Bigotry towards whites

[YRABNNRM]

The only reason I included "widespread" in the question is to try and give it some scope. I obviously don't intend the question to be similar to asking "is there widespread bigotry towards blacks?" in 1886 but the answer to "is there bigotry towards whites" would be obvious as there is bigotry towards all races.

Yes.

I'm having trouble understanding why people are saying "no"?

Care to emphasize you're answer? I ask the same thing to those voting "no" as well.

As for myself, I don't have an argument for the "yes" side or the "no" side, although I lean in one direction. I'm just interested in hearing the two different views.

[War on Want]

Yes.

I'm having trouble understanding why people are saying "no"?

Well, I don't think it's widespread but a lot of the no votes (I didn't vote) come from handwringers.

and people who apparently don't live around large populations of African-Americans.

Clearly

I don't think anyone would call me a racist but I must say that it is hilarious to take race lectures from rich kids in the suburban Pacific Northwest, for example, who will probably see as many blacks in their lifetime as I'll see in a day.

I am not rich in any way and I don't choose to live in suburbia...

[Keystone Phil]

Yes.

I'm having trouble understanding why people are saying "no"?

Well, I don't think it's widespread but a lot of the no votes (I didn't vote) come from handwringers.

and people who apparently don't live around large populations of African-Americans.

Clearly

I don't think anyone would call me a racist but I must say that it is hilarious to take race lectures from rich kids in the suburban Pacific Northwest, for example, who will probably see as many blacks in their lifetime as I'll see in a day.

I am not rich in any way and I don't choose to live in suburbia...

Haha, sorry. That wasn't meant for you. It was just a generic example. 

[Bleeding heart conservative, HTMLdon]

Yes.

I'm having trouble understanding why people are saying "no"?

Well, I don't think it's widespread but a lot of the no votes (I didn't vote) come from handwringers.

and people who apparently don't live around large populations of African-Americans.

Clearly

I don't think anyone would call me a racist but I must say that it is hilarious to take race lectures from rich kids in the suburban Pacific Northwest, for example, who will probably see as many blacks in their lifetime as I'll see in a day.

Exactly.  I'd love to have some of them come down to Memphis and listen to black radio.  A gay man called into the show hosted by a major Democrat activist and the host called him a "f****t" over and over again and said that all homosexuals are going to hell.  But of course that's okay because he's a Democrat and a part of the precious protected class of dark-skinned people.

[Rowan]

I love the argument that white people are allowed to be hated because they make money. How about instead of hating the white man, how about getting a job and getting some of that wealth that you hate the white man for?

[Bleeding heart conservative, HTMLdon]

I love the argument that white people are allowed to be hated because they make money. How about instead of hating the white man, how about getting a job and getting some of that wealth that you hate the white man for?

Now now they might have some good reasons to hate the white man.

White liberals destroyed the black family
White liberals destroyed black neighborhoods with busing
White liberals destroyed equal education with busing
White liberals destroyed the human dignity of the individual black person with government dependency
Hell, after all that, I'd hate white people too.

[War on Want]

I love the argument that white people are allowed to be hated because they make money. How about instead of hating the white man, how about getting a job and getting some of that wealth that you hate the white man for?

Now now they might have some good reasons to hate the white man.

White liberals destroyed the black family
White liberals destroyed black neighborhoods with busing
White liberals destroyed equal education with busing
White liberals destroyed the human dignity of the individual black person with government dependency
Hell, after all that, I'd hate white people too.

Yeah the 250 years of slavery, and 100 years of segregation promoted by southern conservatives did nothing to create these racial tensions.

[Nym90]

I don't know if I'd go so far as to say "widespread" as that would imply that some substaintial percentage of the population is bigoted towards whites. It can't be more than 5 percent of the total US population at the most that is, so my answer to the question is no.

[Bleeding heart conservative, HTMLdon]

I don't know if I'd go so far as to say "widespread" as that would imply that some substaintial percentage of the population is bigoted towards whites. It can't be more than 5 percent of the total US population at the most that is, so my answer to the question is no.

5% of the U.S. population would be almost half of all blacks or Hispanics- or a quarter evenly distributed between both

[Vepres]

Yes.

I'm having trouble understanding why people are saying "no"?

It is because it is easy to sympathize with those who hate whites, even though the hatred is extended to them. In other words it isn't serious bigotry or something that I would get riled up and angry about. It is perfectly understandable, especially considering I am half-Mexican. It annoys me when upper middle class/rich whites complain about "reverse racism" because of Affirmative Action, when they already have a leg up on 95% of the country based on their wealth. In other words I tend to dislike the types of people talk about "reverse racism", as if it is an issue hurting their families. I might understand if your family has had a family member killed because of it but if you live in suburbia, it is ridiculous to make an issue out of it unless you want to try and solve it.

Just out of curiosity, can you emphasize with "reverse racists" who are in their 20s and 30s, who grew up in much more colorblind (though certainly not perfectly so) society compared to the one their parents grew up in?

Also, I think the problem a lot of whites have with "reverse racism" is that they are stereotyped as rich and automatically having a leg up on the rest of society and without "real" problems. Many whites aren't rich (many are poor), many don't have "family connections" or inheritances. Life is not a walk in the park. So to be told by minorities that you're problems aren't really problems and that they don't matter, you'd be bitter too. (By the way, I can emphasize with older minorities who are bitter towards whites, ones 50+ years old).

