I live in America. We have minorities/women always speaking out against being treated unfairly all the time in the professional and personal realms of everyday living. I'm married to a black/hispanic woman who is in grad school for a pretty prestigious profession, all her cousins and sister whom she lives with is also doing great things with their lives. I get exposed to the "being hispanic" and "being a woman" in America problems quite a bit, but I'm not particularly educated on it, just exposed to it . . . . a lot. There are a couple things I'm struggling with and it causes quite a few arguments with the wife. I feel like it's hard being a white male in America, who doesn't come from money and just has a backround in working hard and making his own. I don't have all sorts of opportunities provided to me and I feel like I have to work hard to get mine. So sometimes, because I haven't had one thing handed to me in my life yet, I get fed up with the "I'm a minority" or "I'm a woman" and that they need special help to get somewhere. That said, I understand entirely the reasons why women or minorities have to organize in order to recieve opportunities that are often harder for them to get. But I can't get by the way it offends me. So I've been thinking it over and I think that I have come to a conclusion about how I feel about the whole minority and special benefits granted to them. I want to express this and see if it is sound, and I think doing it to an audiance that's going to have a lot of variety in it will help me adjust it if I'm screwed up. So this is it: I am mad at two sides. I'm mad at the people who are racist/sexist that have caused minorities and women to have to speak out in order to get their foot in the door. To me they are the responsible ones for the situation in it's fullness. Because of their bias and prejudice minorities and women now have to speak out, seperating themselves from what I see as "just being a person" and because they have to do that, because they are no longer a person, but hispanic, black, asian, a woman, etc, I am offended by it because it seperates me from them, making me a caucasion male instead of "just a person." I'm also upset that because I hold the view that we are "people," that because of the world I'm in and the problems we have, I'm not offorded any extra opportunities and I just "have them" because I'm a white male, when really I don't have all that much. So although I'm offended with the approach of minorities/women to get special benefits/regulations in their favor, I understand them entirely, I just wish it didn't have to be that way. What I can't understand is the bias and prejudice by those who are already ahead and make it harder for minorities/women to get their foot in the door. I have absolutely no solution to the problem, and the current situation is all I can see continuing for the time being. Is this outlook one of an idiot or does it hold some merrit?
I live in Canada where the visible majority is minorities. There is no real dominant ethnicity (race is technically an improper term). The reverse racism/sexism thing is an issue for me as well, being Caucasian and male. For one, some individuals in the minorities get this attitude of "we're not white so we're more special than you." Also in addition to the racial/gender separation there's also the sexual orientation thing. There's a group at my campus that tries to make the campus a tolerant place for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender community. That I don't have a problem with. But having it shoved in my face so often makes me want to start a straight pride parade! It's like black history month. We have it in Canada even though the majority of workers who were taken advantage of in the building of this country were the Chinese and (my ancestors) the Irish. This is why it makes me annoyed when some black people act like they're special just because their ancestors were abused by white people. My ancestors WERE white and they were abused by white people. I've it's one of those things I think we have to tolerate. It doesn't mean you have to accept it but I think we're stuck with it.
Those who need help should get it. Those who have endured legitimate suffering have my sympathy/empathy. Those who are legitimately better than me have the right to boast if they want. Every one else who does not need help, has not suffered, is not better than me, or is not at legitimate risk of victimization should IMHO kill the attitude. I have no issues with groups, only with specific people. If a white guy goes around acting like he's cool because he's white. If a minority goes around acting like they're cool because they're a minority that's equally as stupid.
I totally agree. Sooner they remember their place and get back to the kitchen/cotton field/taco stand/Casino the better.
Or in the case of us Irish and the Chinese, back to building railroads for low pay and no safety. At least we had it slightly better than the Chinese. Several hundred of them died blasting their way through the mountains using nitro.
