I am white. I am privileged. I accept that. I think my life matters. I do NOT, however, think my life matters more than yours. I have white friends. I also have friends who are not white. Does one of their lives matter more than another life? I think not.
I have got to admit, that when someone called me out as using white privilege's I was very hurt. I could not then, nor can I make the connection now. I have seen the meme that explains to me in cartoon pictures that the blacks are discriminated against and need our help, as white people, to stand with them in thier struggle. Got that. Have had that for a long time. The same happened with Gays. Same happened with Vietnamese. Same happened with equal rights for women. Same happened with equal pay. My life has been spent fighting for rights of humans, animals and I even helped sandbag when Midtown was in danger of flooding.
You know, after all these years, I am ready to throw in the towel. I realize that right now, at this point in time Blacks have priority, but isn't there a way to stand with the Blacks AND the Indeginous tribes whose lands have been stolen by OUR government and thier women disappearing? Don't they matter? Don't the kids locked in cages on our southern border deserve part of our attention? Or are we so single minded that we can not think about more than one thing at a time?
To me this is the equivalent of having 2 fires on the stove. Do you just put out the one that is bigger or work on them both at the same time? Or when an army is engaged in war, do they only fight the enemy they see or do they work on another flank as well?
I am going to say this to whoever wants to listen: What ever color your skin is, I care about you. If these means I am exerting my "white privilege" so be it. This is all I am going to say about this matter and you can either take me or leave me, and that my friend is your choice.
