Color Me Bad

I am going to alienate you now. I think I've been a long time somewhat reserved now and "safe" in my postings. I'm super tired and this discussion has been damaging my head for a few days now, really heavily today and now I'm just going to spill it all out and see where the words land.

I think it's high time I came out: I'm a racist.

Now, not in the sense that I think "X" people should be treated differently than "Y" people (and by differently I mean in-equally, inferiorly, or as some fucking threat or object of entertainment). But in the sense that "yeah, we're different, so fucking what?" Not in the foul "hate you for being different than me" way. THOSE people, it isn't just that they're racists, but they're also douche bags and they make being a douche bag a fucking extreme sport at which they excel.

Still, the term it's still so frakking cringe-worthy. And damn it, I think the extreme sportsmen of douche baggery really deserve some sort of label for their douche baggery. And of course it's going to remain "racism" because the term is already long applied and accurate in itself.

But. . .(and here is where, if I don't have you alienated a bit by now, I really piss you off) we're all racists and we all know it. I'd go far enough to say that if there's an "-ist" out there, it also applies to all of us. Are you deferential to your elders, maybe you help the elderly with physical tasks you deem beyond their ease? You ageist mother lover. Guys--sight of a crying girl get your protective "fix things" urge rising? Sexist pig. I work with a dude who is very into his green, has multiple baby mamas and frequently jokes with me about how he thinks I know all the other white people because I'm white.

I think we need to stop making this notion of colorblindedness to bed. Celebrate everyone for who they are, including all of their differences. My best friend is not white and I couldn't even fathom imagining a version of him that comes from a world where our differences don't inform who we are. I think it's patently offensive. Our differences, color inclusive, help to have informed our entire development through life. How much more insulting is it to pretend otherwise?

I'm white and male. I'm not any better than anyone else because of this. Two of my favorite former professors are a black woman and a white woman and I think they're both awesome, and each of their levels of awesome are independent of their pigment or their gender.

People, start being better to each other. Start realizing that the pursuit of being politically correct just makes you a bigger ass, however inadvertently, than you were before you acknowledged your peers for who they are. Get over it already.

And take it all ways, people. If you pull up beside me and I'm sining along to Dre, if he drops the frickin' N-bomb, I'm going to drop the fricking N-bomb too because that's the fucking music and I'm in my zone, loving my music. I won't hold it against you that you're singing "Pretty Fly For a White Guy" in your car next to me.