Enjoy those links? I didn't look for them. I stumbled on all of those just by reading my friendslist and chatting with friends. Some were linked approvingly, some in disbelieving disgust (
oneironaut: "Okay, we're cutting Dan Savage off. And I don't mean, like, 'you've had too much to drink'. I mean like a gangrenous limb"). I've also seen posts or comments--again, just on my own friendslist--that were so blatantly racist that I gawked. What this means is that they're only the tip of the iceberg, and I don't want to see what's beneath.Before you write another word about how those racist black jerks and their guilt-ridden white allies handed Obama the presidency just because he was black, or toss out another accusation of "playing the race card," or trumpet the end of racism because one highly-educated black man nabbed the presidency in an election that was virtually guaranteed to go Democratic anyway, or chide people of color for not being grateful or respectful or whatever the fuck enough to whitey--shut up and think, okay? Think about whether you've got a right to tell entire races of people whose experiences you generally don't share why they did what they did and how they should be reacting. Think about the phrases we use to talk about racism--"white guilt," "playing the race card," "reverse racism," not to mention a full shitload of accusations about tone--and what they say about the people using them, and if they actually apply to the situation as it still stands.
Take a moment to wonder if you and your politics actually have anything to say about the experiences of people of color and the reality of racism. No? Then maybe you should just be quiet and listen for a while.
I'd recommend starting here, by the way. Regardless of the rest of the glosario, which I may or may not agree with, I think the "Wite Magic Attax" should be required reading.
Now I'm going for a walk. I really could be doing better things than getting angry. I mean, if I wasn't angry, I probably could have written a nice, conciliatory post that doesn't make the people who said the things I'm mad about feel all offended and defensive!
Hmm.
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