Madame Thursday

Mar. 12, 2012 at 12:09pm with 193 notes

Yes, you are *like that*

Dear Fellow White People,

I’ve noticed that when PoC (particularly the many wonderful WoC here on Tumblr) talk about their lived experiences and things happening to them and their communities, especially things inflicted by white people, white patriarchy, or general whiteness there are a great deal many of us who’s first and most vehement response is, “Not all white people are like that!”

As someone who is trying to come get her fellow white folks and herd them onto the clue bus so that PoC don’t have to waste time with you, let me inform you (as they have so often informed you) - if your first response to reading about someone else’s pain is, “But I’m not like that” then, actually, yes you are exactly like that.

They’ve been telling you this for a while. A long while. But you’re not getting it. And you’re showing your ASS or acquired selective sociopathy, which is what I like to call the way whiteness causes you to dehumanize non-white people.

The appropriate response to someone’s pain is empathy. The minimally decent reaction when told you might - however involuntarily or unwittingly - be involved in causing that pain is to think, “Well, gee, I don’t want to be part of that. How can I make sure I’m not doing that?”

If you are a white person who’s pushed back the pervasive, sociopathic influence of whiteness just enough to start asking such questions, then be aware that you still don’t deserve a cookie. Because that’s the bare minimum requirements of not being a total and utter douchewaffle, okay?

When you lay down your very life to combat whiteness, then we’ll talk about maybe a half a cookie or something. Until then, just realize that on the Test of Humanity, that response gets you a couple of points above the pass/fail mark. You pass, but you could be doing so much better.

As for you others?

You are like that. You are once again prioritizing your feelings above their very lives and realities. That’s what makes you EXACTLY like that. Because that’s the essence of whiteness and racism - to place yourself, your feelings, your wants, your needs, your comfort, and your view of the world far above those of anyone else and then do all that is necessary to make sure you never need do any different.

Because when someone makes a post like this about the n-word slur and white people who use it and then act afraid of Black people in public settings? The correct response (or at least the minimally decent one) is, ”Wow. That’s very true. Do I do that? I better make sure to eradicate the n-word from my vocabulary and thinking as a white person. I should make a point to learn about that word and it’s harmful use against Black people and communities so I can be more away. Maybe I also do the head down thing in public. I should go read more about it so I can learn how it’s harmful and ways to do better. Oh, hello there Mr. Google. Can you help me find some things that have already been written on this topic?”

That’s the response you need to be giving at the very least. And if you aren’t, if you’re not even trying to give a different once besides “We’re not all like that! Stop generalizing us based on your completely correct observations about how a VAST NUMBER OF US WHITE PEOPLE HAVE ACTED!” - then yes you are EXACTLY like that.