....................... I'm Sorry For Being A White Man ....................

I chat to many talented, intelligent, witty and intriguing non-white people on the net.

Of late, I have felt a need to regularly apologise for being white. And in one case, being Jewish.

I have been told that even if I am not an *actual* racist - I am a racist by default because of my skin colour. It is the white person way of things.

I have been told that majority of white people, like myself, only care about themselves and that they have no interest in others who are different than they are.

I have been told that the colour of my skin is the reason many African-Americans are not able to achieve what they wish to in life.

I have been told that my chosen religion - a cornerstone of my life - is responsible for the plight of the Palestinians and for keeping much of the Middle East in poverty.

I have been told that the colour of skin keeps the Maori people from realising their indigenous rights in this country.

I have been told as a white gay man, I do not care about Black or Latino Gay men and that I should be ashamed for being so decisive.

I have been told that I should never comment on non-white issues, because as someone who is part of the problem I am being a hypocrite and telling non-white people to suck it up.

I have been told that people with my skin could never understand what it is like to be poor or downtrodden.

I have been told all these things lately and I am sorry.

I am sorry to the Palestinian who bombed a group of Palestinians and Israelis who were discussing ways to open up a group of free medical clinics with access to both peoples.

I am sorry to the black woman who was offended when she thought I was looking at her wrong and told me "You got something to say white boy?" at my local Borders back when I lived in Orlando.

I am sorry to the two guys who beat me up at high school because of my inability to attend a field trip because my single mother could not afford it. She was not on a benefit, she was cleaning toilets and ironing peoples clothes to put me and my sister through school but it didn't stretch far enough.

I am sorry to the other three guys who beat me up the next year because they were offended by the fact that I was gay and a good athlete who made them look bad on the track.

I apologise to the Asian man who spat on me back in Melbourne once because he was offended by the Yarmulke I was wearing at the time.

I am sorry to the Serbian young man a few months later who was so enraged by my walking on the footpath that he pulled up next to me in his car and described in detail how he would kill me, my family and all my other Jew Killer friends.

I am sorry to the Maori young man who yelled something really rude at an older white lady on the street here in Lower Hutt recently. She must have been a very bad person.

I am sorry to all the non-white people that I have tried to engage with on their issues to learn more. I realise it was rude and offensive of me.

I am sorry to those I have offended with this post. But when I asked a genuine question, you called me a racist.

I am sorry.
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