White America has never truly come to terms with its legacy of slavery and genocide, which left a deep and lasting scar on the psyche of the nation. Those on the “left” at least recognize that those crimes were perpetrated, and that they benefit from them today to the continued detriment of the victims. But broadly speaking, most are unwilling or unable to actually do the work of integrating that trauma and overcoming it.
So instead they react with purity tests, identity politics, and performative displays of White Guilt.
I honestly don’t know how our society can move past this, but until we actually engage with our legacy with serious intention of healing the wound, well-intentioned people will continue to act like total idiots who think they are gatekeepers of the Truth.
Obviously some people can see through this, but since most of them are socialists, their voices get ignored in favor of the propaganda that the slavers and genociders of the world have been pumping out for centuries.
But broadly speaking, most are unwilling or unable to actually do the work of integrating that trauma and overcoming it.
This is such a vague thing to say though. What does “do the work” actually mean? Because back in 2020 during BLM and all that I tried reading up on all the stuff that I was supposed to know, tried to do everything that they said I was supposed to do to pass their “not-racist” test. And guess what? They still called me racist! Even sometimes for saying or doing the exact things that they said anti-racists are supposed to do.
Why? Because I’m white. That’s literally the reason they would give every time, and if I tried to dispute it they would just double down and say that if I wasn’t racist then I wouldn’t have to say I’m not racist. So apparently the only way to avoid being called racist was to avoid interacting with black people at all (which is what I thought would be actually racist, but I’m just a white guy so what do I know?).
So if my whiteness is this inescapable thing where any time I encounter a non-white person they’re going to assume I’m racist unless I somehow do enough performative gestures to convince them that I’m not racist, then 1). I’d basically be trying to be accepted as “one of the good ones”, 2) I’d be living the rest of my life that way because there are always new strangers that I’d have to prove myself to, 3). No one deserves to live with that level of self-degradation just for the way they were born, and 4). That would all be performative anyway, so in the end it would still be called racist!
So it’s really not surprising that people stopped fucking caring. What the fuck else did you expect them to do? Even the well-intentioned people who wanted to do the right thing weren’t given any legitimate options for how to fulfill this apparent obligation we supposedly have. It was a wild goose chase, and apparently people caught on and stopped playing.
So instead they react with purity tests, identity politics, and performative displays of White Guilt.
What other option was there? Literally, it was basically being demanded that we do exactly those things and nothing else. But even when we did our best to do those things, we could never outrun this idea that “you white, that means you racist.” (A literal quote that has been directed at me).
And even mentioning the issues or frustrations we were facing was met with indignation. There was no room for nuanced or well-reasoned discussions. No opportunity to raise legitimate concerns. We weren’t even allowed to have basic self-respect, or to expect basic consideration from others. Why? Because we were white. And how is that not racism?
Like, I get it, racial divides need to be mended and disparities need to be addressed. But using every well-intentioned white person as a punching bag just because they let you walk on them so they don’t seem fragile is not the way to do it.
That’s a lot of words to say “I’m still WAY more committed to seeing myself as ‘good’ than to spending more than ten seconds examining how whiteness shapes my thinking.”
Get over yourself and do something. You get credit for actions, not what you say or who you think you are.
What other people think of you is none of your business. If you are a genuine ally and aren’t just thinking about whether you’ve earned whatever place at the table you think you deserve, then it shouldn’t matter.
You get over yourself. You’re making assumptions about what I have and haven’t done. I haven’t enumerated those things for you because it’s performative and unnecessary, and I’m not going to dance for you like a monkey.
Respect and solidarity are a two-way street and since you’re clearly offering me none, then you’ll get none back from me either.
I’m not asking for credit or points. I’m pointing out a trend, an issue that I’ve experienced personally and have noticed is more prevalent than just myself. I’ve even pointed out how it can damage progress, in case you’re wondering why you should care.
I don’t need your approval to have a basic sense of self-respect, and if you think I do then I don’t want a place at your table. And if you think that makes me the racist, then quite frankly you can get the fuck over yourself because I’m not bending over backwards to please people anymore.
No seriously, this is clearly going right over your head and you’ve proved my point three times in as many comments.
You’re expecting me to do performative bullshit for you to beg for your approval in order to be labeled as “non-racist.” You think I haven’t been through that song and dance before?
The fact is, no matter what I do, it will never be enough for you. Because you’re demanding performative bullshit, so no matter what I do you’ll dismiss as performative.
And guess what? Even if I somehow magically convince you to deem me non-racist, the next time I encounter someone else they’ll make the same demands and it all starts over again.
That is not a fate that any self-respecting individual would consign themselves to. No one is or should be required to continuously debase themselves just to gain the approval of others.
I’m not obliged to do anything for you, and yet you keep coming back with this attitude like you’re entitled to push me around, as if I owe you something, and you’re premising it all based on nothing other than my race alone. You’re racist, dude.
Excellent. It wasn’t a matter of if, but when, you would pull out the very-not-at-all-ever-used-to-carry-water-for-white-supremacy reverse racism accusation. I will say that in your first post you did a fairly good job of keeping the mask on.
you’re premising it all based on nothing other than my race alone.
I’m premising it on how your inordinate tone-deaf defensiveness is basically textbook.
