Racist? Not me!!!

I have been accused of being racist. I logged into my classroom forum (jeeze, I have trolls everywhere) to see a classmate had responded to a reply I had written. I wrote:

"I would not look down on or doubt a practitioner because of their skin color or cultural background, and the mistrust in the different communities is something that continues to breed and foster because people have such a hard time evolving past what their parents or grandparents encountered. While I do not doubt what you are saying, I view it more as racism (meaning prejudice or discrimination) to a certain degree. Maybe it is just a matter of people stepping out of their boundaries, traveling around, opening their mind, and experiencing other cultures to be able to end that way of thinking."


While writing that I was speaking of all races, all cultures, not just one... but I got this response:


"I don't know your cultural background or age and don't want to speak to your experiences. I will say no problem will ever be resolved if people don't know the truth. As arbitrary as you may think the attitude of blacks may be and the fact you think we are carrying the attitudes of our grandparents and parent, you don't know our personal experience. The attitudes of my grandparents and parents don't "continue to breed and foster because people have such a hard time evolving past what their parents or grandparents encountered."


(Insert her personal experiences here)


When you speak of evolving, it sounds like you are saying blacks want to be victims of racism. Your comment is what seems to be racist as you believe racism is based on the fact blacks cannot evolve. Racism would have never started if it was up to blacks, Indians, or any other group victimized by racism."     


Is there ANYTHING in my response that points out any race? No... so I responded to her:


"See, this is not what I meant at all. When I spoke of evolving past this you immediately thought I was speaking of one side, while I meant everyone of every race. I am far from racist, but I tire of having to watch what I say because someone looks at me and immediately assumes that I am. You stated my words were racist, of whom? Of everyone? Read over my words again and show me where I stated blacks cannot evolve. I never did. This proves my point exactly."


She goes on in another response to say that black people are taught early on to "detect racism in whites. This is done for their protection. One thing parents did not want was to cut their child down from a tree. Although there are not too many hangings these days it is a skill still taught. If you are racist, you won't be able to hide it no matter what you do and this will get the affects you experienced."


Now it makes sense to me. She was taught early on to be taught not to trust white people and to detect racism in white people. She is automatically on the lookout and paranoid of it. So while learning that made me not as angry over the prejudice I just experienced from her, it still bothers me. It bothers me  because I am not racist at all. I do not look at color, and I befriend many people quite easily (if they are not offended by my mouth) no matter what their skin color or cultural background. I am offended that people may think because I am white I get special privilege. I do not, I have one hell of a life with plenty of hard struggles. All I can do is try to plead my case and hope they understand at some point (if they stop long enough to listen). At what point should I drop it? My oldest son thinks I should have dropped it from the beginning, but I could not let a comment like that go without defending my position.


So my point is thoughts like this from ANY side continue to breed and fester the negativity and racism in the world. It is not about white, black, brown, whatever, it is about the HUMAN race. Educate yourself and move on with life!