(02-08-2021, 02:41 PM)The Real Marty Wrote: I don't meet a lot of angry black folks.  I meet a lot of friendly ones, who don't seem to be seething with resentment in the way you describe.  They're just going about their lives, trying to make a living and doing the best they can for themselves and their families.  

Really, the only place I see any discussion of "white privilege" is on the Huffington Post or some liberal outpost like that.  Where are you seeing it? 

You have to admit, in general, white people have had advantages over black people historically.  There has been some "privilege" if you want to call it that.  Admitting it doesn't mean I want to give up anything I have.  

Watch out for people trying to make you angry for their own purposes.  There are some people in this country who would like to see the races pitted against each other, and it seems like someone has managed to trigger you.  There's a lot of manipulation going on out there.  From the left and from the right.

(02-08-2021, 03:41 PM)Lucky2Last Wrote: This is where I think people get most confused. The "you" is progressive liberals. MOST blacks pick up the sentiment from the narrative, but they know that most whites don't actually hate them. Much like the narrative can make blacks interpret otherwise innocuous encounters with racism, it can also make whites interpret the negative interactions with blacks in a similar manner. If we could target our ire at the progressives, a LOT of this division would disappear overnight.

I agree with you both. It can get confusing when you can't actually see who you talk to or whose comments you're reading on message boards or comment sections. I agree that a lot of black folks are just trying to get along in life, just like the rest of the world, but it's the very vocal few who are very loud and everywhere that gets your attention. Everything that has happened racially since George Floyd died has been amplified in MSM and social media, hollywood, etc., and all you hear is how people want reparations, you see property being destroyed, you hear about how the white man ruined lives in the days of slavery (which is true but another topic entirely) and so on. You can't even turn on a new episode of a tv show without being confronted for your white privilege.

Have I had the advantage in some things because I'm white? Probably. But I don't pull out a white privilege card to get what I want. And to be told that I have what I have because of white privilege would be absurd to anyone who actually knows any dang thing about me and my life. 

As a veteran I have advantages over civilians. Should I be shamed for that too?

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