I feel bad because I'm white... :(

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Don't feel guilt, it was the choices of royalty in the past, or small groups of people, that led to things like the Scramble for Africa or slavery in the United States
Leave the guilt to the historians. Its best if everyone moves on and doesn't let the past consume them. Hate groups, Fascists- they are consumed by the past. It is more important to look to the future, but to never forget the lessons of the past, and try never to repeat them. No people of the world is truly innocent. Same s**t, different day

This thread makes you want to throw up?

I stand by what I say above. I'm not going to feel guilty about the actions of white people who lived hundreds of years ago, or anyone else's actions today.

As for forefathers, I've managed to trace my forefathers back to the 14th century. I have 3800 people on my family tree. They were all working class tenants; farm labourers or factory workers. A few were deported to Australia for stealing food. A lot were Irish peasants who had to leave Ireland due to the potato famine. A few emigrated to America to escape religious persecution. Some ended up in the workhouse. A lot died of horrible diseases very young. The women had 10, 12, 14 children. I am not going to feel guilty about their lives. They struggled to survive, just as the majority of white people, and all people of whatever colour, have done for centuries. None of them had the vote. None of them had any say in how the rulers of their country managed affairs at home, never mind abroad. I'm still struggling to survive today, life is enough of a struggle without bearing the guilt of other people's actions.

True. Similarly, few of the most serious atrocities that took place under the British Empire are the fault of people alive today. So I wouldn't expect a German teenager to feel personal guilt for the actions of Nazi Germany - they were appalling times in history and we must learn from them but they weren't their fault.

So don't be made to feel guilty about something that isn't your fault. You weren't there, you didn't make those decisions. It's nothing to do with you and misplaced guilt is often used by modern-day professional whiners for political advantage.

In case anyone missed it, part of my reply was in response to the idea that it's over with. It really isn't a thing of the past. Would be nice if it were.

We live in a free country, a free society where people are allowed to express themselves any way they want . It relies on the individual to be intelligent enough to understand and accept other people the way they are. I said it's over with - meaning the government racism of individuals, not independent racial ideology of an ordinary American. If the race issue were dropped , and we finally accept that we're all humans then you'd see less racism in America. Also as I stated earlier, I feel empathy, but being ignorant to what drives racism is something that should be addressed.

I'd like to add that, obviously racism exists. It does in every country that I know of , and will continue. I was referring to the institutionalized view of racism practiced by government. The emancipation of proclamation freed the slaves, that was what I was referring to and the civil rights era. Theirs no question you'll still see racism in America, by all ethnicity's and I suspect it's due to lack of education.

What do you mean by POC?

And I really know me and I'm not going to become some kind of racist like in American History X. And it's also not just guiltiness, it's also like I tend to view other races as kinda superior because they did less s**t. Of course I know it's BS, and that we're all human and not black, white, asian etc... but there's still this subconscious that comes back. That's what pisses me off, because I know I shouldn't be proud or ashamed of being white, much like a black person shouldn't...

POC People of Colour

I felt like this in high school.

I went to a rough school with half black half white people mostly. I felt guilty for being white and coming from a loving family. I don't know why.

Get a tan, problem solved.

I never understood this "white guilt" thing. Some humans discriminate, this is not in the least a unique trait of "white people".

er ner, liberal guilt!!

Seriously, you didn't do anything wrong so how could you be guilty. You don't have to be proud of your countries crimes in the past, but immorality is not a sexually transmitted disease

Don't feel bad for what you are - feel bad for what you do!

peace j

It's not a matter of actually being guilty. Reverse racism still makes the subject feel guilty and awful.

People 'of the black race' do some pretty appalling stuff too. Slavery still exists in many parts of the world. Then you've got tribal wars, mass rape, Zimbabwe and so on.

But the average black person doesn't and didn't have anything to do with that sort of stuff, so why should they feel guilty for the crimes of other people? It's ludicrous.

And hale_bopp is right: it's racism.

Would you rather be... purple? Like Barney?

If you live in America, think about all the white people with a native tribe in their family tree. We all may not look like it (cept maybe my sister), but most of us have one or more of a colored relative. In fact, I knew a bleachy blond who was 1/3 Navajo. Is some idiot with personal issues trying to guilt trip you?

That's what I thought.