Just wanted to share my thoughts because this video somewhat provoked me.
In this video the man shares a line of reasoning that basically punishes innocent people for things they are not responsible for, due to seeing people primarily in "groups" instead of seeing them as "individuals" first. It's a perspective that comes from a mentality that is "us VS them" not according to what "each person" has done, but what "types of people" have done. Then, these said "types of people" or "groups" or "categories of humans" become the targets of retaliation.
There are several problems I have with this.
1) It dishes out racism against those who haven't been racist at all, even those who have been respectful and treating people equally for their entire lives.
2) Modern day society has shifted away from racism greatly, yet is being punished for the actions of ancestors,
which they had nothing to do with. This is not synchronous with the idea of promoting a racism free future for everyone - rather, it perpetuates the cycle and breeds more racism.
3) I'll make the point that it promotes a cycle of more racism a separate bullet as well, and elaborate. I think that when people who have promoted diversity and equality have racism taken out on them unjustly, it creates anger in them and also breeds a sort of...justification for saying racist things. One retaliates against a "group" of people that includes those who have not been associated with the deeds themselves, then the group that's just been retaliated against retaliates back. Each of them feel justified in their actions, and therefore the racism is not stopped, but exacerbated. I myself can admit openly and honestly that although I've always been a huge promoter of diversity and I am not racist at heart, when I hear someone being racist in a way that includes me, I suddenly feel more inclined to retaliate in the same way. The anger it breeds in me is one that leaves me calloused toward those specific racist individuals. While I'm mature enough not to act upon these feelings, I can understand that I am not alone in my reactions and not everyone is able to see reasons to push these temptations aside, especially in the midst of anger, which is many times impulsive in nature.
Don't punish people for things they haven't done wrong. Often times, they start to think if they're going to be punished for it anyway, they may as well do the thing they're being accused of. Other times, they may become competitive about things, each trying to outdo the other and "win." It may also leave them without sympathy for the ways people have been treated. It does NOT give them a taste of their own medicine, because it was never these peoples' medicine in the first place. Instead, being racist back against "white people" as a whole basically takes things out on people who have been on the side of black people or whoever, promoting fairness and equality for them. It's basically a slap in the face for those who have been siding with you. It's basically betraying your allies simply because they physically look like some of your discriminating foes. It's failing to show them the same respect, equality, and fairness that they have shown you. They've defended you, gone to bat for you, and now you turn around and attack them with the same insults they've been standing with you against, basically. It's just fucked up.
The memes out there btw are lovely, go check them out.
