The White Man Label

Yes, it took me a lifetime really understand the resentment that people bear when they are labeled by their race, gender, religion or former national heritage (here in the U.S. it is "former," but I suppose this phenomenon exists in their nation of origin as well).  Anyway, it took the label of "white man" to really drive it all home.  Yes, I am a "white man."  Nowadays, that seems to mean racist, ignorant, blindly loyal to certain personalities, and more.  Even now, I hear it being extended to favoring gun rights and putting jobs and economic growth over the very environment in which all of us as humans must live.  White men, it appears, are thought to be of one mind on all of these topics.

I grew up in a home and with a family whose members at time have wildly divergent views on a host of subjects.  We were taught, sometimes by the example of our parents or, in my case, older siblings,
that having a different opinion doesn't make  you an immutable object of scorn.  Instead, you are to be treated with respect and, the occasional effort to soften or change your position.  I won't tell you we lived up to that idea all of the time, but we learned some things by making mistakes.  We did so in the warmth and safety of a family home,  not shouting in the streets somewhere.

So, guess what?  I don't share the opinions of this newly minted political mass called "white men," and, do you know what else?  I don't vote that way.  Politicians don't win my support by calling their opponents (and others who share their opponent's views) liars.  They earn it by walking their talk much more than their ability to twist the other guy's talk.  Where I live, I am represented by people of diverging views and of differing race and national origin.  While I don't always share their opinions, I respect the fact that they do as they say they will, and are respectful of people who may disagree with them.  In the case of one of these politicians, I disagree with many of his positions, but I also notice that he is respectful of others whose actions earn his respect.  You don't earn his respect by calling him a liar, or by never compromising, but by listening and looking for common ground.

I do accept the label of conservative, though I would point out as my Congressman has, that being fiscally conservative doesn't mean conservative in all ways.  One can be fiscally conservative, yet in favor of protecting the environment.  One can also be fiscally conservative and be socially liberal, or at least moderately so.   I don't mind having to demonstrate those distinctions when I find it necessary.  I also think that people have removed the veil from that "conservative" tag often enough to avoid having it work as a label.

But please don't try out that label "white man."  What does that even mean?  I happen to favor doing something about gun violence in our society, regardless of what group or another the victim has been designated as.  I don't think that is going to fit the label "white man" for very long.  Nor will the moderate or even liberal views expressed above about the label of "conservative."

In my working career, I ran across many who would pin others with labels by race and gender, and I saw the resentment those so labeled talked about.  I thought I understood, but not as well as I do now that I'm being labelled.  

Let me put this strongly--labelling me as a "white man" is just "Baloney!" (or, perhaps some other word that starts with a "B"....)