I did one of those ancestry DNA tests a few years back and the results weren't surprising. Mostly black, around 20% European, some native american, and a tiny tiny bit of Chinese/Filipino. Since I am big on genealogy and the family tree I like it because it connects you with anyone who shares DNA with you from siblings to super distant cousins. Every few months I check on matches and I'll reach out and try to figure out how we are related if possible.
I met a white distant cousin and since he lives within 10 miles of me we decided to meet up for lunch recently. I was so surprised I had to hold back laughter because one of the first things he did was apologize for slavery (the ggg grandfather we have in common had children with slaves on the side besides his legit family). I asked him what he has done to apologize for and he sounded like a typical brainwashed college student. He had all the talking points about privilege, systemic racism, and the rest. Since I wanted to just eat lunch and get to know him I gave a little push back and then changed the subject. Surprisingly there may be some hope with him. He invited me to a party him and his wife are throwing next month so I'll see him again then.
I am so tired of hearing about privilege. Life is a lottery and you can be born in either a billionaire family or the poorest third world village and everything in between. I would say two privileges that I had were being born in the United States and having two involved parents (who have been married almost 50 years now). As a kid I used to hate it when my mom dragged us to the library because she insisted that we frequently read but now I am grateful for it. She also used to make us listen to tapes in the car that taught different vocabulary words. Another thing I'm grateful for now.
Just boggles my mind how many people live to be oppressed or seem to feel some sense of moral superiority by whining about how hard they have it in their suburban home.
In most white people it’s a reaction of fear. I learned along time ago that normal black people hate people who walk on eggshells around them.
Yea. I like honest conversation. The obsession with our society to never say anything “offensive” is very detrimental. This is why I like it on this sub. You definitely get some very honest opinions.
That’s true. But minorities with the wrong opinion never seem to count
And that is exactly why pol is the way it is. Any right leaning minority, at this point especially, has been told that they don't deserve their heritage. They've been cast out into the wilderness. That has a way of fostering bitterness and resentment.
It's kind of like how in the rare instance someone survives exile, they almost always start plotting to destroy the state that exiled them out of spite. They don't care that it's "their people", they just want the people who wronged them to suffer.
And I get called an Uncle Tom for saying that America has made a ton of progress (progress that is now being dismantled of course) in race relations and other things. Also this constant hand wringing over our past is beyond ridiculous. I’m all for learning about American history the good/bad/ugly but I’m tired of this narrative of constantly talking about how evil western countries are. They should definitely teach slavery from a global perspective and also teach that land conquest has been done everywhere
Edge is colorblind.
Yea. It was like he was reading from a sjw tik tok.
It could have been worse, at least he doesn’t look like this
Very true. But like I said he seemed to hear me out and maybe I’m being too optimistic but I think I can teach him to drop his “white guilt” and to stop obsessing over race.
He's gonna say "Haha I get what you're saying but you sound dangerously like a Trump voter. I don't have to report you to the FBI do I? Hahaha."
LOL, I wouldn't want to get to know him. But if you visit again you should first apologize to him, since your family owned slaves too. ;)
You can also apologize for other random crimes your African, European, and Chinese ancestors might have done at any point in history.
But yeah, privilege is something everyone has and doesn't have. And it's entirely relative. We all have some privileges that somebody else doesn't, and somebody else has privileges we don't.
I should’ve apologized back. That would’ve been hilarious
Haha, go extra absurd if it comes up next time: Take that tiny bit of Chinese ancestry and apologise for modern day Uyghur slavery and causing Covid.
Either his brain'll break trying to process it or he might loosen up and start treating you like a regular person who's fucking with him.
Not a bad idea. Since by his logic we are responsible for what our ancestors did
Exactly. Thomas Sowell once said if world reparations were paid it would be one half of the world paying the other half. I would guess everyone has ancestors who owned slaves and ancestors who were slaves.
This kind of systemic oppression and ethnic violence can only be re dressed through in-kind reparations.
The dude has to let you screw his girlfriend, for equity 'n' shit, otherwise healing cannot start, or something.
I was tempted to ask him to do something crazy to see what he would do but I couldn’t. He is family. Lol.
I remember I asked someone who is all for reparations why don’t they just give their own money away since they are so concerned or why don’t they donate to agencies who help victims of modern day slavery. They looked at me as if I was an alien.
