#ImNotRacist is Racial Unity Fantasy Porn

You might have seen this video floating around the web...

I'm not gonna even start on the visceral disgust I felt watching a fat wannabe Chuck Johnson MAGA moron mouthing the n-word and doing rap hands; let's focus on the content and the fact that this seems to be getting universal praise for its message.

So, what is the message?

The message is supposedly that we're just not listening to each other. We're not coming together to hear each other out on the important issue of race relations. If we did, we'd understand that our differences are just simple misunderstandings. Hug it out bitch!

I feel like I'm missing something when I see the praise for this video. It seems to me that people are just so thirsty for racial issues to go away that they'll applaud anything that remotely addresses the issue and proposes that deep-rooted, systemic white supremacy isn't a major issue that requires more than an argument and a hug to solve.

I think Joyner Lucas has a lot of skills as a rapper, but I think he missed the chance to truly say something meaningful. Here are some issues I have with the song and video.

1. The white guy is racist as hell.

2. The intent of the video is supposedly that we should listen to each other. But this guy is simply spitting out every well-worn stereotype about black people. There is nothing insightful here. We've all heard this bullshit before. Now it's just centered around Trump.

3. Maybe it's meant to be irony. There's a moment that almost has to be ironic. The white guy screams the n-word (with an "er"!!) and then immediately says "I'm not racist." That's funny, ironic, and true! There are definitely people who feel this way. But then the verse ends with a sincere, "But there's two sides to every story, I just wish I knew yours." That cancels any claims of irony, and reality, because no white guy with those beliefs wants to "understand" black people.

4. The hug at the end completely kills any chances that this was meant to be ironic. But it gave me a good laugh. Honestly, a hearty belly laugh. Not as hearty as that MAGA guy's belly, but pretty hearty.

5. The black guy doesn’t dispute the claims strongly enough.

Here's a section from the white guy's verse:

"I see a black man aimin' his gun
But I'd rather see a black man claimin' his son.

I work my ass off and I pay my taxes for what?

So you can keep livin' off free government assistance?
Food stamps for your children, but you're still tryna sell 'em

For some weed and some liquor or a fuckin' babysitter
While you party on the road 'cause you ain't got no fuckin' goals?
You already late
You motherfuckas needa get your damn priorities straight
Wait, it's like you're proud to be fake
But you lazy as fuck and you'd rather sell drugs
Than get a job and be straight, and then you turn around and complain

About the poverty rate?"

Wow. Ok. So here it all is. The typical racist belief that all black people are lazy, gun wielding, welfare recipient, drug addict deadbeat dads cheating the system, while white people work their asses off to support them. And Lucas barely refutes him! In the black guy's verse, he says the White Man is keeping black people down so that's why he sells drugs, and he doesn't pay taxes because he doesn't make money. Huh? If you're gonna give the first two minutes of the song to those bullshit ideas from the white guy, you have to dispute them much more forcefully than that. At least tell him that more white people are on welfare than any race. Tell him that black people and poor people pay taxes. Oh, and all black people aren't poor! And all people on welfare don't cheat the system! And fuck you MAGA dork! What the fuck Joyner?! 

5) The black guy actually says, "You don’t know about fried chicken and bar-b-q.” What? Did you see the white guy's gut? He knows about fried chicken and bar-b-q. 

6) But seriously, he makes some legit claims justifying black people's anger (which is a problem in and of itself; why are you accepting the premise that all black people are angry?) then he starts talking about black culture, which consists of fried chicken, loose change, 2 Chainz and...Kool Aid? Seriously? Ok. Then he yells at the white guy, "You don't know!" But what he just described as "black culture" is the exact thing a racist white guy would say! It just makes no sense. 

6. Jimbo would’ve shot Jamal when he flipped his MAGA hat. (Wait, am I racist for calling them those names?) And on a more fundamentally flawed level, Jimbo would never want to hear Jamal’s side, so the whole concept is flawed. He sure as hell wouldn't hug him.

7. That hug provided a damn good laugh, though. Damn good laugh.

8. At this point into the Trumponium Error, the bullshit idea that if we just hear the other side out we will all get along simply pisses me off. What black person hasn’t already heard all the racist shit the MAGA says? And do you think MAGA morons haven’t been told about systemic racism and white privilege? They have, they just don't believe in it!

9. The song, and the video especially, makes racism about "both sides." The two views expressed here are not equal and should not be treated as such. Racism is not about “both sides.” That’s literally a Trump line of logic. The fact that several Trump supporters attacked me on Twitter for criticizing it only proves my point.

