Revisions, writer's angst, and getting the job done

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Wrestling with the idea of white privilege

A former co-worker was the first I saw charge that all Caucasian employees have the advantage of white privilege. I laughed and labeled it as the latest wave of thought designed to find perpetrators for victims. I laughed because of my upbringing. I was born in The Dalles, Oregon, which isn't an epicenter of wealth and status. It's a town of about 10,000 residents on the banks of the Columbia River. It is known for cherries, wheat, winds funneled through the Columbia River Gorge, and a key historic spot for Lewis and Clark and the pioneers who ventured west on the Oregon Trail. It was a good place to grow up, at least for me. It was small enough that you had the feeling all residents were neighbors. A downside was that you were often known by who your parents were. I was often introduced as Eldon's boy, or Virginia's boy. I was the third child of three, so I also was known as Steve's little brother, or John's little brother. It also was a town with a racist ...
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Let's end the terminology of "white privilege"

I am not afraid to state my views that the term "white privilege" should be erased from this and all subsequent debates about Caucasians and people of color. I do not hold a view that the racial injustices seen in multiple police incidents or the flying of Nazi or Confederate flags is not blatantly racist. What I am saying is that the term invites a reality that should be banished for all Americans, the idea that a person is judged and found guilty simply by the color of one's skin. The focus should be on the true causes behind such incidents: racial bias, racial discrimination, racial hatred, white nationalism, and other cancers on our society. Not all whites are biased, practice discrimination or hatred, but you can't talk about that with a group of white privilege believers. They know the guilty because they see skin color. Why do they stick so doggedly to such beliefs? It's easy. You don't have to know someone, talk with them about beliefs, and weigh ...
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What To Do When Your World Collapses

Almost every author has a day job, save for those chosen few who are blessed enough to do the job they love for a profitable living. Well, my day job is collapsing, and so is some of the rest of my world. An explanation is needed. I am a copy editor at The Denver Post, which is joining the parade of narrow-minded thinkers who decide that copy editors are the most expendable part of the publishing enterprise. I disagree strongly, but it's not my newspaper. I am under pressure to put in my resignation (the pressure being an enhanced insurance package for six months) and then walk out the door. I am not alone _ 16 or 17 other copy editors will join the unpopular exodus. OK, the obvious question: Now what? First, I have kept a good attitude about all this. Well, there was yesterday when the impact of all this hit me. That, however, was a momentary lapse. Today I am focusing my efforts on building new revenue streams, to put it in the language of t...
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