A very quick comment on the diffusion of white, male privilege...

[Pretzel_Warrior]

7. yes. that is part of institutional racism. people who stand by and let privilege rule. however,

most of us white males that are more activist are always working to change the dynamic. We don't think Voting Rights Act has "done its job and run its course". We don't think affirmative action is white discrimination. We understand and at least sympathize with a black man having a hard time even walking down the street without being seen as suspicious. We'll never by able to empathize because it is impossible to fully put yourself in those shoes vicariously.

I had many of my assumptions about how our society works completely challenged when my Chinese wife experienced all manner of direct and "soft" or indirect racism or racial bias or profiling. I am not deceived about our country's race problems.

But there are actually a LOT of archetypal white bad guys and bad gals who exude racism and feel white people SHOULD have the advantage. They are all over the U.S. but highly concentrated in the midwest and the south.

Don't lump the rest of us in with the TRUE problems and barriers to creating a more level playing field in this country.