Take stock on race

One thing that this election has made all too clear: White males are afraid to face their own fears, selecting instead to pin blame and externalize their own issues onto people of color and women, especially those “nasty,” powerful ones who won’t bend to our will.

Look in the mirror, fellow white people: It’s our own laziness and unwillingness to face these issues head on that allow racism and sexism to persist. It’s indeed the pure lack of courage that keep us from investigating these themes that dwell deep within our hearts.

That said, please stop blaming “others” for our country’s problems. It’s not Obama’s fault that there is racial problem, nor is it Hillary’s fault that sexism is alive and well. It’s ours. Indeed it is primarily white males who continue to propagate and institutionalize these practices in this country.

Time to stop whining and step up to take ownership of our direct interplay with racism/sexism. It is only through the white community’s engagement with the rest of the country that we can begin the reconciliation and healing process.

Jason Keedy

Spokane