I was sent an email forward last week from someone close to me. Apparently Michael Richards (Kramer from Seinfeld) is pissed off at the response he has received since his racist tirade at a comedy club last year. I've attached the email, where Richards basically says that if minorities get to have Black History Month, or Gay Pride celebrations, then why can't we be proud (and vocally so) about being white - why don't we get White Pride Day? I thought I would post my reply to the email I sent to my loved-one (who, by the way, was not agreeing with Richards, just thought I'd find the whole thing interesting. She was right.), as it pretty succinctly relays my point-of-view. It's the purple text following the Richards stuff...
> Proud To Be White
>
> Someone finally said it.
> How many are actually paying attention to this?
>
> There are African Americans, Mexican Americans,
> Asian Americans, Arab Americans, etc.
> And then there are just Americans.
>
> You pass me on the street and sneer in my direction.
> You Call me 'White boy,' 'Cracker,' 'Honkey,'
> 'Whitey,' 'Caveman' ... And that's OK.
>
> But when I call you, N!gger, Kike, Towel head,
> Sand-n!gger, Camel Jockey, Beaner, Gook, or Chink .
> You call me a racist.
>
> You say that whites commit a lot of violence against you,
> So why are the ghettos the most dangerous places to live?
>
> You have the United Negro College Fund.
> You have Martin Luther King Day.
> You have Black History Month.
> You have Cesar Chavez Day.
> You have Yom Hashoah.
> You have Ma'uled Al-Nabi.
> You have the NAACP.
> You have BET.
> If we had WET (White Entertainment Television) we'd be racists.
> If we had a White Pride Day, you would call us racists.
> If we had White History Month , we'd be racists.
> If we had any organization for only whites to 'advance'
> OUR lives we'd be racists.
>
> We have a Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, a Black Chamber
> Of Commerce, and then we just have the plain Chamber of Commerce.
> Wonder who pays for that?
>
> A white woman could not be in the Miss Black American
> Pageant, but any color can be in the Miss America pageant.
>
> If we had a college fund that only gave white students
> Scholarships you know we'd be racists.
> There are over 60 openly proclaimed Black Colleges
> In the US . Yet if there were 'White colleges' THAT
> Would be a racist college.
>
> In the Million Man March, you believed that you were
> Marching for your race and rights. If we marched for
> Our race and rights, you would call us racists.
>
> You are proud to be black, brown, yellow and orange, and
> You're not afraid to announce it. But when we announce
> Our white pride, you call us racists.
>
> You rob us, carjack us, and shoot at us. But, when a
> White police officer shoots a black gang member or beats
> Up a black drug-dealer running from the law and posing a
> Threat to society, you call him a racist.
>
> I am proud.
> But you call me a racist.
>
> Why is it that only whites can be racists?
>
> There is nothing improper about this e-mail.
> Let's see which of you are proud enough to send it on.
The issue with Michael Richards' comments is that when you are a visible minority (which - still in these liberated present days - includes anyone who is not white), every day is white pride day unless you specifically carve one out for yourself. In our education system, political system, beauty pageant system (hee) whites still by FAR out number any other race. We have more opportunities because of our skin colour. Remember how I said that I was lucky to be a white, accent-free woman when applying for temp positions? I got placements that others would've struggled to get.
Yes there is MLK Jr. day, and black history month, etc. but truly so much of our life (flip on the television and count the ratio of white to "minority" actors) is still overwhelmingly aimed at Caucasian people. Minorities have to stand up and take an outspoken pride in their race/culture so as not to get left behind. They still fight every day for the equality we whites think exist. We do not live in an equal society - as much as our arrogance wants to believe we do. They need individualized and specific support, because whites have a blanket of opportunities over all of them.
However, I do not believe that this should give anyone the right to use racial slurs - ever. No person has the right to call me a honkey or a cracker etc. Although, in some warped way I do understand why some people are angry enough to do it anyway.
See you soon,
Kate xox
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