The "not all" pattern also diverts attention away from very real issues, very real feelings of marginalized people by attempting to center the discussion on the feelings of white people, especially white women. They use the tactic, often subconsciously, I feel certain, to demand that they be treated as individuals while we are discussing systemic issues where we are stereotyped, like the white woman who cut in front of a black man in an airline boarding group for first class passengers. She assumed, apropos of nothing, he could not possibly be a first class passenger. When he called her out, she was outraged.

It's like what I call the "terrible tears." When you catch a white woman dead to rights, like that Central Park Cooper woman who should have had her dog leashed, but didn't, she turns to anger and tears rather than owning up to her error. That woman was willing to get a black man killed by police because he made her feel bad. I think of that each time I see the "some" or "not all" diversionary tactic and I turn to anger and tears. (But I don't want to get anybody killed.)