well done, i don't believe this issue is as cut and dry as either side [and yes there are sides, sigh, you know, us and them] makes it and yet i totally hear you on this post and assume that all those who are part of doing the thing you're protesting are not the ones who will read this and go, 'oh what silly fools we've been' but mostly a choir preach BUT at the same time, i , like you i imagine, hold to the hope that maybe one or two or ten or 100 will see the obvious truth in this piece and at least for a moment go "Oh!' but hopefully more longer term go and do a rethink and maybe change course to the homeless or sex trafficked or a host of other things that seem more pressing to rage against or be moved towards...

good one
love brett fish

Love it. Very helpful thankx. Been compiling some race-related articles and stories on my blog this past couple of weeks: http://brettfish.wordpress.com/2014/04/11/taboo-t...

I find that defining what 'White Privilege' really means is a helpful place to start and the statements of 'When you say this, you actually mean this' really helps clarify what the real issues are.

I think you nailed it with this piece: Being told to check your privilege has nothing to do with apologizing for being white. It has to do with being insensitive to the life experiences of others. “Check your empathy skills” might be a better phrase, but nonetheless, it’s not an attempt to shame someone’s race, but rather to point out that someone is refusing to acknowledge privilege differentials.

Much appreciated and keep on
love brett fish

Michelle, was so inspiring hearing you at CCDA and even more so i think reading this piece - the phrase "such a time as this" comes to mind and i imagine you have it in your sights and so i just want to encourage you to go for it and trust the crowds will follow and be walking alongside you...

strength in Him
love brett fish

i think it's really great that so many people are blogging about having children and helping people along with that - just started an incredible series on my blog where i asked some good friends of mine with children for stories of how they raise their children to be world changers - so creative ideas and stories and there have been four so far with more on the way but truly inspiring and encouraging stuff - http://brettfish.wordpress.com/2013/08/18/how-to-... - really great for parents who maybe don't have the time or creativity to come up with their own ideas... so blogs like this and others are really helpful.

Thank you and keep on
love brett fish

great post - in the midst of all that has been said about the case and related situations it is great to see a fresh stance on it and i love the fact that your "answer" is listening to people cos i think that is such a huge part of it - listening to people and hearing their stories [after starting with asking their names] all leads towards relationship and it is when we have relationship with people that their problems and issues and struggles become a lot more relevant to us...

here are some thoughts i found on this whole event [Eugene Cho's article in particular was amazing] sandwiched under this video on a bunch of children watching a mixed-marriage Cheerios commercial and being dumbfounded by all the issues that adults had with it - powerful watch: http://brettfish.wordpress.com/2013/07/17/how-to-...

thankx for sharing Wesley. It is great that you 'get' it in terms of all the different ways you have to think and feel and act because of who you are [or more relevantly who you are seen to be] and at the same time [and so much more so] it completely SUCKS and is wrong and messed up and twisted that there are different ways you have to think and feel and act because of who you are [or more relevantly who you are seen to be] and we look forward to a time when that is less so and then hopefully not so at all any more... i wish an apology on behalf of stupid white people everywhere would mean something to you, but until things change i imagine it won't mean all that much... but i am sorry. you seem like a great young guy. all the best.

i do like the heart of this piece and appreciate 'the other side' being looked at - i do however think this topic has tended to become a black and white issue so always becomes a men vs. women as opposed to looking at the question of mutual responsibility [altho i think your piece does imply this but think it could be more directly stated] in terms of does how a woman dresses give a man permission to do anything? of course not. But does what a woman wears affect a man? For sure and so if i as a man am keeping loving and respecting women as a core value of mine i need to reign it in and control myself and work on not staring and so on but as a woman there could also be some loving and respecting going on in terms of dress choice etc - growing up the whole sexual looking/being turned on/expressing that thru masturbation [generally as the only close to appropriate means, with all the guilt and shame associated with that anyways] is a HUGE struggle for guys and anything the women can do to assist out of a sense of being aware of the struggle is helpful - like if you're having an alcoholic around for a meal - do you need to not drink because of their struggle? of course not, it's not your problem. but being aware of their struggle would it not be a more loving thing to for one night simply revert to juices and coffee and keep the alcohol out of sight and out of mind? completely. for too long this has been made an us vs. them thing and both extremes have gotten pretty belligerent, but if we start at the place of love and sensitivity and mutual understanding [and dialogue, so so important we just talk about this stuff!] then we are more likely to find more pleasing solutions.

LOVEd the Chappelle clip at the end! Thank you!

i think you are on to something. i like how you're looking at the deeper question because i feel this issue has been made too black and white - boys fault vs girls fault where surely there is a case for mutual responsibility... keep on!

hey there - just saw this now, thankx for the blog love...
strength in Him
love brett fish

and have you ever considered changing your name to 'NewsboyZ to men'