Ethnically Speaking by Larry Meeks

Dear Larry: By what measure do you base your statement that "whites feel guilty"? In her thoughtful letter, Robin indicated that her family owned slaves and she felt no guilt. There is no recorded history that my family ever owned slaves, however my father was about as bigoted as they come. I felt sad because of his shortsightedness; I did not feel guilty.

In my many conversations with my white friends, no one ever expressed any sentiments of guilt. So I would be interested in how you established your basis for this statement.

You skirted the issue of black racism in your response. Those feelings that were so eloquently articulated by the Rev. Wright match the attitudes I personally experience as I travel about the country. My job takes me to many cities, and I make it a point to talk with as many strangers as I can to hone my skills of conversation. I am met with much more caution from blacks than other races. I find this fact most interesting.

It would seem that the time is right for our black representatives to start addressing the issue of personal responsibility, as you so wisely pointed out. I, for one, would cheer it on. — VR

Dear VR: My feelings that whites feel guilty about the "sin of slavery" are based upon my many years of dialogues with whites. Almost without exception, when the issue is discussed, white people will apologize for this shameful institution. They also will apologize for the many years of Jim Crow laws, lynchings and other forms of discrimination against blacks. I know they are sincere because some even have been reduced to tears.

My feelings also are based upon statements made by many of our presidents. Just to mention two, President Clinton made a formal apology, and President Johnson stated the following in his push for affirmative action: "You do not take a person who, for years, has been hobbled by chains and liberate him, bring him up to the starting line of a race and then say, 'You are free to compete with all the others,' and still justly believe that you have been completely fair."

I believe President Clinton apologized because he felt it was the right thing to do.

The time was right for this kind of statement. The same was not true of the Johnson administration. In 1965, President Johnson took a big risk and a lot of criticism for his administration's push for affirmative action. I believe he would not have taken this risk unless he felt the past was a wrong that needed to righted. I translate these statements as feelings of guilt.

I also believe whites, especially liberal whites, feel guilty because they allow blacks to be held to a different standard and different expectations. They find excuses for unacceptable black behavior, lower achievement in school, broken families, and a long list of other activities for which they would criticize their fellow whites. The only way to explain this paternalistic behavior toward blacks is "white guilt."

Black racism is a racist and hateful behavior that I believe is divided into three components. The first category is an actual belief system of hatred of the white race, such as Louis Farrakhan's beliefs. Blacks like him teach the superiority of blacks and the evil of whites.

The second category is racism of opportunity. This is the brand of racism that is practiced by people such as the Revs. Sharpton and Jackson. They proclaim leadership of the blacks by representing their cause, pushing an anti-white agenda and all the while, milking the system for their personal gain. This category includes those people who know how to explain away their own reasons for lack of achievement or any other negative behavior.

The last category of black racism is merely a perceived reaction to the racism committed against them by whites. What is ironic about this category is many of the blacks who have this reaction were never recipients of anti-black behavior. They react against whites simply because of past wrongs.

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