![\"Rodney](\"https:\/\/www.oncolink.org\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/RodneyWarner1.jpg\")
I\u2019m a cancer survivor. My brother and father died of cancer. Just about every year since 2001 I\u2019ve raised money for one cancer organization or another. I practiced law for 16 years. Ten of them were spent at the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights, a government agency that enforces state anti-discrimination laws. For a little over two years I worked for the Legal Clinic for the Disabled in Philadelphia where I provided free legal services to cancer survivors.<\/p>\n
For many years I\u2019d like to think I\u2019ve helped cancer survivors in some way. Though I was a civil rights attorney for ten years, I never thought much about societal issues arising from race discrimination. I was focused on the nitty gritty. Was that illegal discrimination or not? If so, can it be proved? What are the damages? Can the case settle?<\/p>\n
Mr. Floyd\u2019s murder and its aftermath made me think bigger thoughts. I think it\u2019s hard to dispute America\u2019s Blacks, some more than others, have suffered from systemic discrimination. Many of us suburban White folks have seen this light and have started speaking out, not without some criticism.<\/p>\n
A friend of mine is a pastor at a church and I think it\u2019s fair to say he\u2019s become pretty \u201cwoke.\u201d His Facebook posts have made me think not only about the current impact of centuries of discrimination, but some of the reactions he and others have gotten. It strikes me how if you talk about and take action to help one group of people, criticism awaits, but not if you speak out and help another group.<\/p>\n
Why is it more socially acceptable to help cancer survivors than Black Americans?<\/p>\n
A common response to \u201cBlack lives matter\u201d is \u201call lives matter.\u201d After asking for a donation to help cancer survivors, no one told me, \u201cAll lives matter, not just those of cancer survivors!\u201d Should I not raise money to help cancer survivors, because I\u2019m not helping everyone? What\u2019s wrong with deciding to help a group of people, not all of us? Should I be targeted for criticism because I\u2019m seen as disloyal to my White tribe, I\u2019m helping people who are different?<\/p>\n
One way to justify ignoring the issue is to say a bigger problem is more Black Americans are killed by other Black Americans than by the police. In all the time I\u2019ve asked people for money, no one told me I shouldn\u2019t be helping cancer survivors because more Americans die of heart problems. No one told me instead of raising money for research on lymphoma, I should care more about diabetes because it impacts more people.<\/p>\n
Guilt is a big issue. If I didn\u2019t take an active role in oppressing people, why should I care? I did nothing wrong. American Blacks are to blame for their situation, not me! Many Americans increase their risks of getting cancer through bad habits. Should smokers not be treated for lung cancer? Should overweight women be prevented from breast cancer treatment? Cancer causes raise all kinds of money (though not enough) yet many cancer patients ran the risks and lost.<\/p>\n
As I understand it \u201cWhite privilege\u201d is that generally, we don\u2019t suffer negative consequences because of our skin color. Black Americans often do, through no fault of their own. They are perceived as dangerous, they\u2019re more likely to be discriminated against in housing and employment and overall, the police are more likely to pull over Black drivers, Black Americans are 2.5 times more likely to be killed by police and their wealth is a fraction of that of White Americans.<\/p>\n
Your grandfather died and left you a lot of money. You learn that it was made through embezzlement. You did nothing wrong, you weren\u2019t the criminal, why not enjoy the money? Should you instead return it to your grandfather\u2019s victims? If White American has been unjustly enriched through illegal, despicable, and immoral actions and decisions over many years, is it too much to ask that we try to level society\u2019s playing field?<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a difficult issue, but cancer raises difficult issues too. I doubt very much you\u2019ll be criticized if you raise them.<\/p>\n
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Rodney Warner, JD is a freelance writer in his 16th<\/sup> year of remission. He enjoys riding his bike through the gorgeous roads of Bucks County and spending time with his family. Rodney is active in supporting his local Gilda\u2019s Club through fundraising events he hosts.<\/p>\n