Trump is what happens when you shut up arguments like the ones Joyner brought up in the video by whining about racism. No I don't want to hug you I'd rather send you to Canada so you can have fairy ski instructor yoga practicing cuckboy Trudeau and be happy. pic.twitter.com/1Gs8pPpPFL

— James Portocarrero (@ShaktipatSeer) December 1, 2017

Don't ask me to explain what is going on here. All I know is that this guy loved the video. 
Clearly I am right about this. 

There are definitely people of all ethnicities who enjoyed the video, but the only people who attacked me and told me I was "missing the point" were Trump supporters. Dudes with Pepe profiles love this video. One dude literally tweeted 5-6 times about how great the video was, right after he retweeted Ann Coulter shitting on immigrants. The video has basically given MAGA morons a pass for their horrible beliefs. They are literally posting #ImNotRacist while calling for a border wall and a Muslim ban. They want to be able to say all this racist shit with the assurance that they are not racist, and that's essentially what the video does. I hate to break it to you MAGA morons...you might not mean to be racist, but you are. 

Here is a typical MAGA moron's response to the video, along with his stance on sexual assault victims.

You don't want these guys as fans of your racially charged video.

10. People want a fairy tale world where all our differences can be solved with a hug. Well, we can't hug away racism. We've fought a war over it; we've had several social movements dedicated to stopping it; we've talked about it and written books about it and made Disney football movies starring Denzel Washington about it. Yet it still exists. I know Mr. Lucas isn't proclaiming to stop racism with this video, but the idea he puts forth here that both sides just need to hear each other out is naive. We, white people specifically, need to do a lot more work to dismantle individual and systemic racism.

11. The pseudo-intellectual statement at the end of the video reinforces the idea that this is all just a big misunderstanding (we're all just humans underneath it all, man!) and that's simply not helpful in any way.

12. Fuck Trump and his stupid red hat minions. Ain't no hugging up in here.

13. Watch Joyner Lucas's video for Ross Capicchioni or any other video. He is talented. This song and video miss the mark. When you have MAGA morons praising you, something has gone terribly wrong.

14. If you want to hear a great song about unifying the races, check out this classic:

I Love You All (Not You MAGA Morons, though)...Class Dismissed. 

Hate Doesn't Wear Hoods Anymore

Hate doesn't wear hoods anymore.

Hate wears polo shirts and khakis. 

Hate says it is simply proud of its European ancestry, despite not knowing its ancestry. 

Hate equates Black Lives Matter with White Supremacy. 

Hate equates the KKK with Black Panthers. 

Hate says the confederate flag is just about southern heritage.

Hate claims reverse racism is a bigger problem than racism.

Hate says, "I just don't know why those people are always so mad."

Hate says, "they say that word all the time why can't I say it?"

After a terrorist attack, Hate says, "there is violence on many sides. Many sides."

Hate portrays itself as a victim.

Hate sits next to you in Algebra.

Hate sits next to you at the office.

Hate is in your family.

Hate wears a red cap.

And sometimes hate still wears the swastika. Fucking Nazis. 

Hate says "it's just a joke" when its views and claims are challenged.

Hate builds walls instead of bridges.

Hate hides right underneath the surface.

Hate isn't always easy to spot, yet

Hate can't be ignored.

Hate doesn't care that you take the high road.

Hate is fueled by the silence of good people.

Hate has never been properly confronted because many prioritize comfort over equality.

Hate is fueled by moderation.

Hate feeds off "negative peace, the absence of tension."

Hate refuses to seek "positive peace, the presence of justice."

Hate is more dangerous with a smile on its face.

Hate must be confronted in all its forms, from the literal Nazi, to the patient who refuses to see a doctor of color, to the boss who skips over Mohammed's resume but has "a lot of black friends."

Love trumps hate but Trump-inspired hate is a powerful force.

Hate necessitates aggressively peaceful, loving actions.

Show love. Speak love. Teach love.

But remember: Hate is not defeated with platitudes.

Support the oppressed, the persecuted, the tired, the poor.

Hate has always existed and will always exist, but

Hate can be made weak and irrelevant.

Hate can be shamed.

Hate should be shamed.

And we should be ashamed if we let Hate prosper.

I Love You All...Class Dismissed. 

The Sordid History of Hartford's Yard Goats

CHOMPERS AND CHEW CHEW DEMAND YOUR ALLEGIANCE.

The Hartford Yard Goats will be--probably, maybe?--playing their first home game next month after more than a year of delays and disappointments.

