The word hits him like a saltine underhand-tossed into a lake of whole milk. He feels nothing inside. He does not suddenly call to mind the centuries of injustice and cruelty people like him have suffered, because people like him have not suffered centuries of injustice and cruelty. He does not feel threatened, or like violence will be perpetrated upon him (anymore than he usually does when near a black man). He is not given an instant reminder of how the system in place today works—sometimes tacitly but often openly—against him, because the system works for him. He is so pretend-offended that he uses this instance as an excuse to hold on to his atrocious beliefs for the rest of his life.

(via mytongueisforked)