• No, I Don't Want To Talk To You About Race For The XXth Time.

    One thing that fucking irks me about discussing racial/ethnic issues is how people of color are constantly expected to give a thorough dissertation of why its wrong/silly/outrageous/stupid for white Americans to commit certain faux pas when it comes to ethnic relations vis-a-vis black Americans. Frankly, I'm sick of seeing every social interaction on the subject turn into a remedial learning experience for whites.

    We've been over the same shit for so long that most, if not all white Americans should have this info down-pat. They know why people of color feel the way they do. They know what they should and shouldn't do and what not to say. Yet every so often I see a blog post or an article like this one, with the author exasperated over what he/she sees as white Americans not getting it.

    Nope. It's not that they're incapable of getting it. It's that most of them don't want to.

    And it fucking irks me about how I'm expected to be some sort of ambassador for "my people" in some capacity or form. I don't want that. I could care less.

    In the linked blog post on "People of Color Organize!" states the obvious that all whites should know by now, because we've spent generations talking about the shit. It's also why I won't bother to entertain a conversation with a white person on race. It ain't my job to educate people on things they should already know, but refuse to learn about. This isn't a critique on the author's work, just a very short, very blunt take crafted by a guy who has no time for other people's shit:

    1. Racism Is Bad. No shit.
    2. You Should Stay And Fight For Change. No. You do it.
    3. I Don't See Race. Well, I do.
    4. Being Expected To Take It. I don't have to.
    5. Conflating Racism For Classism. They're not the same.
    6. Erasing Racism From Racial Issues. You can't.
    7. Prove It To Me. See for yourself.
    8. I’m Really Not The Angry Militant POC You Think I Am. I don't care.
    9. Self-Esteem Negates All Racism. It doesn't.
    10. Racism Is Not Happening In A Vacuum. Everyone knows this. If you don't, it's because you don't want to know.
    "Gee, Mack, could you elaborate on...." No. I'm done with that. Use all the resources at your disposal to find out for yourself.

    One beautiful facet of White Privilege is the ability to ignore black America and feign cluelessness at their offense. I find that annoying. I see people use that privilege when they say things they really wanted to say, but have the luxury of walking it back to avoid tagging themselves as privileged fucks. It pains me and pisses me off to see the author fighting a battle that should have been won ages ago, over and over and over, like some sort of White Privilege groundhog day.