by Glenn Littrell
There is a reason why someone like Michael Jordan does not have to stand up and tell the public how good of a basketball player he is, why Robert DiNiro doesn't have to prove how good an actor he is, etc.
Because it is well known, their talent, abilities and character are publicly recognized and last but not least they are respected for their accomplishments.
African-Americans, Mexican-Americans, Asian-Americans, and American Muslims, as well as Italian, Irish and Native-Americans have in the past and present had to fight for recognition and acknowledgement of their contributions to American culture and greatness. They have had to do this while being oppressed, enslaved, massacred, demonized, hung, incarcerated, and segregated by mostly 'white' America.
The inability, or at least slowness, of their recognition by main stream (or majority of) America has made it necessary for them to stand up and point out that they have awareness of their contributions, that they have a claim and a right to equality and full participation. This is why they have a right to be proud Americans and this does not diminish the right of white Americans to also be proud, but when being proud of our accomplishments and greatness one of the things we should be proud of is an ability to distinguish and acknowledge our shortcomings. Its called humility, and pride without humility is just plain vanity, and too many whites, for whatever reasons confuse humility with weakness.
As a result of segregation in particular the distinctions were already there. What I'm saying is that the reason these phrases came about is that there is history and background that created the need and use of these phrases. Everyone has a right to be proud of their heritage and culture, but many have been denied that right. The need for promoting their pride stems from their culture, heritage, identity and race being oppressed, demonized, etc. It is one means amongst many to encourage their youth to achieve. It is not and should not be a means to denigrate others.
I'm not saying all whites are this way, I'm not saying that being proud is wrong, I'm answering what I perceived to be the question: HOW COME some cries for showing pride are taken as good and some as not good.
And therein lies the problem with 'white pride'.
The phrase "white pride" on the other hand as been used by many, and effectively, as a rallying cry to promote white supremacy and subjugation. It is used in a different context and while some may want to use it now, in a new context, the label Racist is going to be attached to it because of its history whether we like it or not.
The concept of 'white pride', like the Confederate Flag and burning crosses are not symbols of hatred because African-Americans, Jews, Catholics and other minorities made them so. They are symbols of hatred and oppression because white America, specifically racist Americans and passive Americans promoted them as symbols of fear and hatred, either actively or by silent tolerance, .
No person of color burned a cross on a white-man's lawn, waved a confederate flag at a white-man's hanging, or screamed white power at at a white child who needed a National Guard escort to attend grade school. These symbols of hate and fear, were made so by white Americans like the KKK, the American Nazi party, so called Christians, cowards, vandals, and degenerates.
I am white, I am not ashamed of it, nor am I vain about it. I have enough self-respect to not need to denigrate someone else to feel good about myself. I have the humility required to extend a level of mutual respect to everyone on a personal level until they prove themselves unworthy of that respect.
Does white America need a ‘White Pride’ movement?
The purpose of the analogy of Jordan and DiNiro is that for them to seek and need further and constant validation of their talents whenever someone else's stature or talents are recognized, would reflect a gross insecurity, egotism and whiny-ness that would approach some level of being pathetic.
We are all proud on many levels. Proud Americans, proud parents, proud, professional, proud of our culture, heritage,etc., but when your or part of the dominate group, your culture and heritage is taught as the countries culture and heritage, but you feel slighted, or you feel yours is being attacked, because others that are excluded from your group are also taking some pride then that approaches some level of being pathetic.
NOTE 1: Why the hyphenated Names?
Is the use of hyphenated identities divisive. If this upsets you then you don't get what I'm saying, but I will explain that too in hopes that you might get it.
When a woman (or in some rare cases, a man) takes their spouse surname without dropping their maiden name (when being married) this is not a sign of divisiveness. It is an action that comes out of their unification. (Actually, the divisive action might be dropping the adopted surname and hyphen following the divorce... but in reality the divorce is the divisive act)
Punctuation is divisive? Really? Choosing to claim that you are American is divisive? Where were you when the precursor to hyphenated references were derogatory slang and slurs? Hyphenated titles are the alternative to those slurs, which were the product, symbol and tool of divisiveness.
NOTE 2: In anticipation that someone will feel the need to state that most of the atrocities of racism occurred in the distant past, let me point out that most of them also occurred in our lifetime and if you pick up a newspaper you will see they still occur.
Case in point: recently armed agitators picketed a house of worship waving American flags, wearing shirts covered in profanity and shouting hateful rhetoric at the churches attendees. Excuse me, I meant Mosque attendees. Whew! Would have been a bad thing if it occurred at a church.
I only hope, probably in vain, that if some little Muslim girl attending that Mosque, witnessing the American flag and hatred being waved at her, doesn't grow up with animosity towards America. If ten years from now some Muslim teenager burns a flag, or the future Muslim 1st Lady expresses new found pride in American, I wonder if we will remember the proud day we destroyed her faith in America?
I am white, I am not ashamed nor am I vain. I have enough self-respect to not need to denigrate someone else to feel good about myself. I have the humility required to extend a level of mutual respect to everyone on a personal level until they prove themselves unworthy of that respect. GlennDL
UPDATE – 6-29-2015:
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