Me and this guy have had an argument running five days. Basically, it's over whether criticizing whites is as bad as saying that black people steal or calling them the n word. I think that telling whites not to think they are better than others or that their interpretation of the world is not the only one isn't as bad. I mean, basically this ideology makes them look like annoying assholes. Annoying RACIST assholes. And blacks for the most part don't steal(of course, I count stealing Grandma's 401k fund or defrauding poor people as being as bad as stealing)

But opinion polls and election numbers show that whites for the most part hold to this ideology of ignorance, which causes them to seem like assholes. When polled, white Americans show a blistering ignorance of the basic realities of American society. When polled on Katrina, whites decided to show their racial stereotyping by saying that most of the looter were criminals (don't worry, it was only 50%, but still a scarily large percentage), while seventy-seven percent of blacks were able to understand that the looters were 'desperate people who needed to survive'. A sad 27% of whites blamed the residents for the disaster. (Note: helicopters weren't shot at.) 87.5% of whites actually believed that blackness didn't have much to do with why people were left to die, and 79% didn't think that poverty was a cause of their being left to die. Being unaware of the reality of society is a very grave problem.

Being able to take on our perspective will be essential to fixing racial problems, because it's not about whether whites are satisfied. I'm sure many whites were satisfied with racial relations during slavery and Jim Crow(although if a white today would be satisfied with those conditions, tell him or her that he or she is an asshole), but they weren't actually really good for blacks. To improve our racial conditions, we should do it on black terms because they are the ones most affected by racial discrimination. Yes, it is sad that some whites are distanced from their black neighbors and family because of racial attitudes, or feel a loss of compassion towards people of other races, but blacks and other people of color are most hurt by it.

In a 2004 poll, 49% of blacks of blacks had experienced discrimination in the past month and 62% said they were treated unfairly. Yet, I often hear the claim that racism somehow magically disappeared in 1965(which is impossible if you think for ten seconds) Going back to the poll, a majority(56 percent) of whites somehow believed that all or nearly all of the civil rights goals had been achieved, and 21% were liars and believed they had been victims of 'reverse discrimination'- the majority of you should point out they are full of shit.

From another survey, 90% say they have heard racist jokes or comments. Tell the people saying those to shut the fuck up. In a 2001 survey, many whites were shown to have incorrect views of blacks. They showed that the majority of whites believed that blacks had equal healthcare, education and jobs. I recommend that whites learn about their black neighbors, and study the newspaper and read books about it. Learn about the base reality of our society, take it from those who are affected by it. Being white is all well and good, but you must strive to educate yourself to be a worthy member of this society. Don't assume you know everything. Instead try to understand others on their terms. I don't criticize whites who get things incorrect but are not arrogant about it or make an effort to learn about things before talking about them. But if you do not, I will say bad things about you and your ideology.

I would like to include a special appeal. The people of New Orleans will of course need library services. Donate to the New Orleans Public Library today.