Racism - Fun Topic, Right?

I've been watching 'The Facts of Life' because it's a show I really liked when I was younger and watching it now, the early years anyway, I realize how many topics they tried to talk about which shows had not, could not, or chose not to discuss.  Some topics are still taboo.

In the episode I watched with my husband and daughter on Wednesday, Blair (The Spoiled One) learned that someone back in her family tree had not only fought against integration, he turned out to be a member of the KKK.

Three letters that make even this whiter that white girl's heart skip a beat with sadness and despair so I cannot imagine what they do to a person of a certain other race.* (see below)

Well, Blair overcompensated to Token Black Girl on the show and then one of the girls confronted her.  Blair said something along the lines of "My grandfather was racist.  What if that means I'm racist, too?"

And the friend said "Blair, you are not racist."

Ah.  Remember that brief time in the 80s where if you treated people with respect and didn't let the color of another person's skin affect your feelings of them, you weren't a racist?  Good times.  Of course there were a lot of bigots and racists.  I'd even argue that the number is still there, but they have become better at hiding in plain sight.

Now there is a no-win situation happening.  If I notice a person is black, it's because I'm segregating them for their skin and therefore a racist.  If I don't notice a person is black, I'm not acknowledging their culture and therefore a racist.  I know that there are groups within groups that are banding together to say these things and one group thinks the former is racist while another thinks the latter is racist, but what is created is an environment where white people are not allowed to be considered "not racist".  Ever.  No matter what is done/not done, said/not said, acknowledged/not acknowledged, it is called out as racist.

Well, I discussed this with a friend yesterday.  Yeah, she's a white girl, too, so of course our opinions are from our point of view.  Keep in mind it is impossible for us to have another point of view.  We cannot choose our ancenstry whether we want to or not.  We will constantly be criticized for that.

Anyway, when someone was saying "Why isn't there a White Pride Day?" (which I think she and I both agree is not needed) she heard a response I rather liked where a commenter responded "Because when you are the first car in Mario Kart, you don't need the blue turtle."  I don't think we need to play Mario Kart to understand that!  (Although, if you do, let's just say that if you are the winner of a race, you don't need a booster pack, do you?  That seems excessive.)

I'd like to take that analogy one step further.  What happens when you are the first car in Mario Kart and everyone behind you is blaming you for being at the front?  They are clamoring for first place and making you feel like shit at every turn whether you fall to the back of the crowd or not.

I don't agree with the term reverse racism, but I'm not sure I disagree with it, either.  The fact is, I could stand before a person who is calling me a racist for this post and ask them what they want from me and give it to them and still be called a racist by someone else.  Because white people aren't even allowed to win the "I don't want to be a racist, I'm not trying to be a racist, I think racism is awful," game.  Because of the color of their skin.


(from above)*Wow.  I struggled with the end of that sentence.  Any words I chose could have been seen as racist by some segment of the population.  Which is kind of my point.