Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Learn about White Culture

We're not surprised that some people who read our Washington Post op-ed could not see whites as having a distinct culture, since the culture on top of our hierarchies is often thought of as the culture of everyone.

If you would like to learn about white culture,  the best way is to listen to a lower group on the hierarchy who can see it clearly.

The book "Drylongso: A Self Portrait of Black America" by John Langston Gwaltney is terrific. The book is a compellation of interviews with African Americans and was written in 1981. Even though the book was written three decades ago, don't let that deter you. Most of the basic components of the white culture they describe are still intact. The interviews are rich with statements about how white people think and act. If you're white, make sure to focus on listening and resist becoming insulted. Then you'll be treated to a wonderful opportunity to learn.

We particularly recommend these interviews – John Oliver, Ruth Shays, Grant Smith, Jackson Jordan, Jr., Porter Millington, Sims Patrick, Bernard Vanderstell, and Melvin Gabriel Wilmot.

http://thenewpress.com/index.php?option=com_title&task=view_title&metaproductid=1355

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

"The Week" – Best Opinion – US

Our Washington Post op-ed "White men have much to discuss about mass shootings" was covered in "The Week" magazine as one of the top three opinion columns in the U.S. Below is their excellent synopsis of our article.

Why are most mass shootings perpetrated by white males? asked Charlotte Childress and Harriet Childress. In the debate over why America suffers so many killing sprees, race and gender are "the elephant in the room." As Newtown, Aurora, Tucson, Columbine – "month after month, year after year" – it is seething white men and teenagers who use guns to massacre scores of strangers. The gun lobby blames flaws in the mental health system. "But women and girls with mental-health issues are not picking up semiautomatic weapons and shooting schoolchildren." White men "are not used to being singled out" as a cause of social pathology, but they make up 30 percent of the population and commit at least 70 percent of mass killings. Why? Why do so many white males find it fun to play violent video games? Why do white males buy guns in far larger numbers than other groups, and why are so many of them bitterly opposed to even reasonable gun-control proposals? If we start asking honest questions about men, guns, and violence, perhaps we'll get some useful answers.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/white-men-have-much-to-discuss-about-mass-shootings/2013/03/29/7b001d02-97f3-11e2-814b-063623d80a60_story.html?tid=pm_opinions_pop

Monday, April 8, 2013

Washington Post Op-Ed

We would like to thank the tens of thousands who participated in the discussion following our “White Men Have Much to Discuss about Mass Shootings” op-ed in the Washington Post on Sunday, March 31st.

We also appreciate the Washington Post's response linked below.

The response demonstrates how important the issue of hierarchies is to the social and political fabric of our nation. We are very glad to be part of the discussion.

The many comments and messages from people who understand hierarchies shows just how far we have come in the past few decades. For those of you who are still clueless at the top, you also played an important role in showcasing the problems with hierarchies to a wide national and international audience.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/white-men-have-much-to-discuss-about-mass-shootings/2013/03/29/7b001d02-97f3-11e2-814b-063623d80a60_story.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/wp/2013/04/01/postscript-childresses-white-men-and-vileness/