"Don't blame yourself for who your are." That should be our baseline, or starting point. Nobody should be blamed for choices nature makes for them. Just as I deny the religious claim that I have inherited Adam's 'original sin' I cannot be blamed for being born a white man in 20th century America.

That said, it seems to me that we should each be cognizant of the relative advantages and disadvantages that any society confers upon an "identifiable" group, whether it be based on race or ethnicity, religion, or gender identity and sexual orientation.

In my lifetime, I've witnessed evolutionary change with regard to race in this country, from Supreme Court decisions to the Oval Office. But all this positive movement means little if it doesn't lead to impactful change for the so-called common man. When an identifiable segment of our society is clearly at a disadvantage, we owe it to ourselves to continuously strive to close the gap. In short, I believe that we should seek to overcome the injustices of the past that you have highlighted and move beyond labels to a more equitable society.