Am I a Racist?

When I was 18 and just out of high school, ready to begin my journey through life, I had high hopes and big dreams. Unfortunately, it was the same year the infamous “Equal Rights” amendment was passed and I was in for some big surprises. I had not personally witnessed racial bias, having grown up in Sacramento, California, but I had heard of the segregation that was being practiced in the southern states. For this reason, I celebrated the milestone along with everybody else, not fully understanding, at the time, what it meant to me personally.

It was only a few short years later that I began to understand that my generation was the one that would begin to pay the debt for transgressions committed by the southern states. This is not to admit that there ever was a debt that needed to be repaid. It’s amazing how soon we have forgotten the sacrifices made by white folks in the cause for emancipation. Any casual perusal of the facts will show that it was whites who spearheaded the movement for abolishment. How many remember that John Brown and his sons gave their lives in this effort?

As I continued my journey through life, it became apparent that not only blacks, but any perceived minority, women, Hispanics, American Indians, and even some recently arrived European races would be given precedent over me, no matter what their abilities. Scholarships for Educational purposes were more difficult to find, and it became more difficult to qualify for admission to most colleges and universities. In my business as a General Contractor, I had to win contracts by a 10% margin (usually my entire profit margin!) over my minority competitors if I even hoped to be awarded a contract. It made it impossible to stay in business and forced me into the private job market because government jobs were out of the question for anyone without connections and who was not one of the chosen minorities.

Since the amendment is still in place, and affirmative action has been added to it, I now see that my children have had to shoulder this burden also. I think we have paid enough! I want minority races off my back! You cannot legislate equality and respect, they have to be earned and as long as minorities are prevented from earning it, they will never truly gain it. Not from me anyway. If this makes me a racist, then I am proud to speak up and wear the badge.