Racism is not the Problem; Wealth Disparity and Lack of Civility is the Problem
It is easy to blame people for our woes; not just blame those that are responsible, but an entire family, race or even generation. It allows us to push the hard intellectual and mental work aside and embrace our egos that cry out for instant relief from emotional pain. We often forget the complicit nature that we all share in our own life stories or the pain that we ourselves have caused others if it means we can feel righteous or justified in our own behavior.
Of particular note, and one subject that I’m often internally conflicted about is what seems to have become a national pastime of blaming all White people for everyone else’s problems. And let me be clear about a few things. First, I am White. Second, I couldn’t possibly care less about what color you are if you are applying for a job, moving into a neighborhood, wanting to be friends, or even marrying my own daughter. That’s not to say that I don’t see race; it would be intellectually dishonest to say otherwise. We always notice things that are different than ourselves. I just don’t care about it because I only ever consider the actions of individuals, never entire groups of people much less based on their skin color. I suspect that is the case for most White people as well.
What I do care about is that there is a bigger problem that affects all of us, but some people seem to be caught in their own need to be righteous and indignant and feel justified by playing the race card. Is there White privilege? I think so. There have been several times in my life that I feel as though I’ve benefited. But I would ask, haven’t you also benefited from whatever color you are, when you are around others that are the same race? Would I receive preferential treatment at a Black nightclub over someone who was Black? Would I have any advantages in a Black-led church over someone who was Black? Do you think a Black-owned business would give me special hiring consideration? If I wanted to live in a Black neighborhood, would I be more likely to be accepted by Black neighbors than someone who was Black? I’m not saying these things to make you angry. I’m genuinely asking you to take a look in the mirror and ponder for a moment whether what you’re really asking for is to be provided preferential treatment because you are a different race? I’m really asking if you think that I have everything I want because I’m White? Do you think I’m treated fairly if Barry Bonds or Beyoncé is in the same line waiting to get in a restaurant? Of course not. It’s not about White privilege as much as its just about privilege in general.
Some people say that they are angry because White people only treat other races with respect when they ‘act White.’ I don’t know what it means to ‘act White’, but let’s just say that what that means is that a group of White people have a standard of behavior that they find acceptable. If you don’t behave in a generally acceptable way, then you will likely suffer the consequences of your actions in any situation. But let me ask you an important question. Why would you want to be part of that group anyway? If your desire is to act however it is that you deem acceptable, why would you want to force others to accept your behavior? Why not just hang out with people who love you just the way you are; kind of like they do? Why must everything be open to everyone at all times? How come I can’t go to Harvard? How come I can’t pitch for the Yankees? How come Springsteen won’t return my calls? Because. No matter what color you are, there is always going to be privilege afforded to someone that isn’t you.
The term ‘racist’ is thrown around a lot. Webster’s Dictionary defines racism as: “a belief that race is a fundamental determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race.” I’ve rarely heard of anyone outside of White power groups or other hate groups that would pronounce their superiority over another race, just because of race. Words have meanings. When you use them incorrectly and they are made to be the standard go-to term, the ability to communicate is lessened. If we need anything now, it’s the ability to communicate. Let’s choose our words wisely and use them correctly so that we can better understand other’s concerns and be better equipped to understand how to resolve those issues. But really, all of what I just said leads to the real problem and that is the incredible wealth disparity that exists in the world.
As long as the rest of us are fighting amongst ourselves, the rich will continue to laugh as they deploy their Sheriff of Nottingham’s police to control the masses. The police are a tool of the rich, not of Whites in general. Police officers mostly come from the military and most of the military comes from the poorest areas of America. The only way they could get anyone to serve in those jobs is to build ‘patriots’ that will work to protect the American Dream, and by ‘American Dream’, I mean protecting the rich and the interest of the rich.
This is not a new idea. This is not a new plan by the rich to control the world. It has existed since the beginning of time. The difference is that now we are actively participating in our own destruction by not paying attention to the real problem which is the vast wealth disparity. With the .001 percent of the wealth class having 80% of the world’s wealth, they are happy to let us fight amongst ourselves. We are all but sharecroppers and history shows that it is unlikely to change in any meaningful way, because the people that hold the real wealth would rather burn the whole place to the ground rather than share even a dollar more than they have to. Think about what type of mentality it must take to maintain that kind of wealth in a world like ours. Ultra wealthy people see one color and that color is green.
Outrage has become a way of life. I used to think that everyone should be given a voice and try to be understood. Now I realize how naïve that is and that giving every person their own equal voice is both ridiculous and detrimental. There are far and large many many stupid people on the planet. Do we really want to give them a voice to rally their ilk together? And I already hear the question you want to ask: “Well, who determines what is stupid and who should have a voice?” Science my friends. Empirical evidence. Verifiable and peer-reviewed data combined with action, along with a sincere desire for things to be better for everyone on the planet, is the only way toward that unifying goal. Until then, we will get more politicians like Donald Trump, more corporations run by Rupert Murdoch, and more of the same old same old. Stop directing your anger at race. Start directing your focused anger at the wealth disparity.
