Why are white americans so afraid of racial issues?

Question

i mean when they have to look at themselves and their PARENTS and their GRANDparents they want to shy away.i know it is not for everyone to like everyone else,but you want non whites to LOVE you.you guys are great and we will always be some kind of passing fad...until yall(wf) think that you cant live without it. some ( white folks)dont even have you( non white folks ) on their radar. should i just be concerned about my welfare check, my gold teeth, my 6 babies,my 10 grand babies, my crack pipe, my 40,and who i like more 50 cent or kanye west?( i kid... but seriously?!!!)

why are yall still scared to talk about it?i think if you werent scared some of our issues as a nation would be solved.( not all but a few)

just askin.

Answer 1

You know, I've always been very liberal and progressive. I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and thought the rest of the country thought like us (shock when I realized that was false!), but it wasn't until college that I feel I really understood racial history in our country. Ethnic Studies classes changed my world, the concept is basically decolonizing history, which I think is great and I wish everyone could take the time to learn about our racial history, and how racial categories formed. It wasn't until the Chinese came here, over one hundred years ago, that the Italians were finally able to be seen as white, because they were able to position themselves against the Chinese as an "other". Anyway, what I'm trying to say is INSTITUTIONALIZED RACISM. If you don't know what that means, learn it. In a college class we had to narrow down police applications without knowing race or gender. We followed the criteria given, and after narrowing it down to a small number they all turned out to be male and white. This was not because minorities were lesser qualified, but rather the very wording of the application and the criteria selection favors white men. Same results have been shown by the SAT's. Many people don't realize the police as an institution came in to being to police the recently freed slaves. Many former plantations were turned into jails, and many freed slaves ended back on the plantation as legal slaves. Obviously this sets a tone between blacks and the police. Something that continues today.

I could go on, but institutionalized racism is real, but you have to be able to critically look at the past to truly understand it. When you understand it, it sheds some light on the current state of racism or the denial of it.

Person # 2 up there is a case in point.

Answer 2

I am from Ireland but lived in GA for some time and yes I noticed it.

A friend ( who became an ex friend ) actually demanded that a air steward changed her seat because she was seated next to a black person!

I was disgusted.

Answer 3

M&M, you go girl. One added point. Yes, slavery was wrong but I

had nothing to do with it. You behave as if it were the current thing. It's not, it's over. Move on.

Answer 4

I've been around a long time..so long that the issue of race is rather exhausting to discuss. You'd think we could've made real progress in the last 40 years, but it seems to still be a hot topic. I'm certainly not afraid to defend my sincere opinion on a racial issue. There are so many of us white folks who really have a deeper understanding than you may imagine, but there's no banner we can wave to really identify ourselves. We can only quietly and gently try to make a difference in our daily encounters and conversations and vote our conscience.

Answer 5

We're not afraid to address the issue, we are just tired of being instantly labeled "racist" when we do.

Answer 6

it depends on the person, i think most white people are scared that they will sound racist and when you think about it most do. i live in Texas and in the city i live their is a good mix of all races but when i went to visit gatesville Texas i got into a huge fight with a white girl because i told her she was raciest. she was telling me how when she went to high school the school would bus in black student to play on their sports teams but didn't allow the black students to attend the school. when i told her that it was wrong for her to Evan think that was OK she got upset and disagreed saying that the whole town felt the same way. the argument got so heated that she decided to put her hands on me and found out that no matter how far back her town or her mind was set if u whip a ***** these days the ****** going to whip your *** back

Answer 7

The fact that we are even in speaking of each other in "they" and "them" should speak volumes alone.

America has become extremely soft in society and wants to hide when it comes to this issue.

To be completely honest with Rev AL's running around out there do you blame them?

It seems to be a very harsh double standard that it is 'ok' to make "honky" jokes but use the N word and call out the troops.

Honestly everyone should just unfold their arms and loosen up.

However you cannot ignore the fact that this double standard is alive and well and every time you turn on the TV and here about a Police shooting or any shooting your praying that it was not black on white or white on black etc.

