A "black" man named Tony Norman is a columnist in my local birdcage liner (the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette), and his column this week was basically about how the new era has spawned a new kind of "racist." They don't yell "******!" when they see a "black" person, or join the KKK, or...you get the idea.
My question is, what difference does it make? Literally.
If a "white" person hates you because of your skin color, what difference does it make?
In my life, people have "hated" me because I was white, a man, Catholic, a Central Catholic high school grad, from East Liberty, was Irish, played for one team or another, was from Pittsburgh (assuming I was a Steelers fan), hung out with one crowd or another, was a member of my own family - my brothers were ne'er do wells - or just because they didn't like my looks.
Who gives a shit?
Unless someone harms you because of that "hate," what difference does it make? If an employer turns you down for some reason over which you have no control, you go someplace else. If EVERY employer does it, then you have a problem, but that is CERTAINLY not the case for "black" people in this country. Employers are CRYING OUT for "black" people to come and apply. BUT, the "black" people have to be presentable, speak English, be able to fill out an application without seeming to be illiterate, and go through some sort of interview process without a major screw-up.
Assume that "the Police" hate "black" people. So what? If they ACT in accordance with that hate, then you have something to complain about, but face it, Police know the facts: "black" males are responsible for violent crimes in numbers greatly out of proportion with their percentage of the U.S. population (less than 7%). It is not "hate" or "racism" to be aware of the risks of your job.
The United States has figuratively "rolled out the red carpet" for women and people of color. Colleges seek you out; employers - especially large employers and public sector employers and non-profits - seek you out; organizations seek you out. Many, many public benefits are made available to people without regard to race, gender, or anything else but need.
When Hillary Clinton ran for President, she often complained that men would vote against her simply because of her gender. And yet, with the next breath she demanded that women vote for her simply because of her gender. Bottom line is that she GOT more votes because she was a woman than she LOST because she was a woman.
The same thing is true for "black" people today. The benefits accruing to People of Color vastly outweigh the harms visited upon People of Color, due to their race and/or ethnicity. If you don't take advantage of them, shame on you.
My question is, what difference does it make? Literally.
If a "white" person hates you because of your skin color, what difference does it make?
In my life, people have "hated" me because I was white, a man, Catholic, a Central Catholic high school grad, from East Liberty, was Irish, played for one team or another, was from Pittsburgh (assuming I was a Steelers fan), hung out with one crowd or another, was a member of my own family - my brothers were ne'er do wells - or just because they didn't like my looks.
Who gives a shit?
Unless someone harms you because of that "hate," what difference does it make? If an employer turns you down for some reason over which you have no control, you go someplace else. If EVERY employer does it, then you have a problem, but that is CERTAINLY not the case for "black" people in this country. Employers are CRYING OUT for "black" people to come and apply. BUT, the "black" people have to be presentable, speak English, be able to fill out an application without seeming to be illiterate, and go through some sort of interview process without a major screw-up.
Assume that "the Police" hate "black" people. So what? If they ACT in accordance with that hate, then you have something to complain about, but face it, Police know the facts: "black" males are responsible for violent crimes in numbers greatly out of proportion with their percentage of the U.S. population (less than 7%). It is not "hate" or "racism" to be aware of the risks of your job.
The United States has figuratively "rolled out the red carpet" for women and people of color. Colleges seek you out; employers - especially large employers and public sector employers and non-profits - seek you out; organizations seek you out. Many, many public benefits are made available to people without regard to race, gender, or anything else but need.
When Hillary Clinton ran for President, she often complained that men would vote against her simply because of her gender. And yet, with the next breath she demanded that women vote for her simply because of her gender. Bottom line is that she GOT more votes because she was a woman than she LOST because she was a woman.
The same thing is true for "black" people today. The benefits accruing to People of Color vastly outweigh the harms visited upon People of Color, due to their race and/or ethnicity. If you don't take advantage of them, shame on you.
