Yeah, I'm starting to see that. Plus there's the fact that I did him the courtesy of trying to educate him with a thoughtful response and his first instinct was to mock me. So yeah, fuck that guy, I'm done.

You're not quite there, yet. Sit down and keep reading.

Dude.

Just wanted to say - don't engage with geekymitch any more. Someone above posted that the Good White Person is the analog of the Nice Guy. The pushback is narcissists lashing out when their source of attention/accolades is being threatened. If they can't brag about being the bestest, kindest, smartest, most…

Look, I'm not going to get into it with you. I have neither the time or the inclination. I just want to say one thing - nowhere did I say that you, as a white person, can't judge the actions of a person of color. What I took issue with was ONE VERY SPECIFIC statement you made in your comment. That, in your opinion…

I have never gotten that impression from any criticism of white attempts at being allies. Honestly, I think there is a hypersensitivity to criticism that comes with privilege that makes people feel like it's impossible to do anything right... but literally NO ONE I have seen is criticizing white people who…

The issue I have is that most people are NOT racist.

It's not always about you.

I guess you mean well.

It is awfully close to "So ARTICULATE!"

I am a good white person. ... And do you know what? I don't see a need to apologize for it.

Racism is a huge issue in Europe. Roma are routinely ostracized, abused, and oppressed. There was a story recently about people throwing bananas at black soccer players on the field in Italy. The Netherlands is only now having a national discussion on "Black Peter", Santa's "friend" (slave) who comes down the chimney…

The author's view on "good white people's" actions following the recent events reminded me a lot of what an acquaintance wrote in a feminist forum I am a part of about what it means to be a man in the conversation. While it's not exactly the same, just replace some of the verbiage and I think this is what the author…

"Nice diction"?

That line made me think of the 100,000 damn times I have argued on this site about how intentions don't matter if you consistently do the wrong thing. Your intention can only be pure once (if that); after that it's willful ignorance.

As a white person, I was wondering why the author didn't answer those questions, but then I realized that it's not their job to tell me how to be a decent human being. After all, it's not "positive behaviors" us good white people want to be congratulated for; we expect to be patted on the back for treating black…

I guess the question is "How can white people be supportive of the issue without seeming to demean or take over the issue? " If white people don't talk talk about what they do in the situation, then the narrative is that white people are ignoring the issue (which so many do). If white people talk about the issue,…

Not talk about it. You can just do the right thing without telling everyone. That's not only for issues of racism, it's also just a general rule. You shouldn't need positive reinforcement for being a decent person. Just be one.

This is incredibly thoughtful and beautifully written. Thank you. I live in the US but I am not from here and I never cease to be amazed at the thorough, systematic nature of racism — personal and institutionalized — in this country, accompanied by an equally thorough insistence by most white people that racism is a…