Although I'm still a little bitter they didn't go with my choice for the name, I admit their logo and hats are cool.

It's too bad the name, which is an old nickname for trains, has a very racist legacy.

Turns out Thomas isn't the only train with a history of racism...

"Come on, Thuggy, you're just reaching. You call everything racist!"

I hear you, imaginary reader, but I'm a little offended that even though I constructed you in my own brain, you're calling me out for making something up. The fact is, if we're talking about American history, chances are that racism is involved.

Hartford's legacy of trains and railroads is deeply intertwined with the city's history of discriminatory segregation. The term "wrong side of the tracks" isn't just some random collection of words or simply figurative language, or a great song from 1994; its meaning comes from the very real practice of purposefully segregating communities by race with the use of railroads, highways, and other man-made lines of transportation. Look at the following graph:

That shit is not a coincidence. In fact, it's a problem that was first addressed in 1968 by the Fair Housing Act. Thankfully, like racism itself, discriminatory housing and segregation ended that year.

Ha! Yeah, no, obviously. It actually has remained almost exactly as bad, at least enough so that rules were implemented  in 2015 designed to eliminate segregation in American cities. Unfortunately, short of completely recreating our current highway and railway systems (infrastructure? who needs that?!) not much will improve any time soon.

So Hartford's ode to it's trains and train yards is actually an ode to one of the worst contributors to institutional racism and segregation in America. Good job Hartford! Maybe karma was the real cause for all the delays in the construction of the park (and the reason your mascot Chompers was dive-tackled in front of the Science Center last year) and not just ineptitude and corruption.

Whatever the case, it's more apparent than ever that they should've gone with Hartford Hookers like I suggested. Now that's a history we can be proud of.

I Love You All...Class Dismissed. 

You Might Not Mean To Be Racist...

...but you are.

Nothing's funnier than watching a racist get mad for being called a racist. And if you let them talk long enough in an attempt to defend themselves, you'll see just how racist they really are. The denial always makes it worse.

The fact is, we all have subconscious or unconscious biases. Test yours now! Racism is and has been rampant in this country since its inception (and even before that). It is not just individual racism either; the most insidious form of racism is institutional. The pervasiveness of racism over time seeps in to everyone's conscious, somehow someway. Even the victims of racism can internalize racist beliefs. 

That's called "Uncle Ruckus Syndrome."

Having these unconscious biases is not wrong necessarily; even when we have good intentions, we often act on our unconscious biases. The problem is when we deny their existence and continue to act on them, consciously or unconsciously. If large groups of people are offended by what you say or do, figure out why, apologize, do better and keep it moving. 

Overcoming these biases takes a conscious effort. People need to acknowledge these biases first, and then consciously work through them. What makes me laugh/cry is when people deny the possibility that their views could be taken as offensive; they get offended that anyone dare to be offended and they completely miss the irony in that perspective. Or worse, they just deny that racism even exists, which takes a cognitive dissonance that I will never fully understand.

A lot of the actions I describe in the videos below are micro-aggressions. Taken as a single, solitary incident, a micro-aggression (an unintentionally racist/sexist/homophopic statement or act) is, well, exactly what it says: micro. Not that big a deal. But imagine being on the receiving end of these acts, multiple times a day, over the course of your entire life. Any single act could be the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back. That's why it is important to be conscious of your thoughts and beliefs and especially your actions. 

These acts in and of themselves don't make you a bad person. Ignoring or denying them does. You should understand or at least make an attempt to understand the reality of what you're doing. And if you still think you're doing nothing wrong, then yes, you are a bad person.

The purpose of this series of Vines is to bring awareness of those unintentional, subconscious moments of racism and discrimination. Honestly, it has turned into one hell of a social experiment. Check out the comments on some of the vines to get a better look at the mentality of "The Unconscious Racist." It's funny, sad, scary and pathetic all in one!

Actually, the real purpose of this series of Vines is to make me laugh and hopefully a few other people laugh, too. It's good, and necessary, to laugh at ourselves and at serious issues; that is, if we can learn from it and attempt to do better. 

Some of the acts or beliefs described are much more serious than others. For example, calling the children of immigrants "anchor babies" is way worse than saying, "I don't see color," but both stem from a similar mentality of reasserting the status quo. "You don't see color" means you don't see the realities of racism, which in turn means you must think people complaining about racism are liars. Calling people "anchor babies" is clearly more hateful, but denying the existence of the different treatment of people with darker skin in this country is insulting. 

