I get to read this kind of stuff for a living.

This topic has 7 replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 9 years ago by wv.

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September 12, 2015 at 3:32 pm #30271

Zooey
Moderator

“Whites can’t be victims of racism,” or “Men can’t be victims of sexism,” so many people claim. These people claim their reasons is that racism and sexism must be a common belief held by people in power. Whether this is true or not, it should not be.

Prejudice is too vague, which is why we have more than one word for it. There are specific types of prejudice. Love is too vague, which is why we have words such as romance, friendship, family, and altruism. So why should these words be any different? If only women can victims of sexism, why is it called “sexism” and not just “misogyny?” If men can’t be victims of sexism, then the word “sexism” shouldn’t exist. If whites can’t be victims of racism, then the word racism should be changed to “Omniwhitism” which would mean “all white.” If feminism means equality, why is it called “feminism?” While many feminists believe in equality, being a feminist does not require you to be an egalitarian.

Let’s imagine two people. Both are white men. One is a homeless man on the street with no privilege because people deem him revolting. The other man is a well respected lawyer. Both of these men are sexist and racist. Their beliefs are part of common culture, but only one has power. Should the right to be racist and sexist be taken away from the homeless man?

Restricting sexism and racism to only conformists, authorities, and privileged citizens ignores a reality: we as humans feel a natural instinct to feel superior to another, whether you are a man or a woman, white or not white. We should not be denied our right to express our unjust disdain because they are not common or we have no power. No one should feel powerless to tell people who they are. I can be a Christian but can never go to church. Does this mean I’m not a Christian? No, because Christians believe in Christianity. That should guarantee right to be a Christian. If I do not believe in gay marriage but I cannot change the laws, does this mean I’m not a homophobe? The same should be for any of us who hold discrimination against another. We can have no power but we still should have our right to be prejudiced, even when we are wrong. You can be narrow-minded but be powerless in doing anything about your beliefs, but that should not take away your label as a person you really are: a bigot. If you have bigoted beliefs, you should be called a bigot. There is more than one type of bigotry. Our dictionary teaches us the many words. Racism and sexism is one of those words.

Thomas Jefferson wrote in the Declaration of Independence “all men are created equal.” To paraphrase, all men should be equal. Black lives should matter. All lives should matter. If they don’t, they need to. If racism and sexism is only limited to whites and men, that needs to end. They should be words for any racial or gender inequality, whether in practice or beliefs. Changing the definition of these words to what they should be makes awareness that we are all humans capable of immoral thoughts and behaviors.

September 12, 2015 at 5:08 pm #30277

nittany ram
Moderator

Should the right to be racist and sexist be taken away from the homeless man?

That is my new tag line.

September 12, 2015 at 5:17 pm #30278

wv
Participant

Well, I’ve read a lot worse 🙂 I mean, the writer is lacking
a lot of political-development and the ideas there are kinda
jumbled and off-the-mark but…i dunno…at least that
young-writer is…oh…”trying.” I mean, the writing suggests
a young person who is struggling and thinking and “trying”
it seems to me. I have read a lot of shit from young people
who don’t even seem to be “trying”. If that makes any sense.

As far as the actual substance of the thing — I think the writer
could get something out of a few essays on white privilege.
Seems like the writer gets hung up on “labels” and doesnt have
any grounding in history…..blah blah blah.

w
v

September 12, 2015 at 7:35 pm #30288

Zooey
Moderator

Oh, she’s trying.

This “essay” was not an assignment. She just wrote it and emailed it to me to ask me my thoughts.

See, I spent 20 minutes in class yesterday making distinctions between Prejudice, Discrimination, and Racism (systemic and institutionalized). I said that Reverse Racism is basically not possible since minorities don’t have the structures in place to fortify discrimination. I think she was reacting to the general unfairness of that. In America, everyone should have the right to be racist. It’s unfair that racism is just another privilege of the white elite. At least, I think that’s what I have on my hands.

It did cause me to think about it more, and I can now think of an example of a black-controlled institution that discriminated against me, so I guess that was Reverse Racism, but I don’t think Reverse Racism really exists – not the way Rush Limbaugh and his legions believe it does, anyway.

September 13, 2015 at 9:15 am #30303
wv
Participant
Zooey wrote:

Oh, she’s trying.

