in susan sontag’s essay regarding the pain of others she writes about sympathy. she writes that as noble, as well-intentioned, as appropriate as sympathy is, it also has the power to distance us from our own responsibility.
“so far as we feel sympathy,” she says, “we feel we are not accomplices to what caused the suffering. our sympathy proclaims our innocence as well as our impotence.”
and i guess what i want to say, to fellow white people, is that sympathy is not enough. not even close. this is not our sadness. this is not our disgust. not our anger. not our pain. not our children lying dead in the street. our emotions literally could not matter less right now.
we need to set aside our sympathy and, as sontag puts it, “reflect on how our privileges are located on the same map as their suffering, and may – in ways we might prefer not to imagine – be linked to their suffering, as the wealth of some may imply the destitution of others.”
reminder to white people as a white person myself: mourn for this injustice and fight for what’s right., but don’t make this about yourself. This is not about you.
“White privilege is me being outraged and angered by the #FergusonDecision rather than utterly terrified.”
to my fellow white people who are protesting tonight
remember that this isn’t our fight.
it’s not white children being gunned down in the street. we’re here to support. do not speak out of turn, don’t try to steer the protest, don’t speak over the people who are at greatest risk of being shot by cops, don’t voice your white opinions unless asked directly. cooperate with protest organizers, don’t lecture people, don’t try to wrestle your way into leadership positions. stay in your lane. thank you.
THE TRUTH OF NATIVE AMERICANS BEFORE THE GENOCIDE
Gotta put this on blast.
We never needed a white savior.I hate this country.
What I learned from this video:
- 100 million Native Americans died at the hands of white colonists
- Instead of planting crops the colonists spent their days digging random holes in the ground looking for gold. They started starving and dug up Indian corpses to eat. They took Indian prisoners and forced them to teach the colonists how to farm
- Native Americans had massive cities with tens of thousands of well constructed houses, intricate water canals and large merchant areas.
- The Native Americans used soaps, deodorants and breath sweeteners while colonists never bathed or even took of their clothes
- There was a delousing policy with the mantra Nits create Lice; nits being Native American babies, so their goal was to kill every Indian, including babies
- In the 1700’s 80% of the Federal Budget went towards eradicating the Native American population so they could take their developed farmland
- Colonists leaders went town after town killing men women and children under the approval of George Washington
- “Pursue Indians to extermination” –Thomas Jefferson
- California governor (1849-1851): “extermination must continue to be waged until the Indian becomes extinct”
The main factor which prevented Native American extinction was the fact they were used for slave labor. The most prized Native Americans were young girls who were said to be valued for labor and lust (that one white dude in your ethnic studies class that says he’s 1/36th Cherokee?)
In modern times children were forced into Indian Boarding Schools whose goal was to “Kill the Indian in them”. It was federal policy. They were beaten if they used their native tongue, they were forced to dress and style their hair like whites
This country was literally built on terrorism and mass murder. White people are savage terrorists.
Until, this is taught in schools everywhere- “history class” is merely a racism propaganda course.
(Source: http://mx-ro.tumblr.com/)
White privilege is your history being taught as a core class and mine being taught as an elective.
please let them know.
white privilege is your history being taught as a core class, and mine being banned because it would promote “the overthrow of the U.S. government, foster racial resentment, and advocate ethnic solidarity.”
Why do white people own so many pets?
Because we’re not allowed to own people anymore.
*****
What is the scariest thing about a white person in prison?
You know he did it.
*****
how many Chicago cops does it take to change a light bulb? None, they just beat the room for being black.”
*****
A good looking 50 year old white man is trying to get laid on reality TV. What show are you watching?
To catch a predator.
*****
Why do white girls travel in groups of three or five?
They can’t even
*****
What do you call 64 white people in a room? A full blooded Cherokee.
at dinner last night, a coworker was talking about hanging out with his white friends and getting fed up with the racist jokes, and asked them to tell a white people joke. nobody had any, so he googled and found these. after a few of them, people were a lot less comfortable.
white folks, next time you hear a racist joke, maybe lead with one of these in response. tag this “I’m white” when you reblog it, if you are.
(via cuterpillar)