Although I take this subject seriously, it's all in good fun and it's all love. Enjoy!

 
I Love You All...Class Dismissed.

The Persistence of Racial Hatred

The last year or so has been rough. Paying attention to the world and caring about fellow humans is truly exhausting. For many people, ignoring racism and discrimination in the world is easy because it doesn't directly affect them in negative ways. If I really wanted to, I could choose to shut it out, ignore it, because I benefit from white privilege. I can choose to not get involved, to not talk about the effects of centuries of institutional racism. I can even choose to believe a problem doesn't exist. I can choose to believe that all the horrible events occurring all over the country are isolated incidents.

It's comforting to think that the horrors of the world have been dealt with and left in the past, but the hate has never left. Hate and racism are embedded deep within the fabric of our country, and although we have progressed greatly, the hate and racism have not vanquished. People are better at hiding or disguising it now. And the best way to disguise it is to convince others it does not exist.

And like that...it's gone.

Over the past 2 weeks, many people have been looking for any other reason than racism for the murder of 9 black churchgoers in Charleston, South Carolina, by a white man known for his love of the Confederacy and segregation. Instead of focusing on the racial hatred he harbored and why he did so, instead of looking at his family and friends who must have stoked these fires, instead of investigating any organizations he belonged to or looked up to, instead of questioning roommates and friends about why they thought it was acceptable for someone to make plans for a civil war, we jump to the typical, tired talking points:

There's too many/not enough guns in this country.
Yes, guns are a big issue. I'm clearly on the side of having less weapons, but many people I respect disagree. The real issue is that people who don't value all human lives are always the loudest, making it impossible to have a reasonable discussion by blaming the victims for not having guns. Dylann Roof got a gun as a gift from his father. In most states you don't need any background check for private sales or gifts. That's a problem.

It's mental illness. 
Also a big problem, but not in this case. Racism is not a mental illness. It is a learned behavior. It is ignorance and hate. Most people with mental illnesses don't act out violently. Granted, most racists don't act out violently on their racism either. Nowadays, many racist acts are very subtle; casual racism is the dominant form. Something as simple as sharing a meme or liking a post on Facebook can be an act of racism. As President Obama himself said, it doesn't take saying "nigger" to be racist, despite what Georgia high school principals would have you believe. When racism is blatant and acted upon, it may look like crazy behavior to non-racists or even latent-racists, but it is not a mental illness.

It's a hateful, learned behavior with deep, horrific roots.

It's the drugs we use to treat mental illness. 
Ok, this theory is only coming from Rick Perry, and I normally wouldn't entertain anything he says, but the man was elected governor of a very populous state several times, and he has decent support for his Presidential campaign, so his ideas are not isolated to his puny armadillo brain.

Guns and mental illness, more specifically our ridiculous access to guns and our piss-poor treatment of mental illness in this country, are definitely problems that need solutions. But the issue here is race. We have never honestly dealt with race in this country. I don't know if we ever will, but this one time it would be great it we tried. I'm going to anyway.

Another white male to the rescue!

I believe in the power of symbols. When people (or entire states) glorify a symbol that is historically associated with hate, I associate those people with hate.

The license plate, not the Hyundai symbol. Then again...damn it, I need a new car now. 

I believe in the power of words. When somebody says hateful things, I believe that person to be hateful.

The roommate is also quoted as saying that Dylann didn't often make racist statements, but he told a lot of racist jokes. Pro-tip: If a person constantly makes racist jokes, they are probably racist. Oh, also, if they say they want to kill black people and start a civil war, THEY ARE PROBABLY RACIST!

The immediate descriptions of Dylann included "quiet" and "shy," the mandatory words used for white mass murderers. That and "mentally ill" of course. It took Twitter and independent media outlets to finally get the discussion focused more on his blatant racism. The fact that photos like this surfaced definitely helped:

Because he surrounded himself with the Confederate flag, and because of the power and importance of symbols, the discussion then focused on why the Confederate flag still flies in so many states. That's an important discussion to have, and thankfully, it seems as if the flag flying at the South Carolina Capitol building might finally come down soon. Not soon enough.

This is the casket of Rev. Pinckney, murdered by Roof. This is shameful.

The conversation about the traitorous, hateful flag is necessary, but it also allowed mainstream media to avoid talking about the more complex realities of systemic racism.

Then again, it led to this image...

