4 ms·

This might not be the right place to ask this but I respect the opinion of people who read and post on HN. I don't believe I am racist or sexist. I like to bel

This might not be the right place to ask this but I respect the opinion of people who read and post on HN. I don't believe I am racist or sexist. I like to believe that I love everyone. I care about people. I don't want to look at gender or race or sexual orientation or any other differentiator when I get to know someone, or ever. I don't want to judge others. I want people to have equal rights. I want people to live happily, healthy, and safely. But, I am a highly paid middle class white male in the US. I want to know that I am helping to bring about this equality and lack of judgement. I see articles being advertised in the middle of the parent article like "What do black people have to lose under Trump? A lot" and I think "How can that be possible?" Then I realize it is no doubt completely possible. And I know my opinion doesn't matter much but I don't want that to happen. I want people to have equal rights. I want people to feel safe, happy, and healthy. But my desire is not enough. I don't have an answer to this problem. I don't have some ulterior Motive. This is a bit of a rant against myself. I'm upset with myself that I don't know what to do to make it better. Maybe someone here will know.

tboyd47 9y ago
I think the easiest thing to do is just be educated in the facts and able to defend your views without getting caught up in the political rhetoric of the day. A lot of racism is just ignorance and callousness towards others, combined with a lack of resolve to do what's right, which is really true about all of us to a degree. People feel like they have enough to worry about without others' problems. Also when you expose racism you are exposing the nasty underbelly of this country's history (assuming you're American), which is hard for people to handle. People will make some of the most embarrassing and extreme statements when confronted about race. I believe that's because the topic puts them in a state of distress. I try and have the mindset of helping and educating people rather than judging them or censoring them. After all, if you are saying racist stuff, it is you who has the problem and no one necessarily has to say anything. It's like telling someone they still have a sticker on their shirt. You are really doing them a favor so if they don't want a favor, there's no harm in just leaving them alone. Like you said, I don't have all the answers and certainly am no Daryl Davis but I think about this stuff a lot and find myself in a lot of debates about it with family and friends.
ThrowawayR2 9y ago
> I'm upset with myself that I don't know what to do to make it better. Maybe someone here will know. Inform yourself about the candidates and vote. Encourage everyone you know to inform themselves similarly and go out and vote. Help those who are restricted by time, poverty, or other issues to get out and vote. We are being ruled by those chosen by the public who cared enough to exercise their vote. If we want to be ruled better, it can only be through choosing better leaders.
joveian 9y ago
My suggestion: since you have money, use some of that money to help correct long term structural issues. Control of land is often at the core of these issues (and limits the need to make complicated value judgements around what is helpful or not), so I would suggest looking for ways to help increase land ownership in maginalized groups. One example of the type of organization I am thinking of is Portland Community Reinvestment Initiatives[0], which has a focus on correcting injustices towards African-Americans in Portland. Another would be donating money or land to a First Nation, many of which have ongoing campaigns to recover land. [0] http://pcrihome.org/about/history http://pcrihome.org/about/history

tboyd47 9y ago

I think the easiest thing to do is just be educated in the facts and able to defend your views without getting caught up in the political rhetoric of the day. A lot of racism is just ignorance and callousness towards others, combined with a lack of resolve to do what's right, which is really true about all of us to a degree. People feel like they have enough to worry about without others' problems. Also when you expose racism you are exposing the nasty underbelly of this country's history (assuming you're American), which is hard for people to handle. People will make some of the most embarrassing and extreme statements when confronted about race. I believe that's because the topic puts them in a state of distress. I try and have the mindset of helping and educating people rather than judging them or censoring them. After all, if you are saying racist stuff, it is you who has the problem and no one necessarily has to say anything. It's like telling someone they still have a sticker on their shirt. You are really doing them a favor so if they don't want a favor, there's no harm in just leaving them alone. Like you said, I don't have all the answers and certainly am no Daryl Davis but I think about this stuff a lot and find myself in a lot of debates about it with family and friends.

ThrowawayR2 9y ago

> I'm upset with myself that I don't know what to do to make it better. Maybe someone here will know. Inform yourself about the candidates and vote. Encourage everyone you know to inform themselves similarly and go out and vote. Help those who are restricted by time, poverty, or other issues to get out and vote. We are being ruled by those chosen by the public who cared enough to exercise their vote. If we want to be ruled better, it can only be through choosing better leaders.

joveian 9y ago

My suggestion: since you have money, use some of that money to help correct long term structural issues. Control of land is often at the core of these issues (and limits the need to make complicated value judgements around what is helpful or not), so I would suggest looking for ways to help increase land ownership in maginalized groups. One example of the type of organization I am thinking of is Portland Community Reinvestment Initiatives[0], which has a focus on correcting injustices towards African-Americans in Portland. Another would be donating money or land to a First Nation, many of which have ongoing campaigns to recover land. [0] http://pcrihome.org/about/history http://pcrihome.org/about/history