Content to be human

I received an email from a site which I subscribe to and it was entitled “Proud to be White”. I found myself thinking deeply about situations occurring in society, which can lead to debates about the rights and wrongs of any particular viewpoints.
Undoubtedly the article had many points of view which either had truth in them or appeared to be reasonable in their context. It was not “anti” anyone or anything per se however there was an invitation at the end which stated;

“There is nothing improper about this e-mail. Let's see which of you are proud enough to send it on.”

I am sure that statement would make some people feel uneasy. This would NOT be because there is anything inherently wrong or improper to the sentiment but it's connotations somehow stir up contoversy and even a fear which white people have.
The fear I refer to could be related in some way to the sense of fair play which has been indoctrinated into white people of all ages in certain sections of the community. It has perhaps become more powerful since society as a whole has rejected and even legislated against overt racism. The concept of positive discrimination possibly adds fuel to this “fire of fear”.

It is a fear of being caught out in some way by non-white people and being branded or perceived as a racist. Even if we truly believe that we have eliminated all racist thoughts, no matter what our ethnic background or race, are we really sure what level of racism we carry with us or condone by some action or inaction? So it seems that, even if we pretend to be non discriminatory we may harbour some discriminatory thoughts, somewhere within our person or we may condone, even inadvertently, some covert racist activity and that may lead to a fear of “being found out”.

There is no doubt that throughout all ages, right up to today, people of all ages, gender and race have been repressed, brutalised and misused and that any people who are part of a minority group may feel the need to redress the balance. Perhaps as part of a majority in this country we may fear the possibility of becoming a minority.

In summary I would like to say that being free to be honest as the writer indicates is the right of every human being, no matter there background.
However I feel I must decline the invitation to declare “Proud to be white” and point out;
I am white by birth, not by choice, but I am happy to be who I am.
I am of Scottish /Irish descent, not by choice, but I am happy to be who I am.
I choose to be mindful and cautious of governments, organizations or institutions that promote racism in any shape to further their own supremacist aims.
I choose to protest against any group which seeks to oppress others by any means.
I choose to condemn covert or institutional racism from whatever source against whatever group.
I choose to abhor the social climates that produce ethnic cleansing and lead to genocide.
I choose to judge people by the content of their character not the colour of their skin.
I choose not to have preconceived ideas about anybody's racial heritage.
I choose to treat all people fairly as I would wish them to treat me.
I am happy to part of the human family with all my imperfections.
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Meet the Author of this Blog
class

class

Liverpool, Merseyside, England, UK

Events over the last couple of years have taught me a great deal. I have an appreciation for life which was alien to me in the past. I love intense philosophic and scientific debates and enjoy chatting about the days/weeks events. Walking in the coun [read more]

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created Jul 2007
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