Systemic racism is ingrained into the foundations of our society and we see its effects played out in the real estate market, the justice system, education, and basically every major institution in America. That is what people are referring to when they say "whiteness" or "white privilege." It doesn't mean that white people don't have our own struggles and nothing shitty happens to us, it just means we get the benefit of the doubt in many situations that affect our chances to succeed. We are more likely to get a job with a "white" name. We are more likely to get a fine or community service rather than prison time. And on and on.

It's possible (and common) to not even be aware of the benefits of whiteness and systemic racism and still receive those benefits. Individual racism is a little easier to spot. Systemic racism fuels individual racism; people absorb racist views from the society in which they live. Family, friends, teachers, classmates, neighbors, the media, music, sports. All of it informs our views. What was Roof learning at home? We know that his father gave him a gun as a present. Did his parents know about his affection for the Confederate flag? What was he learning from his friends? We know many people heard him talk openly about his ideas of segregation and killing blacks and didn't think much of it. What was the community teaching him? Well, we know that South Carolina has a bit of a...sordid relationship with race.

In addition to the horrifying fact that some of their recent politicians have ties with the Klan (or its PC reincarnation, the Council of Conservative Citizens) there is also the fact that South Carolina has 16 certified white supremacist groups. We know this because they all came out to denounce the actions of Roof. According to them, they had absolutely no connection to, or responsibility for, the crazed gunman; however, they want everybody to know he had some really cool ideas and legit grievances.

That's the community in which Dylann Roof was raised. He comes from a place where a racist judge remains on the bench and starts a hearing with a plea for the well-being of the killer's family.

He comes from a community where a black church that was once burned down after a slave tried to revolt stands on a street named after staunch defender of slavery.

 

He comes from a country where at least 5 black churches have burned down since the shooting.

Roof comes from a community where a white police officer shot a man in the back 8 times and would have gotten away with it if not for a random cell phone video uploaded to the internet. That same police officer is currently in the cell next to Roof.

That's right. The cop who shot Walter Scott in the back is in the cell next to the Charleston terrorist.

This is South Carolina. This is America.

The history is ugly, and painful, and it's all coming to the surface because we have never properly dealt with it. (I should add here that plenty of people have talked about it, more brilliantly than I could hope to, but as a society we refuse to adequately address these issues.) Instead, we attempt to ignore the problem, while naming streets and erecting statues to honor Confederate soldiers, claiming its to honor the heritage of the South. Unfortunately, that particular heritage is racist and hateful. There are many things the South should be proud of, the Confederacy is not one of those things. The statue of John C Calhoun, pro-slavery politician and all around horrible person, stands in the heart of the city. It was erected during the Jim Crow era, so blacks in the city could do nothing to prevent it. Meanwhile, proposed memorials to slaves have always been met with massive resistance. Odd that they are so willing to honor one side of their heritage and not the other.

Similarly, the Confederate flag, which was largely retired to museums after the Civil War (because they lost and most of the actual soldiers accepted it) regained popularity in the late 1940s and early 1950s as a symbol of opposition to the rising Civil Rights Movement. It was a sign of open defiance to the idea that all people are equal. So no matter how you personally want to define the flag, it represents hate.

The group that helped revive the flag, the States' Rights Democratic party, was led by Strom Thurmond, who ran for President in 1948. "States' rights" is often code for wanting to legally treat minority groups like shit. Politicians are already reverting to the states' rights argument to defend the use of the flag; watch how many use the same argument to deny gay people their rights now that the Supreme Court declared gay marriage legal.

Ironically, South Carolina State Senator and Strom Thurmond's own son wants to take the flag down. When Strom Thurmond's kin can no longer defend the flag, it's time to remove it.

Yet that is only one small step to the larger goal of equality for all. When prominent white voices proclaim angrily that racism doesn't even exist anymore, it is clear just how difficult that goal will be to reach.

It's a popular theory that the younger generations will be automatically less hateful. Dylann Roof put an end to that myth. There is still a need to actively educate the youth about past and existing inequalities in order to battle the misconceptions and misinformation passed down from older generations and currently being spewed on major media outlets. Roof became radicalized and obsessed with the idea that black people are ruining America and need to be taken out after the Trayvon Martin case. The death of a black 18 year old at the hands of a white/hispanic man and the complete acquittal of said white/hispanic man convinced a young white man that blacks are dangerous and need to be "put down."

