"*But*, as I've noted before, many of the problems that certain black communities face are the result of very different manifestations of racism. It's unfair to talk about the former without recognising the latter, as there's a straight line between the two. And ironically, the people in those marginalised communities are far more likely to be reasonable and rational and clear about the changes they want to see both within and without their communities than the hysterical, pampered children on Medium who act as if every micro aggression they experience in Starbucks is the same as slavery."

Thirty years ago I lived in the state of Georgia. I worked a 2nd shift as a technician and there was an old black woman who changed parts for me. I spent quite a few cumulative hours talking with her, or more accurately listening to her. She had a lot to get off her chest having direct memory of burning crosses. While she was quite honest about her extreme low opinion of white men and sometimes her words were quite harsh, she needed me to listen as much as I needed to listen to her.

The thing is, it was easier for me sit sit next to her and listen than it is today to read the thoughts of the Starbucks drinkers. It's not that they have nothing to say that is valid, they do, but sitting with her where i could "feel" both her venom, pain and the genuineness of her words is different. That is a real deficiency of the internet.

I am an avid bid whist player and in those days I was "Salt" at the "black table" in the break room when I was on day shift in the sea of white pinochle tables. One day one of the guys let slip words that quickly caused him to say, "Excuse me Salt. I shouldn't have said that in front of you. Looking at my card you blend in." He didn't apologize for the words or the thought behind them, just for letting me hear them. It didn't bother me, I got it and needed to hear them more that the others at the table and the crowd of kibitzers that you find at a hot seat bid whist game.

We do need to listen, but it was disheartening to read "Sit down and shut up white man, you have nothing to say" when I gave an opinion on Medium. From a white woman I considered a friend at that. We need two way communication. Listening to idiots is a thing too, but as you wrote, that needs to go through a filter of "nobody elected this person spokesperson for a monolithic group.