White Guilt

[Recidiva]

I'm starting to feel this more in my current geographical position. My parents gave me their house in suburban NJ. I've lived in more ethnically diverse places...Los Angeles, Orlando...I've lived in "lowered expectations" housing for a longer time than I've lived in a pastoral spot of privilege. Not that my parents got the money from oppressing minorities, they're cool. My dad was born about five miles away. It wasn't privilege then, it was a cow pasture and theirs was the first house on the block and he built it himself. But they've remodeled over the years.

I've seen one black lady walking on our street and I was ridiculously happy to see her though I kept my cool.

I'm starting to lose my footing here.

I was playing Civilization V and the Shoshone leader asked me for help. God, what do I do? Do I assume he needs the help and give him the money or is that the subtle racism of lowered expectations?

I do know I can tell Herr Germany to go fuck himself with no problem.

 

[FGB]

Translate the last part please.

 

[unregistered]

 

[tactful]

I could never understand white chocolate, it just didn't seem quite right.

 

[RobDownSouth]

You provide necessary balance to the Force, especially since the RWCJ here seems fixated on finding some sort of racial counterweight to the aftermath of Trayvon Martin's shooting.

 

[Recidiva]

Translate the last part please.

Civilization V is a strategy game where you found a civilization and then compete to win. So I founded the Roman civilization and I'm fighting not a military campaign, but a cultural campaign. So I focus on building world wonders and encouraging the arts. I also founded Taoism as a religion (you can choose your tenets for your religion...mine are peace love and convert to Taoism essentially) and you win if you spread your culture and religion far enough that you've essentially captured the world or enough civilizations. It's an alternative to running over them all with tanks.

However, it's a little queasy to plan to take over the Shoshone nation by making them want my cultural influence and religion.

A little. I'll still do it. And I'd still also run them over with tanks if I felt like it.

I just feel a little bad for doing so.

 

[Recidiva]

I watched the "Pianist" yesterday.

I haven't watched that one. Was it worth the watch?

 

[Recidiva]

I could never understand white chocolate, it just didn't seem quite right.

And I like white chocolate more than dark chocolate.

 

[4est_4est_Gump]

"I've seen one black lady walking on our street and I was ridiculously happy to see her though I kept my cool."


That is most certainly white guilt.

 

[unregistered]

 

[Recidiva]

You provide necessary balance to the Force, especially since the RWCJ here seems fixated on finding some sort of racial counterweight to the aftermath of Trayvon Martin's shooting.

I'm not sure I'm balancing. I approve of the stand your ground law. I just don't approve of it's application. Zimmerman is Hispanic?

I was never sure how race entered into it other than "assholes like to intimidate people and then provoke them into aggression and then hide behind the "he did it first" caveat."

It's the asshole's biggest asset, the reality that brave people will actually defend themselves and others and can be goaded into doing so. And then you can (boggle) shoot them.

I'm a gun owner.

 

[unregistered]

 

[Recidiva]

"I've seen one black lady walking on our street and I was ridiculously happy to see her though I kept my cool."


That is most certainly white guilt.

I'm a little homesick for the variety. Also a little sensitive to the internal criticism of "Look at your skin, look at where you live, you're now part of the problem. Problem home base."

I can't refute that. I have a point.

 

[Recidiva]

100% yes.

I tivo'd it and will most likely watch again.

Good movie.

Cool, I'll check it out.

 

[tactful]

Is Hispanic a race now?

Espanol is the new Hispanic, but the day isn't over just yet.

 

[Recidiva]

Is Hispanic a race now?

Crap, did I say it wrong?

 

[4est_4est_Gump]

I'm a little homesick for the variety. Also a little sensitive to the internal criticism of "Look at your skin, look at where you live, you're now part of the problem. Problem home base."

I can't refute that. I have a point.

The base problem here that I see is the conflation of skin color diversity with diversity of thought and culture.

Is your 'hood nothing but Italians?

 

[unregistered]

 

[Wings]

I live in an area that has little to no diversity, it was a complete culture shock when we moved there/here and I disliked it. I still dislike it but now I'm old enough to drive into the cities and enjoy the melding of cultures as I work and play. I, too, get very excited when I see more diversity moving into my hometown.

I make an effort to expose my children to the outside world, the one that has more skin colors than one and has more socio-economic scales than two. It just means I make more of an effort to get out into the real world.

 

[4est_4est_Gump]

Do you guys also think that all Asians share the same culture?

 

[Recidiva]

The base problem here that I see is the conflation of skin color diversity with diversity of thought and culture.

Is your 'hood nothing but Italians?

No, but I have elderly parents who live in an assisted living facility where the residents are white and the staff are not.

I have probably had too many luncheons with elderly white people talking about how church membership is going down and all these kids with their pot and their electronic devices.

I'm respectful. But I'm kinda freaked out. Is this my destiny? I don't really think so, but it's a disjointed environment for me.

In reality I don't offend people with my opinions, I nod and I smile and I say how lovely Church music is and it's a shame that there are fewer people singing it, as the best composers usually spent their time on church music...

In short, through respecting my elders, I'm not treating them like...say...you guys.

 

[Recidiva]

Hey, it is your Idaho.

We are just small potatoes here.

That's how I saw him described and that's what I saw in the news...am I getting the wrong news? MORE issues!

 

[Recidiva]

I live in an area that has little to no diversity, it was a complete culture shock when we moved there/here and I disliked it. I still dislike it but now I'm old enough to drive into the cities and enjoy the melding of cultures as I work and play. I, too, get very excited when I see more diversity moving into my hometown.

I make an effort to expose my children to the outside world, the one that has more skin colors than one and has more socio-economic scales than two. It just means I make more of an effort to get out into the real world.

Yeah, my kids had their formative years in Orlando, which is about as diverse as you get. I do miss it. But would I go back and give up this beautiful house and one of the best rated school districts in the nation? No. I wouldn't.

 

[Recidiva]

Do you guys also think that all Asians share the same culture?

Now that's just silly.

 

[4est_4est_Gump]

I just cannot get over how you have to be comforted by the presence of color...



Sounds like white guilt because I do not think you will find a lot of asian or black neighborhoods pining for the sight of a white person for the sake of diversity and cultural experience...