Empowering the "Victim" classes. Double standards?

[Goofball]

I'm sorry if you think my argument reeks of sexism and racism. I don't see it that way. I see the whole process now as a series of growing pains. Minorities now have a sense of newfound power that they never had before. It's only natural that they try to flex that muscle a bit and test the limits of it. And when those limits are reached, that's what will naturally cause the pendulum to swing back in the other direction, as I believe we can see happening right now.

It's not a question of justice or revenge.

And it's certainly not a question of whites being slaves. I didn't say that, and that can not possibly even be inferred from my statement.

Minorities have been oppressed for thousands of years. Finally, over the past few decades, the powered classes have realized that this should be corrected and have made attempts to rectify the situation. Some of the measures have been imperfect (and even divisive), such as affirmative action. Others have been just plain common sense, like making wheelchair access mandatory in buildings, or forcing employers to hold womens' jobs while they are on maternity leave.

But the key point is that these measures were not designed to punish anybody for past injustices. They were only meant to level the playing field.

And I have to laugh at you trying to compare your current "paying" to what blacks have gone through for the last few hundred years in North America.

It's like holding a birthday candle beside a oil well fire.

I'm not comparing my current situation to the past. Where did I say that?

You're right. I reread your post and you didn't make a direct comparison.

You asked why you should have to "pay" today for what happened to blacks in the past, drawing a parallel or connection between the two experiences. My point was that any possible swing of the pendalum against whites has still caused nowhere near the pain and suffering that North American blacks have been going through for the past few hundred years, and can't be compared.

I wasn't aware that the minorities today were alive thousands of years ago. How do they get the sense of this "newfound power" when they weren't alive while they were being denied it - so the thousands of years argument doesn't fly with me.

I could make the argument that minorities are still experiencing oppression today, but I have a feeling that you would dismiss that out of hand, so how about a little middle ground we can agree on.

Would you agree with me that blacks were still being oppressed in North America as recently as the 1960's?

If yes, would you further agree that some of those blacks who were alive in the 1960's are still alive today?

There. You've answered your own question.

I'm not acting like whites are victims, I'm just sick of racism and sexism being used as excuses for failures.

Your original post would indicate that you are acting like a victim. You ranted about having to pay for past injustices that had nothing to do with you.

A person who is blamed and punished for something they didn't do can very rightly be called a victim.

So, which way do you want it? Are you a victim or not?

People today are a hell of a lot less willing to take responsibilities for their actions, and I'm sick of their BS.

I agree, it makes me sick too. Like the guy (there's one in every office) that gets one beer into him then starts with "I'm not a racist, but two black guys walk into a bar...."

The joke always turns out to be extremely racist, but he thinks its funny and takes no responsibility for the effects of his role in perpetuating negative racial stereotypes.

I'm also sick to death of the argument that "we deserve the backlash" (maybe that isn't what you're saying but I've heard it plenty of times) Deserve it why? I wasn't aware that I was a slaveholder and denying women the right to vote.

I've read the thread through again and find no instances of anybody making that argument. I have tried to stay away from the use of this word as much as possible lately in the Backroom, but you are making such blatant use of the tactic (and I don't even think you realize that you are doing it) that I feel I have to say it:

Strawman.

Yuck.

There, I've said it.

I feel a bit dirty now.

I hope you're happy.

I'm not in any way even saying that whites have it bad, and I don't have much problem with the arrangements today, I'm just tired of the people that make me try to feel guilty for what I didn't do. It's just one of my pet peeves./endrant

Fair comment. As I've said before, trying to help minorities should not be about punishing whites. And that means it should not be about guilt. Any action undertaken only out of a sense of guilt is tainted right from the get-go.