[Mint]

I love the argument that white people are allowed to be hated because they make money. How about instead of hating the white man, how about getting a job and getting some of that wealth that you hate the white man for?

Now now they might have some good reasons to hate the white man.

White liberals destroyed the black family
White liberals destroyed black neighborhoods with busing
White liberals destroyed equal education with busing
White liberals destroyed the human dignity of the individual black person with government dependency
Hell, after all that, I'd hate white people too.

I'm sure black people would have a lot more to say about the war on drugs, 'states rights' and all the other coded crap they get from our side.

[Rowan]

And I don't have a leg up because I am white and have "wealth". I have a leg up because I worked hard to make the most of my education.

[War on Want]

And I don't have a leg up because I am white and have "wealth". I have a leg up because I worked hard to make the most of my education.

Being white helps you in the eyes of the law and being wealthy helps you have a better education so you do have a leg up.

[Joe Republic]

I worked hard to make the most of my education.

Seriously??

[Vepres]

I worked hard to make the most of my education.

Seriously??

Ones attitude towards school really affects how well you do. How do explain students coming out of "failing schools" with college scholarships (the real kind, not BS ones).

[??????????]

The White mans greed hurts a world in need. Don't you know? Obviously it's ok to attack anyone of European ancestry, they deserve it. F' a cracker!

[Rowan]

And I don't have a leg up because I am white and have "wealth". I have a leg up because I worked hard to make the most of my education.

Being white helps you in the eyes of the law and being wealthy helps you have a better education so you do have a leg up.

I am hardly "wealthy", I come from a middle class family, with a household income that isn't staggering in the least bit. I don't do illegal activities so I don't see what the law has to do with anything.

[Earth]

Yes.

I'm having trouble understanding why people are saying "no"?

I haven't voted, specifically because of 'widespread' being in the poll question. I take it to mean the question now has added weight to it, as if it is a "pandemic", but I don't know.

Obviously, there are some ignorant minorities who would be bigoted towards white people, but I couldn't say definitively if it's widespread, or how, so I abstain.

[Rowan]

I worked hard to make the most of my education.

Seriously??

Yes. I was valedictorian of my high school class, which then helped me get a full academic scholarship to college.

[War on Want]

And I don't have a leg up because I am white and have "wealth". I have a leg up because I worked hard to make the most of my education.

Being white helps you in the eyes of the law and being wealthy helps you have a better education so you do have a leg up.

I am hardly "wealthy", I come from a middle class family, with a household income that isn't staggering in the least bit. I don't do illegal activities so I don't see what the law has to do with anything.

Middle Class>Poor and it isn't very hard to break the law. Stupid mistakes and/or experimenting happens.

[Nym90]

I don't know if I'd go so far as to say "widespread" as that would imply that some substaintial percentage of the population is bigoted towards whites. It can't be more than 5 percent of the total US population at the most that is, so my answer to the question is no.

5% of the U.S. population would be almost half of all blacks or Hispanics- or a quarter evenly distributed between both

That was of course the absolute upper limit, and about a quarter as many people as believe the moon landings were fake or who believe George W. Bush was a good President. I wouldn't exactly call either of those beliefs "widespread" either.

[JSojourner]

Since 1983, I have lived in several different places but all of them were at least 40 percent black and hispanic.  In one neighborhood (1986-88), the neighborhood was 90% black.

I can cite three cases in which I (or someone else) was targeted, assaulted or insulted for being white.  So it DOES happen.  But I have to say, black people on the whole put white people to shame when it comes to welcoming and respecting the other race. 

Phil and Rowan's points are well-taken though.  EVERY race has its bigots and assholes.  Blacks are certainly not immune.

[Sbane]

As has been said before it depends on your definition of widespread. I don't think there is widespread bigotry towards whites but you may have a case if you live in a state that practices affirmative action (although it helped asians more than whites when AA was stopped in California). There are definitely some very poor whites out there and even though they make up a very small proportion of the white population as compared to blacks and latinos, they also deserve a leg up that the government seems keen on giving minorities (and for some reason this doesn't include asians even though they were discriminated against just as much as latinos). I think we should level the playing field for poor people regardless of their race, ethnicity, creed, religion etc.

Another thing is that it is much easier for white people to actually act out their bigotry towards minorities since they are in the supermajority. Blacks or Latinos may be just as bigoted but you won't see them doing anything about it. Thus the perception that whites are more racist than usual.

[Joe Republic]

I worked hard to make the most of my education.

Seriously??

Yes. I was valedictorian of my high school class, which then helped me get a full academic scholarship to college.

Congratulations!  You know, I was deployed into orbit long before anybody else in my NASA flight program, and voted Most Attractive Future President two years running, so I too know what it feels like to be successful.

My goodness, the internet is so helpful for discussing these things openly, you know?

[CARLHAYDEN]

I worked hard to make the most of my education.

Seriously??

Yes. I was valedictorian of my high school class, which then helped me get a full academic scholarship to college.

Congratulations!  You know, I was deployed into orbit long before anybody else in my NASA flight program, and voted Most Attractive Future President two years running, so I too know what it feels like to be successful.

My goodness, the internet is so helpful for discussing these things openly, you know?

Well, at least you're a "space cadet."