When white people get together...

We had dinner on Friday night with some people from church. It was a wonderful evening with good food, dessert, wine and company. We had a good few laughs as well. What really stuck in my mind though, was that most of the evening was spent complaining about the situation in the country.

This one's son can't get a job - even though he has a masters degree (sounds pretty familiar), but is white - and now can only get work in a call centre; this one's husband was unemployed for years because he was told he will never be promoted because he is white, and with a low salary couldn't provide for his family; this one's family has immigrated to Australia for similar reasons; this one is busy training a person of colour who has no qualifications and is more than likely to end up as her boss one day soon...

It's all just so unfair. I mean, I have been affected by affirmative action too. Who exactly is this helping though? Whites get more offended, scared, embittered and disillusioned; blacks are left to wonder if they were given these positions just because of the colour of their skin - I'm sure it's not very good for their self-esteem.

As a white person I feel trapped in a corner. Surely if we've studied long and hard we are entitled to getting jobs? I had nothing to do with Apartheid! I'm not a racist, I'm open-minded and interested in other cultures, I struggle with money just as much as anyone else starting out.

How are people supposed to heal and forgive each other if we're literally being put up against each other? Again?!