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Sammy · 06-07-2020, 01:46 PM

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JagJohn
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Sammy
In 2008 my shop supervisor retired, instead of promoting the most senior employee, I promoted a Black man to the shop supervisor position. I had at least seven White men working in my shop at that time that had more seniority (a couple black guys as well). My shop employee base is White, Black, and Hispanic ... I don't deal directly with the shop employees, the Black supervisor does ... Should I encourage him to have "The Talk" with the workers under him now that I am aware why people are kneeling? Oh, that's right, I already knew what the kneeling meant. I don't see what will be fixed. Maybe I should become racist, that way I can be fixed.

Police abuse every skin color, and they stand up for each other at times to a fault. 75 year old white guys are not immune.
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Sorry Sammy, I've read this a couple of times now and don't really see what you're getting at.

You seem like an intelligent man (colts thing aside) and it seems you want to treat people all the same. If that's the case then great, you keep on keeping on. Of course, your personal experience does not invalidate the experience of millions of other Americans who have been through very different things.
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TL;DR

It hurts to be labeled a racist because of the color of my skin. I’m a white people, and so far recently there have been so many people of all skin color tell me that white people don’t understand. They are right, I don’t understand.

So, I will try to keep this as brief as I can.

Bill – Bill retired a couple years ago, best machinist on earth. That trait didn’t stop at skill. If you were to ask me to name the person I admire the most as a person, it would be Bill. One job his entire life unless you count the two years he spent in Vietnam (Drafted). Over fifty years at the same job, and rarely missed a day. If Bill took a sick day, you would legitimately worry for him. First day I met Bill I really hate to admit that he scared me. Huge muscular man, very dark skin (Think Linebacker Toned Big), but two weeks later I realized how truly awesome of a person he was. Even though he has been retired for awhile, I still miss seeing him every day. I do get an opportunity to talk with him on occasion, even though he is a very quiet, and private person, he will stop in to keep up with us as friends.

Walter – Walter is my most recent hire (almost two years). His resume was horrible, he didn’t have anywhere near the experience required for the position he was applying for. Walter also had a federal record. He had a conviction for cocaine possession, and was still wearing an ankle bracelet for firearm possession, and pot distribution. He had been recently released on house arrest. I could get into the reasons why he was unfairly charged, but trying to keep this as brief as I can.

So, anyway … Walter’s resume. His most prosperous job in his life was at Long John Silver, he had zero welding experience listed, so I assumed he learned that skill in prison. A thirty something year old man making minimum wage? My initial thought after meeting him, and reading his resume was that he has never been given a chance. A real chance. Huge dark skinned black man (Think Nose Tackle Big), I (like I always do) gave him a chance ... I hired him. He started off very shaky, but man I will tell you, he has been such a great find. Like drafting Brady in the sixth. I have never met his daughter, but you can tell she is the light of his life the few times he has opened up to me. Another huge quiet family man that simply does his job (very well). I understand how imposing he must look to the people that haven’t been around him. I get that. But, just maybe he was never given the chance. Now? He makes almost three times what he did at any job he has had before his current position. He is happy, and so am I. I have no problem telling him that I appreciate him.

So the point is? … It hurts me to be considered a racist because of my skin color.

Now? I am wondering how Bill and Walter view me. I thought our relationship(s) were good, but I have to consider no matter how not racist I am, I will always be a racist by association of something I don’t know of. I guess all of us are who we are told we are.

How do we change that? Stop labeling each other by the color of their skin. Police included. How about we start judging everyone individually, even though a lot of us already do. Instead of protesting the bad people, we throw a parade for the good people. Way more of us than there are of them.

Names have been changed to protect the innocent.