Equal Opportunity Disease

I sat through a political conversation mostly keeping quiet because I was the odd man out, even though it was with “conservatives.” The conversation was about equal opportunity and affirmative action, how they were good things at the time but do not have any relevance today. Both individuals admitted that they were White and “acknowledged” that their race helped them in their lives; one was a female and brought up how Title IX would have benefitted her if it had been passed a few years earlier.

The conversation went on and both individuals discussed how pushing White men down was unfair, but in order to bring balance to the workplace or allow those that didn’t have previous opportunities, it was an unfortunate necessity. I pointed out that the very thing that these two individuals were advocating for was making their own argument false. It can’t be okay to push eligible individuals (White males) down the ladder in order to pull “unqualified individuals” up. The conversation furthered the fact that if there is a disproportionate number of blacks or browns in a given population (low) versus the workforce, there is obviously an unfair advantage.

I pointed out that in many areas there is a significant difference in the racial population percentage and workforce percentage, simply to the influx of new demographics. I brought up the point that when I joined the military, there were some individuals that had never even seen a black man in real life. The rural areas they came from simply didn’t have them, they were very small communities and that is just the way it was. So, if a community only has a couple hundred people in it and suddenly a minority family (or two) moves into that locale, are they suddenly supposed to make up not just 30% of the workforce but 30% of the management, too? Is that what they were proposing? Both individuals started backtracking, but also complained that I was griping over an exception and not the rule.

So, I started down a different path and went with this explanation: some individuals are not meant to be greater than they already are. I use myself as an example – I have vision but I would not call myself a visionary. I am a builder. I come from a long line of builders on both sides of my family. My family has always been farmers, truck drivers, electricians, and such. I am proud of my family history; we have many stories that start out on the shop floor, and we have earned our way to management or started a small business and grew it into a healthy one. It keeps us grounded and humble. I’m a fine builder, I can build something out of wood, and I can build something out of metal. But, I’m not an artisan by any means. I have worked my way up the ladder and earned my spot, I still get my hands dirty, because that is who I am. I have been knocked down some rungs a few times and had to start my climb over again. I am not going to be the guy that started in my garage and now is a billionaire.

Is there any reason why someone in my family should be appointed CEO of a large company, for any other reason than we don’t have one in our family? Our background could technically keep us from getting into Ivy League schools, we don’t have that sort of money to throw around and we cannot check that little equal opportunity box to highlight our struggle to make it in the world. That struggle, my forefathers would quickly point out, is what builds character and makes honorable men. Society needs people of all types, deep thinkers, skilled tradesmen, and laborers.

Of course, my argument was quickly debunked as irrelevant, because I did not understand or was willing to accept my “White privilege.” Never would I have thought that I would live in a society that both encouraged you to chastise yourself as evil and inferior, but also proclaim that you have an unfair advantage. 

Outsiders will always look upon a group and find a reason for mistrust – that is our nature, our self-preservation. What an abomination, though, to think you should take a handicap and let the other person have your slot because the world is unfair. The world was never meant to be fair; it was meant to allow the best to rise to the top. Does the “best” always rise to the top? Unfortunately, no. Nepotism, sociopathy, and other practices and behaviors do help the unqualified reach elite levels. However, in my experience, that also finds a way to correct itself.

Do not let your children think less of themselves because of the propaganda of the weak and those filled with anti-White hate. It is our job to remind ourselves and our children of who we are and what we have accomplished. We are not the same as everyone else, nor should we be.

Be proud of your history and instill that pride in your family.