Why?

As if it is ok if a another black shoots another black or a white man killing another white man.

We ignore the fact that the killing is whats wrong and we are fueled by the race card.

It's pathetic. In the forum of comedy it has become an absolute joke. White jokes are ok black jokes are wrong.

Double standards exists everywhere not just in race. Perfect example is:

A Male School teacher  has s*x with a student. He is looked at as an animal and thrown in jail

A Female School teacher has s*x with a student and it is looked as an "issue" and the teacher is sent to rehab.

For some reason it is taken way more lightly.

I can go on and on but to wrap up this question I can honestly tell you with all my heart that so long as humans walk the earth they will always be different from one another and anything different then what your used to is considered to be a threat.

Now going back to rev Al, he is just a moron and gives all black people a bad rap. He is the black community's worst nightmare.

Any plans to break stereo types are squashed by the Rev.

He is the biggest racists on this planet towards white people, oh wait thats right - thats ok.

Yeah I guess he is not so bad after all then huh?

What a joke.

Answer 8

To answer the first part of the question, because this is still, secretly, a racist society. We are making some progress, but it's slow going. Hundreds upon hundreds of years of extreme racsim is going to take some time to undo. For those of us who don't consider ourselves racists, and try not to harbor prejudice, we are aware that it's a touchy subject. It's tough to address issues of race without acknowledging differences between the races. Acknowledging differences often leads to charges of racism. So we just don't talk about it and leave the elephant in the room.

As for the rest of your question, I am not entirely sure what you are talking about, what you mean by a "passing fad" or what adopted Chinese babies have to do with it.

Answer 9

I don't think that White folks are afraid to talk about racial issues. Its just that, to us, theres alot of things ahead of that. Even when I'm talking with black friends, we don't talk about race. We're talking about our families, jobs, cars etc. We're talking about everyday life.

If you seriously expect a person of any race to accept constant put downs, even if they have a basis in fact, you're going to be disappointed.

Answer 10

Well, you've said a mouthful but in your verbal diarrhea you clearly make me feel "you" are scared of racial issues. So restate your question and substitute the word "black" for the word "white" and then answer the question. You'd be surprised what you will learn about yourself.

Racial is a word that means different things to different beings. Cats are racial towards dogs. Snakes towards mice. Nesting birds to intruders, etc. Get my drift.

That's life. When a person subtracts "racial" fears from their behavior or conversation, then progress will be made. Until the the minimum wager, highly paid or homeless person who exhibits these criticisms stops feeling sorry for their "stead" in life they will remain complainers. These people show themselves as racial and socio-economic level has nothing to do with it. Usually these people "blame" everything and anyone because of their unfulfilled dreams. They usually lack motivation to raise themselves from their present "stead" and move up and out of the "hood". It is so much easier to complain, complain, complain. To do something about it takes guts, determination and motivation. Most complainers have neither.

Answer 11

I do have  nonwhites that loves me. I dont need reassurance from everyone. We are individuals. just like you.

Answer 12

I am certainly not, I married my wife and she had 3 mixed children of her own and I raised them as my own and they have all had children and they are mixed race. Not all of us whites are stereo types of th kkk, after all alot of white people died to free the blacks and are still working hard to insure their continued freedom. we should all be so lucky as to be color blind, perhaps peace would follow.

Answer 13

I don't believe that they are afraid, but must be sick of being blamed for the failures of American Blacks.

Blacks tend to be over sensitive and over defensive in regard to race issues and that makes us combative. No one wished to talk about sensitive issues with a defensive, combative, emotional person.

Answer 14

race will not be solved till the black man stops thinking the white man owes him something. stop bringing up the race card get a job raise your kids talk like you have a little education  and take responsibility for your actions  then  and  only then  will there ever be   a road leading  to end racism  it  must start with you

Answer 15

They arent afraid. They just say what they really feel behind your back.

Answer 16

because they are threaten from their superior status: status as the majority. political influence they have on politicians in their pockets.