A victim of my own thinking.
John Bilski,
Minneapolis, MN.
It starts with me.
We must let go for equality
Katie Foxx,
San Jose, CA.
I shouldn’t have to feel ashamed of who I am. Because I was born white people automatically assume I’m racist and have had everything given to me and have never bared any hardships myself, and never been a victim of racism. I shouldn’t have to worry about everything that I say or what I look at for fear of offending someone and them assuming I’m racist. I have friends of all ethnic backgrounds. For us to truly be free of racism we must first let go that there is differences between us. We need to stop classifying each other as one thing or another. We need to stop classifying ourselves. I am not white I ‘m Human.
Been a victim of Black violence
Hilary Sloane,
Joshua Tree, CA.
It happened several times. The last time a stranger shot me five times through my car window and hit me three times. I have had the opportunity to heal those traumas through encounters with beautiful, loving strangers of color. My responses are relaxing and I no longer jump when I see strangers in the street. I know it was an experience and not a statement about a whole race. I hope that members of the black community, who have been violated and abused can see that it’s individuals not a whole race.
I was mugged by a “victim”
Jonathan Osmundsen,
Washington, DC.
I appreciate some of the coverage that’s focused on the Baltimore riots, and issues that influenced an explosion of pent up anger. That frustration is valid, those wrongs must be corrected. Here’s the “but”…
I’ve not heard one NPR story that mentioned the burning of a 60-unit building by rioters, which a church had intended for local seniors. I find it very frustrating to hear a person complain about racism, and then turn around and behave in a racist manner. Burning a business because it’s Korean, or Chinese, or anything else but ones own race is racist, isn’t it?
Yet this is something that, if I bring up as a white person, is automatically discounted as “out of touch” or somehow racist. I’ve been mugged several times growing up in NYC in the 70s. I’ve had friends who were victims of crime in NYC, DC, LA. Each time it was by an African American male.
Finally, when I was on a Grand Jury, there was another common element to the story. In bad DC neighborhoods that were majority African American, nobody ever saw or heard anything related to crimes. Somehow, it’s seen as a stand-up thing not to snitch, but that gives a pass to criminals and murderers who got out of jail, and returned to being that small percentage of a population that keeps the neighborhood down. Not the police, but the criminals (who are then excused because of the environment in which they were raised).
I understand that we need to help out this high-risk group of men and support that effort. But part of supporting the effort is embracing the whole of reality, even if that makes for a difficult conversation that might even risk branding one racist. I don’t think I am–if I was, I’d hope to grow out of it and mature my perspective. I guess that’s what I’m trying to do.
My son won’t be a victim.
Jevon Heyliger
Washington, DC
My son is 2 years old and I refuse to believe he’ll grow up on a world full of George Zimmermans. I refuse to believe that being a black male will be an albatross around his neck. I have to believe this. His generation has to be better than us.
Multiple assaults by young African-Americans, fear.
Will
Parksley, VA
As the victim of two assaults by African-American youth, both violent punches to the back of my head, one after I had made a conscious decision not to cross the street because I wouldn’t have done that if they were white children, I have learned my lesson. I know this is racist, I don’t care, I just don’t want myself, my wife or my children to be assaulted.
Black leaders belittle their own race
Nancyann Irvin
St. Helens, OR
I would find it insulting if I were constantly told I was a helpless victim and could not do anything to improve my lot. As a woman I grew up in a time when women did not do certain things because they were incapable. I was not allowed to go to the local technical high school because it was for boys only. My response was always to prove to others, including other women, that I could and would. Why do these leaders keep telling us that black people are incapable of making better of their lives?
Collective black PTSD escalates perceived conflict.
Anonymous
Dallas, TX
As a teenager, I was a victim of an assault. For many years thereafter, I carried weapons. Whenever I spoke to anyone about the event, they’d suggest that I seek counseling — which I resented — because I was wanting their support against the aggressor. But no amount of “justice” heals the victim. When I finally sought counseling, I was told to “bless” my defensive tendencies, which counterintuitively allowed me to stop anticipating assault from every direction. I have finally learned that the most effective way to disarm a stranger is with a smile and a friendly word.
But, Sir, I’m the victim here.
Roberta Leichnitz
Montevallo, AL
The events in Florida have brought back so many memories of the things that would happen to my son and his friends in San Antonio when he was in high school. Stopped for “driving while Mexican” in the “wrong” neighborhood, among others. The icing on the cake was when he was the victim of a hit and run and when the police finally arrived he was thrown in the back of the police car because the office thought he recognized him. Yes, he did know my son. My son was the waiter who waited on him NOT a criminal.
Idiot’s victim happened to be black
Janice Seitz
Lakewood, NY
Submitted via: NPR’s Talk of the Nation
This was an idiot with an itchy finger. Does the race card always have to be played.
WHITE VICTIM BLACK VIOLENCE ALWAYS SCARED
Jim Brindamour
Novato, CA
Submitted via: NPR’s Talk of the Nation
