For those of you that think ‘all lives matter’ heres a quick and easy explanation

[TeddyIsaHe]

MN can be extremely racist at times, most posters that have been here for a while will know this.

All lives can’t matter until black lives do. It’s something we ALL need to understand and I think this makes it very easy for people to grasp.

Person complains “don’t treat us all the same, blah blah blah” I very much doubt they have spent their adult life actively campaigning for people outside their own race not to be treated the same. Yet when it happens to them they throw their toys out the pram. If facing whats going on is so traumatic how do you think non-whites cope every single day.

Bumpity I agree with you to an extent. My personal opinion is that it’s incredibly hard to change someone’s belief systems and/or ingrained bias (conscious or unconscious) without talking to that person with a level of respect.
Which would be incredibly difficult because of course, I couldn’t respect someone who was racist. But I think you would have to feign respect for the greater good of bringing that person round to your way of thinking. Nobody ever changed someone’s mind on such deeply held beliefs by insulting them or patronising them.

SimonJT who was that aimed at?

Yappity it speaks volumes that all anyone is, is embarrassed for you. The statements you're making are so utterly ludicrous and racist that none of us can see the point in dissecting it and trying to point out you are wrong.

Of course, you're that self-centred you're probably sitting there thinking the only reason we aren't is because you're so right we have nothing to counter it.

Honestly I'd be mortified if I was you.

Yappity did you miss a whole post about colonialism, imperialism, UK and US diplomacy creating the systems that cause starvation in these majority black countries caused by what? Yes you guessed it racism.

It was directed at you

I've been aware and accepted the concept of my white privilege and of intitutional racism for 30 years. I've had the extent of my privilege further revealed to me at various times, usually by poc and usually a surprise to me. I may never fully 'get it' and as such, there is always the possibility that I could be unintentionally racist. Put me together in an instution with a load of other powerful white people and even unintentional racism can have devastating consequences for black people. I cannot even try to be non racist until I recognise this.

We need more representative people in positions of power. But rich white men don't like sharing their power much.

@Ethelfleda
Which would be incredibly difficult because of course, I couldn’t respect someone who was racist. But I think you would have to feign respect for the greater good of bringing that person round to your way of thinking. Nobody ever changed someone’s mind on such deeply held beliefs by insulting them or patronising them
I understand what you mean but I think we need to look beyond simply seeing someone that holds racist views as an intrinsically bad human being unworthy of the opportunity to change. We are all the product of our upbringing and as I mentioned earlier we almost all hold undesirable and often unconscious bias against different groups of people. We would be affording very few people any respect at all if we started to condemn people based on this. I think it's dangerous to believe that there is impenetrable, fundamental difference between a racist person and anti racist person. We are all capable of discriminatory thoughts and behaviour and we are all imperfect beings operating in a flawed society. We need to give people the chance to learn and grow without alienating them further.

Bumpity
Very well put. I completely understand where you are coming from and you speak a lot of sense.

@Xenia

"The core religious ethos of many people is summed up in the Bible -
"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female; for ye are all one in Christ Jesus."

Even for atheists that is a pretty good principle to follow."

No, it isn't. When you take out the belief that all are one in Christ Jesus, you're left with the unsolved problems. Some people free, some in bonds. Men, women, Jews, Greeks. With respect, it's a terrible principle to follow. Where, exactly, has belief in oneness under Jesus got us? Specifically, those in the bonds of racism. Nowhere. The US is a very religious country; 3 in 4 identify as Christian. Tell me how belief in oneness in Jesus manages to co-exist with the systemic lack of oneness in US society. Millions of people live out their whole three score years and ten under racism, and they're supposed to do what? Feel oneness with the churchgoing cop who's killing their brothers? Wait for the second coming? Two thousand years and counting.

I see @Xenia is still being the same Xeina she has always been since I joined MN 15 years ago. Rude and constantly shoehorning her finances into every conversations.

That whole spiel you waffled out there at 08.01 Xeina? That’s white privilege, every drop of it.
You’re too scared to get involved? Well you don’t seem frighted of furnishing is with your opinions on a matter that you know SFA about.
Sounds about WHITE.

