If you think there's an issue of "institutional racism", why don't you direct the complaints at the people in charge of the institutions instead of trying to browbeat people who aren't in charge of any of them? Why would they be directed at conservatives when conservatives don't run the education system, the media, the entertainment industry, nearly the entire government bureaucracy, almost every corporation, the tech industry the majority of publishing companies?
Do you think anybody is going to take it seriously when Michelle Obama, Megan Markle, and Oprah are sitting around at a chateau talking about how privileged those gross peasants working 9-5s are?
Jesus, Robin DiAngelo and Ibram Rogers charge more for a 2 hour speaking engagement than the people they're denouncing as privileged racists make in an entire year. The left used to pretend to be against "punching down", but that is all they do now and then your book is removed from Amazon, you're banned from social media and fired from your job if you object to being berated.
I mentioned (and linked to) issues of police discrimination, to take one example. Sheriffs are an elected position. Police chiefs are either elected, or appointed by mayors (which itself is an elected position). The people in our legislatures at city, county, state and federal levels, are elected positions. The point of the discussions we are having, and most political discussions in general, is to raise awareness and make a case for a given POV, in hopes of persuading one’s fellow citizens as to needed change so that they will join you in voting for certain things, or pressuring elected officials for certain laws or needed change. It’s been going on in America since we were English colonies, and in fact is a good part of the reason we are not English colonies currently. Open discussions among the citizenry to persuade ones fellow citizens for needed change and action, is
literally the foundation of most types of Democratic-based societies. If you didn’t realize this,,you must’ve found this entire War Room forum quite confusing, and wondered what the hell we’re all doing here.
It’s a bit silly to say things like “conservatives don’t run education.” Who “runs education”? State education boards do.
How do they get there? If not elected directly, they are appointed by elected governors, or by (elected) governors with consent of the (elected) senate. So in many states, conservatives do in fact “run education” (or at least have a very significant say in it). Re business, do I need to list all the Fortune 500 companies run by conservatives, or that donate significantly to conservative causes? The argument you’re trying to make just doesn’t hold up.
And I’m going to be blunt: I get that it’s “hot and trendy” for conservatives to pretend that they’re the real victims, and frankly they need to knock it off. You’re not being “browbeaten.” I mean, we have the persistent issues that I mentioned and linked to in my previous post, but it’s you that’s the real victim because you find the discussion inconvenient or difficult?
The fact that you think anyone is browbeating you speaks to the exact pointless defensiveness I mentioned. White people—of which I am one, and feel no guilt—have been the dominant voice in society for hundreds of years. And by and large, we’re doing just fine. You’re not oppressed. You’re not a victim.
Before I wrap this post up, a quick note about “white privilege.” In my previous post, I linked to studies which showed things like white people being less likely to be pulled over and searched, or things related to employment opportunity. That’s white privilege. White privilege does NOT mean:
-That we need to feel guilty for who we are.
-That we didn’t work hard for what we have, or that we don’t deserve it.
-That there’s no such thing as a successful black person (like your friend Oprah).
-That there is no such thing as a poor (economically disadvantaged) white person.
None of these things are contradictory to the idea of white privilege.