I have an awesome family, 1 brother and 5 sisters. It's has been really interesting on how we all turned out. We are similar in that I think we all have my Moms nose and our Dads ears, but how we all think and feel can be quite different. So there is lots of diversity of thought and opinion. This dynamichas made for some great discussions in our family. First I am impressed with all of my siblings each of them has their own ue abilities that make them strong in their own right. I would like to show case my sister Beth, she has been a great example to me in that she has overcome a lot, she taught me through example that no matter what, there is no reason to ever give up. Now I am not surprised that she was a tad irrigated with my last oped, I was riveted by her response she even numbered her points (any time some one numbers something it means a lot to them). Here they are incase you are to lazy to click on the comments section:
A Few Comments:
1) As a SWM (single white mom) I absolutely got something I didn't deserve. I received all kinds of grant $$ to pay for my schooling, books and even some of my living expenses. I just want to publicly thank all of you non-privileged folks for funding my education (or at least a great deal of it) and allowing me to live such a privileged life.
2) By calling your blog 'fighting whites' aren't you doing the very thing you preach against? Quote: "It will happen when people stop seeing black and white, and start seeing human beings, it will happen when we stop referring to ourselves hyphen-Americans and just be Americans."3) Because I love you I want to remind you that very often potential and existing employers will browse employee facebook/myspace/blogs/etc. While I respect your right to speak your mind - you should think carefully about how you broadcast your opinions.
4) I don't necessarily disagree with your main point - but I do disagree with your approach. I was offended by the closing prayer of the inauguration when Joseph Lowery prayed for the day when 'white men will embrace what is right' - but by starting a blog about fighting whites, I guess I'm having a hard time seeing the difference between his approach and yours.
5) You're probably correct in saying that no white person YOU KNOW ever had an advantage because of his/her skin color. But that doesn't mean it didn't and doesn't happen. And it's also not just skin color. As a women in the professional world I've experienced first hand, very personally, discrimination against women in favor of men. I don't know what the answer is to the problem - but I firmly believe that pretending it doesn't exist is not the answer.I'd have to say I agree with what you said about people needing to stop seeing black and white (and gender!) and just see Americans. The rest we'll just have to agree to disagree.Ha! And you thought it would be Becky you'd irritate ;-) Stepping down off of my soap box now...
Love you - your favorite sister,Beth
Let me say this, one demographic that needs and deserves grant money, and as much as possible are single mothers, infact, we should increase that part of our system, because I've seen first hand the difference it can make. They are deserving becuase the men in their lives have failed them or were taken in an ufourtunate way. As a man it is your duty to take care of the mother of your child.
You are right Beth, my aproach is harsh, I guess I just want to shed light on that fact that there isn't anyone out there fighting for my rights as SWM? So what's a boy to do? And I am right, the idea of a white man fighting to have a voice is explosive, but why can't I have a voice?
I will always entertain feedback that is rational and inteligent, even if the party doesn't agree with my point of view. This is tollerance, something I am required by society to practice as a SWM but others are excused becuase of their protected status.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Friday, February 20, 2009
5 Movies Every American should see
Movies, a truly American institution, and I love them, I dont' know what it is but I love to watch good movies. And I love it even more when the movie means something, when there is something taught, when you come away from the expirience a changed person for the better becuase you watched it. So in that spirit I present to you the movies that every american should see at least once in their life. Some of these have some pretty graphic violence, so you should be mature enough to handle it or catch the edited version on TBS.
4. Schindlers List "Whoever saves one life.... saves the entire world"
1. Braveheart "Every man dies, not every man really lives"
The story of Sir William Wallace a scottish rebel who united the clans of Scotland to throw off the tyranny of the current King of England Edward the Long Shanks. In his fight to free Scotland Wallace gives his all in the pursuit of freedom and understands that in order to have it, there must be a great sacrifice.
2. Saving Private Ryan "Earn this Ryan....Earn it"
This movie made by Steven Spielberg and staring Tom Hanks (my favorite actor) depicting the storming of the beaches of Normandy during the pivitol battle of World War 2. The opening scene showing the intial invasion was so realistic that veterans of the conflict who went to see the movie had flash backs. The movies reveals to the viewer the horrors of that terrible war and what great sacrifices the men and women or our nations armedforces had to pass through in order to preserve our freedom. After watching this movie you will never be able to look at a solider in the same way again, you will see them for what they are, angels gaurding us. In my book the men and women who by their own free will have chosen to defend our country will have a place in heaven. This movie has the most powerful ending I have ever seen, I dare you not to cry.
