In the wake of the Baltimore uprisings I am again embarrassed to live a privledged life simply by being born white. No, I didn't have a choice just as I didn't have a choice in being gay or straight. But, as an adult I do have a choice how I choose to view the world and what I choose to do about the injustices I see around me.
I have friends who don't understand how blacks can destroy their own neighborhood buildings and such but as today's Daily Kos article shows, whites can destroy buildings, cars, and start fires all without impunity or a slap on the wrist. And none of these events elicit any response from the outlets who could actually make a difference. It is accpeted as childish pranks or boys being boys. I don't really understand how the black community has kept it together as well as they have, to be honest. There is no worse feeling than the feeling of hopelessness and to many blacks, I suspect this is how they wake up most days.
These same friends also reject helping the homeless accusing them of panhandling or worse, that they will use the money to buy liquor or cigarettes. Who am I to tell anyone how to spend their money or to quit hoping to have what I have. Ads are everywhere to buy this product and if you don't have it, you aren't good enough. It is not right to expect people who are impoverished to not want what society holds valuable, even if that valuable is misplaced or will not change their condition.
I cannot speak for the black community anyomore than I can speak for any other group, other than the whie community and from some of things I have read lately, am appalled by their attitudes and comments. There is a despicable site on You Tube and I suspect many more inciting violence against blacks because some videos show a group of black kids harrassing a white male. The clip is too short to determine what precipitated the event but the commenters never mention that nor have the foresight to even question the clip. These videos do nothing to foster healing or understanding and never mind that most of the commenters are probably too young to grasp black history.
My sadness is that I came to these realizations later in my life than I should have. I grew up in a town that was widely segregated and would only "cross the river" when it was absolutely necessary, much of the time circumventing the entire area even if it cost extra time and gas.
I only hope that, as with many revelations, that knowing you have a problem is the first step in correcting or changing the behavior.