I know this is a common reaction when white people are faced with reconciling our participation in systems that actively oppress certain groups of people. Not me, I did this unconsciously, it’s the ‘classic’ racists who are at fault. I felt the same way you do, for a long time. I had black friends, I served for years in an inner city, diverse community center, therefore I am absolved of any responsibility to the collective and for our actions as the ethnicity that has control and holds power. Trying to convince most conservatives that they should stop being so self serving or ignorant is a losing battle, one I attempted during last years’ election cycle. The fact is, most white people don’t want to acknowledge they have automatic privilege based on skin color. But we do. I’ve been pulled over multiple times for speeding and just reached over to the glove box to pull out my insurance card without a thought. Never did I consider because of this traffic stop, I might not make it home today. The idea that we simply need to soften our language so others are not uncomfortable is tantamount to looking the other way. Instead of making excuses or defending our ‘goodness’, we should be openly talking about the horrors that have been and continue to be enacted on people of color. We should be taking concerted action to change laws and systems of oppression. If the only reason you stopped being a Republican was so you were not associated with overt, ‘classic’ racism, essentially your reputation, you still have a lot of unpacking to do about your privilege. As do I...