Why is it that no one can have a meaningful discussion about race and racism without some white person getting offended because you said white in it?

Question

Now I am half white and the reason I ask this anonymously is because I do not want some random right wing troll to try and get me banned or trying to kill me for daring to discuss racism on this site. Now a days I talk about racism, white privilege and slavery and these subjects does not offend me and I could care less if someone accuses me of being racist because they don't like what I said and same goes for the far right who don't want to discuss racism at all. However, what irks me is that even when a conversation is positive about white people, you have some lowlife twat say "How dare you generalize all white people!" and I am white and I know what I am talking about when discussing about white people and then I get "you are another woke liberal" or "Stop with the white guilt" after saying I am white. I have even had worse said to me, I have had some random guy on another site threaten to kill me for daring to call him a racist even though he was saying some racist stuff. Why is that no white person does not want to discuss racism even among other white people like myself.

RolandCuthbert · Accepted Answer

No one is going to get you banned for talking about racism. I would assume you can post blatant racist stuff about "Whites" since the mods let other racist slurs, etc. slide without any repercussions. It would seem that they would let things go in all directions.

Now onto this discussion;

1. I think we are going to have to stop taking bait from racists. When racists speak, they speak for themselves and for the folks who share their beliefs. We have to stop grouping all "White" people with them or asking for them to rebut racists.

2. When it comes to your identity, while some "White" people will admit that you are apart of their culture, some do not. We have to let "White" people define who and what they are. I think that is the most important part of this discussion. "White" people have mostly been taught. . . that defining themselves is racist. That idea is absurd. It is no more racist than a Navajo Indian telling you his history and explaining his culture.

3. A discussion with racists is a completely different experience. A racist is stuck in the fantasy of race. He still thinks that there is some connection between behavior, beliefs, and the few genes that express his skin complexion. There is no way forward there. But we have plenty to discuss with "White" Americans on cultural differences, differences in how we view history, incidents in our society, etc. And we need to start having those conversations immediately. But we have to find a way to leave racists out of it. We can definitely discuss racism without them. It isn't like they have anything to add.

HSalenko · Accepted Answer

Speaking as someone who is half white too, being a member of a certain race doesn't necessarily add merit to whatever it is you're saying. If white privilege exists then I haven't seen it for myself, only angry white liberal people telling me I'm a problem for existing because they think the color of my skin means I can't be biracial or face the problems of my other race. Otherwise if you're reciting talking points that paint white people less than favorably people are going to react. I know you said you also mentioned things in positive, but being that race relations in general are touchy these days, it will run people the wrong way no matter what you're saying.