Race Hate

A 1-post collection

Dear Haters

You need to stop. Seriously. Anger destroys yourself, your family and the things you care for. While I understand that you have an innate fear/dislike of everything “different”, I have to impart some shocking news.

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS “NORMAL”.

There is “average”, which is a nebulous enough to encapsulate a group, but the “average” person is brown, a little under 6 feet tall, most likely bi and not christian. Shocker, that. [And yes, I pulled those statistics out of my butt. I’m adult enough to welcome corrections from a statistician]

“White privilege” exists. It is the privilege of pretending that other melanin-deficient folks are not allowing or causing horrible things to happen to the melanin-enhanced. It is the privilege of denial. It is the ability to say, “Nothing is wrong where I’m standing” because you - yes you - have invisible advantages.

Acknowledge this. Open your eyes and turn around. Learn the thousands of unthinking or hateful things you do each day to the “different” and make a conscious decision to at least cut down.

Learn.

In knowledge, there is the ability to say, “I know.” You can never say “I understand,” because as a “white”, you can’t. You can say, “I’m trying to understand,” or “I’m learning about this,” because that’s the best we can do.

You can become better.

About fifty years ago, it was legal to refuse service to the “different”, even though they were the majority of the population. We do not celebrate the day that the very last “No Coloreds” sign went permanently down from a shop window because we know that that is just one step on a very long road to moral recovery.

I refuse to say “white” or “black” when talking about people’s skins, since they are hate words. They divide a marvellous spectrum into two very dull groups. They trivialise a difference that, although superficial, encapsulates a can of worms the size of this entire freaking planet.

I have difficulty with labels and pigeon-holes. I am, as far as I’m aware, “white”. Except I’m not white. I’m mostly beige. With mottled spots of darker skin where the sun has repeatedly touched it. Even the whitest of “whites” are not white. Albinos are pale, yes, but not white. Snow is white. Clouds can be white. People aren’t.

As a “white”, I have the ability to ignore the horrible things other “whites” are doing to the rest of the world. But I don’t. I’m well aware of what people of my skin tone are doing. I am ashamed, so I don’t speak out. I am afraid of retribution from those who would group me with the ones who actually do the evil. I feel like I’m not allowed to say, “I see this as horrible, too,” or, “how can I help?”

The minute you stick a label on someone, you diminish them. The minute you acknowledge a label on yourself, you accept the assumptions others make because of that label.

And I’m talking allĀ of them. Especially the hateful ones. This is not limited to colour or nationality. All the labels. The ones about sexual preference, body type, weight and even creed.

Islam is not terrorism.

Fat is not ugly.

Black is not criminal.

Christian does not have to be oppressive.

White does not have to be normal.

Straight does not have to rule over everything else.

You - yes, you - are different. You are unique. So is your neighbour. Instead of reaching for the vitriol and pouring your hate into the aether, stop. Search out information and knowledge that challenges your point of view.

It’s a big world. Full of both the horrible and wonderful.

If we each made the effort to learn, instead of boxing things up in ugly labels, I think the world would be a better place.

There’d be less reason to hate, for starters.

So, to everyone who is offended by “whites” and the things they do:

How can I help?