Why do we have to defend our race?

Since I was in the first grade I have been aware of racial discrimination. Before that, I had a black babysitter who I looked up to and black friends at school. I didn't have a clue that there was racial discrimination in the past. I agree with Cristina when she mentioned that race especially with this year's election is a very touchy issue. Discussions of race at my public school almost always quickly turned into the blame game. Race is still one of the taboo objects in conversation that just shouldn't be mentioned. Even though most of the time my school was well intergrated it didn't get a lot of our student's into many fights but if we ever had a discussion on race then it was always the other race's fault. Throughout the school years at least some point during year we went through a period of analyzing the civil rights part of American history and every year at some point because I was white i would be blamed or would feel bad about being white because my family many years ago "had to be racist." Back in the 60's my mom's parents were fighting and marched for equal rights but does that matter, no but because I am white I must come from a racist background which in turn makes me racisist. People these days have become so touchy and you cant really discuss anything without getting into conflict because there are just to many hurt feelings still to this day. When your being told "your people are racist because your white!" When Bulluck said that when the Bernie Mac show was cancelled, "for the first time in recent history, there is not a comedy with an African American lead character left on the big four networks"(Bulluck 459). Did anyone consider that the show wasn't a success because it didn't appeal to it's black audience? I don't think that the big four TV stations were purposely being racist towards minorities, they just didn't have a successful idea for a show to put on it's station. There are many shows that have minority characters like George Lopez, The Proud Family, That's so Raven, soap operas, and a lot of reality TV shows that feature minorities and although they may not all be on the big four stations, they are readily easily obtainable. I feel like I have to defend not my race as much but my family and there history, my family never owned any slaves and 90% of my family has never been mean to a person of a minority. When your constantly being told that "you and your family is racisist because your white!" It makes you almost feel bad about being white and for what reason, I should be proud of my family history. I never had a family member that was in the KKK or lynched anyone because of thier skin color and even if they did that has nothing to do with how I associate myself with minorities in today's society. There isn't a positive to having racial guilt its a bit of a burden because I feel like I am constantly having to prove to minorities that just because I'm white that I'm not racist. I don't have any pride for being "white" but I do have pride for being German and Norwegian. I think everyone should have pride in not their race but for there nationality because we then can experience all different kinds of cultures, rituals, foods, music and etc. The pitfall to us celebrating our nationalities is that some people take it to far. Some people post the flag of their nationality outside their door instead of the American flag or they will not even identify that their American at all and just say they wish they could go back to their ancestor's country. With that kind of attitude nothing can be accomplished because your separating yourself from integration and you wont be able to contribute to the American Society because you want to prove how loyal you are to a country that you wern't even born in. I don't care if your purple and yellow striped, we are all Americans trying to get through life and its about time that we collaborate together and act American.