I was recently asked whether I really believed that most white Americans are racist. [View all]

Most? As in the majority? Over half?

Well, just to set the parameters that frame my answer to that question.

First, I'm not AA.

I am a middle aged white guy - bald and overweight - In other words, I look just like a Trumpster.

My history is that I was raised in Appalachia and I live in a rural prairie town. So, I sound like a Trumpster as well.

Which means that these assholes never hide their true self around me.

Now, I don't have a long history living in urban areas so, my opinion may be skewed. I don't think that it is mind you.

No, I believe that white people are pretty consistent in every area of the country.

So. Are 51% of us racist?

Christ on a crutch NO. Not even close.

91% is much much closer to the real number. Hell on bad days I feel that 91% is probably low.

I can imagine the outrage this statement may cause many of the DU membership, so allow me to explain my reasoning.

I am by nature pessimistic regarding my fellow man.

The truth is that I have low expectations of everyone I meet and I always give folks every opportunity to fail to reach them.
That’s a trick I learned in the service.

I've been surprised (for good and bad) by people often enough that I try to react only to what I see and hear from that person - But make no mistake, I don't hold a great faith in the virtue of anyone.

Why do I believe that more than 90% of us are racists? After all, if you polled a few thousand white Americans the numbers would be considerably lower I’m sure.

Hell I imagine the average Republican would put the percentage at near zero.

Well not quite. Although the split between GOPers and Democrats does exist, as shown in this 2014 breakdown from PRRI:

Nearly 7-in-10 (69 percent) white Republicans believe that blacks and other minorities are treated the same as whites in the criminal justice system. In contrast, more than 6-in-10 (63 percent) white Democrats disagree.

Most white Republicans (58 percent) say the government has paid too much attention to the problems of blacks and other minorities, a view that is rejected by more than two-thirds (68 percent) of white Democrats.

White Republicans (71 percent) are also much more apt to believe that discrimination against whites—sometimes referred to as “reverse discrimination”—has become as big of a problem as discrimination against blacks and other minorities.
More than 6-in-10 (61 percent) white Democrats disagree that discrimination against whites constitutes as big of a problem as discrimination against blacks and other minorities

But even here the disagreement is a matter of degree – 69% of Repubs think the justice system is equitable which is of course laughable - hahaha who could believe that shit?

Well 37% of Democrats agree and even worse - 40% of us believed that “Reverse Discrimination” was as much of an issue as racism faced by African Americans. Or, you know, the stuff that sane people call “Actual racism that exists”

So we aren’t as different from our white Republican brethren as we try to pretend, but there is a much bigger issue.

This study attempted to highlight the differences between white folks in the 2 major parties regarding aspects of what they define as racism.
And that is the problem cousins - that is the issue.

Because what we accept as racism, what we recognize as racist is complete bullshit.

We have come to believe that “RACISM” is only the hate driven actions taken against individual POC by individual white people.
I mean that certainly makes ignoring what the status quo looks like much easier. That assumption absolves us from having to look at ourselves and our own attitudes, actions, and responsibilities. That definition frees us from looking at our own path.

A refusal to take an honest look at your own motivations is THE hallmark of lazy racial thinking.

That's why lefties try to pretend that racism consists only of hate based actions.

Not our countless failures to act.

Not the daily going along to get along - Nope

None of that racist shit rises to the artificially high bar they have established to be considered racism in their mind.

Conveniently it also allows them to absolve themselves and excuse their inaction in addressing the issue.

Obviously, there is only one race with the luxury of living a life that is inattentive to the racial reality in this country. I almost said "unaware" as in living unaware of reality.

That is inaccurate phrasing and deflects responsibility. Everyone is aware of the reality.

Hardcore racists support it or want to expand on it and the lazy mediocre white people are simply happy to receive any benefit they can without effort one way or the other. It's comfortable to ignore what is going on.

As much as listening to POC would be helpful on this issue, it is not there problem to solve. So listen to them first, but maybe listen to that 9% or so (probably less) of white folks who are yelling...

Hey why don't you dipshits take a clear eyed look around?

Maybe you should. Because:

If you find yourself reflexively looking for a way to justify the killing of a child rather than address what is really happening - YOU ARE A RACIST AS WELL.

If you look to explain away the mass incarceration of POC and soft peddle the prosecution and sentencing discrepancies between the races – YOU ARE A FUCKING RACIST.

If you compare the generations’ long stranglehold on real estate, banking and zoning in black neighborhoods to that one time when Boston hired some black fire fighters who scored lower than some white guys – Well, you know what you are, and ya know what? Fuck it then.

You are not who you claim to be. You are not allies. You are economic policy only, lower case democrats.

Not Democrats

I was aware before, but would usually just let the borderline racist shit slide.

Until family and former friends tried to excuse the murder of a 12 year old child.

The killing of Tamir Rice and the disgusting rationalization of it changed me forever.

I'm curious what it will take to wake the rest of us the hell up.

Peace