Alec Marchant
Ashland, OR
As a white male who finds much inspiration, pleasure and interest in cultures other than my own, I sometimes worry if I muddy the lines between appreciation and appropriation. Through my studying and relationships with these other cultures, I know I have been guilty of appropriation on at least one occasion. And as a white male, I find that the animosity held towards me for making mistakes such as these very frightening. I am a firm believer that a person is only as good as what they have to offer, whether it be conversation, inspiration or knowledge or some other more materialistic attribute, and all I can do is try my best to not allow race to enter the equation.