If you don’t come out and fight racism, you are racist.

@PipGirl404 point out where I'm racist because I think labels should be self explanatory? That BLM should mean black, as in all black lives matter, as in every single black person should have the same opportunities as all other ethnicities, including to eat and the term white privilege shouldn't be thrown about because it doesn't actually mean they all have more privileged lives, it means they won't face racism like BAME people will.

What is racist about that? Tell me, go on? Because no one should have to Google what something means and I don't believe bold non explanatory terms should be used?

I'm absolutely not embarrassed! And the usual 'what a racist' is thrown out there. I'm not white FYI, just incase anyone assumed. Just because I'm not white, it doesn't mean I don't understand that branding every white person as privileged is ridiculous. I've worked with many people of all ethnicities and I'll just point out, not a single one was privileged in anyway

I am not trying to deflect from Black Lives Matter, but just illustrating that there is an underlying racism on here..........I have just been reading a thread in which someone was complaining about neighbours making late night noise , loading scrap metal, and before the first page was halfway, some one posted ' are they gypsies?' Why does it make a difference what their ethnicity is? Is the noise louder if they are?
I think we need to constantly check our own attitudes to race from every angle.

It's like no one has a brain on here and all they can conjure up is 'you racist'. Laughable. I'm racist because I think people starving to death is wrong and that no one cares about it and because I don't think people should be branded privileged as a general term meaning they are privileged in all areas instead of making it clearer that they are privileged against racism. Laughable.

Every white person has the privilege of being white.

They may not have any other privileges, but they do all have that particular privilege. That's why it's called white privilege.

Because no one should have to Google what something means

Is this irony?
This is white privilege at work.

That's all I really wanted to clear up. I've read up that it can be referred to as white skin privilege, that actually explains what it means a lot better than the term white privilege. Don't tell a traveller they have white privilege (I've worked with a lot of people from this culture) because they certainly do not, in any way whatsoever. If you said they have white skin privilege, they may agree as although they face prejudice, they don't face the prejudice of skin colour, more the way they live their lives

@BlackBucketOfCheese I'm not fucking white!!! Can you read before you open your mouth!

I don't think people should be branded privileged as a general term meaning they are privileged in all areas instead of making it clearer that they are privileged against racism

But “white privilege” doesn’t mean you are “privileged in all areas”, it literally means you are privileged because you are white.
You’ve clearly got a chip on your shoulder about something from your past which was obviously very hard for you, that doesn’t change that white privilege exists.
The fact you get to prattle on like you do, demonstrates it beautifully.

If it’s hard for you to hear you have white privilege I’m sorry. You need to examine it as a concept and not make this a “me, me, me” situation. Life might well be hard for you, for whatever reason. No one is saying that black people all have a harder life than you. We are saying in most aspects of life, white people get off the starting blocks with a 30 second heard start. That we walk around with a target on our back. That because of the colour of our skin we are targets.

@BlackBucketOfCheese I need to prittle on because some people, like you, are clearly not reading and not picking up the fact am I not white!

The chip on my shoulder is from working with and helping white people who are not privileged. I'd just like the label to be self explanatory, is that a crime?

*I am not

Don't worry - I am on the side of equality and the Bible is pretty good on that score. Those of us brought up with that will always fight discrimination wherever we see it.

I am sure there are very few black parents on the planet who disagree me in saying getting a good education whoever you are is a good idea if you can manage it.

Let us all keep talking to each other. It is only by listening and exchanging views that people can learn to live in harmony with each other side by side.

Don't worry - I am on the side of equality and the Bible is pretty good on that score. Those of us brought up with that will always fight discrimination wherever we see it.

Yes, like the white American evangelicals, their overwhelming support for Trump and their vocal disapproval of Black Lives Matter.

I'm a Catholic. We do the equality thing extremely well. The born again evangelicals who think you only get to heaven if you have been born again are not always right even if they think they are......

I'd just like the label to be self explanatory, is that a crime?

It is self explanatory to anyone who doesn’t indulge in whataboutery.