White Privilege Essay Example for Free

White Privilege Essay In the aftermath of the election victory of Barack Obama, white supremacists rushed to online discussion forums to vent anger and disbelief that voters had chosen an African-American candidate as the next president of the United States. The Anti-Defamation League, which monitors and exposes extremist activity and rhetoric, said anger among white supremacists and other right-wing extremists in response to Obamas victory, resulted in an avalanche of vitriolic ranting postings on racist Web sites. At one point, the chatter so overloaded the server of the most popular white supremacist internet forum, Stormfront, which was temporarily shutdown. The notion that racism is a violation of human rights is not a new one, as those who have experienced it effects would testify. The ground-breaking progress gained by the civil rights movement of the 1960s in the United States has steadily eroded over the past decade, and the issues and incidents of racism as well as anti-Semitism, homophobia, and violence against women are ones that need to be addressed with increasing urgency. While the courts are more and more frequently relying on civil rights laws to prosecute racially motivated violence, the common abuses of basic human rights are often overlooked. In fact, the encroachment of white supremacist ideologies into the social fabric of our politics, our institutions, and our laws means that intolerance 1. is becoming the rule of the day, and the overt violation of the persons and property of individuals and groups is not only easily accepted, but part of the status quo. America has moved into a new era of white supremacy. The new tactics used by white supremacists and far right organizations must be exposed so that we can work together to mitigate their effectiveness. This includes a discussion of the relationship between three converging and ever-growing factionsthe ultra-conservatives, religious fundamentalists, and the far right. In this context, racism cannot stand alone as the sole antagonist of human rights violations. The victims of white supremacist ideologies and politics include immigrants, gays and lesbians, Jews, and women, as well as people of color. From the ranks of homophobes, anti-abortionists, racists, anti-Semites, and those who are simply afraid of a fast-changing world, white supremacists find willing allies in their struggle to control Americas destiny. Hate groups cannot be dismissed as a more complex than the virulence of a few fringe fanatics. With the breathless way the media covers hate groups, it is sometimes easier to characterize them simply as misfits or extremists, rather than acknowledge them as part of the larger problem of widespread racism, anti-Semitism, and homophobia. FBI statistics report that 65 percent of Americas hate crimes are committed by whites against blacks. A good portion of such hate crimes are what we call move-in violence, when neighborhoods, schools, churches, or jobs are finally integrated 2. 30 years after the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Terror over the visibility of the lesbian and gay movement lays behind the numerous hate crimes against gays and lesbians (and their allies) the fastest-growing hate crime category in the country. Some of the haters, living on the United States borders, are petrified at the thought that brown hordes of Mexicans, Chinese, or Haitians may swarm over them if they cease their militant rhetoric and violence toward these immigrants. If they live near Native American reservations, the aim of their violence is to challenge the few remaining treaty rights granted native peoples. Other white supremacists want to save the white race by controlling the behavior of white womenthey attack interracial couples, lesbians, and feminists. They join the anti-abortion movement, believing they can prevent white women from getting legal abortions. Racist far right organizations have been quick to glorify anti-abortion violence, making it yet another hot issue to fuel the fires of the white revolution. Hate groups have decided that they are no longer willing to wait for the white revolution, the violent backlash against human rights movements. They want a fast solution before, as they put it, the white race is extinct. These fanatics are terrorists who use bombs, murder, arson, and assaults in their genocidal war. Some skinheadsfor example, the Fourth Reich Skins arrested a few years ago in Los Angeles or the Aryan National Front, convicted of murdering homeless people in Alabama are in the vanguard of this street-level violence. Meanwhile, older survivalists like Randy Weaver, who was acquitted of killing a federal marshall in an Idaho firefight in 1992, 3.are barricaded in mountain shelters with stockpiles of weapons, awaiting the final Armageddon. Impressionable, often alienated people, both young and old, are natural recruits for this movement. They bring new energy and a willingness to display their hatred aggressively. They also expand the influence of the white supremacist movement, into the anti-abortion movement, into the anti-gay movement, into the English only movement, opening new avenues for the expression of hate. In the 21st century, the image of organized hate is rapidly changing. It is no longer the exclusive domain of white men over 30. It is becoming younger, meaner and more violent. Many people join the movement as teenagers, including a remarkable number of young women. This new and dangerous increase accounts for nearly one-third of the membership of some hate groups. The increase in the number of women, coupled with a strategic thrust to reform the public image of hate groups, has expanded womens leadership. These new recruits do not fit the stereotypical image of wives on their husbands arms. In fact, many of them are college-educated, very sophisticated, and display skills usually found among the rarest of intellectuals in the movement. Of particular concern in this early 21st century is a continuing convergence of sections of the white supremacist movement with the radical Christian Right, as represented by Pat Robertson, and nationalist ultra-conservatives, as represented by the crackpot Tea Party members and conservative Republicans such as Rick Santorum. This alliance is between religious determinists who think that ones degree of Christianity determines one’s future, economic determinists who see themselves in a 4.war of the haves against the have-nots, and biological determinists for whom race is everything. All believe they are in battle to save Western civilization (white Europeans) from the ungodly and the unfit (people of color, gays and lesbians, and Jews). What many Americans fail to realize is that, increasingly, white people are being literally scared out of their wits by demagogues, who crystallize for them their fears of people of color, lesbians and gays, the government, the media, welfare mothers, immigrants, the economy, health care, and the list goes on. The fact that race relations in the United States are usually presented as a black/white model disguises the complexity of color, the brutality of class, and the importance of religion and sexual identity in the construction and practice of white supremacy. This simplistic model, which fails to convey many of the important aspects of white supremacy, cannot specifically explain how white supremacy influences American culture and politics. White supremacy is an ideology that manipulates US politics and affects all relations in American society. It is sustained by rigid ideological categories. The construction of racial categories, although varying greatly over time, has always been based on the economic, social, and political aspirations of people of European descent. Throughout European history, racial definitions have been based on lineage, characteristics, skin hue, and religion. At the present time, there are not safe places for the victims of this type of violence to turn. No homeless shelters, no womens shelters, and often not even 5.police departments offer them support. The first step in building these resources is to recognize the magnitude of the problem so that human rights activists can come together to offer help and support to those outside the majority rule. A concerted, prolonged effort to teach young people about the true impact of white supremacy and its prevalence in American society is fundamental to breaking the cycle. To ignore this issue is to build intolerance into the next generation. An understanding of the historical and institutional effects of racism and the other isms that dominate our culture and society is vital to understanding present bigotry and abuse. In conclusion, when we recognize that racism, homophobia, sexism, anti-Semitism, and xenophobia flow from the same spring, and that they permeate every aspect of the lives of all Americans, we can then take steps together to make the United States a place that respects and honors the dignity of all people. 6. A Childs Tale By Gloria A. Loftin Let me tell you a tale my child of blue and grey of a world gone wild Let me tell you a tale my child of men in hoods and capes of hearts full of rage and hate Let me tell you a tale my child of men of god of greed and wealth Let me tell you a tale my child of peace and hope for all the world Let me tell you a tale my childÃ'Ž

