I am Racist
One of the issues with racism is that past indiscretions have never been accounted for. Given that the past influences the present very strongly, we should understand that the treatment of black americans for many years put them in a lower socio-economic level from which they as a community can never recover without assistance. Poverty is something that reinforces and reproduces itself. There are all kinds of factors that middle and upper class people don't think about...like the fact that insurance rates are higher in poor areas (higher crime rates), products and services (banks, grocery stores, etc) are less readily available and often must be traveled to by bus or taxi. Citations from police cost the same for everyone but for a poor person it can make the difference between making rent or being out on the street. These and myriad other things serve to keep the people who are poor in that place and largely unable to acquire a higher socioeconomic status.
It is a fact that people tend to grow up like their families and remain generally in that same income level, of course with exceptions. What we have is economics and the capitalist mode dictating our social order. Keeping the poor poor and the rich rich and the middle class stuck. The bulk of our poor and impoverished people are minorities and our government has allowed them to be oppressed in the past, and has not taken proper steps to develop the third world conditions we have right here in America (yes we do have third world conditions here...in many major cities...Detroit, Chicago, LA), ...we have a lot of pissed off minorities who have legitimate complaints. In this "land of the free" and "land of plenty" where corporations are clearing billion dollar profits regularly, we have people surviving amongst third world conditions. These people are not to blame for their own poverty as so many claim. It is social and economic systems that create continuous and perpetual poverty.
There is no reason for this other than ignorance and our lack of ability to control our own government. We are not the democracy that many think we are. Middle and upper class people now want to talk about freedom and equality for everyone which is important. But many are saying this as a matter of convenience for themselves and their worldview. They are justifying the removal of any help (social services) for people based on their race b/c that is racist. It is not racist to help people of a lower socioeconomic status achieve an adequate material existence. It just so happens that a lot of these people are people of color. So while you're noticing the color of their skin and trying to take away their help which we should provide given that they are and were oppressed...based on your idea of "freedom and equality"...just know that you are the racist and an ignorant one at that.