That is the psychosis of white supremacy. The very idea that a young black man's life mattered enough to be in the news and in social media for an extended period of time, and the fact that he was occasionally portrayed sympathetically, was enough to threaten his sense of superiority. This is the same mentality that led to the increase in the number of domestic terrorist groups and white supremacist groups (often the same thing) immediately after Obama's election. Any progression towards equality is perceived as a threat from those who benefit from the status quo. It's a mentality that believes brown skin foreigners are a bigger threat to the US than white US citizens when the exact opposite is true. It's a mentality that accuses Obama and liberals of taking away guns while ownership and sales have steadily risen since Obama took office.

There is a theory that a black kid started dating a girl Dylann Roof liked and that set him down the path of hatred. His feelings of rejection mixed with inferiority made him search out a villain. In America, there's no more typical villain than black men. Trayvon had recently become a powerful symbol of an unjust justice system, but Roof knew he was really just a thug who got what he deserved. The black guy who took his girl was probably just like Trayvon. Once he gave credence to those feelings, there were plenty of people willing to encourage him.

Everybody needs to come to terms with their own identity. Some people accept their heritage, some people reject it. As white people in America, even if we never personally oppressed anyone and our ancestors never owned slaves, we have benefited from white privilege. We need to understand and accept that. It's nothing to feel guilty about, it's just a matter of life in America. Benefiting from white privilege doesn't make you racist, but denying it does. Unfortunately, some white people are defensive about the idea that they benefit from anything, which leads to this idea that they are the ones being persecuted whenever the idea is brought up. Giving up the status quo is a scary thought. A large part of their identity is built upon the fact that whiteness is inherently superior. Poor whites are often the ones most resistant to this idea of white privilege because they don't see the direct benefits. However, those same poor white people are the ones fighting against minority groups (blacks, gays, immigrants) receiving equal rights. That's white fragility. This white fragility manifests in many ways. It can be claims of reverse racism or as simple as tuning out of the conversation of race entirely because it is uncomfortable. It can also manifest in dangerous ways if given the right (wrong) motivation and in the right environment, as seen with Roof.

All white individuals are not a problem, whiteness is a problem. The whiteness inherent in denying the existence of a problem. The whiteness inherent in being safely detained and given a proper trial for murdering 9 black people versus being choked to death on the street for selling cigarettes.

Dylann Roof wanted to start a race war because he was afraid of blacks taking over the country. This idea, this fear that blacks are going to rise up and kill whitey is nothing new. This was the exact plot of Birth of a Nation in 1915, and this mentality is still pervasive in many parts of the country (and in many media outlets) in 2015.  The number of groups coming to the defense of Dylann's views, making sure that his "important" ideas are not lost in the tragedy, is frightening. They continue to warn about a race war, but the only people who want a race war are racist whites who can't come to grips with a changing reality.

There will never be a race war because, as Rachel Dolezal proved (despite how awful she is as a person) race is a social construct and fluid. Which side will multiracial people be on? Which side will Eminem be on? Which side will Asians and Latinos be on?

Race is a social construct that has real effects on people's lives. Facing it head on is how we deal with it. Acknowledge your privilege as a white person. Acknowledge the realities of racial disparities. When black people protest with #BlackLivesMatter, resist the urge to reply back with #AllLivesMatter. You are silencing an oppressed minority group, which is the problem in the first place. Yes all lives matter, but historically and currently, it has been proven time and time again that black lives don't matter as much as white lives in this country. Raising black people up, or any people of color, is not taking white people down. It is lifting everybody up. When I see my black or Latino or Asian brothers and sisters being treated poorly, it doesn't improve my status because I'm white. It lowers my status as a human being.

Acknowledging whiteness and the negative effects of whiteness does not implicate every white person. If and when a civil war does break out, it will be about principles. One side's principles include freedom and equality for all, the other side's principles focus on the superiority of a few. The sides are largely divided by race, but there are plenty of minorities who will fight for a racist, oppressive establishment. Many Polish Jews helped the Gestapo round up other Jews. African slaves in America did the same for their slavemasters. Harriet Tubman always said she would have freed thousands more if only they wanted to free themselves. That is the power of the establishment. And it works the other way, too. In any fight for equal rights, the Civil Rights Movement, the Gay Rights movement, there are always people from the oppressive majority group that break rank and fight for equality for all. Many white people gave their lives in the Civil Rights Movement. Many straight people put their lives and careers on the line for the Gay Rights Movement. It's a matter of principles, not what you look like or who you sleep with.

I'm a straight, white, 35 year old man from a middle class family and I recognize that I have benefited from all of those aspects of my identity. I recognize injustices towards minority groups exist and I stand for equal treatment of all races, classes, genders and sexual orientations.

What do you stand for? Now is a good time to decide.

I Love You All...Class Dismissed. 

