Due to experience, before I begin, I will answer a few anticipated responses to this post.
Yes, I am white.
No, I am not racist.
I don't have many black friends, but I'm open to the possibility.
I don't vote for any party.
I've never attended an EDL protest, are they much fun?
Yes, I am aware of history and my privilege in being white, let's deal with my argument rather than my skin colour.
I hope my answers are to your satisfaction, so I shall come to the point of this brief (I lied) blog. I stumbled across this article on Time's website. Yes, it's an American article, and I appreciate this is HuffPost UK, but I'm pretty sure a lot of people, for reasons undetermined, seem to think it's super acceptable to be racist, so long as the target of the racism is white people. This article, though, isn't just racist, it's slightly homophobic.
Let me explain. The general impression I got from the article, apart from bitter resentment of whitey, is that gay white people, some who may be a bit sassy, are thieves of black female culture. Because that's what Beyoncé is, the pure, epitomisation of what it takes to be a black female in modern America. My issue isn't really with the opinion of the writer. The writer of the article is free to be as bitter and resentful as she pleases. She is, after all, a citizen of the free-est (sp?) nation on Earth. No, you guys and girls, not New Zealand. She is an American. And between enjoying her freedom and being angry about stuff, she is freely espousing racist beliefs that black people can have one thing which white people are, in no way, allowed to enjoy or emulate, but what if the situation was the reverse?
Let's say, for example, a similar article was written by a white girl complaining about gay black men adopting the cultural traits represented by Taylor Swift through changing love interests once a week then writing a song about how sad it makes them? What if, in the article, she said "this is our thing, and you people have no right in enjoying or emulating it in any way." Can you imagine the uproar? Of course you can, because that type of scumbaggery is shot down instantly, and rightly so. So why is it acceptable for members of ethnic minority groups to do it to poor old whitey?
For the sake of the British readers being able to relate to the point of my blog, let's use some examples that have taken place in our wonderful country. Most may have heard about the little 'debate' that took place between Spectator columnist, Rod Liddle and journalist Yasmin Alibhai-Brown. I use the term 'debate' loosely. Let's watch...
Did you enjoy that? So did I. But did you notice the very clear racism held and expressed by Yasmin? I know you probably didn't, because you're probably thinking what an utter bastard Rod Liddle is, without really considering anything said, because that's how you're trained to think. Don't you dare think otherwise, or you will be getting a brick through your window by nice liberal chaps who just want to protect your right to free speech.
Joking aside, this is but one recent example of a growing trend in the public political limelight. While, to some degree, it is understandable that individuals such as Yasmin and Labour MP, Diane Abbott (who has also made racist remarks in the past), who have been victims of racist attacks, abuse and mistreatment, may hold some racist views toward white people, why is it deemed acceptable to broadcast such things on air? We're all familiar with the amusing interviews with the likes of Nick Griffin being told how much of an idiot he is for his racist views, but why aren't members of ethnic minority groups held to the same standard?
If Rod Liddle had, during that debate, made a comment along the lines of he hoped all Asian men would be a lost species in a hundred years, can you imagine the storm that would be cooked up? I'm not saying such a storm wouldn't be justified, but I would expect a similar storm to be cooked up in response to Yasmin's comments, yet they remained largely ignored. In a supposedly equal society, there is still a prevailing and divisive hypocrisy in the way the world works. I am not saying that Yasmin or any other member of a minority group should be silenced if they hold racist views and wish to express them, yet for someone who claims they are a "...leftie liberal, anti-racist, feminist... and ... a very responsible person", you would think she would be a bit more aware of the incredible irony of her remarks.