The Devil’s Playground :: Devil Religious Beliefs Creative Writing Essays

The Devil’s Playground Slowly the snow drifted along the sidewalks and streets as he strolled down his own path. Following no particular way but his own, he traveled. Knowing not his destination but only his outcome. His ideas were changed, his beliefs were diminished to that of nothing and his perception of reality was turned upside down. All he knew now was himself and that of his tendencies. His own nature was the only real and raw thing that he was able to hang on to. A life of mistreatment and abuse, his last actions displayed his true feelings. "I should have stopped you in the womb. When I had the chance I should have taken it. YOU, were my worst mistake." "LEAVE! Nobody here wants you nobody here cares for you and there is no place for you. Hide yourself somewhere and do the world a favor." His mother screamed constantly, shaming him to that of nothing but guilt of being alive. It was a common ritual in his OLD household. Then tonight, with the quick flick of a wrist and the glisten of rose red, the shaming ended. The guilt stopped. Then with two more quick and swift movements he finished off what was left to remind him of his past. What would have been witnesses were nothing more than cold and bludgeoned heaps. Ryan lived on the outskirts of the city. Wandering from house to house throughout his childhood he knew not much of the meaning of family. His parents were constantly sending him to foster families for a few weeks at a time then taking him back, only to get a few more pleasurable meetings with him. He was unwanted by all but himself and ignorant to the idea of remorse. He always knew one day, he alone, could stop all his pain and all his suffering but he wasn’t concerned with that right now. In fact, the only things that crossed his mind were, "Right foot, Left foot." It was all he thought of and it was all he spoke of as he walked. He carried the rose red razor in his right hand and his left was clenched tight. His knuckles as white as the snow that surrounded him. His pajama pants and white tee shirt were all he wore. No shoes to protect his feet from the harsh winter cold and snow and no hat to warm his freezing head.