And I’m begging you- in your next response, please remind us that all lives matter.
White America has never truly come to terms with its legacy of slavery and genocide, which left a deep and lasting scar on the psyche of the nation. Those on the “left” at least recognize that those crimes were perpetrated, and that they benefit from them today to the continued detriment of the victims. But broadly speaking, most are unwilling or unable to actually do the work of integrating that trauma and overcoming it.
So instead they react with purity tests, identity politics, and performative displays of White Guilt.
I honestly don’t know how our society can move past this, but until we actually engage with our legacy with serious intention of healing the wound, well-intentioned people will continue to act like total idiots who think they are gatekeepers of the Truth.
Obviously some people can see through this, but since most of them are socialists, their voices get ignored in favor of the propaganda that the slavers and genociders of the world have been pumping out for centuries.
This is such a vague thing to say though. What does “do the work” actually mean? Because back in 2020 during BLM and all that I tried reading up on all the stuff that I was supposed to know, tried to do everything that they said I was supposed to do to pass their “not-racist” test. And guess what? They still called me racist! Even sometimes for saying or doing the exact things that they said anti-racists are supposed to do.
Why? Because I’m white. That’s literally the reason they would give every time, and if I tried to dispute it they would just double down and say that if I wasn’t racist then I wouldn’t have to say I’m not racist. So apparently the only way to avoid being called racist was to avoid interacting with black people at all (which is what I thought would be actually racist, but I’m just a white guy so what do I know?).
So if my whiteness is this inescapable thing where any time I encounter a non-white person they’re going to assume I’m racist unless I somehow do enough performative gestures to convince them that I’m not racist, then 1). I’d basically be trying to be accepted as “one of the good ones”, 2) I’d be living the rest of my life that way because there are always new strangers that I’d have to prove myself to, 3). No one deserves to live with that level of self-degradation just for the way they were born, and 4). That would all be performative anyway, so in the end it would still be called racist!
So it’s really not surprising that people stopped fucking caring. What the fuck else did you expect them to do? Even the well-intentioned people who wanted to do the right thing weren’t given any legitimate options for how to fulfill this apparent obligation we supposedly have. It was a wild goose chase, and apparently people caught on and stopped playing.
What other option was there? Literally, it was basically being demanded that we do exactly those things and nothing else. But even when we did our best to do those things, we could never outrun this idea that “you white, that means you racist.” (A literal quote that has been directed at me).
And even mentioning the issues or frustrations we were facing was met with indignation. There was no room for nuanced or well-reasoned discussions. No opportunity to raise legitimate concerns. We weren’t even allowed to have basic self-respect, or to expect basic consideration from others. Why? Because we were white. And how is that not racism?
Like, I get it, racial divides need to be mended and disparities need to be addressed. But using every well-intentioned white person as a punching bag just because they let you walk on them so they don’t seem fragile is not the way to do it.
🙄
That’s a lot of words to say “I’m still WAY more committed to seeing myself as ‘good’ than to spending more than ten seconds examining how whiteness shapes my thinking.”
Exhibit A, thanks for demonstrating my point.
Get over yourself and do something. You get credit for actions, not what you say or who you think you are.
What other people think of you is none of your business. If you are a genuine ally and aren’t just thinking about whether you’ve earned whatever place at the table you think you deserve, then it shouldn’t matter.
You get over yourself. You’re making assumptions about what I have and haven’t done. I haven’t enumerated those things for you because it’s performative and unnecessary, and I’m not going to dance for you like a monkey.
Respect and solidarity are a two-way street and since you’re clearly offering me none, then you’ll get none back from me either.
I’m not asking for credit or points. I’m pointing out a trend, an issue that I’ve experienced personally and have noticed is more prevalent than just myself. I’ve even pointed out how it can damage progress, in case you’re wondering why you should care.
I don’t need your approval to have a basic sense of self-respect, and if you think I do then I don’t want a place at your table. And if you think that makes me the racist, then quite frankly you can get the fuck over yourself because I’m not bending over backwards to please people anymore.
Ladies and gentlemen, your non-racist white liberal ally.
Don’t stop. This is educational.
No seriously, this is clearly going right over your head and you’ve proved my point three times in as many comments.
You’re expecting me to do performative bullshit for you to beg for your approval in order to be labeled as “non-racist.” You think I haven’t been through that song and dance before?
The fact is, no matter what I do, it will never be enough for you. Because you’re demanding performative bullshit, so no matter what I do you’ll dismiss as performative.
And guess what? Even if I somehow magically convince you to deem me non-racist, the next time I encounter someone else they’ll make the same demands and it all starts over again.
That is not a fate that any self-respecting individual would consign themselves to. No one is or should be required to continuously debase themselves just to gain the approval of others.
I’m not obliged to do anything for you, and yet you keep coming back with this attitude like you’re entitled to push me around, as if I owe you something, and you’re premising it all based on nothing other than my race alone. You’re racist, dude.
Excellent. It wasn’t a matter of if, but when, you would pull out the very-not-at-all-ever-used-to-carry-water-for-white-supremacy reverse racism accusation. I will say that in your first post you did a fairly good job of keeping the mask on.
I’m premising it on how your inordinate tone-deaf defensiveness is basically textbook.
And I’m begging you- in your next response, please remind us that all lives matter.