Being Pure White is Nothing to be Proud Of

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart

Growing up in Los Angeles in the 1950’s and 1960’s was interesting. When I was very young, I, my mother, and my younger brother lived in an area of West Los Angeles which was predominately white. It is fair to say that until I was in my junior year of high school, I was surrounded by and lived in an atmosphere of white privilege.

The only time I came in contact with anyone my age who was non-white was in the local parks, and later when I joined a baseball team in a predominately Black area of Venice. I never thought about it then, but playing sports gave me the opportunity to become acquainted with different races, most of whom had a different color of skin than my own.

Until my junior year in high school, 1962, and at the age of 16, I attended Catholic schools. At the end of my sophomore year, I was playing varsity basketball in a mostly Catholic summer league. I was certain to be a starting guard the following year.

In late summer, I attended an event at St. Bernard’s where I was given my schedule for the following year. I had no choices of my own. The subjects assigned were primarily classes in which I had no interest, and the subjects I wanted on my schedule the most were not on my list.

My mother listened to my complaints, including the fact that I doubted my ability to maintain the necessary grade average which would allow me to remain on the varsity basketball team. She allowed me to register at Venice High School for the coming year.

Venice High was a microcosm of America in the 1960’s. Not only were my all of my classes co-ed, there were young Black, Hispanic, and Asian men and women, and of course a variety of religious beliefs including Protestants, Jews, Buddhists, a few Muslims, a few other well-know faiths, and even some atheists. Most importantly, I was allowed to choose most of my classes for the coming year.

Halfway through my junior year, I had developed friendships with several non-white men and women. I began to see a very different America. I was surprised and occasionally shocked at how sheltered my life had been for the first fifteen years of my life.

I learned that there were “two Americas;” one for white people, and one for men and women of color. I learned that Black parents were forced to teach their children how to act when they encountered law enforcement officers. The reason: to save them from physical harm, and possibly death. I learned about discrimination which happens every day across America but is hidden by the mainstream media.

By the time I was in my late 30’s, change had begun. Those who seek an all-white nation were forced into the shadows and Neo-Nazi groups were once again hiding under rocks and in the slime at the bottom of swamps and cesspools. Then came Donald “the Destroyer” Trump.

Trump is rapidly moving our nation back into the dark days of the mid-twentieth century when the KKK was a power for white supremacy in the southern states. Trump is without question the leader of the Neo-Nazi movement in America today.

Let me tell you the truth: facts you will never hear or see from the mainstream media.

I mentioned that I had spent a number of years living in white privilege. I can tell you that most pure white men and women are racist, and feel superior to all others. For millions of Americans, anyone who is not pure white, is not Christian, and does not have access to wealth and power must be either removed from America or be placed in servitude: another form of slavery.

The arrogance of a large number of white men and women is disgusting and opposed the intent of the Bill of Rights.

Finally, I admit that at times in my life I have been ashamed to be white. I have learned from other Americans what it means to be a citizen of the United States of America. I know that diversity is our strength: it is what makes our country beautiful and why we had begun to join the rest the world’s developed nations and place the quality of life for the majority priority number one.

I believed that for the first time in history America could become a great nation. Then came Trump and his fascist supporters. They have moved into the daylight because they have a leader in the White House.

What are we going to about America’s greatest mistake?

Op-ed by James Turnage

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