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You are so right.
All it takes for evil to be done is for good people to stand by and let it happen.
I understand perfectly what you are saying. Facing difficult social issues can make it seem as if you are being attacked when a group you belong to is being attacked because of perception of entitlement or abuse of power.
It's because Racism - (or for that matter, any "ism"
is at it's root a projection of power over "the other" based on some sort of cultural or physical categorization. And its not just something that certain people do, it's something that is cultural in it's nature, because Power, Authority, and Hierarchy is cultural.
Y'see, institutional racism - or sexism or sectarianism, be it local, state, or federal, (or in your media, your churches, your hospitals, your chamber of commerce) automatically gives the person who belongs to the preferred category a distinct unearned privilege that cannot be denied, no matter how good or hard-working or liberal someone might be.
And frankly, Denial or NIMBYism is just a form of soft racism as opposed to out and out bigotry. It's just a form of avoidance, a preference not to face the advantages of that "ism". That's why I will never, ever complain about falling under a broad brush, because while I'm not responsible for someone else's racism, the consequences of it affect the way my actions are perceived.
Y'see, While I can only be responsible for my own actions, there's little I can do to change the prejudices that Society makes on just my appearance, the way I speak, and where I live or work. People "broad brush" me all the time. Most of the time, it doesn't sting because it's usually based on me looking and speaking like their favorite teacher, so usually, I get the benefit of that "projection" in whatever situation I'm in.
But I know why they do it. So why should I get mad at the people who are mad at the ignorant racist bigots who are ruining "my class of people"?
I'm more pissed at the stupid crackers strutting around with guns and the emotional maturity of a spoiled eight-year old hurting people who can't fight back.
I'm pissed at the soft racists, those nice "hard-working, church-going just folks" types who sit back comfortable while their taxpayer-provided steroid-hopped goons are keeping the streets safe for their precious little snowfalkes by intimating any young minority male is nothing but a savage thug deep down - in their unspoken opinion.
I've got a few of those in my family. "Oh, I'm not racist. I do charity work down in that part of town." Yeah, and some of their best friends are black or hispanic or asian ...
Sorry it's upset you that people might broad-brush and you might think you are finding yourself typecast as someone you aren't. But people will always draw conclusions unless they get to know you better. It's just human nature.
If you know who and what you are, it's better to realize that the people who are broad-brushing are not seeing you, they're seeing something that is overwhelming them at the time.
And I'd much rather be fighting actual institutional racism than being worried about how someone perceives "white people" or "black people" after a horrific injustice has been done than fight an insult against "my personal honor".
#notallFITB doesn't help any actual problem. It's just a hashtag that lets people feel better about themselves because "they're not like that moron".
Just my two cents. And no, I'm not pissed when someone online who doesn't know me personally categorizes me or trolls me because they assume something due to my race, gender, or social background.
Not unless it's a direct attack or something that will affect my job, my finances, my housing, or my ability to act in the real world...
Yes, people should Chill. But hurt and angry people strike out, with much more right and reason than your average shit-stirring troll. There's a big difference between the two. It's harder to see online, but it's there.
And if I were to treat the hurt and damaged people like I do trolls - tell them they don't have a right to express their justifiable anger because I'm not that person, it hurts my feelings - says more about how I value my feelings than it does about how I value improving the human condition.
Personally, I'll lump it. I've spent 55 years experiancing both extreme privilige because of my race and mild prejudice because of my gender and physical condition.
Haele
Seriously. Well said. 
But you may get hidden for using "snowflakes" and "crackers" so maybe edit? Your post has so much power and I'd hate for it to be hidden. A post from the Magistrate himself got hidden for calling someone that.