They Just Be Concealing It

"Racism's still alive, they just be concealing it." Pre-Kardashian Kanye West

In college, the worst insult imaginable to me was "frat boy."

Now, I may look like a typical college fraternity member, and I did my fair share of partying in college, so I get it. But the term "frat boy" encapsulates the type of person I've tried my whole life to avoid becoming or even being around: arrogant, entitled, self-important, exclusionary, condescending, and fucking clueless. 

I try not to generalize, but when it comes to fraternities, I'm okay with doing so. Frat boys are the worst.

That's the University of Oklahoma chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE). You've probably heard about or seen the video. Watch it again. Look and listen to the pure joy emanating from these assholes as they talk about excluding blacks from their exclusive club and even lynching them. Bruno Mars doesn't look this happy when he sings Uptown Funk.

The President of UofO immediately expelled two of the students involved, and the national headquarters of SAE closed the UofO chapter. Close the chapter, end the book on racism. Problem solved!

Anybody who thinks this was an isolated incident and doesn't represent a larger issue among SAE, fraternities, and the country as a whole needs a reality check (looking at you, mainstream media). This song was deeply ingrained in these guys. It was taught to them by older frat brothers, not Waka Flocka Flame (if it was a soft "a" instead of the hard "er", that reasoning might have made a little bit of sense).

Don't take it from me, though, take it from one of the first ever (and probably last ever) black SAE members. 

Or take it from these tweets:

@sportsmediaLM I've been to SAE parties at texas schools and heard that exact same chant actually.
— Allen OU (@THEREALALLENOU) March 9, 2015

So this user posted on reddit almost 30 days ago the same chant that #SAE chanted in those leaked video. pic.twitter.com/UL2D99VQBZ
— Tyler Fisher (@tylergfisher) March 9, 2015

#SAEHatesMe MT @MikeEvans25: I was an SAE at a university in TX from 2000-04. The exact same chant was often used then. This is not isolated
— Neetzan Zimmerman (@neetzan) March 9, 2015

This is the type of shit white people do when they know there are no minorities around. Eddie Murphy called it out 30 years ago on SNL and not much has changed. Thankfully, social media is exposing a lot of people.

I never experienced the level of racism seen in this video (in college anyway) but I went to UConn. Not to say racism didn't or doesn't exist in Connecticut (it most certainly does) but it ain't Oklahoma. There was a chapter of SAE at UConn, though, and they were by far the biggest douchebags of all the frats. In fact, a couple of my friends (who, I just realized, happened to be non-white) were jumped by SAE dickheads one night. A kid threw a sucker-headbutt, 10-12 of his boys jumped in, then they all ran away after 20 seconds.

All frats were dickheads, but these were the King Dicks. They were the main inspiration for EAD (Eat A Dick) the anti-frat my friends and I started. No pledging, no hazing, no fees, no rape, no discrimination; you know, the exact opposite of a typical frat. 

Besides the two kids who were expelled, most of these SAE guys will face no real consequences. They'll still graduate and take over their father's business or go to Wall Street and fuck over all the low-income people they can. They have deep roots and deep pockets, and they eventually become politicians and business leaders.

Oh, and by the way, the two expelled kids are already considering suing the school. Yup, they really learned their lesson.

As always when people say dumb, horrible shit and face consequences, there are cries of "freedom of speech!" from those who don't really understand what that means. These kids weren't arrested right? They're tongues weren't cut out? Ok then. They simply don't get to attend a particular institution because that institution has rules against discrimination and creating a hostile environment.

The one good thing about the video is that it has brought to light the abhorrent racism lying just beneath the surface of so many powerful, historic organizations. Unfortunately, because it's so blatantly racist (except to the kids' parents of course) people call it an isolated incident. This type of racism is an aberration because "racism is on it's last legs." We like to think that we have moved beyond this as a society, but really we have just moved on from talking about it in any serious manner. Racists know that outright racism isn't accepted so they have become better at hiding it. That's the only reason this was so shocking. We all know what fraternities and private clubs are like, we just usually never see it out in the open.

Racism is usually expressed in much more subtle ways these days. Plus, racists have become so adept at dodging charges of racism, that anyone who is called racist is the real victim. You are the real racist if you point out or talk about racism. Most white Americans believe reserve-racism is not only a thing that exists, but is actually worse than racism directed towards minorities. Yes, truly it is the white man who suffers most. We can't even say "n*gger" without getting shit for it!

