Is white privilege real? To what extent?

[Fidel_Castronaut]

You know the world isn't just America?

I feel like I should step away from this conversation. You're basically saying 'guilty by association of 'colour' and hence justifying anti racism as a new racism. "It's retaliation" is effectively "an eye for an eye."

That's about as far away from progressive as you could possibly be, so I'm out.

What the world doesn't revolve around America? WHAT? That is insane! I didn't know that. It's weird but seeing how I am American I can't really vouch for other countries and their racism level so I comment on the things I am familiar with. America is a melting pot of every other country so we see all levels of racism. I am not saying the retaliation is the way we need to go I'm saying the worst of the problems stem from white people. If I hadn't of been like that the guy wouldn't have said those things and we may have even dated. In the southern US the confederate flag flies all over and it is a constant, bitter, reminder of race issues. Our white privilege lets too many of us have big heads and egos and makes others resentful. If whites, at least here in the southern US since I obviously hafta clarify, could let it go and move on I have no doubt that things would calm down. I grew up in a military town where the majority was black and Hispanic kids. I can tell you right now I caused more racist problems than they did.

I understand and I recognize your position. I was responding to the initial idea that you can't be racist to whites, indeed that racism against whites is somehow justified on the pretense of a nebulous concept of almost 'revenge'.

I'm an espouser of an eye for an eye not being the solution to crises of race, religion, politics etc. all too often on this very forum we stand up to those who say we wish to see religion destroyed, and theists harmed or abused etc. why do we do that? We do it because we recognize that emulating the 'sins' or transgressions of the past as a justification of current is neither rational nor logical. Neither is it conducive to solving the very complex and multi-faceted issues that surround discourses of religion.

So why are people so quick to do it with race and civil rights? It perplexes me, as a white person, that I am a legitimate target for racial abuse by virtue of my skin color which I can't do anything about, and indeed by the presupposed actions of my forefathers (whom I don't know anything about and have no idea how they related to race relations. For all I know my great great great great grandfather could have been William Wilberforce). I've even seen the retort in this sort of discussions of "well, now you know how we feel." Is that the sort of discourse that can successfully harmonize relations between peoples?

I remain skeptical.

Edit: please excuse grammatical errors. Phone and all that.