Balloons & Millstones

Based on a conversation with my spouse, please consider the following, fellow white liberals:

You cannot lift the millstone off of your brother’s shoulder when you focus your conversation on how to take off this little balloon which is tied to yours. Does the string irritate your skin from time to time? Would you like to be freed from the slight irritation of that string, which you can choose to untie and leave in your house as long as you avoid people carrying around millstones on their shoulders?

Too bad. That’s a) not fair and b) kind of silly, isn’t it, when people are still being crushed by millstones?

Work on lifting the millstone off of your brother’s shoulder. If you ever get it lifted from his shoulder, that balloon will go away. You cannot center your discussions on how you, as a white person, can be freed from ‘being racist.’ You cannot be freed from 'being racist.’ You participate in a racist system. Until that racist system GOES AWAY, you cannot be freed from being racist.

And for GOD’S SAKE, why do you CARE? It’s a balloon. It’s not a millstone. The millstones are literally crushing other people and killing them.

Your balloon is not killing you. Live with it. You can.