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[Urist is dead tome]

Black History Month. It's something that bothers me (not in a racist way), the way black culture is considered a source of pride but white people are considered racist if they celebrate white culture. In America we have Filipino American History Month, National Hispanic Heritage Month, Jewish American Heritage Month, LGBT History Month, National Tibetan American Heritage Month,Puerto Rican Heritage Month, Women's History Month, Gay and Lesbian Pride Month. Now those are all fine and dandy but I don't like the way people think of pointed hoods and shaved heads when they think of white pride.

To quote Charleton Heston:

"The Constitution was handed down to guide us by a bunch of wise old dead white guys who invented our country! Now some flinch when I say that. Why! It's true-they were white guys! So were most of the guys that died in Lincoln's name opposing slavery in the 1860s. So why should I be ashamed of white guys? Why is "Hispanic Pride" or "Black Pride" a good thing, while "White Pride" conjures shaven heads and white hoods? Why was the Million Man March on Washington celebrated by many as progress, while the Promise Keepers March on Washington was greeted with suspicion and ridicule? I’ll tell you why: Cultural warfare!"

You may now commence calling me an idiot.

[nenjin]

Your opinion?

"Oh god, do we really need to do this."

[Shambling Zombie]

Maybe they just ran out of months? 

[Vector]

Because our entire culture is an expression of white male pride... ?  How would you go about celebrating it?  I mean, seriously, can you actually think of anything?  Go around reading more white male books?  Go around singing songs by white men that we don't usually sing?  Work extra hard to be cognizant of the plight of the underprivileged white male throughout history, which we tend to forget about under the "more interesting" history of his oppressors?  Remind ourselves that the white male demographic exists and has its own culture?

[ToonyMan]

That Washington holiday is coming up and I'm pretty sure he's white.

[Pnx]

Black-White racism will be over with when people stop thinking of black/white skin as a defining feature of who people are...

[Max White]

Because our entire culture is an expression of white male pride... ?  How would you go about celebrating it?  I mean, seriously, can you actually think of anything?  Go around reading more white male books?  Go around singing songs by white men that we don't usually sing?  Work extra hard to be cognizant of the plight of the underprivileged white male throughout history, which we tend to forget about under the "more interesting" history of his oppressors?  Remind ourselves that the white male demographic exists and has its own culture?

And it never struck you that it is because we do not take note of the white male demographic, it is a cultural 'norm'? If we continue to treat white males as nothing special then they will continue to be nothing special, and therefor the default, and as soon as anybody plays any varience on that, it instantly becomes a theme.

[Cthulhu]

My response to people who ask when white history month is:  "January, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December"

[Duke 2.0]

LGBT History Month, Gay and Lesbian Pride Month.

I guess they like redundancy.

[ein]

LGBT History Month, Gay and Lesbian Pride Month.

I guess they like redundancy.

To be fair, it's only half-redundant.

[Sir Pseudonymous]

Devoting a month to "honor" any culture is offensive. African American culture is every bit as antithetical to a modern western society as Neonazi Redneck culture is, and for many of the same reasons: opposition to cultural assimilation, racist persecution complexes (as in, persecution complexes with racist overtones), the various issues that go along with being an impoverished and frequently marginalized demographic, etc. Modern society is not defined by any one individual demographic, and can only be progressed through ironing out divisive elements, mostly cultures held fast by paranoid, marginalized ethnic groups, including those europeans that fit the description.

[Max White]

As a general rule, not so. Ethics (Not morals) would seem to support the native american 'weave a basket' festival, more then the neonazi 'burn a coss' day. So we like to promote things that make society happy. With this in mind we have to remember that white straight males aged 18 to 35 are humans too, many of them good people, so they should have there day to say 'Hey look! We can be good people! Next time you are writing a novel and thinking about character traits, white straight males aged 18 to 35 is also one of many backgrounds!'

[Eugenitor]

Your opinion?

"Oh god, do we really need to do this."

Spoiler: Click here to be offended (click to show/hide)

Why have a History Month? They're still around, aren't they?

[Retro]

oh god this is going to end in a lock isn't it

[Sir Pseudonymous]

As a general rule, not so. Ethics (Not morals) would seem to support the native american 'weave a basket' festival, more then the neonazi 'burn a coss' day.

Attempting to propagate traditions of one particular minor group is counter productive to advancing a modern society. But that's not what we're talking about. We're talking about setting aside particular times of the year to "honor" one subculture or another, often with some degree of federal backing. Further, the idea of trying to preserve outmoded or decayed cultural traditions within marginalized elements of different demographics is divisive and antithetical to making those demographics less marginalized. People who set themselves apart from society should not have their actions supported by that society, whether they're trying to reinforce some innocuous but bizarre traditions, like the Amish, or supporting a radical, supremacist tradition, like neonazis and to a lesser extent many african american nationalists. Traditional cultures must be ironed out to minimize marginalization of individuals within society, at least marginalization based on bloodline. Even if people now might not like seeing their traditions ignored, their children or grandchildren will be better off for being assimilated.