This “essay” was not an assignment. She just wrote it and emailed it to me to ask me my thoughts.

See, I spent 20 minutes in class yesterday making distinctions between Prejudice, Discrimination, and Racism (systemic and institutionalized). I said that Reverse Racism is basically not possible since minorities don’t have the structures in place to fortify discrimination. I think she was reacting to the general unfairness of that. In America, everyone should have the right to be racist. It’s unfair that racism is just another privilege of the white elite. At least, I think that’s what I have on my hands.

It did cause me to think about it more, and I can now think of an example of a black-controlled institution that discriminated against me, so I guess that was Reverse Racism, but I don’t think Reverse Racism really exists – not the way Rush Limbaugh and his legions believe it does, anyway.

Yeah, the “reverse racism” issue is tricky. Whatever group of humans has the most power
is, obviously going to have a scarier, uglier, kind of “racism” etc.
But figuring out all the concentric and overlapping kinds of “power” is a complex task.

It always helps me to think of these things in abstract non-historical ways — for example
thinking of a planet or city with green people and purple people…
And then after that kind of thot-experiment to look at actual history…

Anyway, its fun to see young people stretching, growing,
changing, learning, aint it. I mean, when it actually happens.
Not sayin it will happen with this student.

Teachers get to have that experience of satisfaction
when they can help a young human become more humane.

w
v
- This reply was modified 9 years ago by wv.
September 13, 2015 at 9:53 am #30305

zn
Moderator

wv wrote:

Anyway, its fun to see young people stretching, growing,
changing, learning, aint it. I mean, when it actually happens.
Not sayin it will happen with this student.

That’s not what I saw though, myself. What I saw was a young person struggling to explain her own ideological limitations but expressing them as these big revelations. It’s someone who wants to cling to the past.

So for example nothing threatens the private beliefs of her homeless man.

It’s just that we’re moving toward a society where limits on individual power includes less sanction for abridging the human rights and civil liberties of groups previously allowed less of either.

September 13, 2015 at 9:57 am #30306

zn
Moderator

wv wrote:

Anyway, its fun to see young people stretching, growing,
changing, learning, aint it. I mean, when it actually happens.
Not sayin it will happen with this student.

That’s not what I saw though, myself. What I saw was a young person struggling to explain her own ideological limitations but expressing them as these big revelations. It’s someone who wants to cling to the past.

So for example nothing threatens the private beliefs of her homeless man.

It’s just that we’re moving toward a society where limits on individual power includes less sanction for abridging the human rights and civil liberties of groups previously allowed less of either.

Oh and myself, I tend to look at rhetorical situations far more than “concepts.” Given that, the term “reverse racism” is just this excuse racists use so they can justify not changing.

Have I encountered situations where an individual or 2 expressed dislike for me solely on the basis of race? Yes. I didn’t bat an eye at it. Just moved on. I know I have multiple safe zones in my society when it comes to that. If I weren’t white, would that kind of thing happen far more frequently, and have a more far-reaching effect? Yes. Would I have fewer safe zones? Yes.

September 13, 2015 at 7:42 pm #30406

wv
Participant

zn wrote:

wv wrote:

Anyway, its fun to see young people stretching, growing,
changing, learning, aint it. I mean, when it actually happens.
Not sayin it will happen with this student.

That’s not what I saw though, myself. What I saw was a young person struggling to explain her own ideological limitations but expressing them as these big revelations. It’s someone who wants to cling to the past.

So for example nothing threatens the private beliefs of her homeless man.

It’s just that we’re moving toward a society where limits on individual power includes less sanction for abridging the human rights and civil liberties of groups previously allowed less of either.

Oh and myself, I tend to look at rhetorical situations far more than “concepts.” Given that, the term “reverse racism” is just this excuse racists use so they can justify not changing.

Have I encountered situations where an individual or 2 expressed dislike for me solely on the basis of race? Yes. I didn’t bat an eye at it. Just moved on. I know I have multiple safe zones in my society when it comes to that. If I weren’t white, would that kind of thing happen far more frequently, and have a more far-reaching effect? Yes. Would I have fewer safe zones? Yes.

Well, I dont think i disagree with any of that, other
than maybe a slight disagreement on how much that student
was “trying” to figure something out.

I suspect that student will write something more
insightful down the road. Ya know.
After Zooey beats her senseless with
a rubber hose.

w
v
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