The reason I posted it is because, besides being funny, it's absolutely true. In fact, as I was saying to someone just the other day, if God gave me the option to do this whole "life" thing all over again, I would definitely choose to be born a white male American in the latter half of the twentieth century. I wouldn't even hesitate. Would you?
Why do I bring this up? Last week, when I was driving up to Minnesota, I suggested that some of the animosity toward President Obama was racial. (Republicans hate to hear this, so I braced myself for the inevitable pushback.) Instead, my traveling companion admitted that, yes, her husband didn't like the president because he was black.
My jaw dropped to the floor. And not because I was surprised, but because she volunteered it so readily.
"Really?" I asked. "Why?"
"Because," she answered, "at the companies he worked for blacks got preferential treatment. They would often get hired or promoted whether they deserved it or not because of pressure from the government. Then they'd end up in HR or somewhere where they couldn't do any harm. Wasn't that true where you worked?"
"No, not really. In fact, there were few, if any, blacks at the Wall Street firms I worked for in the 1980s and '90s.
"But back to your husband. Did he miss out on any promotions or opportunities because he was white? How many CEOs or high-level executives in America are black, anyway? And didn't he have a good career? In fact, hasn't he led a pretty charmed life? A good marriage, two college-educated kids, two grandchildren, a vacation home in Michigan -- looks pretty good from where I'm sitting."
I didn't say so, but I wouldn't be at all surprised if his net worth is north of a million bucks. Not bad, right? Now, granted, he's worked hard all his life (probably the hardest-working guy I've ever met -- with the possible exception of my own wife), so he deserves everything he has. But, am I supposed to feel sorry for him? Is he really some sort of victim? Didn't he, as Louis C. K. says in the video above, have a leg up? I mean, wouldn't you rather be born in some middle class white suburb than poor and black on the West Side of Chicago? What are the odds you'd go to college and even be in a position to complain?
It's funny; I always knew some Republicans were racist. (After all, I know how white people talk about blacks when there aren't any around.) But they're usually loath to admit it. Wow.
* Not suitable for work. Come on, you didn't know that?
1 comment:
A lot don't think they are racist because they're not *organized* - they don't go to meetings or read Stormfront or whatever (just Fox News). But they dislike Democrats because Dems will "give my money to those lazy people". They will tell you that Obama has given LOTS of money to "those people" who "refuse to work". They will tell you about "welfare queens" and people buying lobster with food stamp wearing fur coats and driving fancy cars. But they will swear that they are not racist.
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