Every now and then, someone wants to know why I sometimes hate white people

Obviously I don’t universally hate white people. I’d really struggle if I did, because it’d mean hating myself, my family, my boyfriend, far too many of my friends, and far too many of the people who I look up to and admire.

But, sometimes, I hate a lot of white people. Why? Because white people are the entitled little spoilt brats of the world, and it’s embarrassing.

Calm down. Hear me out. Remember, I'm a little spoilt brat white kid too.

Think of a really spoilt rich kid, the sort who has, for his whole life, had everything handed to him on a platter.

That child is so used to being treated like a god, to having his wants and needs prioritized over everyone and everything else, that it’s very likely he’s become an insufferable little asshole that throws temper tantrums over the smallest things.

Now, it would be unkind and irresponsible to assume all rich kids are like this. It would also be unkind and irresponsible to blame the asshole rich kid’s attitude entirely on him alone. He’s only seven, and he’s been raised that way. It’s the parents’ fault, really.

But that doesn't justify the rich kid’s actions, and it doesn't mean he can go through life prioritizing his own needs and wants as if he’s the only human in the world who matters, and throwing tantrums every time he doesn't get what he wants.

Sooner or later, if that kid wants to not be universally hated by every single person he meets, he’s going to need to learn how to calm down, consider other people, and basically just realize and accept that he’s sharing the planet with about 7 billion other people, most of whom are worse off than him, and all of whom matter.

Now, you can throw your toys around and cry and scream and shout all you want in reaction to this statement but the fact is: society, and the world, spoils white people.

For a document that really explains this in detail, check out Peggy McIntosh’s ‘White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Backpack’, but I'm only going to talk about one or two examples.

If you’re white, you can expect to be the hero in most stories. Go to the movies, watch the latest biggest series, or pick up a book, and you will see your race represented as the default.

Not only that, but even when members of your race are the bad guys, you can be almost certain that they’ll have some back story that makes you empathize with them and realize they’re not really bad, they’re just victims of their circumstances. Meanwhile, black people are often cast as villains with no real explanation for their villainy given.

We are encouraged by the stories we tell each other to firmly believe white people, particularly white men, are inherently good people even when they do bad things, while black people are bad because they just are.

This isn't a universal truth for all stories (but thank you for the titles of movies that you’re no doubt angrily typing out in the comments right at this moment to PROVE me WRONG) but it is a trend.

This trend has had an effect. There is a racial empathy gap in the world, where people feel more empathy for white people than they do people of other races, particularly those of African descent.

And while black people are watching all the stories we watch where we (white people) are the heroes, from 'Game of Thrones' to 'Downton Abbey', many white people seem to struggle to empathize with black people so much, that they’re actively upset when black actors are cast to play important roles.

In fact, several studies have shown, time and time again, that we are subconsciously racist whether we realize it and mean to be or not.

Maybe this is why, when yet another black child is murdered in America, there are so many white people who empathize with his murderer.

Maybe this is why, when white people who should know better (and who would know better if they cared to empathize with anyone who isn't white) decide to wear the highly unacceptable and extremely racist statement that is blackface, there are people who feel sorry for them when they get into trouble for it.

And maybe it’s why, when three of the five young men who decided to attack and violently beat a mother of six, kicking her in the head and face while shouting racial slurs, there are people who feel sorry for them because they cried when they realized they’d have to spend a few days in prison.

Maybe that’s why they were released on bail after an "urgent" application to the Western Cape High Court, because, basically, "shame these poor boys yes they attacked and almost murdered an older, defenceless woman because of her race but…"

White people are absolutely phenomenal at repeatedly prioritizing their hurt feelings over the right to dignity, respect, and safety of others. They (we) are incredible at repeatedly and without batting an eyelid acting like only white people are people who really are real people.

White people will lose their shit over the smallest things while repeatedly telling people of other races to just get over absolutely horrific indignities, over and over again.

White people will not bother to read this article and consider the serious concerns it raises because I said something that hurts their white feelings, so they’ll rush to the comments to scream and cry and throw tantrums because the world is so unfair to them.

"Yes there’s a plague of attacks on people of colour all over the world, but some white girl said she didn't like white people you guys omg omg we’re so oppressed!" Priorities.

And that, to answer your question, is why I hate white people.