I fear I use my own white privilege far more often than I'm aware of because I can and because it's easier than wandering back into what I perceive as an unattractive and intimidating briar patch.

I hate to say it, but we all do if we're white. It's not really something you can get away from. Here is Peggy McIntosh's article "Unpacking the Invisible Backpack" Warning -- it's a .pdf. Now that article was written in the 80's, and has been used in feminist arguments for ages; however, I feel it's still relevant today.

And don't think of it as dumping at. all.

Seriously, if I were to be more irreverent I'd link you to Avenue Q's Everyone's a Little Bit Racist -- but that's irreverent so I won't.

I think, honestly, it's just going to have to be a "people are people" thing in my mind. There are some people who are jerks who go out of there to be assholes to everyone. Generally hardcore racists also tend to be misogynists and yeah... it just spirals. That's an overgeneralization, but hate tends to instigate more hate rather than anything else. It's rare to find someone who is hatefully racist who is generally "nice" the rest of the time.