Morality in Graham Greene’s “I Spy” Essay

As World War I raged about Europe, Great Britain took every measure available to ensure the war didn’t spread into their own backyard. Their army was doing fine fighting elsewhere in France and Germany, but as William I proved in 1066, when you invade England, it’s not the English that win. Britons lived in constant fear of a takeover by the German â€Å"huns,† and this fear inspired Graham Greene to comment on morality in man in his short story, â€Å"I Spy.† Greene explains, through the conflict that his protagonists suffer, that sometimes society’s morals are artificially removed, for example in a time of war in which the object is to kill as many people as possible that aren’t on your side. In these situations, people have to make their own decisions about morality and right and wrong, and this absolutely terrifies them. This is shown in â€Å"I Spy† through the characters, imagery, and setting in the story. The main character in â€Å"I Spy† is Charlie Stowe, a twelve year old boy living in England. Charlie is teased by boys at school about never having smoked a cigarette, so one night sneaks downstairs to his father’s tobacconist shop to have one. He knows this is not only wrong but illegal, but does it anyways to try to mitigate his schoolmates’ ridicule. Since Charlie knows he is doing wrong, throughout the story he has an overbearing fear of being caught. Apparently for Charlie, however, the consequences of being caught stealing cigarettes are less than the consequences of not smoking at all, so he goes through with his plan. The other main character in the story is Charlie’s father who owns the shop. He is described as an ‘unreal wraith,’ not loved by his son. As the story progresses, it becomes evident that Mr. Stowe has been taken into custody for being a spy, and is being brought to the shop to get his coat before he is led, presumably, to trial and execution. It is not clear whether Mr. Stowe became a spy because he was a tobacconist (specializing in imports from Turkey, a WW-I ally of Germany), or whether he became a tobacconist because he was a spy (providing a common gathering place, making it easy to pass information or items back and forth). It is clear, however, from Charlie’s memories of his father fortifying himself with proverbs and muttering to himself, that he may not have wanted to hold his traitorous occupation. Both Charlie’s and his father’s society’s morals have been removed, Charlie’s by his schoolmates  and Mr. Stowe, probably, by German spies coercing him to join their ranks. Both of them know they are doing wrong and, though they display their fear differently, are frightened non etheless about what might happen if they don’t do their respective tasks. The imagery in â€Å"I Spy† also helps show the central idea of fear. Throughout the story, light is represented as a danger of being caught, and each time Charlie shies away from the light. The candle in his mother’s room, the spotlights sweeping the windows of the shop, and the policeman’s flashlight all provide threats to Charlie’s mission of stealing a cigarette. In addition, the nature of the shop itself lends itself to intrigue and fear. The phrase â€Å"smoke-filled room† traditionally stirs feelings of clandestine deals and surreptitious secrets, and this room is no different. The apprehension is almost as visible as the smoke in this room of shadowy transactions. Imagery, in addition to showing lack of morals, contrasts it by showing pillars of morality and fortitude, the two agents accompanying Mr. Stowe. With their identical suits, bowlers, and mackintoshes, these government agents, presumably from the British MI-5, represent those that d o not have to make decisions for themselves and have their code of morality laid before them. Finally, the setting of â€Å"I Spy† does a great deal to support the central idea of having to choose ones moral decisions. This is Great Britain in the early twentieth century, when the last remnants of the British Empire are being swept away and global warfare is everyone’s biggest fear. Britain is also coming off its â€Å"jingoism† (meaning incredibly nationalistic) policy, meaning that there are a great deal of ardent patriots living in the area. Charlie’s mother is one of these, having nothing but good to say about the queen, and nothing but bad to say about the Germans. Charlie’s father also validates the patriotism, saying that once the neighbors find out he is a spy, they will tear down the tobacconists shop. These neighbors would normally not band together to do such a violent act, but for the time. They are used to hearing that everything related to Britain is perfect, and everything related to Germany should be destroyed, and will act accordingly. The story takes place in a coastal town, so spotlights are continually sweeping across  the sea looking for German boats, and across the skies looking for enemy dirigibles. These lights serve a dual purpose, however, and subconsciously remind the population that even they can be watched. This may lead to conflict within ordinary people, who may always worry whether their actions are â€Å"good† or â€Å"good for the state† or could be interpreted as conflicting with the interests of Britain. It is evident that these lights, built to protect, can also strike fear into the hearts of people struggling to make their everyday moral decisions. There will always be instances in which definite morality is suspended or removed. People will always be forced to make up their own set of morals and abide by them, and they will always be fearful that their set of morals is wrong. The differences that arise among people is how they act on these fears and code of morals. Charlie and his father both experienced the fear of being discovered in the wrong. They also both experienced the despair at knowing there is no other choice but the action they are taking. In reality, however, both Charlie and his father took the easy way out in dealing with their problems. Charlie could have simply stood up to his tormenters and defended his right not to smoke, and Mr. Stowes could have refused to become a spy for Germany. Both of these responses could have resulted in serious personal injury, but it should have been a small price to pay for keeping one’s honor.