3. Glory "If this man falls who will carry the flag"
3. Glory "If this man falls who will carry the flag"
During the Civil War the Union Army didn't allow African Americans to become soldiers untill late in the war. The first African American regiment was the 54th Massachusettes Infantry, led by Colonel Robert Gould Shaw (portrayed by Mathew Broderick). While the movie has some historical inacuraticies, the film portrays one of the first major steps that our country took towards equality for all men. The final battle portrayed in the film produced our countries first African American Medal of Honor winner, here is some interesting facts from wikipedia.
"The incident just before the charge into Fort Wagner in which Colonel Shaw points to the flag bearer and asks "If this man should fall, who will lift the flag and carry on?" is based on a real event. However, the person who asked the question was General George Crockett Strong; Shaw was the person who responded. When the flag bearer fell and after Shaw was killed, another black soldier, Sergeant William Harvey Carney, grabbed the flag and carried it all the way to the bulwarks of Fort Wagner. He remained there under enemy fire until the 54th was forced to retreat. Sergeant Carney struggled back to Union lines with the flag, receiving four wounds from which he recovered. Carney became the first black recipient of the Medal of Honor."
4. Schindlers List "Whoever saves one life.... saves the entire world"
Another WW2 film by Spielberg, but this time it focuses on the story of Oskar Schindler, a war profiteer that went to Poland to begin manufacturing mess kits for the German Army. A member of the Nazi Party and a womanizer he saves the lives of over 1000 jews from the slums of Krakow. He uses his entire fortune to bribe Nazi officials and provide saftey for the Jews he saved.
5. The Prusuit of Happiness
"You got a dream, you gotta protect it... you want something you gotta go get it, period!"
With out critical acclaim or any any awards to show for it, The Pursuit of Happiness is a story of a down and out entrepenuer who looses his home and his wife after they invest their life savings in a failed business venture. Chris Gardner finds himself homless with out a job and in fight to keep and care for his young son. Chris finds himself with a difficult choice, accept an internship with one of the most respected Investment Banks in the world that has no salary to start, and continue to live out of shelters, or find a paying job and continue down the same path of medicority. Chris shows us that the American Dream is not givin to anyone, it is ours for the taking if we are willing to make the sacrifices for it. Will Smith (who received a nomination for Best Actor but didn't win)plays the lead role with his real life son Jaden, the movie proves that anyone can make it if they choose to. This was is a true story, Chris Gardner went on to start his own investment firm and made a large fortune after he sold it to Dean Witter, the firm he started with.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Don't confuse it with white supremicy
I am an English-Norwegian-Scotch-Irish-German-American! GO FIGHTING WHITES!
This is not white supremacy; I want to make that clear. I do not in any way feel any race is superior to another. So if you are inclined to label me a bigot or a racist, you are missing the point. The fighting white is my mascot; it is who I am and where I come from. In our politically correct environment we as whites have been blamed for the crimes of our fathers, not all of our fore-fathers owned slaves, I’ve done my genealogy (or my mom has) and I can tell you no relative of mine (that I am aware of) ever owned slaves. In the midst of black history month, I find myself once again feeling guilty about what happened to those who were enslaved or mistreated. But why should I feel guilty, am I to blame? Of course not, but I can tell you this, there are those who see the color of my skin and automatically label me a racist, and it is assumed that I have privilege that exceeds theirs. Let me tell you about my privilege and the privilege of those I am grew up with. No one I know has ever gotten something they didn’t deserve, everyone I know that has gone to school and got an education has student loan debt (except for TJ Budge and my neice and nephew they got scholarships). There was no united college fund to help us or grants to hand out. No organization organized to help me specifically. There wasn’t a secret white password or hand shake that got us free stuff. It was by the sweat of our brows that we were able to get where we are now. Some of us have done better than others; I have friends that are doctors, lawyers, insurance salesman and janitors. And everyone is where they are at because they made the choices that got them there. No white person I know had an advantage because of his skin color. In our world today, in our affirmative action, politically correct world where I have the wrong skin color, I am the deprived and the disadvantaged, there is no organization operating with any significant respect that looks to protect my rights and opportunities as a STRAIGHT WHITE MAN (SWM).
Let’s say for example that I wanted to start an organization that focuses on issues among my demographic, how do you think that would have been received. At Idaho State University there were all kinds of student groups organized to support different types of people. I remember a particularly active group that was gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgender orientated. This group was formed by students that went to the school and they had sponsored serveral activities. I attended one of their activities that brought awareness to the issues these individuals face. As I listened to their views I wondered if I could start a group based on my life style choices, and name it the straight white men’s club. I wonder, would I have gotten funding for the group from the school? I am going to make a guess and say no, and if I would have tried it would have been so controversial that I would have made the front page of the Idaho State Journal. Why is it so controversial you ask? As a SWM I am stereotyped, it is already assumed that if I were to organize in such a manner it would be for the purpose gainning supremacy. So here is the real question, how are we as a society going to achieve complete tolerance? It won’t be through affirmative action, or political correctness those ideals breed segragation. It will happen when people stop seeing black and white, and start seeing human beings, it will happen when we stop referring to ourselves hyphen-Americans and just be Americans. So as a fighting white, I am fighting for the right to speak my mind about being white, and bring up issues that affect me without being labeled a racist.
