The parallels between black pride and southern white pride have been obvious to me for many years--and with the same reason. You take pride in your race, ethnicity, culture, or gender because it is the one thing over which you have no control. There are things in which I take some pride: my ability to design and make products; my ability to develop software; my ability to write. But these are personal attributes that are primarily my doing--actions at which I have personally worked. I didn't choose to be white. I didn't choose to be an American. If you have nothing to be proud about that you have done--why, you can be proud of something that is an accident of birth. How silly.
You do have a choice about your culture. Culture is software; you can choose to reject self-destructive thoughts and behaviors. Some black kids get scorned for "acting white" when paying attention at school, working hard at jobs, and avoiding teenage pregnancy. Immigrants move to the United States from all over the world, most often for the opportunities denied them by their societies of birth. Native-born Americans choose to join the military or serve their communities in other ways.
We must celebrate those people who make wise choices and improve the culture around them.
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