The Sins Of The Flesh Eating And Vampirism - 1335 Words

Sins of the Flesh: Eating and Vampirism Almost every sin imaginable is included in this text if one were to interpret Bram Stoker’s writing to be as such. The glaring Christianity, coded sexual innuendo, and the vampire stereotype still attracts many to this novel. Despite the Victorian era’s social expectations of a woman, gluttony and lust are the two most abundant and greatly detailed sins alive in this text and usually descriptively, if not symbolically intertwined. The female characters of this novel lavishly display their sexual and physical appetites throughout the novel thus tempting the male figures. Mina and Lucy are portrayed in opposition to both each other and societal norms, in the nineteenth century and these traits are still displayed today in the twenty-first century. Voraciousness and Lust as portrayed through vampirism in Dracula details the dichotomy of Bram Stoker and of all men; which wife would a man want to have, the smart maternal plump woman or the fanciful beautiful thin woman. In Victorian England anorexia was the social norm, much as it is today, and considered the standard of beauty. However, the attractive female and highly sexualized woman is more often than not describing the â€Å"voluptuous† vampire as the culmination of male hidden desires using animalistic descriptions of the way that they gorge themselves before, during, and after illness (for Mina). Silver states this notion with this excerpt â€Å"the vampire’s sexuality is expressed entirelyShow MoreRelatedEssay On Sexuality In Bram Stokers Dracula2371 Words   |  10 Pagesthe images of sex scenes. The women tempt Jonathan with their sexualized appearance, but giving into their enchantment would lead to the ultimate punishment for sin, being brutally attacked and turned into a vampire. Moreover, the pauses and waiting periods that Jonathan experiences expose the sexual tension prolonging the temptation and sin. Voyeurism further compounds the sinfulness of Jonathan’s in teractions with the female vampires. Multiple women who are not his wife entice him while one engagesRead MoreThe s Manifestation Of Evil By Bram Stoker2006 Words   |  9 Pagesthis novel a gothic novel. The first night, Jonathan and the Count had a unique meal together, and Stoker really emphasized this meal. From old reliable (How to Read Literature like a Professor), â€Å"Sometimes a meal is just a meal, and eating with others is simply just eating with others. More often than not, though, it’s not†¦whenever people eat or drink together its communion† (Foster 7-8). Communion is an act of fellowship, participation, and is a common belief in Christian belief. Also according toRead More The Serpent-Vampire in Keats Lamia Essay3101 Words   |  13 Pagesfor the Greeks, the whole continent of Africa. When Hera finds out about their love, she destroys each of Lamias children at birth. In her misery, Lamia withdraws to the rocks and caves of the sea-coast, where she preys on other womens children, eating them and sucking their blood. To recompense his mistress, Zeus gives her the power of shape-shifting. Perhaps as a reflection of this versatility, the monstrous race of lamiae of Africa are composite beings, with the heads and breasts of women, but