black.” How can I dance like a color? I hear people all the time say some one is acting “black.” How can you act like a color? You can’t.
It’s not just Caucasians who are racist. There are racist members of every ethnicity. No matter how hard we try, there will always be bigotry in this world. There will always be hatred in people’s hearts, and anger in their souls. Although I think it is wrong, everyone is entitled to their own feelings. If you want to hate me because of something I have done, then by all means, hate me. But don’t hate me for being Caucasian, don’t hate me for being Hispanic. It is our right as human beings to have free will. Whether we make good use of it or not is ultimately up to us. We all have the right to be proud of our ethnic backgrounds without fear of being accused of racism.
Comments
except you'll still qualify for a scholarship for being female. You want to see REAL scholarship discrimination, ask the white males!
I agree with 100 % that we will always have discrimination of some kind . There will always be that person who wants to blame anyone else for their own problems , or have such a narrow minded view of the world that they would rather go through life with their eyes closed then see people for who they really are . If you hate someone , fine , hate them for legitamate reason . There are many to choose from . I really don't consider myself a people person , but I try to be better then that . We have ALL had some kind of racially motivated decisions , comments , or thoughts at some point and we will again . The thing is to realize what we are saying and doing and to at least attempt to consider others feelings . In the end we all laugh , love , cry , live and die . I don't have time to hate . I'm trying to be better .
We all bleed red when cut !!
Dead on...100% ....Been saying it for years! But, like you, get accused of being biggoted....SAD
Call it racism or call it pride. It's time "racism" is gone from our vocabulary. It is Black-White-What-ever-Your-Ethnic is pride. I am proud as any other RACE.
Let us celebrate HUMANITY or faith beyond skin. Skin seems to take center stage. This term is what is keeping our community backwards. I don't care about your outside color, lets all move forward without the pressure of being politically correct. Time to celebrate Sandusky instead of Color.
White, Proud, Married, Proud, Legal Citizen Proud, Proud to be heterosexual and not Homosexual. Can't we just have a Erie County Proud celebration where I don't know and don't care about your skin or preference?
Michelle, I'm excitd to see you FINALLY opening up to what your youth is thinking.
Very well said!!!I think a lot of people would agree with you, in fact I have reasd several blogs on this very subject. However, you are in fact opening yourself up for a lot of scrutiny, but I have to say I admire youre courage and one with any intelligence thinks youre a racist based on what you've said, but there are some that will say it you complain about ANYTHING a black person does, whether justified or not, you ARE a racist! So be careful how far you go with this subject!! but great job!!!
I have always found that when you put people in a group, somebody has to put a lable to someone. If it's a group of all caucasians someone (individual or small group) is going to be pigeon-hold as being something they "appear" to be -- and that person/group will be the inferior ones. And of course there will be one person/group who is the opposite-- The superior ones.
I had a senior citizen friend who shared with me when he was growing up in an all white community, he was one of the "inferior" race (although everyone was causcasian). HIs problem was that he was a "hayseed". (Aka he grew up on a farm and they scrapped to make ends meet). Now compare the "caucasian hayseed" to them there "caucasian city slickers" (the superior ones... more money, didn't wear overalls, more prestigious in appearance) and you got the another form of raceism. I call it caucasianism. The belief that your whiteness is not as good as my whiteness, hence you are inferior and noth worthy of being treated the same as I should be treated.
How in the world did society ever get this way? It makes no sense and the only purpose that it serves is to divide and conquer. I do believe that is what we remember as the Civil War.
You're missing an important point - there has always been White Entertainment Television - it's your local network TV. There have always been scholarships that have been given only to Caucasian students. We didn't need to name a fund for it, it's just the way the system worked. There were plenty of colleges that wouldn't allow people of color to enroll, until the Supreme Court forced them to do so.
The fact is, white people have been favored and treated better than other folks for hundreds and hundreds of years. Now we (white folks) feel threatened when we think someone other than us is receiving special treatment.
For the record, racism needs a powerful institution to back up prejudice in order to be effective. In our country, this institution exists as it relates to people of color. The system does not allow for true racism against white folks. Prejudice, sure, but racism - not happening. The reality is, in the good ol' USA, white folks are (and have always been) treated better than people of color, and that just plain stinks.
Local network TV has always been W.E.T (White Entertainment Television)?
Wow.... since when did "Good Times", "The Jeffersons", "227", "Amen" "Cosby Show", "Sanford and Son", "What's Happening", "The Flip Wilson Show" "A Different World", "Family Matters", "Chico and the Man" and so on fall under "white" TV?
you just named 11 shows out of hundreds of televisions programs over the past 50 years. not a very big percentage, is it.