White Privilege

(for which I will no doubt be called (yet again) a racist….so be it)

So there is a lot of talk lately about “white privilege….You know, that supposed advantage that some of us have because we are white (Caucasian), as opposed to brown (Hispanic) or black (Negro) in ancestry.

I guess it is true. Many of the people I see who are successful have been white. However, many other successful people aren’t white.

Some of those people who aren’t white overcame a lot of prejudices to succeed, obstacles that I did not have. But they also didn’t make excuses for their failures, but capitalized on their successes. Some used all of the benefits that a guilty feeling society gave them over whites…”set asides”, “quotas”, low interest loans to start a business, etc. But they succeeded because of who they were. Are there barriers to success if you are a “minority”? Perhaps. There are also positives to that, however…In many cases a “minority” will get preferences that a “white” person will not. But some people, somehow, succeed despite all of the barriers to success, be they white black, or brown.

Most of the successful people did have the same advantage that I had: A family that imbued them with a work ethic, that taught them how to behave in society…..They are polite, respectful of others, they can speak English, they graduated high school….. they didn’t become a parent at 17….They didn’t get arrested for drug possession as a teenager…..they weren’t running with a bad crowd at 16. Didn’t grow up in a culture dominated by thugs-like men and whore-like women as heroes and role models. Learned to see beyond the immediate, and to look to the future and plan for it.

And that, my friends, is where the “white privilege” is….. It is being raised by a decent set of parents…not one who is absent, or in prison…..Knowing who your father is, where he is, and having him as a part of your life….to guide them and to teach them how to be a successful part of society.

Now, I guess that being white helps, as white people tend to have families moreso than blacks and hispanics. For that, you can blame the white liberals in the 60’s and 70’s for deciding that black people (and eventually Hispanics) were unable to take care of themselves, and therefore the State had to do so….even if it meant that in doing so, it would destroy the culture that was, if repressed, quite successful and decent.

And, sadly, having damaged the Black culture and societal structure, and then the Hispanic family structure and society, they have been working at the White society for the past 10 years.  And they are succeeding there as well.

But realize: success is not a black/white/Hispanic thing. It is a culture thing….with its roots based in FAMILY. And PARENTING. Learning t be successful in our society means learning a set of rules of behavior….

There are many people out there, black, white, and hispanic who are never going to be successful because they don’t know how to succeed and likely never will learn…their families never taught them how to. There are many others whose FAMILY has taught/is teaching them to succeed, at least in some measure, because they have class, and a culture of success, not of blaming others for their failure. But the first group will fail to succeed… Because our government and the liberal do-gooders taught their parents (or grandparents) it was easier to let the State feed and clothe and house you, and in doing so destroy the societal structure that enables success, so there is no culture of success to pass to their children. They don’t know how!

These people are sheep

Standing in line to register guns that are “bad” because of cosmetic features. 

Not yet banned, but “we need to know where they are” so that they won’t be used to ….?

Lining up to tell the State which houses to come to when confiscation (inevitably) happens.

Me? I’d bury ’em until I could move out of state. Or give them to an out of state friend for safekeeping until I could move.

I’d not stand in line to make myself a target of State investigations…

Sheeple.

Got cash?

If you don’t, then think of this:

Chase customers who shopped at Target had their accounts limited  to $100 cash withdrawals from ATM’s and $300 purchases until they went to a Chase location and got new cards issued to them.

Now, to begin with, if you use  a debit card that is linked to your main checking account for daily purchases then you are an idiot. Better to either use a secondary account for debit card purchases and transfer money into that account when needed, or better yet, use credit cards for purchases and pay the bills monthly. Ideally, you should have more than one credit card. If someone gets your credit card account number and maxes out your card, at worst you use another form of payment until the card is re-issued and your account is credited. Not so if they get your ATM card information and cleans out your checking account…..Yeah, you’ll get your money back eventually (maybe), but it will take a while, and what do you purchase gas for your car and food for your family with in the meantime? What do you pay your mortgage payment (or rent) with while the system works it’s way to getting you your money back?

And you should have a stash of cash available for times when you cannot access your account. At least two weeks worth of normal spending…. because, at a whim, the banks or the feds can cut your account off….Credit cards too.

