racism.

This is Part Eight. Part One is here.

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Well, there was a third thing about Obama. I forgot to mention it earlier. He was black. 

Yes, I know you hate the word, racism, because you aren’t racist. You’re right. You’re not. Because racism isn’t really a thing you get to decide whether you are or not. Racism is a system that has been built to benefit white people. 

I hate that, you say. That’s fine. I hate cancer and it still exists. 

That’s not true you say. I worked hard. Cool, slaves worked harder for hundreds of years. Is it about how hard you work? Or what you get for that work?

That is an awesome idea - called meritocracy - and it’s one of the reasons we love Capitalism. Work hard and you get the payoff. Don’t work and you don’t get my money. Except you see, remember Capitalism makes a killing on people working very hard for little pay because that’s better profits - usually those people are in other countries. 

Not true. I love black people you say. Again, this is not how you love or hate someone - it’s about a system that you live in that has been built over the years (and from it’s start) with a very distinct class structure that is built to benefit one group of people over another. 

I’m at the top. I love being at the top because of a made up thing that doesn’t exist. I really do. 

There are no “black people” in Africa. Weird huh? There are people from countries like me and you. Black and white are made up stories and they are made up to make white people rise to the top and black people to sink to the bottom. Read the book Caste. Please please please. I beg you. 

We have a giant issue in our land. We don’t like losing our jobs to non-white people. We don’t like losing our power to non-white people. We don’t like non-white people (or women or LGBT or pick your hierarchy) gaining our power if we are a white man. 

We have to get over this addiction to power. Seriously, you’re better than that. Get over it. Please. Speaking of Jesus, this was the entire point of the entire thing. 

But it’s hard, I get it. 

Ever since the 1964 Civil Rights Act, FDR warned the Democrats would pay for its passage. Since then no Democrat has won the majority of the white vote and there has only been 3 Democrat presidents - Carter, Clinton and Obama. 

Damn. Whites don’t like giving up power and I truly believe in my heart of hearts and I say this as gently as possible. (But I’ve done a lot of reading and studying.) Many white people, maybe you, are voting for Trump for racist reasons. Again, you like the structure as it is and he will keep it that way - he does keep it that way - it’s in every single thing he says and does. No, you don’t hate people. No you don’t treat people poorly. 

You like the system the way it is even if it’s sub-consciously. 

Now again you have to think of the system. If you’re at the bottom it’s much harder to get out, it’s much harder to own homes, it’s much harder to break free, it’s easier to go to jail, it’s easier to get paid less, it’s easier to do everything that keeps you down the ladder and it’s harder to do anything that helps you rise. This is fact. 

That is why we have to do everything we can to right that injustice (which is what it is) and not throw flames on it because you are a human who cares about your fellow humans - especially fellow citizens, right? 

And it leads to another major issue.