It's gotta get down -

[kyburg]

Because we need to talk about this until we're done, sick of it and know everything to know about it. I see no other way.

Racism - and it how it colors interpersonal perception, and hence, relationships and expectations of others.

I'll preface this now - I don't care what you use as a label. Reduce anyone down to two words and you're doing it wrong. You're not going to get it.

It's also a very blatant cognitive error, and the unhappiest people in the world do it without thinking or knowing how much damage it is doing to themselves and everyone around them.

Left.
Right.
Liberal.
Conservative.

And those don't even factor in gender or race. Let alone orientation.

Caitlin mentioned this yesterday.

Ferrett is up for it this morning.

And the rest of the media is chiming in -

It’s a familiar, even ubiquitous, miscommunication over the last ten years of the so-called culture wars: A black person speaks of racism or white privilege. The nearest halfway-privileged white person protests, “But I work for liberal causes. You’re lumping me with racists just because I’m white!”

The black person answers, “I’m not saying that you, personally, are a racist. I’m saying we live in a world where it’s easier to be white than it is to be black.”

“But I’m not part of that,” comes the reply.

“We’re all part of it,” insists the black person.

And the one I think most pertinent to me today - and I think was just what I needed for Cait -

At events for adoptees, I often hear foreign dignitaries say we should embrace our Korean heritage and be proud to be Korean. I find this hypocritical, especially since it’s vogue over there to destroy your face.

I don't think - today - that worrying about this is going to take up much time. I have such a huge disdain for the fashion industry in general, I can't help but think the kids will pick up on THAT much faster than anything else.

What can I say about all of the *bleep* going on over the 'fakery' of the Beijing Olympics?

Guys. I've had an adoption dossier to China for over a year and a half - they haven't even looked at it yet, and some of the direct quotes for WHY are that the Chinese government doesn't want to look bad during the Olympics. I understand that NBC *did* find a family picking up their daughter in China during the Olympics...did that hit anyone else's radar? Funny. Why not...after you've heard about 'enhanced' fireworks, lip-syncing singers and so on. Did it get squelched? Sure it could. Why not -

But this behavior is not uniquely Chinese, guys.

There's plenty of chatter about Russia/Georgia over in christianleft this morning - go read this and that...first three posts right now. GLURGE ALERT.

Racism as propaganda. Know it when you see it.

Keep it clean, keep it nice, keep it intelligent and respectful. Check your tempers at the door.

But let's talk.

I want a t-shirt that says 'It's Okay. White People Scare Me Too."

Both Nisei Week's start and Rakhi are on the same day this year. Maybe I should lobby for National Pancake Puff Day or something. Like I would. *rolls eyes*

Comments

Re: pot, kettle, anyone?

[lostboydv.livejournal.com]

I don't feel special to be white. I don't even feel white. i just feel like me. The only time I think about being white is when people bring up issues of race, which is moderately often. That's part of why I'm talking about the t-shirt making me sad. Everyone seemed to miss the point Dr. King made when he said people should be seen not for the color of their skin but for the content of their character. The idea is to stop seeing the colors. I'm not going to cop to being part of any wrongdoing, either. I am a good person who ignores race. My friends are chosen entirely by their character, and as such, one of my best friends is black. And his wife is white. They are two of my favorite people. But I digress. Point is, I never ptu any credence in inherited sins. That's for those who take the Old Testament literally. And for Klingons. The sins of past generations are not mine. History is what it is. It's the future we should be working on. (Anyway, I'm part Choctaw and Cherokee. So if I were to take blame for anything, first I'd need to have the white part of myself apologize to the Native American part of myself.)

Re: pot, kettle, anyone?

[kyburg.livejournal.com]

I'm not white until I look at myself in the mirror. Or get sunburned. But I do get reminded by my neighbors that my experience is not theirs...because we don't share race.

People will *never* know the content of your character by looking you in the face, passing on the street. Part of this is accepting that assumptions about race have history behind them...and acknowledging that, openly.

You can't stop seeing the colors. Race is also culture, and culture is to people what water is to fish. Deny that, and oh you deny other people so much. You'd never do it intentionally.

Sins, no. But being aware that Something Bad was done - and you know better than to perpetuate it - is.

And they'd find that out if you could only get them to talk to you about it.

Re: pot, kettle, anyone?

[lostboydv.livejournal.com]

When we began talking on this topic, my point was that the issue of race has made me so very, very tired, because it's such a big deal here. And on those same grounds, that's why I'm going to simply yield at this point. I don't think we're going to agree about a lot here. Our experiences differ markedly.