Think I am kidding? Chase did it to their customers with no notice when they limited folks after the Target data breach. At a whim, they changed the rules, limiting the amount of money…money OWNED BY THEIR DEPOSITORS…that could be spent until new cards could be issued.

Now, I understand that Chase had to make a hard decision here. Their potential liability was HUGE. Someone got into Target’s computers and had card numbers, magnetic stripe info, and PIN numbers….info that could allow them to duplicate cards and make “legitimate” withdrawals and purchases….money that Chase would eventually have to replace when it was proven that those were  fraudulent purchases. I don’t blame them for making the decision that they did.

But what if the Feds chose to do that? Or if Chase (or YOUR) financial institution chose to cut you off entirely?

They can do that, you know. All it takes is a judge’s signature…or a vindictive IRS agent. Or a bank that is in financial trouble.

Have a stash. And use credit cards rather than debit cards. Or at least use a card that isn’t linked to your main checking account.

Me, I use credit cards. Easier and more convenient.  And I have a stash as part of my SHTF plan.

You should too.

2 different versions of reality?

Go read this article. Apparently the author is from some semi-parallel universe.

Take the time to red the comments. about 1/3 of the commenters only know the talking points put out by the DNC folks denigrating the Tea Party. Some of them think that it is a right for the “Government” to take from the “rich” and transfer that wealth to the poor. That people have a right to health care and to free shit especially if they are black or brown….and it is ok to take that from others who have worked for it.

It would seem that there are two versions of reality at play here….the one that I see, wherein the Tea Party folks care mostly about the spiraling increases in the deficit and want to see that cut back, and the other viewpoint, which is that we must give people whatever they cry for at someone else’s expense.

The fact that some people protest increased government growth (and spending) must make us racist because that spending is apparently primarily given to black and brown people (which I doubt).

The point is that I am somewhat scared not only because the author is apparently living in a somewhat distorted view of what I see as reality but also because more than 1/3 of the commenters seem to see the world in much the same way as she does.

Scary

Santa was delayed

Next time, you fools, don’t wait until the last friggin’ minute to order. There could be delays in shipping

Sorry little Tommy and young Suzy, Mommy and Daddy were too busy to order your gift until the last minute and you didn’t get your dolly or your Blaster for Christmas.

I am trying to find some empathy for these folks, but really, the Christmas Holiday has been scheduled for several hundred years and if you didn’t realize until the last moment that you had to buy presents for your loved ones until 2 days before, well, that is a reflection upon you.

Cultures:

Respect.

There is a muslim family that runs a convenience store where I buy lottery tickets and smokes every Mon/Wed/Fri.

I think they are Palestinian, or at least the father was 30 years ago when he came to the US. He and his sons are now quite Americanized, still holding onto their culture, but yet very western in their views.

And both the father and one of his sons surprised me yesterday by warmly wishing me a “Merry Christmas”. (Not “Happy Holidays”)

I was surprised. “But you are Muslim” I said.

“Yep. We are. But you, my friend, are Christian” came the reply…”So, Merry Christmas”.

I was, frankly, touched. Nice people there.

Hey

Amidst the gift giving, the food, the drinks, the laughter and the over-indulgence and excesses….

Please, remember what the day of Christmas is celebrating.

It isn’t a commercial holiday, nor is is a mid winter festival (although many would change it to be one).

It is a Christian holiday celebrating the birth of the Christ child.

And nothing can change that.

And while you are enjoying your cup of Christmas Cheer with your friends or family, take a moment to think about all those who cannot be with their family…your soldiers overseas, the policemen and firemen who are standing guard for you at home, and the other workers doing their jobs so you can enjoy your Christmas celebrations in warmth and  comfort and peace.

Traditions:

Normally, my family gets together on Christmas Eve and has a dinner, then we do Christmas Morning for the breakfast and then a gift exchange, followed by a sybaritic meal. If people are unable to make it on Christmas Eve or Christmas day, we make it up later in the year or early January

This year, we did the gift exchange a few days early….It was good to see my brother and all, but it was odd.

And this year, there will be no gathering on Christmas Day.

But we did have a gathering and a meal on Christmas Eve, And the fellowship was good….and warming, and fulfilling and helps regenerate my sense of belonging.

Traditions, even fractured ones, are good.