On being white and male

A comment thread on REASON involved someone making the case that white men have had a history of dominating "the narrative" which I think means that most of the books and essays have been written by white men.  (Of course, that assumes that all non-white cultures never existed).

If you read much from writers writing from certain feminist or critical race or similar perspectives (as opposed to reading what their critics have to say about them), a theme or point often made is that white straight men have dominated narratives for so long that it’s hard for them to ‘get’ the experiences and attitudes/opinions of others, and the latter is what needs much more focus. That doesn’t mean white straight males have nothing to say on the issue, it just means they’ve been dominating the conversations for ages now and there should be a priority on listening to other voices.

Here's a response that refutes it totally.

Being white or male does not mean your voice was used in the name if whiteness or maleness. It is actually very possible, and likely, that a large number of voices that happened to come from whites and males, were used on the behalf of universalist ideas such as equal rights, equal standing before the law, etc. An example would be any white male speaking for free speech rights.

To impose meaning onto the message because of the genetics of the speakers says volumes about your commitment to judging people on character and merit rather than race or gender.

And simply because a white man 100 years ago spoke does not invalidate my right to speak or the validity of my arguments.

That people are even talking about intersectionality or whatever progressive claptrap is the topic of the day proves that there IS a voice for the historically ignored. Fredrick Douglass lived as a slave, the lowest station a black man has held in American society. And during that era… he was able to eventually have a voice that went directly to the ear of the President. Some 200 years later a black man was president himself. MLK is taught to every school child. Both of them have had a voice on the topic far outweighing mine.

Do I get to claim a spot at the table and special pleading to be heard? Or, perhaps, we buy into freedom of speech and NO ONE gets special pleading.

Minorities are heard more today than they ever have been. In fact, they are heard from in respectable circles (universities, news rooms, refined public conversations, etc.) than young white men who feel disaffected by the pendulum swinging from white supremacy to an inverse rather than a neutralization.

I was told as a kid that we are all equal. I took that to heart. And now that I am older I am treated with disdain because of my race… that I already had my say (even if no one spoke my message… I am white therefore any white man 200 years already used up my clock).

I am befuddled. I feel cheated… I spent my life not judging people by their race. I listened to them, laughed with them, fought with them, loved with them. But now those who are the self-proclaimed champions of equality and anti-racism do not treat me in kind.

I was either lied to and treating people based on skin tone is right… or these people who do it today are wrong. Both positions can’t be right at the same time. At least one position is morally bankrupt. From studying history I am quite confident I know which one.