Me So Angry

Listening to the radio on the way home this evening and some talk show guys are upset about a student in San Diego who was not allowed to form a "heterosexual" club at school. Apparently there was another issue somewhere about a "Caucasian" club as well that was not allowed to be formed.

To me, all of this is fundamentally stupid. Of course they should be able to start such clubs. The only reason they aren't is because they are poking fun (perhaps even maliciously) at the idea of minority groups forming clubs. But what they are truly reacting to, is the entire idea of political correctness.

In the last couple of years, political correctness has come to anger me deeply and I'm not sure why. Or maybe I do.

Today, when people bring up racism as a big problem in society, I feel the obligation to agree. But actually, every time I agree, I feel a bit phony. Because the fact is, I'm not racist. I've never been racist. I've never thought someone should be denied opportunties because of their color or race. I've never purposefully wished anyone harm because of their race. I've never done anything negative to anyone because of their race.

Now, that's not to say, I'm not prejudiced...I certainly done stupid things around black people, like adopting slang I've seen in movies and saying things like, "Naw, man." I've crossed the street when I was younger and saw three young black men wearing Starter parkas. I've gotten annoyed at Japanese tourists, I've cursed Mexican work ethic while waiting a long time for a taco, and I've even pondered the stinginess of Jewish friend.

But none of these things have amounted to any tangible harm. I can't see how society has been affected by my admittedly stupid prejudices, ones that I would be the first to denounce.

On the flip side, I can't honestly say I've been a victim of racism. I've been called a chink, which got me sore, but it was usually by a jackass friend trying to piss me off or get back at me.

My half-Chineseness has hardly influenced my options or choices throughout my life in any sort of meaningful way. It hasn't helped me or hurt me.

But, you say, just because you are not a perpetrator or victim of racism doesn't mean it doesn't exist. What kind of narcissistic bastard are you?

Perhaps. But the thing is, of all the people I know, I find it pretty tough to say that any of them are either the victims or perpetrators of racism, in any sort of meaningful way.

Perhaps they got called names, or perhaps they got slow service, or maybe even teachers didn't think they were capable of as much as they were...or maybe they've made racist remarks, had racist thoughts, or even not befriended someone because of their race. But honestly, do these things really amount to that much?

Racism is not being allowed to eat at the same restaurants, drink at the same water fountains. Racism is not being allowed to borrow money, being assaulted or terrorized because of your color, or not being allowed to attend a school, not being allowed to vote, these types of MEANINGFUL things, things that affect your life, your ability to practice freedom and liberty, and to have dignity.

You can't tell me your diginity is affected if someone crosses the street because they don't want to run into you. You can't argue your dignity is affected when people make an assumption you can speak Korean. These things are silly little results of stereotypes and prejudices, but hardly amount to a big problem with society.

But I run in privileged circles, there's no doubt about that. I don't see the underbelly of American society, so of course, by virtue of the people I know, none of them have been victims of racism - BECAUSE by definition, they are doing well.

Perhaps. But I'm not an idiot. I recognize that the Mexican community in Los Angeles is less well off that the white-bread community. I can see that. But I can't, with any intellectual honesty, say that is tantamount to racism. I imagine it is harder to get ahead in California and America when you don't speak English well - that's not racist, that's pure practicalities, and the fact is that a lot, especially older Mexicans in Los Angeles don't speak or write English that well. Their children won't have as many opportunities as wealthier white kids, but they'll have some opportunities, and they'll learn English better than their parents, and have more opportunities than their parents.

But what about the African American community? Are they victims of racism? I've had a very small and limited contact with the African American community in LA - my trips to Walmart on Crensaw, Roscoe Chicken and Waffle on Pico, and my temp job with some black folks last summer, that's about the extent of it. Were all these folks victims of racism? I don't know, the folks at Roscoe Chicken and Waffle and my temp job just seem like middle class Americans going about their business. Walmart obviously employees and serves poorer people - like me. Is this because of racism? It sure doesn't seem like it.

I guess the biggest issue in recent years has been police brutality. You could argue that subconsciously the LAPD is more disposed to hurting a black man than a rich white man, and probably be right. I have a hard time believing, however, that law abiding African American citizens walk around in fear of being wrongfully accussed or being unfairly arrested. Yes, black men probably get pulled over more often, and this is annoying, but come on, does it really make that big of a difference? I mean, teenagers get pulled over an unfair amount too. Secretly, you know it ain't that big of a deal and further, it doesn't even happen all that often.

So it's pretty annoying to hear people talk about racism as if it's a huge issue. Because I'm not about to claim that I'm a victim of it, OR let anyone else tell me I'm a victim or it. On the flip-side, I don't accept someone telling me that I'm racist, because I'm not. So then people say, well, society is racist. But who is society? It's you and me. So are YOU racist? Am I racist? Are you a victim, am I a victim? If not, then who is?

Who is this boogy-man? Where are these racist people holding others back?

The movement of political correctness is a reaction to this perceived racism, which is often intangible, but nonetheless supposedly there. So we have this movement, with an agenda, of multicultural clubs, of group identity politics, all as a reaction to what?

Who are we helping by thinking this way? Who are we hurting?

UPDATE: In response to the first (two) comments...the issue of deep mistrust and feeling as though you are suspected of a crime, are these perceptions accurate? Are they based upon incidents that actually occurred, or about something that may happen because it happened in Boys in the Hood? In short, have people gotten it into their heads that others are perceiving them in this way that inaccurate? Because when I walk around and see a black person I don't think - CRIMINAL. If I'm walking down a dark alley near the parking center and a homeless person is walking towards me yelling, I get paranoid and scared - whether they are black or white. If a car with tinted windows rides by and slows down while I'm walking, I get worried. But does this have anything to do with race?

So again it goes back to the question - are you the victim of racism? And, who is the perpetrator of racism? I don't buy into this vague bullshit, I think people don't like me or treat me shitty because of my color and it's demeaning, etc, etc, unless one can specifically state something that has happened that demonstrates hurtful, wrong, or racist behavior...not "perceived" racism, or the generalized concept of institutionalized racism, but an actual case, like - a bank didn't give me a loan because I was black. Or a policeman pulled me over and frisked me and jailed me because I was Mexican, or my brother wasn't allowed to purchase a house because he was Jewish, or my mom wasn't allowed to rent an apartment because she was Chinese.

UPDATE 2: "You live a rarified life of limited experience." Don't we all? And isn't that what makes life so interesting?