I think a lot of whites just really don't have experience with black people. You hear it in what they talk about how "they always neglected to think of the blacks on the other side of the river" or whatever. I really do think using that disconnect plus a little brainwashing is why they actually feel guilty. I can't really relate because I've really been around black people my entire life--school, work, friends, enemies, etc. If I've done something I should apologize for, I'll apologize. I'm not apologizing for made up privilege and "systemic" stuff.
Side note, your mom sounds about like mine. I think large part of the reason I could read and write before I even started school was from those tapes in the car, although I did a lot of read-along book type things. I think I actually liked it though, but that was probably just me. No one ever confused me for a normal kid when I was in school anyway.
Yea I wish I would’ve enjoyed it at the time but it has paid dividends. Vocabulary was always a major strength of mine and people would ask why I used big words but it was just how I talked. You are right. Apologize for what you actually did. The idea of collective apologies is dumb.
I laughed so hard at that video. But I will say I know quite a few black people who insist that Republicans want to keep them from voting.
I have seen that video. It's a great indicator of how clueless people are. Particularly the demographic of the white liberals, which if I recall were generally college students as I think they were in the NYU area of Manhattan.
Your mother sounds wonderful smith; an expansive vocabulary unleashes ones mind.
This is the reason communism/Marxists etc. are always deconstructing and destroying the meanings of words.
Yep. As well as declaring words problematic even though up until yesterday nobody was offended
Yeah, controlling language is a critical part of controlling a culture/society. Constantly shifting the guidelines creates an oppressive atmosphere that leads to self censorship and confusion.
Combine that with common phrases and jokes nobody had a problem with til done crybabies at a university decided it was a problem and you have a recipe for disaster
Apologize for rap music in return, then thank him for germ theory, and ask him to thank you for something scientifically useful black people gave to the world since you're both representing not yourselves but your entire races.
And don't let him answer something vague like "culture" or "art", since you gave a specific scientific advancement. I find the preprogrammed NPCs actually often don't know shit about POSITIVE things in society, only negative.
(And "modern refrigeration" is the cop-out answer that's on Google's doodle every February, so when he eventually reaches it, note that you know where he got it from.)
But hey I can still take credit for 20% of European achievements lol. I would’ve apologized for Lebron and Al Sharpton but he was too busy feeling all the guilt
The ones I always hear are traffic lights and the peanut.
Same here off the top of my head.
Turn it into a joke. Making his views look ridiculous is probably the only way to reach him.
Him: “Sorry about slavery and discrimination n stuff.”
You: “Are you kidding? Back then we had our own water fountains. Now I gotta share with you guys.”
I watch JLP and I remember him talking about how when he went to a theatre he had to sit in a place designated for blacks. He said he didn’t have a problem with it because the seats were better. 😂
I told him I didn’t realize I was oppressed growing up in the suburbs. Technically I’m the descendant of a slave owner as well so I guess I should have some guilt too? Lol. It’s so absurd we live in a time where you have whites who feel the need to be sorry for stuff they didn’t do and black people half my age talk more about race than those who actually lived in the segregated south.
I treat people like people while judging them inside because I am cunty on the inside. Doesn't mean anything, just like being cunty inside, but it helps remind me to treat people like people. Others like feeling guilty, it helps them excuse their other bad behaviors. Tolerance is the goal of ourselves and others.
Distant cousin? Ignore and forget he exists. Family gets the benefit of the doubt, but anything farther than first cousins doesn't count unless you grew up with them or something.
Your time is too valuable to attempt to engage with what is essentially a mentally ill stranger.
I’m weird like that. It’s fun meeting relatives but I get your point. Although this guy actually seemed to really listen when I told him to stop apologizing
Ching ching motherfucker.
Well not enough for me to get anything
All you need is 1/1024th, just ask Elizabeth Warren.
True. My dad and I laugh that at least we have whole numbers of native blood. Even if it is a small amount it’s whole numbers
To answer the question: no, you shouldn't exploit him. Help him instead with your sincerity.
I will certainly try
Should have raped him
I am opposed to rape and other men isn’t my thing. I guess I should’ve told him to write me a check for all the suffering I’ve gone through. Lol.
I tried telling him since we shared the same ancestor I’m a descendant of a slave owner as well. He didn’t laugh
Rofl. Too bad, I would’ve busted a gut hearing that.