These are thoughts of actual people. I was convinced for a while that people who say things like this only exist as online trolls or in overly sanctimonious TV specials about racism. Nobody really feels that way, or rather, only a small, very vocal percentage of old people really feel that way. That mentality is dying out with the Baby Boomers. This generation is different! We are accepting of all types! And the younger generation doesn't even have types!

Truly an enlightened generation.

I'm not naive, but I wanted to believe that. I had almost convinced myself things were better (especially in enlightened Connecticut!) when I met a young woman who reinforced my worst beliefs about race relations in America. We were talking about the Coca Cola Super Bowl commercial, in which "America the Beautiful" was performed in Spanish. I didn't give much thought to the commercial, but I was aware of the "national outrage" taking place in certain sectors of the media. I even expected that reaction when I saw the commercial. Some people make a good living off outrage, especially if they are outraged at white people losing their positions of dominance. Still, a part of me believed (or maybe just wanted to believe) that most normal young people didn't really feel that way. Jen proved otherwise. I knew I was in for a treat when she sucked her teeth and called the commercial disgraceful. How dare they have some foreigners singing America the Beautiful in spanish! Half these immigrants are illegal and live off my taxes!

I had to ask myself if I was really talking to a human being or a living parody of an out-of-touch conservative; sort of an unfunny Stephen Colbert with no self-awareness.

Unfortunately, she was all too real. And like most racists, she had no reservations about saying these things because she assumed I would agree, being white and all. The accuracy of that Eddie Murphy sketch is fucking uncanny.

Well, I decided a long time ago that I can't let that shit slide. I stated my opinion, but I'm non-confrontational, so the subject was quickly changed. I'll gladly try to change people's minds on certain issues, but only if they are ready and willing. I don't push my views on others. If you care to hear my views, I'll gladly share them, and we can have a respectful conversation about them.

Respectful is the key word. I've had plenty of encounters go the other way. Because of my views or interests or whatever the hell reasoning idiots use, I've been called wigger--excuse me--w*gger, and n*gger-lover on several occasions. No, I didn't hop in a Delorean back to the 50s, I was actually called n*gger-lover in the 90s-00s. I'm never personally offended at these terms though. They bother me because they imply that there are certain ways of acting defined as "black" that are inherently bad, or that being friends with blacks is bad. Still, these names don't irk me as much as "frat boy" because they say more about the person using the insult than the person being insulted. If a person uses n*gger lover as an insult, you never have to take that person seriously ever again.

When it's something that blatant, or something like the SAE bus chant, it is (or should be) easy to say you want no part of it. It's harder when it's something less aggressively racist, or when it's from someone close to you. Over the years, I've been told by several people close to me that I'm obsessed with race. I only wish I had the comedian Hari Kondabolu's response: "Telling me that I’m obsessed with talking about racism in America is like telling me I’m obsessed with swimming when I’m drowning."

The metaphor works better coming from a person of color, obviously, but just being aware of the realities of institutional racism and discrimination and pointing them out is exhausting. It's an uphill battle and a possible confrontation at all times. Micro-aggressions are everywhere, if you care to look. As Jon Stewart said, you don't need to be singing an "Anti-Negro Spiritual" on camera to be a racist. Maybe your pouring beer at a beerfest and you jumped at the sight of a black man approaching, then jokingly explained, "I thought you had a knife or something!" That's just one small example of a real life micro-aggression I've witnessed recently. Why should I be made to feel uncomfortable if I call out something like that? Why should I feel like I can't speak my mind when I'm the one pushing for equality? Why is it the  bigoted assholes who so openly, so assuredly express their views with no concern for others?

The answer to that question lies within the question itself: they have no concern for others.

These SAE have no concern for anybody but themselves. It's not that hard to take other people's feelings into consideration. This video should make any normal person sick. Hopefully it makes people aware of how rampant this way of thinking is in our country. For those white people who are tired of seeing videos like this (or videos of police killing unarmed minorities) and just want everybody to get over this whole race thing, imagine how minorities feel. It's easy for white people to say we have moved beyond racism, that we are post-racial, because it doesn't affect us as directly. In fact, the structures of racism often benefit us.

However, on a human level, it does affect all of us negatively. Unless we attempt to understand how our conscious and subconscious racism drags down the oppressor, the oppressed, we're never going to make any real progress as a society.

It's important to honestly address this issue. Maybe this video will lead to more open discussion. It's not an easy conversation, but that's exactly why we need to have it. At the very least, let's take the advice of Sly and The Family Stone and stop calling each other names.

I Love You All(Even You, Whitey)...Class Dismissed.