Photo courtesy of here.

Brian Griffin, moderator of The Cincinnati Blog, on The Banks project.  He says minorities should not invoke “the race card” because it increases the racial divide.  That divide, however, is a chasm made greater by the inane statements of a babbling white idiot blinded by hatred for black men who dare to speak their minds.

Griffin believes any white person who takes issue with his psychotic criticisms of the local NAACP suffer from “white guilt.” Such rhetoric is a blanket approach to silence white people from acknowledging the simple and basic realities of white privilege. 

The concept of “guilt” carries a negative connotation, implying some sort of wrongdoing on behalf of the “guilty” party.  To label a certain view of whiteness as ridden with “guilt” is to attempt to derail the conversation, suggesting that one’s racial birthright is not a “wrongdoing.” That is an entirely different topic.

I agree with the fact—no one should be “guilty” by the nature of their birth—but that does not mean white people should refuse to analyze the relative position of privilege they have been granted.

In short, as a white man, I can acknowledge the privileges that have been granted to me as a result of both my maleness and my whiteness, and doing so is not to experience any kind of “guilt.” It is not my fault I am a white male.  I have enjoyed my life as a white male.  But I am able to observe and talk about how that same white maleness grants me access not given to others.  Such observations and conversations are a responsibility to any white male concerned about basic justice in our society.

At this point, white people trying to avoid just such observations and conversations will immediately start pointing the finger at blacks.  Questions will likely begin with phrases like, “Why do they...?” Or perhaps these paranoid whites will tout as a universal example some white guy that someone knows somewhere who was treated badly by black people, or who allegedly lost a job to a less qualified black person, or something else. 

What do such topics have to do with white people discussing white privilege?  Can we focus on the topic? 

If not, consider the same dynamic from a different angle.

What if Cincinnati feminists pulled out the “gender” card?

What if a bunch of women started asking questions about why The Banks Working Group consists of only men?  What if these women wanted to make sure that women are included in the economic benefit associated with this huge development project?

Would Brian Griffin say he was sick and tired of women playing the gender card?  Would everyone start complaining about how these women were making the divide between men and women greater?  Would men start saying they refuse to have male guilt?  Would someone share the story about a time their male friend was picked on by girls?  Would someone make prejudicial statements, saying if women want to improve their lot in society they should stop fixating on lipstick and soap operas, working to do something productive with themselves?

Perhaps someone would start bitching about how women need to stop dressing like tramps if they want to be taken seriously.  Stop showing cleavage in the work force.  Stop showing leg.  Stop showing ankle.  Don’t show anything but your eyes.  And don’t use any eye shadow.  Wear sunglasses.  Then you won’t be tempting anyone with your body.  Maybe then the men will take you seriously. 

But probably not.

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