This is not white supremacy; I want to make that clear. I do not in any way feel any race is superior to another. So if you are inclined to label me a bigot or a racist, you are missing the point. The fighting white is my mascot; it is who I am and where I come from. In our politically correct environment we as whites have been blamed for the crimes of our fathers, not all of our fore-fathers owned slaves, I’ve done my genealogy (or my mom has) and I can tell you no relative of mine (that I am aware of) ever owned slaves. In the midst of black history month, I find myself once again feeling guilty about what happened to those who were enslaved or mistreated. But why should I feel guilty, am I to blame? Of course not, but I can tell you this, there are those who see the color of my skin and automatically label me a racist, and it is assumed that I have privilege that exceeds theirs. Let me tell you about my privilege and the privilege of those I am grew up with. No one I know has ever gotten something they didn’t deserve, everyone I know that has gone to school and got an education has student loan debt (except for TJ Budge and my neice and nephew they got scholarships). There was no united college fund to help us or grants to hand out. No organization organized to help me specifically. There wasn’t a secret white password or hand shake that got us free stuff. It was by the sweat of our brows that we were able to get where we are now. Some of us have done better than others; I have friends that are doctors, lawyers, insurance salesman and janitors. And everyone is where they are at because they made the choices that got them there. No white person I know had an advantage because of his skin color. In our world today, in our affirmative action, politically correct world where I have the wrong skin color, I am the deprived and the disadvantaged, there is no organization operating with any significant respect that looks to protect my rights and opportunities as a STRAIGHT WHITE MAN (SWM).
Let’s say for example that I wanted to start an organization that focuses on issues among my demographic, how do you think that would have been received. At Idaho State University there were all kinds of student groups organized to support different types of people. I remember a particularly active group that was gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgender orientated. This group was formed by students that went to the school and they had sponsored serveral activities. I attended one of their activities that brought awareness to the issues these individuals face. As I listened to their views I wondered if I could start a group based on my life style choices, and name it the straight white men’s club. I wonder, would I have gotten funding for the group from the school? I am going to make a guess and say no, and if I would have tried it would have been so controversial that I would have made the front page of the Idaho State Journal. Why is it so controversial you ask? As a SWM I am stereotyped, it is already assumed that if I were to organize in such a manner it would be for the purpose gainning supremacy. So here is the real question, how are we as a society going to achieve complete tolerance? It won’t be through affirmative action, or political correctness those ideals breed segragation. It will happen when people stop seeing black and white, and start seeing human beings, it will happen when we stop referring to ourselves hyphen-Americans and just be Americans. So as a fighting white, I am fighting for the right to speak my mind about being white, and bring up issues that affect me without being labeled a racist.
Welcome to Militant Conservatism
I am a self described militant conservative, what does that mean? Hopefully this sheds some light on it, I believe every man is responsible for himself, I believe this country was set up that way for a reason, There may be those that struggle, I'll be the first to extend my hand in charity, I believe that freedom is essential to man's prosperity on this continent. When our freedoms are taken away we have the right to fight back in word and action. I believe that suffering is necessary in our world, some of you wish to eliminate it, suffering was introduced by God himself, don't you think there is a reason for it? When we struggle we are tested like a piece of metal being forged. When we overcome we are stronger for the experience. Some do not overcome some succumb to despair and are taken from us, sometimes in brutal ways. This will never stop no matter how many laws we pass, my heart aches for their pain, but I know this they will find rest, this life is short for a reason, there are much greater things in eternity to be had. I do not morn the fallen warriors as though there were wronged, I celebrate those that have bravely fought for freedom, the savior said, "Greater love hath no man this, than a man layeth down his life for his friends." Not all give their life freely some are taken, but it is Gods will each time, who are we to question it. So I am fierce in my beliefs, I don't hold back, I don't play nice with others in opposition, I'll never be elected to anything because I refuse to compromise. I post articles because I want people to know how I feel, Its the only voice I have right now. I am militant because I am angry, angry that our society has so quickly forgoten the principles that our country was founded upon. I believe any one can make it, no matter their background or race. So if there was no suffering their could be no eternity. It was through suffering that we were ransomed, it was through pain that we are able to have peace.
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