Do You Agree Or Disagree That There Should Be A White History Month? Why?

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   wisdom25posted 12 years ago

   Do You Agree Or Disagree That There Should Be A White History Month? Why?
   
   I overhead an intense debate between an African American male and a Caucasian male in my neighborhood. arguing about Black History Month and White History Month? The African American Male said that  African Americans suffered from slavery for generations and how we didn't have rights. The Caucasian male said that we was in America first and how immigrants and minorities came to America taking over their land. We won the war, came to America first and we don't get credit for it so therefore we should have a White History Month. That was the arguements. What do ya'll think?

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   Sirus Huntposted 12 years ago

   This is an interesting topic! I may well do a hub about it, in fact. Anyway, I would have to agree with the Caucasian. A celebration of the history of your race shouldn't be based on the hardships the race endured, rather the achievements. It's a double-standard to say that only African Americans should have a history month, yet Caucasians shouldn't.
   The problem with a White History Month would be the obvious opposition. Kind of like how Travyon Martin was killed by a Hispanic and yet it was seen as a white on black crime. The Black Panthers will almost certainly incite an outrage at the thought of implementing White History Month.

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   wingedcentaurposted 12 years ago

   Forgive me, but I don't think the Caucasian male was being serious. Are you sure you properly caught the tone of the 'argument'? With respect, I might ask: Are you, wisdom25, kidding, seeing what kind of reaction you can get?
   
   For example, the Caucasian male said something about 'we was in America first and how immigrants and minorities came to America taking over their land'? Come, come now, that cannot have been a serious conversation you overheard.
   
   Also: 'We won the war, came to America first and we don't get credit for it so therefore we should have a White History Month.'
   
   You know what I think happened? I think the white male was kidding (the alternative is somewhat more ominous) but the black male did not recognize this, mistakenly took his conversation partner seriously, and then the white guy, finding himself under something of a verbal assault and too proud to back down and just say ('Sorry man, I was just kidding, making a bad joke') and found himself having to defend a ridiculous position.
   
   That kind of thing does happen. I think its a mistake to take the conversation seriously. It was obviously a baaaaaaad joke that got out of hand!

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   TheLifeExperimentposted 12 years ago

   Well, we kind of already have White History- its just history, as is black history. I feel like if we made a white history month, some black people might feel like we've taken some steps back towards racism. However, I do also agree with some people that people can be overly sensitive about race- We have magazines, movies, and tv aimed at only African Americans, etc. If it was switched around, and the magazines and whatever else were only for white people, it would be blatant racism. Its kind of a double standard. I don't feel personally insulted at all, but I know of people who do.

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   Rommeyposted 12 years ago

   Any kind of monochrome 'History Month' will always play into the hands of Fascism. We can see the results of what we tried.  It only exacerbated the prejudice and increased the separation between our social groups.
   What we need is a Human History Month, so we can celebrate the achievements of humankind and highlight our fallings to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past. When the great majority of those under the age of forty have no idea of the history of the twentieth century, a Human History Month becomes a dear necessity.
   Recently, on occasion of producing a play that made reference to the rise of Hitler in Germany, it was astonishing and utterly sad, to find a whole bunch of college students that had no idea of what Hitler was about, and even less of the major role of the USA and the UK in the rise of Nazism in Europe. Of course nobody thought anything about how many lives cost us to clean up the mess to which we contributed the most.

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   Uninvited Writerposted 12 years ago

   Black History Month and Women's History Month were created because those histories were getting ignored by the history books and were not being taught in school.  Every month was White History Month.

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      dianetrotterposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Absolutely!

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   randslamposted 12 years ago

   Certain topics don't require an answer, because the obvious should be staring us in the face--no matter the amount of color in it.
   
   It's like having a kids' day because Mother's Day exists--the answer is always--"everyday is kids' day."  In recent history, it's pretty much been a bunch of white boys doing the dominant story-telling, ergo, the American Black History Month.
   
   Looking beyond that, it hasn't always been a Caucasian-led planet, and one could argue that it still isn't.  China has seen highs and lows--and will soon be a leading culture economically, and likely, intellectually.  Egypt--back in the day--wasn't Caucasian.  Heck, Jesus probably had high levels of melatonin in his skin--certainly leaning towards a very dark skin--his eyes were not blue.
   
   The tolerance of all races, and their histories, are important--by proclaiming months as specific periods to celebrate them--a modern tool that can bring focus to groups that have seen difficult histories.  White history month?  Maybe after a few hundred years of poverty and slavery...time will tell.

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      Sirus Huntposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I feel Uninvited Writer had a very good point with the histories being ignored in the history books at school. But again I must reiterate that having a history month is about celebrating the achievements of any one race—not the suffering they endured

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   baronhertzogposted 12 years ago

   What about just History Year? We're all human and all of history is important. I understand how a 'White History Month' would come off, so it's not a good idea. But seriously now, where's the Asian History Month? Why is there just a Black History Month?

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   flashmakeitposted 12 years ago

   My opinion is that it would be a good idea to have  a white history month which would honor the many great lovable orderly Caucasian who help make the world a better place to live because this would curtail the negative stereotyping.  I do not think any race of people should be glorified for having a brutal bestial barbarous ugly war.

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    TrahnTheManposted 12 years ago

    A delicate and potentially explosive question, but it's generated some very considered responses, so rather than wading in I'll just say thanks for creating a pretty interesting discussion. Political correctness is stifling so many topics and issues that it's a serious threat in my opinion to rational and needed debate, so I'm personally pleased to see issues like the one you've raised getting an opportunity to be ventilated here.

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    dianetrotterposted 12 years ago

    I'm obviously older than commenters here.  I attended school in Arkansas in the 50s and 60s.  Our textbooks were all about the accomplishments of white people.  We were not taught anything about slavery.  I attended the infamous Little Rock Central High School.  During the Civil Rights Era, late 1960s, is when we first started hearing of contributions African americans made to society.
    
    We needed to hear that people who look like us had accomplished things in life.  Teachers at Central High did not encourage Black students to go to college.  If we hadn't heard positive things about our people from our people, we certainly were not going to get it in the classroom.
    
    Black colleges were founded because Black people could not attend White colleges.  A rational person should understand the circumstances when told. 
    
    I hope this is not coming across harshly.  It is heartfelt.

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