Be Less...

You might've heard the news that Coca Cola was trying to train their employees to be less white.  Frankly, the only way I know to be less white is to get a tan.  But that's not what they're talking about.  There's apparently something bad about whiteness, something inherent to people with less melanin, so they want people to be less of that.  

Let's forget for a moment the obvious racism of ascribing traits to anyone based on the color of their skin.  I read the list of traits they want less of and it read like a recipe for the perfect slave.  Nothing so blatant as 'quit thinking for yourself' but then again, if you believe any of the things on that list are inherent to white people, you stopped thinking for yourself long ago and they don't need to be explicit about that anymore.

The first thing on the list was 'Be less oppressive'.  Oppressiveness is apparently directly related to whiteness.  I'm not sure how I can be less oppressive than my current attitude of leave people the hell alone.  Nothing I say or do is stopping anyone from doing anything.  And if it were, then I would be an asshole no matter what color my skin was.  I guess my simply being a pale peachy-pink is oppressive.  Again, I can't change that unless I buy a tanning bed and some SPF 0 lotion.  (You think I'm kidding.  Remember the chick who tanned herself up and proclaimed herself to be black in order to get a job at some university.  She made herself less white intentionally the only way she could've.)

Be less arrogant.  Know your place.

Be less certain.  Uncertain people are easily controlled.

Be less defensive.  :as they beat you to death:  We're not attacking you so stop fighting us.

Be less ignorant.  Ignorant of what they what you to believe, not ignorant of the truth.  They actually love ignorance of reality and facts.

Be more humble.  Know your place.

Listen. Only to them.

Believe.  Only them.

Break with apathy.  Care about what they want you to care about and nothing else.

Break with white solidarity.  But black solidarity is totally okay.  Actually, it's shit like this that makes people want to gather up in herds for protection.  It's a natural response to being treated like a prey animal.

Here's something to think about.  If you read something with a skin color inserted in it, ask yourself if you'd be offended if you changed what the words they're using to another skin color.  If there was a White Entertainment Television... If there was a show called white-ish.  If a company told its employees to be 'less black'.  If you're offended by one, why are you not offended by the other?  Why be offended by either?

What if someone put forth the idea that all liberals should be rounded up and re-educated?  Everyone everywhere should be offended at the idea of ANYONE being rounded up for ANYTHING.  It's happened before with horrifying results.  And before someone points to the Japanese internment, remember it was a Democrat who did that.  And even though those people weren't slaughtered, it was wrong, too.  

I'm not a racist.  I honestly don't give a shit what color you are.  But I guess these days, simply saying you're not a racist is racist.  Saying you don't take skin color into consideration when dealing with other people is racist.  Math is racist.  Grammar is racist.  The TRUTH is racist.  Everything is racist if it serves their purpose.  In this Orwellian nightmare forced upon is, up is down and the sky is in fact orange.  Except when reality gets in the way.  (Reality, by the way, is also now a hateful concept.)

I'm an individualist.  I treat each person as an individual, all on a level playing field until they give me reason to shift my opinion otherwise.  (And skin color is never a reason.)  If you're nice and seem rational, up you go in my estimation.  If you're not, you go down.  Go down far enough and you know what happens?  Nothing.  I stop associating with you.  I avoid you.  I don't wish for your death.  I don't scream nasty things at you.  I don't try to kill your sales or your business.  I don't threaten your family or your property.  I simply no longer acknowledge your existence.  

Unless it ever gets to the point where it's your life or mine.  Let's make sure it never gets to that point, eh?  Leave me to live my life and I will leave you to live yours.  I'd rather have pleasant interactions with other human beings, but if that becomes impossible because of the philosophy this culture is sinking to, I can proceed on my own.  Hell, I can create friends if I have to.  I'm a writer.  It's what I do.

Or I'll go buy a dog.  They don't give a shit what color anyone is.  Hey, look everyone, I'm a dog.  Instead of trying to be less white, be more dog.