Let me preface this post by saying Vets For Trump supports all veterans. We do not care what race, religion, sex, or hat type you wear. If you are a veteran you are a brother or sister first! Family can get really pissed at each other from time to time but we are still family.
Statistics
Here is an interesting statistic. “Among black Americans, 31% think most blacks are racist, while 24% consider most whites racist and 15% view most Hispanics that way.” ~ Rasmussen Reports polling
Blacks think blacks are more racist than whites think blacks are racist according to the data. We would not know that by observing the news or following social media. With all the talk about “white privilege,” you would think blacks would believe more whites are racist.
White Privilege
I do not recall ever hearing the term “white privilege” until a few years ago. The term, according to Wikipedia, is very controversial. The term “majority privilege” might be a better term to use. Here is how you can look at “majority privilege. In African countries, you could say there is Black privilege, in Latin American countries there is Latino privilege, in Asia, there is Asian privilege and so on.
Because America is so diverse we can take it down to the neighborhood level. The TV sitcom The Neighborhood portrays this point well. Cedric the Entertainer as Calvin Butler plays a funnier version of a black Archie Bunker like character. I’ve been in a similar situation in the U.S.A. I can tell you being in the minority is not funny at all.
White Privilege in America
America is different. Whites in America are not at the top of the food chain by earnings. Guess who is? Hum the theme from Jeopardy for a few seconds while you think. The answer is who are Asians. Yep, that’s right. In a country where Whites, Blacks and Latinos outnumber Asians they are the top earners in the U.S.A.! It is not obvious because Asians are such a small percentage of our population.
America is not perfect but it sure is better at fairness by race than many other countries. I believe success or failure is more contingent on one’s cultural beliefs and work ethic rather than race. I am not saying race is not a factor. That would be dishonest. Calling everyone that disagrees with you a racist diminishes discussions of actual racism. That’s what the Democrats have been doing wrong ever since Obama was President. Disagree with Obama or any black person and you were likely to be called racist. That’s idiotic!
Why We Generalize
Veterans who served in a combat zone can understand this better than civilians and non-combat vets. We know what it is like to be surrounded by people who may want to do us harm. We generalize because there is no way to tell who wants to harm us. Our enemies no longer wear uniforms. In order to survive, you can’t trust anyone in a war zone except your own people. Funny how race has no meaning under threat. What matters is your buddy is an American.
At home in America, we often break down into neighborhoods by race because we feel more comfortable around people like ourselves. Then when we are confronted by people of other races we notice the differences in a more exaggerated way. By the way, ask any psychologist and they will tell you humans are hard-wired to look for differences. The more isolated we are the more we notice when someone or something different enters our area. A quick example is to put a woman in the middle of a bunch of military guys. It gets your attention for a different reason but it gets your attention!
So, how do you create a racist?
There are likely many ways. One way I can think of is to continually and unjustly accuse someone or whole groups of being racist. This may not work well on older people. Older people know who they are and are not influenced by irrational name-calling. However, it stands a better chance of working on younger people.
Wrongfully accuse a bunch of white Catholic High School kids from Kentucky of being racist and you are likely to push them in that direction. Do this right after they have been verbally assaulted by real racists! PS Congratulations to the Left and the Media! You just helped to create a bunch of conservatives as well. Thank you!
Some like Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar still accuse the Covington boys of taunting 5 black guys and surrounding Phillips when the opposite was well established. The left has a very hard time standing up to racism when it comes from black fringe groups. The far left seems to accept unacceptable behavior from their own. This one event may not throw the young Covington Catholic kids over the top to become racists but it is one step towards that end.
For the life of me, I don’t understand why the Left in America is so focused on identity politics. It does not do your party any good. My best advice to Far Left Democrats and the Media is STOP IT! Stop making race and other identity issues central to your political process. It does not help America. You are helping to turn America into a War Zone. I hear that from more veterans today than ever before.
Revised 27 Jan 19.
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