I'm a white male -- like Anders Breivik, Adam Lanza, Dylan Klebold, Eric Harris, Jared Loughner, James Holmes, Charles Whitman, Timothy McVeigh, Dylan Roof, and Stephen Paddock. And it was the action of these men that now prompts me to offer my deepest apologies.
Please understand that the horrific shootings by these individuals do not represent the belief system of the typical white male, and I am as outraged and saddened by these events as those who do not share my ethnic heritage. There are many white males -- and I count myself among them -- who actively promote peace, understanding, tolerance, and respect for diversity.
But perhaps you find my apology somewhat puzzling. Perhaps, in your own mind, you are willing to exonerate me from responsibility for the deaths and injuries caused by these shooters.
If that is the case, then I wish to leave you with this question: Why is my particular demographic the only group given a pass when these tragedies occur? Why are members of nearly all other racial or religious backgrounds sought out and asked for their reaction when the perpetrator looks or sounds like them?
It is a question which should be asked, and must be asked, if we are to make any substantial progress as a society.
I'm Jim Kline, and that is my perspective.
