Wednesday, October 23, 2002
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Wednesday, October 23, 2002 |
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Don't blame us By BILLY MURPHY "I am a member of a group a race, one could say that is just not very popular. We are the "average white male." No matter what color, gender or orientation of the minority or special interest group, they seem to assign all their persecutions on failures on the average white male. I just want to say, "Don't blame us." Contrary to popular opinion, middle-class white men have not banded to commit a conspiracy. We are probably the only group, as a matter of fact, that doesn't have meetings, support groups or lawsuits out against the world.. Everyone wants to blame the "us" for their own particular, rotten situation. We kill the deer. We withhold the salaries. We tell the lurid jokes. We close the doors of opportunity; so "they" say. It's not that any of this is true, it's just that we are an easy target because we quietly mind our own business. Sure, we're not perfect, our faults are many, but still, there is just no way that every negative situation in this country is caused by us. Just who are these "average white guys" anyway? We are the ones who buy the Ford Tauruses, the Lazy Boy recliners, and all that fishing tackle at Wal-Mart. We are likely to change our own oil, but not our hairstyles. We are the ones who work day in and day out, not trying to hit it big with some get-rich-quick scheme, but fighting our way up the ladder one rung at a time. Our wallets are likely to have more pictures in them than credit cards and more "ones" than "fives." We own the houses, we pay the taxes, we fix the sinks, take out the garbage. We are the lead in the pencil, and the springs in the mattress. We average white guys are really not that bad. OK, we don't bring flowers very often or walk around without a shirt holding a baby that much but, we will give a perfect stranger a "jump" if their battery is dead. We will give anyone their credit it they have worked for it. No matter what the complaint, we are still the backbone of this country's economy and will work hard to stay that way. I'm not asking for any medal or honor on behalf of anyone. I'm just saying the average middle-class white man is simply too busy working to be blamed for everyone else's problems. You probably won't witness many of us average white guys using politically correct terms or wearing red ribbons in support of AIDS. Yet, under those Hollywood tuxedos you won't find too many sweat-stained T-shirts either. If the celebrities and the newsmakers are the landscaping for our fine country, then we are the clay that produces all the growth and holds it all together. Not pretty to look at but necessary indeed. In no way am I trying to say that the average white male is superior to any other race, creed or female. But, we are pictured as the guys who just sit back and run this country, calling all the shots, making all the decisions. People think "we," today's white man, simply inherited all that we have. It's not true. Most of us have worked long, hard years, minding our own business, just trying to make a better life. We shouldn't be punished, chastised or guilty if we have. We do have much to learn too. We could learn to say "I love you" more. We could learn not to lump all people in specific categories. We could learn to give respect in every situation. If we (the average white male) are the heart of America, as I think we are, we could learn that there are many other parts that make up this body. The body will never perform as it should until all parts work together; not in jealousy or in competition, but in harmony. The heart can't say to thehead, "I don't need you," for one can't live without the other. The hand can't say to the head, "I don't need you," for to be a body all must be in unison. When this is accomplished, I might never have to write again, "Don't blame us." [Contact Billy Murphy at billy@ebilly.net.]
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