Racism

"I was raised a poor black child" - S. Martin, The Jerk

In may ways I felt like this growing up. Although my neighborhood was pretty much white, my mother worked in inner city Detroit, and I was definitely in a minority for most of my early life. I learned how to walk, and to talk and to keep small so as not to get pegged by the brothers, the cops, or the crazies.

I've been shot, stabbed, and beaten bloody for simply being white on several occasions. [for those that know me, I've also had all that done for being a smart-ass, but these were separate occasions] I was pummeled by a dozen black men for making advances on a black woman and had a brick thrown at me for listening to Rap. In short, I feel that I know a little bit about racism.

As a white male, I belong to the only ethnic/sexual group of people who are still legally oppressed. We are not allowed to receive any scholastic assistance strictly based on our sex and color, all others, including white women, can. My parents both retired before I got into high school, so despite a 3.8 advanced placement record and a 150+ IQ, I had to use the army to raise funds for college. It took me 10 years.

But I digress. The crucial things are that my family never owned slaves, we did run the northern end of the underground railroad. We fought with the natives in the French-Indian war. When called to the crusades, we were strangely absent. We fought for sufferage, for black rights, women's rights, children's rights, the right to bear arms and the guillotine.

But because of the color of my skin, and the location of my birth, I got to suffer the reverse racism that some redneck who's still hunting witches deserves. And Now that I'm older, I have to suffer with a smile as black people do racist things, shut up and let them or be called a troll and a racist. WTF?

When my Columbian roommate started showing his racism, I called him on it. He shut up. I may not have made him less racist, but he's at least less verbal about it. But if I call a black man on it, I'm a troll.

For the record, racism is the belief that members of a certain race or races posess some innate characteristic or ability specific to that race, especially so as to define it as inferior or superior. Note the word "especially". That means it CAN read without that last part.

If someone want's to put together a polo legue, they can. Chances are, mostly white people will join, since it runs strongest in that cultural circle. From my perspective, that would read as "rich or pretentious" white people since no one in my "lowlife" circles ever played polo (on horses). If you say that only white people can join, you're being separatist, racist, bigoted, etc. However, if you say that it's a black polo league, it's okay... How is this NOT RACIST???