Since the election of Donald Trump, i have noticed, with increasing frequency - and carelessness -, the use of the word racism set right along with the words prejudice, bias, and even, preference, as if these words all mean the same thing. they don’t. they are markedly different, and to use them as synonyms is dangerous, divisive, and dare i say, even lazy, since the use of the word marks a clear qualitative DISTINCTION between self and other in a way that allows self to ignore one’s own damaging prejudices.
the word racism has a very
specific meaning and is NOT synonymous with these other words, and, as i have
learned time and time again, words MATTER!
They can UNITE, spark discussion and elicit forward-moving action, or
they can DIVIDE. inherent in the
word/concept of racism is a very definitive superiority/subhuman dichotomy; in
other words, when I call you out as a racist, what I am suggesting is that you
consider me to be less of a human than you; that you consider yourself to be a GREATER, SUPERIOR human being. Unless this is
really true, I would consider the use of this word divisive.
In my experience as a brown person
walking this earth, i have rarely encountered or experienced the workings of a
true racist, ala Dylan Roof. As a brown
person adopted by white people, I have spent most of my life in communities
where I am usually one of the only brown people. I often make the joke that I went to a high
school of 1,500, where there were 3 ½ black ppl; I was the half. Mostly in these communities, i came into
contact with prejudice and bias, very different words; at the heart of these
words is typically (i have found) fear of "otheness" - a very natural
and workable by-product of being human. I am not suggesting that prejudice and bias
don't have their problems, only that these words suggest a very different
working of the mind; one that is easier to stare right in the face, because it
doesn't suggest a basic lack of HUMANITY. Never once can I say I dealt with a racist, or
a person who looked at me as if I were less than human.
I bring this up because when the
word racist/racism is thrown into the mix when it should not be, it can have
unintended consequences, such as (1) shutting out dialogue and discourse with
the very ppl who may be allies to you, or (2) getting someone who is completely
unqualified elected as President of the United States, because ppl (mostly
white ppl in rural parts of America) are sick of the neo-liberal BS that often
suggests white ppls *racism* is THE problem in a world gone amok. Now certainly
our nation, and the world in general, is in a very precarious state at the
moment, but this is not because of an ideology of racism, which is, in its
purest analysis, a form of mental illness. How many ppl do you know that actually feel
that black and brown ppl are SUBHUMAN? For
me in my circles? I encounter pre-judice on the daily, and i am guilty of holding
pre-judices myself ), but I can’t think of anyone who i would call out as a
racist.
I am writing this here because i think
that the biggest issue facing humanity right now is the subjugation of the
feminine, and the ongoing battle of the sexes. We see this as humanity continues to rape and
pillage mother earth, even as we XX’S continue to fight for this thing called
*equality*, all the while, denying that there are very VALUABLE differences and
distinctions between XX's and XY's. Equality
does NOT mean *same*, and if we can accept that it was set up this way by
design, perhaps we can begin to make these differences work FOR US, rather than
against us. As just one example, generally speaking, XY's are physically
STRONGER than XX's, so why do we continue to fight for the right to do ANY JOB
men can do? Seriously, if you want to be a garbage collector and sling 50 - 100
lb cans of trash over your shoulder for 8 - 12 hours, more power to you;
personally i would rather use the emotional depth that is an XX's gawd given
gift (and if you would like to argue this, remember; its woman who are charged
with the primary job of NURTURING) to help heal the deep fissures that exist
between the sexes.
So - the next time you are tempted
to throw the word racism into a post or conversation, think about whether THIS
is what you really mean, or whether there is another word, that is more appropriate,
and might work to facilitate dialogue rather than shut it down and make the
existing divide even deeper.
Thank you for listening.
4 comments:
Hi Maureen (continuing over from your other interesting post). Thank you for sharing this. I'm not convinced your two posts are that much in conflict other than that they take a different approach. Life is complex, as are the issues you are raising, so complexity and evolution of thought is a good thing. I appreciate you engaging with me on these issues in this format. Perhaps someday we'll get an opportunity to continue the dialogue. Fear is definitely a driving force and calling someone out as "racist" is surely an effective way to shut down dialogue. But, in my experience, so is simply pointing out how, for example, to vote for Trump is to vote against ____ (fill in the blank here). In one memorable example, I sent an email to a friend explaining how the Trump campaign was a particular threat to my child and her sense of well being (if not the possibility of future harassment by mass deportation forces). The answer came back, "You know I care about your daughter, but . . ." and the friendship was threatened if not completely dissolved. In another instance, I was having work done on my house. The guy who was doing the work was sitting in my house, talking to us about the plan for the construction. He started talking about how nice it was around my house and how it would be cool to build a house across the way. Then he looked at my kid--brown skin, black hair, female--and said to her "If I did that, you could cook for me." To him, she wasn't a kid destined to be whatever she worked to become, but a future servant (in one way or another). I'm calling that racist misogyny. I think it meets your definition of "less than." I could be wrong it could be "simply" racist, or "simply" misogynistic, but . . . either way, he's not doing work for us any more and my kid has better appreciation of the world, for better or worse.
Yes i definitely agree that the writings do not conflict; in the white privilege piece, i give a nod to this when i say, after quoting a section of the racism piece that, "all of this is still TRUE for me." Right? it's just that NOW, i see that the writing was through the very narrow lens of white privilege; my lens is NOT the lens of the black experience in america, so - i am free to define how racism impacts ME, but my experience is of very limited use...only to the extent that it encourages dialogue - with white people about why and how it is that black ppl. continue to experience dehumanization on a daily basis.
And Trump, well see him as a mere conduit (a very effective conduit) for all of this nastiness that has been just festering just below the surface for a very long time. racism never actually *went* anywhere...it just went all institutionalized (prison industrial complex, etc.) So I don't see Trump as the problem, i see him as a symptom of a greater, deeper issues that get to the very ROOT at what all of this separation is about.
And the thing about your daughter...ew, well thats just gross. its hard to think someone would think such a thought let alone feel completely comfortable VERBALIZING his racist mysogyny. My mother had to go through some pretty terrible experiences with me as well...i was too young to remember, thank the gawds! :o)
Don't discount your experience too much . . . your lens is an important one and one with some characteristics that are shared by many (though, obviously, your perspectives and experiences are your own). Thank you for sharing and discussing with me. I really appreciate the insights/perspective.
Thanks, A. I have enjoyed the conversation too! :o)
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