I'm part of a minority. I got into university in the 'special' category that allows people who are 21 and older to apply under 'mature student' clause that allows them to go to university because the university recognizes that for various reasons, some of us, like myself, did not complete high school. I'm also a woman. I also am lactose intolerant, gluten/wheat intolerant, and got a computer and laptop from the government because a team of doctors diagnosed me with high fuctioning autism bordering on aspergers when i was in my mid 20's. I also was given more time to write tests in university because my poor motor skills caused by my small cerebellum meant I could not write as fast as others. Often times the time ran out before I could complete the test. So I was given a laptop and more time (when i showed my doctor's note) to write my test. This allowed me to keep up with my classmates. Ero, you too are a part of the 'poor' class and they too get oppressed since you didn't come from an upper class with money. People call them the lazy bunch who want to leech off the government. This is especially true if they don't have a job. I had a friendwho is metis, who got his university paid for because he is Metis. But he got bullied by people resentful cause he got free tuition. Poor guy. Some people and groups just need more help from others to get them on an equal footing. I see no wrong in that.
Me either. Some folks generally need help and I proud to live in a country that helps people like that. It's the ones who take advantage of the system, act like they're cool because they're a minority, or act like because I'm white I have so many advantages that they automatically deserve special help/funding. Like I grew up poor too. When I was in school. White kids fight: both are suspended. Interracial fight: minority calls hate crime, gets slap on the wrist like detention or in school suspension, white kids gets suspended. Reverse racism can be a real annoyance mate. Granted nobody's beating me up because of the colour of my skin but nobody was beating on the black kids for being black.
See, this is the kind of bull I'm talking about. I get the worlds smallest violin because I'm white right? If I were a minority or a woman I would get all the instruments involved in a symphony playing me a tune! Woe is me and the clan of all my white neighbors.
Blade96 - Giving your circumstances, aside from being a minority, I agree that you get all of the benefits that you have recieved. I believe that anyone with those disadvantages, regardles of ethnicity or sex should recieve that. I am proud to live in a world where you are afforded those opportunities and I hope you take full advantage of them. Sketco - I agree entirely. Another thing that really gets my goat is that some minorities will take full advantage of the system and then not give back to the organizations or charities that afforded them the opportunity to get where they got to. Now I am in no way making a general statement that all minorities do this. A personal example is my wife who has very much taken advantage of the benefits given her, and she plans on putting back in and even offers her time tutoring or helping others now. I know there are many more like her, it may even be the majority. It just really gets me as a human being though that you could be given so much for something and not give back.
And the missing the point award goes to... You get the violin because you are complaining about being part of the demographic group who has literally everything the easiest.
Oh, I dunno, being English in Wales is pretty awful sometimes. Every white man should spend a length of time in either Wales or Japan, so they can find out what it's like to be on the receiving end of racism. I have the brains not to complain about it, though. I just smile inwardly at the knowledge that my ancestors invaded theirs
I hope to God you're being sarcastic with the seriousness of me missing the point . . . .. I mean really, what I said was so outlandish and ludicrous that you miss it for being a joke . . . .
Now that comment throws a bit black over bill's mother on the conversation hm? Don't know if I should throw a paddy, trap up the cut or get straight yampy over this comment.
Note to self: PASmith and holyheadache will allow no room for Ero-Sennin to show humor. Everything he says must be serious. Most likely this view because he is a white man, and white men are not afforded humor in current topic. (that's a joke . . . . )
And you know this how? You run some sort of a weekly poll to see what minorities who have benefited from charity and scholarship programs do with their money and financial affairs? How on earth would you have any idea? And even if you did manage to know (which is highly unlikely) how would it make it any more dubious than non-minorities who don't give back to the good-old boy system that they themselves benefited from for so long? Since you're busy keeping a tally of what minorities do with their money you surely must have no problem keeping a ledger of what non-minorities do with theirs right? yes but you really are. It's what you really want to say. But you try to chuck in this caveat as an after thought. It'd at least be slightly more admirable if you just came out and said it baldly instead of half-assing it. Again... how would you even know? Beyond the veneer thin anecdotal how on earth would you possibly know?
Get a sex change and whack on some fake tan. Then all that privilige ethinc minority women have over white men will be yours to enjoy.
