Originally Posted by
Tami
This may sound weird, but while there are several things that shaped my attitudes towards race, from science to my own personal experiences, there are two others: Star Trek in my youth followed by Anime which just reaffirmed it as an adult.
From Anime like DBZ and InuYasha came the idea that if an alien and a human can have really smart and powerful children, same with demons and humans, then why the heck should white people be antagonistic towards Black or Brown people? I mean, we're all humans, and if genetic mixing does occur that can only be a good thing for the future of humans. I mean, come on, aliens and demons get along better with humans in anime and other fiction than do other humans who just happen to look different. Of course, there are cultural differences, but that can happen between many groups of humans.
Star Trek, of course, did it first with Spock then later on with other Star Trek characters. Gene Rodenberry deserves credit for taking risks to slip social messages into his works.
Race, racial injustice, racial discrimination are major league issues that need to be addressed. Problem is, it shouldn't be so hard to do except for the fact that 30-50% of the residents of the US are idiots. The same kind of idiots that refuse to wear masks, pull guns on peaceful protestors, call 911 to complain about birdwatchers, or someone putting paving stones on their front yard, or painting a sign on their property. The same kind of idiots that should never be allowed to wear a badge or hold a gun.
Okay, got that out of my system. Yeah, Mets, I probably have benefited from white privilege, even in ways that I may not even be fully aware of. But I'd gladly share that privilege with everyone in the U.S. if I could. I'm not wealthy, I don't hold a position of power or influence, but if I did I'd at least try to give back what I got without thought of race, religion, or culture.