Response to Unbearable Whiteness

(See: Just Above Sunset: Unbearable Whiteness)

About W. Kamau Bell's “White people, come get your boy":

“Donald Trump isn’t a Republican issue or a rich people issue or a human issue. Donald Trump is a white people issue. Whenever Ben Carson says batshit crazy nonsense, Black people rise up, and let him know that he needs to STFU. Whenever Raven-Symone pops off, we put her cap back on. We even handled Rachel Dolezal for you. Yes, we also make jokes and come up with clever memes and hashtags, but at the core of all that is that we are letting these people know that they are embarrassing us as Black people. 

It is time, white people, for you to finally step up and recognize that you also (even more so) have a responsibility to your race. It is up to you to silence Donald Trump. Don’t just insult him and make fun of him. You have to connect it to your race. Recognize that he is embarrassing you as a white person. Simple snark won’t win here. You have to feel it. You have to use words like “as a white person” and “he is an embarrassment to my race.” 

Stop acting like Trump isn’t the pinnacle and the result of America’s history and tradition of white supremacy. And again, P.S.: Simply put, white people, come get your boy.”

Not a chance, Kamau.

First of all, I am not one of those people who thinks black people should "take care of their own." If you feel like telling Ben Carson he's wrong for thinking a Muslim shouldn't be president or whatever, be my guest. But please don't do it because he's "embarrassing Black people." I feel qualified to tell Carson the same thing, and I don't care if he's disgracing his race or not. His race is just fine. It's not his race that's saying something stupid, it's him.

Yes, yes, I know! White people have always told black people they should speak up when other black people misbehave. First of all, white people shouldn't tell you that, and second of all, you shouldn't listen to them.

Furthermore, even if none of that were true, Donald Trump's major transgressions are so wide-ranging, they are hardly confined to racism, particularly not just anti-black racism. And while so many of us white people may always be saying not everything is about race, and so many black people reply that "everything is about race", you have to understand that this may be true if you are part of minority, particularly one that has suffered historical persecution, it's not to those of us in the majority. You're probably much more aware of Donald Trump being white than I am. In truth, the fact hardly ever occurs to me.

While it can easily be argued that Barack Obama and Jesse Jackson and Alan Keyes are "famous black people", Donald Trump is not a famous white person. Yes, technically, he's famous and white and even a person, but unless you're a person of "non-whiteness", it's hard to see "whiteness" as being one of Donald Trump's distinguishing features. So no, my own whiteness notwithstanding, I can't be held responsible for Donald Trump -- even if I could control him, which I can't.

So here's the deal:

I will not be holding you responsible for everyone of your whole race, so please don't hold me responsible for mine.

Rick