On White Guilt

“White guilt” is the guilt experienced by some whites for past and present racism toward blacks. I am a white man, but I am not a racist. Nor have I ever enslaved a black, or anyone else, either. What do I have to be guilty of? Absolutely nothing. And so I feel no guilt for the actions of others. Why should I? I am neither responsible nor accountable for the actions of other whites, past or present. Therefore, I have no reason to feel guilty for anyone’s damnable actions than my own. So I don’t. I am an individual who acts according to his own conscience. I don’t feel guilt for the actions of other whites, other men, other longhairs, other six-footers, other fathers, other voluntaryists, other philosophers, other writers, or other any group that I may be classified as a part of. I do, however, feel guilt for having stolen from others in my distant past, having spanked my son and otherwise acted like a monster toward him, and other such personal sins. But that’s it. And that’s today’s two cents.

Skyler.