A very wise man once said, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

One common theme that I hear from individuals who are deemed to be in a “victim” class is that they want the benefit of the doubt.

A black person walking down the street or in a store does not want to be viewed as a criminal, just because there is a high black crime rate. He wants to be treated as an individual, and given the benefit of the doubt.

Well then, if this is what blacks (and other “marginalized” groups) say they want, wouldn’t it make sense for them to also give the benefit of the doubt to others?

So, for example, if a tall black woman is in a Target store, and a short person asks for help getting down a bottle of detergent, it is possible to read racist motives into this simple act. “Oh, since I am black and the other person is not, therefore they must think that I need to be subservient to them, or they are mistaking me for a Target employee because they have a racist stereotype in mind. So I will view this as an act of racial oppression.”

However, if this tall black woman is giving the benefit of the doubt, then she may think, “I am pleased that this short woman felt comfortable asking my assistance. I am happy to spread love in the world through this simple act of kindness. I would hope that if I ever needed assistance, a random stranger would be helpful to me as well.”