Last week, MTV News received backlash for posting a video on social media titled “Hey, white guys.” The video aimed to offer white dudes like myself some new years resolutions to be a little less universally awful. These resolutions included topics from “stop mansplaining” to “understand that Black Lives Matter.” MTV’s truthful and timely jab at white guys provoked extensive criticism, causing the news team to remove the video just a day after it was posted. But why all the backlash for the much needed message? Well, apparently some consider it racism and sexism… what?
The Odyssey Online published an article an article a few days ago in response to MTV News titled “Spoiler Alert: Straight, White Men Aren’t The Root Of All Your Problems”. The tweet promoting the article said the video was being “unabashedly racist/sexist against white dudes.”
.@MTV's “Dear White Guys" is an attempt to be funny while being unabashedly racist/sexist against white dudes. https://t.co/O0IOGnv6xT
— Odyssey (@TheOdyssey) December 27, 2016
So let’s go ahead and tackle the giant, ridiculous, racially-charged elephant in the room. White people cannot experience racism. (Like, it’s almost 2017. I can’t believe anyone still has to explain this.) Racism is systemic, ongoing oppression. Racism is not simply prejudice or discrimination. White people have never faced systemic oppression. Never.
It befuddles me that my fellow white people are unable to understand that we are not and will never be the victims of racism. And to claim that “straight, white men aren’t the root of all your problems” is ridiculous. Because quite frankly, we are the root of many if not all of the problems that face our society. Trust me, I’m not just some self-hating, leftist pessimist; I’m being objective. As painful as it may be to admit that my exact demographic is to blame for basically every prolonged societal issue, it’s true and it needs to be addressed — especially considering it’s still being denied by so many others.
First off, racism (actual racism — not simply prejudice) is all because of white men. Who initiated a labor system with no pay upon Native Central and South Americans? White men. That system laid the groundwork for racial oppression that branched to African Americans that still affects people of color today.
Sexism is also the result of white men. Who largely oppressed women, restricting them from becoming full-fledged citizens of our country for so long? White men. Who perpetuates rape culture by refusing to be held accountable for our actions? White men.
We also can’t forget that white dudes have been known to screw up our nation’s political system. Real Clear Politics ran a story on the top ten most corrupt politicians in U.S. history, and guess what? They’re all white dudes. And to be completely honest, we’ll probably be able to add Donald Trump to that list in the matter of a few years.
It’s no doubt that white guys actually have and continue to create major problems for our society. As a white dude myself, I am ashamed that we continue to be so crappy. White men such as myself need to get our heads out of our asses and realize that we can do better. We need to do better.
Hopefully the upcoming new year proves to be a fresh start for us white men by giving us the opportunity to redeem ourselves for our not-so-admirable past.
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