By Mark Stinson
Silk Hope, NC – Lately no matter how hard I try there is some very fragile person who melts down if I don’t say something to suit their emotional fragility. These overly critical overthinking superficial I’m better than you are perfectionist offend me. Yes! I said it they offend me because they stand on their platform preaching to the multitudes about inclusiveness and diversity all while shaming and bullying those who don’t agree with them and creating division where there was none.
What set me off was for someone to stand on a platform and preach about someone using the term China or Chinese virus; but then in the same statement refer to the side of Chatham that does not agree with her idea of perfection as the UGLY side of Chatham is at best hypocritical. Calling the virus Chinese or China virus is not racist. It came from China. If it had come from the US I would call it the American virus. Seriously, what is wrong with people? I don’t blame Chinese people for the virus. They have suffered with it like the rest of us.
I’m not apologizing for using the area of where the virus originated from as a descriptive term, no more than I’m apologizing for being white. I didn’t make an anonymous post but I have used the term Chinese virus. I don’t make anonymous posts because I’m tired of running from these self righteous hypocrites who think just because they take the high road and won’t hurt a butterfly they are better than the rest of the ugly people in the world.
What’s the difference in belittling someone of color because of color and belittling them because they don’t think like you? By the way, white is a color too and to tell people they should be ashamed of being white is as racist as calling someone the “N” word because they are black. While I am on this little tirade; why is it that if a person of any color but black uses that word they are racist, but a black person can use it in a rap song and it’s cool, OK and just fine? I don’t see these sisters Betty better than you folks who are offended at everything going after the rappers pointing fingers at them telling them they are ugly or racist. Why is that ?
No, Carmen this is not an attack on you. It is my opinion and you just put the last straw on the camel’s back that broke it. I went to school here in the 80s. We had gotten to a point that we all got along well. It didn’t matter what color you were; you were friends with anyone else of any color. We had interracial dating. We had blacks waving confederate flags, whites wearing Malcolm X shirts and Mexicans waving everything! We finally ran the Klan off after years of ignoring them.
It wasn’t a black or white culture it was southern culture. This is something no one who moved here from way off has ever really tried to understand; just erase. We got to a point where we didn’t emphasize race and got along fine until people moved here telling us we were all racist again without acknowledging where we came from and where we were. We were healing and even though people would say ignorant things we learned to ignaore them. That was the best way to make it go away. Unfortunately ignoring the sisters Betty better than you bunch is not working. These folks are divisive and spiteful while melting down over every little thing. People like this have set us back 50 years with their all inclusive Kumbaya mindset .
I look at these folks desperately trying to make an imperfect world perfect by controlling everyone like I would a fireman throwing gas on a house fire he’s trying to put out. It makes no logical sense. Now with this said , I am southern. I have been for almost 57 years. I have run businesses where I hired people for their skills without looking at color, sex, race or where they came from just like my daddy did. I did however decline hiring educated idiots that couldn’t tell the difference between a screwdriver and a wrench. I love all my friends of all colors and all races. I love all my children and grandchildren one of which is mixed race.
I still believe you should say “yes mam”, “no mam”, and “yes sir,” “no sir.” I have been accused of toxic masculinity and being a racist just because I’m white. I was told I should be ashamed of being white even though I have ancestors black slave traders captured in Ireland and sold into slavery in Jamaica, north Africa and here in the states. I have never told a person of color they should be ashamed of their color because of a 1 in a million chance their ancestor may have been one of those who enslaved one of my distant family members.
Everything we hold to be true is from our own unique point of view and perspective. It’s OK to have a different point of view. Just don’t beat others over the head with it .
I’m done venting now.