http://greengabbro.net/2006/01/04/the-privileged-huff/ rock out to the apparatus Thu, 20 Nov 2008 17:46:02 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 http://greengabbro.net/2006/01/04/the-privileged-huff/#comment-2470 yami Fri, 13 Jan 2006 20:20:00 +0000 http://greengabbro.net/2006/01/04/the-privileged-huff/#comment-2470 The flip side of potentially stripping “racism” of its power is that you’re lending some of that power to criticism of structural issues. Which could maybe use a little oomph. I don’t think it’s fair for structural racism or the innocent racism of wannabe-allies to get some flabby, crapped-out word that no one cares about enough to listen to. The flip side of potentially stripping “racism” of its power is that you’re lending some of that power to criticism of structural issues. Which could maybe use a little oomph. I don’t think it’s fair for structural racism or the innocent racism of wannabe-allies to get some flabby, crapped-out word that no one cares about enough to listen to.

]]> http://greengabbro.net/2006/01/04/the-privileged-huff/#comment-2469 ester Fri, 13 Jan 2006 17:16:00 +0000 http://greengabbro.net/2006/01/04/the-privileged-huff/#comment-2469 My dad and I come from different generations on this issue: I can understand, at least intellectually, that I am part-and-parcel of an oppressive power structure that values my worth over that of people whose skin is darker than mine. Does it do this explicitly, anymore? No — but. Etc. Whereas my father, when he hears the word “racist,” conjures up memories of growing up in Virginia in the 50s. To him, that’s racism, and it’s insulting to compare it to the everyday biases of our pretty well-developed society. Either way, I do agree it’s a very strong word, one that it’s hard to strip of its power. Do we even want that? If we acknowledge everyone’s racist, what does it then mean, and how do you distinguish wannabe-allies from the Kluxers? My dad and I come from different generations on this issue: I can understand, at least intellectually, that I am part-and-parcel of an oppressive power structure that values my worth over that of people whose skin is darker than mine. Does it do this explicitly, anymore? No — but. Etc.
Whereas my father, when he hears the word “racist,” conjures up memories of growing up in Virginia in the 50s. To him, that’s racism, and it’s insulting to compare it to the everyday biases of our pretty well-developed society.
Either way, I do agree it’s a very strong word, one that it’s hard to strip of its power. Do we even want that? If we acknowledge everyone’s racist, what does it then mean, and how do you distinguish wannabe-allies from the Kluxers?

]]> http://greengabbro.net/2006/01/04/the-privileged-huff/#comment-2468 yami Sat, 07 Jan 2006 20:31:00 +0000 http://greengabbro.net/2006/01/04/the-privileged-huff/#comment-2468 Well, sure. But the level of defensiveness displayed by someone who responds to “Gah! Racist white liberals!” with “if white liberals are racist why don’t I just go be a neo-nazi then!!1!” is not on par with the defensiveness I’d expect from someone who was accused of a crime (by a random internet person, natch, not a cop), or even of just being an obnoxious jerk. Some of what makes it weird is that, as “good” liberals, we’re supposed to recognize our own privilege and honor the possibility that it makes us blind to the ways in which we’ve been trained to maintain it. In other words, we’re <em>not</em> supposed to equate racism with the Klan. We’re supposed to accept that we are vulnerable to being made an unwitting pawn of white supremacist capitalist patriarchy (etc), and be grateful to those who help us not be such a patsy. I think many (most?) of us recognize this on an intellectual level, but it doesn’t always register emotionally. Well, sure. But the level of defensiveness displayed by someone who responds to “Gah! Racist white liberals!” with “if white liberals are racist why don’t I just go be a neo-nazi then!!1!” is not on par with the defensiveness I’d expect from someone who was accused of a crime (by a random internet person, natch, not a cop), or even of just being an obnoxious jerk.
Some of what makes it weird is that, as “good” liberals, we’re supposed to recognize our own privilege and honor the possibility that it makes us blind to the ways in which we’ve been trained to maintain it. In other words, we’re not supposed to equate racism with the Klan. We’re supposed to accept that we are vulnerable to being made an unwitting pawn of white supremacist capitalist patriarchy (etc), and be grateful to those who help us not be such a patsy. I think many (most?) of us recognize this on an intellectual level, but it doesn’t always register emotionally.

]]> http://greengabbro.net/2006/01/04/the-privileged-huff/#comment-2467 Rew Sat, 07 Jan 2006 01:52:00 +0000 http://greengabbro.net/2006/01/04/the-privileged-huff/#comment-2467 WE get defensive because it’s an accusation…pretty simple if you ask me. Racism is generally despised and seen as not a good thing to be, so we react to it the same way we react to being called “rapist” or “criminal” woot? WE get defensive because it’s an accusation…pretty simple if you ask me. Racism is generally despised and seen as not a good thing to be, so we react to it the same way we react to being called “rapist” or “criminal”
woot?

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