Goodbye Toxicity – Let’s Join the Others Already Working Towards Necessary, Systemic Change
I N T R O D U C T I O N
This writing focuses upon cis-gendered, upper-middle class white men in the United States (USians) who want real systemic equality.
The United States needs (positive) radical systemic change. We recognize the “Joe Bidens” as our leaders. Behind the scenes, the real work has been, and continues to be, done by the others who are not powerful, wealthy white men. Black women (basically) elected Joe Biden. Black women did most of the significant (basic, core) work that resulted in the passage of the Civil Rights laws of the 1960’s.
White liberal and radical upper-middle class/wealthy men wield a lot of potential power, far more than others (besides other similarly well-off white men).
We, cis-gendered white men frequently “rest on our laurels”. We do some good things, but don’t exert our potential power, seriously helping build equality for all.
The 2022 elections may radically shift power to the right.
(March 30, 2022) –Senator Rick Scott (R-FL), who chairs the committee responsible for electing Republican senators, has produced an “11-point plan to rescue America.” It dramatically raises taxes on people who earn less than $100,000, and ends Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act.
With a 6 to 3 majority on the Supreme Court, Republicans have also taken aim at abortion rights and are now talking about ending other civil rights protected by the federal government after 1950: the right to birth control, interracial marriage, and same-sex marriage. (my boldface)
https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/march-30-2022?s=r
We need to immediately build a movement of white men seeking positive systemic change! We need to:
- do our own personal and political work,
- reach other “woke”, and “almost woke” white men, strengthening our effort,
- diversify as we grow, reaching more white men, and
- network with, and support others, helping build a powerful movement.
This writing hopefully will, at a minimum, influence a few white men. While the odds are against us, we must help build support for people we generally ignore. Others, such as BIPOC, women, trans folks – are already doing serious work!
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I lived along Sheridan Road, in Chicago. The “Loyola University” signage instantly transformed a young man’s car and body into a large, flat piece of metal. He hadn’t made the curve, crashing his car driving 130 mph. We kill each other for “respect”. Opioids and suicide take too many of us! I didn’t cry at 13, when my father died. It took me 17 more years, until I let myself cry! Being: “a man” is my – and our burden.
We are quite toxic! We are accurately perceived as a threat by many, such as women and Black People! They may also be trans, queer, lesbian and/or gay. Other white men and children are often scared of us. Sadly, too often, we are afraid of ourselves.
We should be challenging ourselves – stopping our destructive paths.
The poison extends far beyond Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, today’s ultimate, toxic white males! We, white men, disproportionately affect the lives of others. White men hold 62 percent of all elected offices despite being just 30 percent of the population… https://thehill.com/changing-america/respect/diversity-inclusion/555503-new-study-finds-white-male-minority-rule
Mean individual white income is $71,125.40. Median individual white income is $50,106. Black, Native, and Latino earnings are roughly 2/3 of white averages. (Asian income is modestly higher ). https://dqydj.com/income-by-race/
White women earn 83.2 percent as much as their male counterparts… https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/wkyeng.pdf
Previously published on GeorgeMarx.org
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Images courtesy of Mattia Norbiato @mattnewmexico