Ok,
I am at a loss here (frequently lately…), I was in the car line today dropping off my 6 yo and the truck in front of me is belching noxious black smoke…as it clears and my eyes stop tearing I focus on his bumper stickers…the first one says:
Welcome to America
Either Speak English
Or Go Home
(this is all in red, white and blue)
then the one directly under it:
NEVER APOLOGIZE FOR BEING WHITE
Um…why did I feel like I need to after reading the first one?
This is a rural school, but it has all kinds of children, in my son’s class there are two boys that are Kurdish refugees, they speak English just fine, but is the mullet-sporting jackass saying that if they didn’t they should leave? I guess that means LaWend’s mom would be going back, oh but where would she go? I felt sick and appalled by these stickers, I understand this is America where we have freedom of speech, but honestly, he has to know that there are all different races/nationalities attending this school (500 students). Thanks for listening, Margo
Now I want a bumper sticker that says, “If you can’t read this, you’re illiterate.”
But seriously, I hope that the children can be taught that this inbred hick is just that. I hope that he can serve as an example to future generations. “Hey kids, don’t be this guy.”
I think the point of the second bumper sticker is to point out that’s it’s ok to be proud of being white. Maybe it should be worded differently, but the fact that blacks have their own seperate section in bookstores, their own books with titles such as it’s ok to be black, reading just for blacks and on and on, I don’t think its all that offensive.
I wouldn't put it on my car, yet I can't fault any other for doing so. Honestly, maybe he isn't racist, maybe the stickers were on it when he bought the truck, the fact remains that whites put other whites down because they seem to be ashamed of being white(white guilt), and that just isn't the way to be. Maybe that is the point of the sticker. Who knows. How is that any worse than a licsense plate i saw with blackpride on it?
Ok, with all that said, maybe bumpers tickers should be done away with and we all get personalized video screens on the bumper so we can change our silly ideas and bitch to those behind us everyday?
I think it’s very offensive. Black people have literature that reinforces that it’s ok to be black because they need it they’re an oppressed group. Everyone knows it’s ok to be white, it’s reinforced around us all everyday. IMHO we don’t need it on bumper stickers rubbing it in people’s faces.
It isn’t rubbing it in peoples faces. Give me a break. And when will blacks stop being opressed? What will it take? I see blacks with the same opportunities that whites and asians and spanish and so on have.
If anyone needs something to tell them its ok to be who they are that is weak and needy. I do not believe that is an issue of color and opression to some, many have moved on and know their place in society. And that place is what they make it, how hard they work, the choices they make and so on. Thats for whites, blacks, browns yellows and mixed.
Its way past the time to start accepting that if so-called oppressed groups can be proud of who they are and yell it from the roof tops, whitey can too...
apparently some think you should. Some people want to blame it all on whitey. If I thought apologizing would wipe out hatred, racism and stupidity, I would do it naked on national tv…But we all know it just won’t help.
At this point, I’m not sure anything will. Except maybe to send all the crackers to some far away planet and let the minorities have this one. Because god knows whites are the main cause for this one being so messed up. sheesh…
I propose that all whites be forced to have a bumper sticker on their cars that read, white and the cause of all problems...and proud of it...
Govindha, though I fear that this will eventually lead to the Pit, I will try to share a though or two with you in a constructive way in the naïve hope that it can be avoided.
You seem to have some sort of “white man anger” thing happening here, but there are a few things that I would like to suggest that you think about. First of all, the fact is that black people do not have the same opportunities as white people. There is such a thing, regrettably, as white privilege. Every time that I am not followed around a store as a suspected shop lifter, every time that I do not automatically get pulled over when speeding a little bit, every time that I take a walk at night and do not have police stop and ask for ID, I am benefiting from it. And that is just the big obvious stuff. I hate to think of how many jobs and opportunities that I have landed simply by merit of having very little melanin and a middle class upbringing.
This does not mean that I am going to apologize for being white. I have no more control over that that I do the fact that I was born male. But I will not ignore the societal benefits that this gives me, or pretend that the race problem is one which has been solved.
As to your speculation about the bumper sticker specifically, I think that it is safe to say that the “learn English or go home” in conjunction with the “Ain’t it grand to be Caucasian” stickers send a pretty strong message that the driver of that car is a bigot.
I remember when I was about 8 or 9 years old. I asked my mother why there was a Miss Black America contest but not a Miss WHITE America contest. She told me that the regular Miss America contest WAS the Miss White America contest, essentially, but that blacks and other races could enter too. She said she also thought that whites could enter the MBA thing if they choose to. (don’t know if that’s true or not).
Anyway, at that young age I had some doubts about her answer. It just didn’t seem fair to white people.
Fortunately, I (1) then grew up, (2) lived in the real world for a bit, and (3) kept my eyes open.
Govingha-- try those three simple steps and soon you won’t complain about those poor, mistreated white folks ever again.
Ya know, my SO is latina and fairly dark-skinned. And while I’ve had plenty of friends from different ethnicities and colors, read all the proper books, took courses in all sorts of dash-studies, it really, REALLY doesn’t hit home until you’ve spent damn near every waking hour with someone you love and have some of the following happen:
– Having her followed in a department store by some woman dressed as a “normal” but being rather unsubtle about the fact that she was watching my SO intently.
– Having the union rep talk to her white, male co-worker who she supervises instead of talking to her. Even AFTER he’s informed of the fact that he should be talking to HER.
– Have some obnoxious woman come up to my SO and ask, very loudly, DO YOU SPEAK ENGLISH? (Yes asswipe, she’s 3rd generation). Bonus negative points since she did it when we were having an obviously intense conversation.
The last one totally had me feeling apologetic for being a Caucasian.