Wednesday, January 27, 2010

How do you define racism?

I would say it's any negative expression about someone's race. At it's simplest.

Does that include white people? Because I'm reading a lot of blogs about the "vanilla privileged white" people that casts quite the negative light on white people. Isn't that racist?

I believe that I am privileged. I'm certain that I'm white. I'm grateful for everything I've been given and for everything I've earned in this life. I consider myself tremendously blessed with wonderful and diverse friendships.

I consider giving to be an important aspect of my life's purpose. Whether it's donating money, giving healing work or spiritual counseling to someone in need who is unable to pay, sweeping the snow off my neighbor's SUV while waiting for my car to warm up...these are some of the things I try to give to others. It's not much, I know. I wish it could be more.

I'm not trying to say that every person of every race is good or bad. I'm not trying to say that I'm better than anyone else. Or worse. I'm equal.

The word equal, to me, means of equal value. It doesn't necessarily mean "all the same". While I believe we all have some things in common, I don't presume to say that we're all the same. But we are all of equal worth.

And every day I read disparaging essays about white people and in particular, white women. I read about how racist we are. I find that interesting.

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