Why is white America so angry lately?

Ever since Treyvon/Zimmerman, we’ve seen the race issue all over the news. I intentionally dodged it the last few columns I wrote because I figured the media was being bombarded enough with it as it is. I didn’t need to pile on. But it doesn’t show any sign of slowing any time soon.

It is a travesty that in the year 2013 there are people who must deal with being judged by the color of their skin. It’s hard for many people to understand what it’s like to go through life where you are constantly subjected to jokes about your race, automatic assumptions from people who don’t even know you and being grouped into a category because of the actions of others. Instead of being able to relax and just be yourself, you have to be constantly aware of what others around you are thinking or even whispering. You see the looks, but you have to pretend you don’t. Yes, life is often challenging when you’re a white, conservative male.

Oops. You were expecting to see something about being a “person of color” weren’t you? Can’t blame you. Minorities have had to deal with that for generations and, sadly, still do. So why is white America so angry lately? What has changed in recent times to where the flames of race seem to burn hotter rather than cooler? Haven’t we seen enough progress? We have our first black president. (Yes, I use the term “black.” I don’t like African-American because I’m not European-American and I think such terms only serve to segregate us, not bring us together. I’m an American, you’re an American. Period.)

We have seen black secretaries of state (one of whom was a woman), secretary of defense, Supreme Court justices, congressmen, attorney general, military generals, ambassadors, captains of industry and business leaders. Clearly, the opportunity is there for everybody and the dynamics of race have changed quite a bit in recent decades. That is precisely why we see a new kind of anger here — many people just can’t seem to accept the fact that it’s not the 1960s anymore.

As a white man (and especially a conservative), I must admit that I am sick and tired of the automatic de facto assumption that I am a “racist.” I refuse to continue tiptoeing carefully in social situations because somebody who sees a racist boogeyman hiding behind every bush might call me out for something ridiculous (“why does it have to be a ‘black’ bear? Why can’t it just be a ‘bear’?”)

This isn’t something I just recently stumbled across, either. This goes all the way back to childhood where we were raised that to be white is to be born into guilt. We are not allowed to be proud of our heritage and we are indeed to blame for all the world’s problems. As I grew older, it was imperative to not use certain words and to not make jokes that others might find offensive. Fair enough. But then how come prime-time network television was able to air shows where “stupid whitey” jokes were hilarious and acceptable? How come popular music was/does keep dropping those unacceptable words so long as it’s only done by the very people who say the word is offensive? If there’s one thing I don’t like it’s a double-standard.

Quit blasting me over slavery. I have never owned a slave. You were never a slave. The sins of the father should never be laid on the son. I’ve even seen excuses for racism that say, “We have the right to be racist because of slavery.” Really? Drumming up excuses for racism? The second you do that, you’re no better than white supremacists who do the exact same thing.

I think we have tripped over ourselves for a long time acknowledging that episode in our nation’s past was shameful. At some point, we have to move on. And to those who say whites have the monopoly on the world’s history of man’s brutality, I shake my head at you for sleeping during history class, or ignoring current events for that matter. To those who think conservatives are the bastions of racism, I say the same thing; better review your history. I would encourage you to look at the party of the slave-holding South that founded the KKK, fought against the elimination of segregation and Jim Crow, defended the decision to not allow women to vote and so on. And don’t try that silly “they switched places” nonsense. I swear there must be a book somewhere full of handy (but false) ways to squirm out of a discussion on that. No, the parties didn’t “switch places” when it comes to race relations, and I could write a whole column just disproving that nonsense, but that’s off topic.

Racism is horrible and, unfortunately, exists within every race. White people don’t hold a monopoly on that either. How about instead of white vs. black vs. Hispanic vs. Asian vs. Native American vs. Jew, etc., we stand as people who are open and tolerant vs. those who aren’t? If it were up to me, we’d find a nice, big island somewhere and dump the KKK, neo-Nazis, new Black Panthers and every other hate group on it and let them fight it out, ignored by the rest of us. And yes, you could include the “good Revs.” Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton in that group. I don’t know what church you go to, but I have yet to attend one where a man claiming to work for the Lord stands up there and encourages racial division and hate. Ironically, they sound just like the intolerance they are supposedly fighting. But of course, we all know that these men get their money and power from racial tension. It justifies their existence and they rely on it to keep their power. So whenever they can, they pour the gas and fan the flames to keep it going.

Just by writing this column I am fully aware that I am inviting the bullying I always see whenever I dare, as a white man, to speak about racism. I will in turn be called a “racist” or whatever. Go ahead. Doesn’t faze me a bit. If anything, I snicker a little and feel sorry for those who must rely on such tactics when they don’t have any real rebuttal to rely on. Can’t mount a logical reply? Simply point fingers at yell “racist!” at the other person. Seems to be a lot of that going around lately.

Ben Compton is a Palmer resident and publishes his column as “Compton’s Corner,” the same title used by his grandmother, Phyllis Compton, a longtime Frontiersman columnist.