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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region Forumsmadaboutharry
(40,209 posts)That is just not true.
EL34x4
(2,003 posts)I didn't get the memo. Are we supposed to be spelling "white" differently now?
guillaumeb
(42,641 posts)Anyone who cannot differentiate between some and all is not likely to be worth listening to.
Bernardo de La Paz
(48,999 posts)I'm not alone among people who do not have time for random videos.
Takes much longer to watch enough video to decide to stop than it does to scan a summary.
Posters can probably WRITE a summary in less time than it takes most videos to run.
Fast Walker 52
(7,723 posts)TexasBushwhacker
(20,174 posts)Bernardo de La Paz
(48,999 posts)Raster
(20,998 posts)jmg257
(11,996 posts)(Basically 'we are on our own - its our turn to be oppressed - and we will do so 'alone'')
Chiquitita
(752 posts)She offers insight into experiences and emotions. If you are white, like me, and just reject it out of hand because it insults you, then you are missing an opportunity to learn. Yeah, it hurts to be blamed as a group -- haha I guess people of color know a little bit about that.
Dreamer Tatum
(10,926 posts)Chiquitita
(752 posts)Maybe just not in the way they intended. I would tell her that for the wise, it's never too late to band together with people who have common interests, even if you have felt let down by the same people before--especially if there is no other option but defeat.
Doodley
(9,088 posts)other people do who are white, black, brown or any other color. In the same way, I don't ever stereotype other people based on the color of their skin. I grew up in an environment of respecting all people, regardless of their skin color. The woman in this video clearly classifies people and their actions purely on skin color. That is the definition of a racist.
Chiquitita
(752 posts)Just think we can learn something from her comments. It doesn't look like she's got tons of followers or anything, but if you look at the negative comments to her on youtube (which I know most of us don't have the time for) you can see the sorts of white people that bother to respond, and they get WAY more ugly than what she's saying. It's unfortunate. She just seems mad to me, and kind of annoyed at white people who are upset for the first time because stuff affects them.
Jhall5
(17 posts)Good point. I know I'm not like that, and neither are my true friends, but just like black people got blamed for the actions of a few because of skin color....hey, maybe that's the real message. Maybe she's trying to teach us how it feels to be stereotyped because of skin color? Hurts, doesn't it?
snooper2
(30,151 posts)At least it appears Facebook is smart enough to continually block her
RandiFan1290
(6,229 posts)ismnotwasm
(41,976 posts)Starry Messenger
(32,342 posts)Squinch
(50,949 posts)Ron Obvious
(6,261 posts)I burnt two hides calling out that nauseating little prick for the obvious right-wing troll that he was.
Made my day.
Squinch
(50,949 posts)Hangingon
(3,071 posts)Some of that us stirring coffee.
Demonaut
(8,914 posts)agenasolva
(87 posts)Demonaut
(8,914 posts)ThirdEye
(204 posts)I don't necessarily disagree. Probably not in a position to disagree. I'm just curious/
I mean the video definitely falls into that "paint with a broad brush" trap so many of us find ourselves. For example, she mentions how I supposedly didn't say anything when my friend made a racist joke. Well, actually, I am that guy who rains on all the "fun" when stuff like that happens, though it's extremely rare and hasn't happened with my actual friends. So, when I hear her say that about me, all I can think is that this woman is just being mean.
So, how was the comment racist? honestly want to learn.
ProfessorGAC
(65,000 posts)I'm the one who says "Knock that crap off!" I'm the one who says "i don't deal with that type of language, so don't use it when you're talking to me." Be it racist, or sexist, or nationalistic, or homophobic, or whatever.
So, like you, i'm thinking, "You need to clarify your exceptions young woman. An awful lot of what you describe has nothing to do with me."
Ohioblue22
(1,430 posts)people's retribution.
WillowTree
(5,325 posts)Dreamer Tatum
(10,926 posts)And some chump somewhere will find it important.
That's how white supremacists communicate, too.
pintobean
(18,101 posts)Rachel Dolezal gained a little weight.
TexasBushwhacker
(20,174 posts)manchu
(645 posts)The whole message is silly on the basis of it. To say every white person is "fucked" is incorrect; the billionaire elite who happen to be white are certainly not screwed over. I don't see any person who happens to be rich being done over by Trump. A lot of his polices are to their benefit. She also needs to realize during her rant that during slavery many of the abolitionists was white, some of those who helped slaves in the underground railroad was white, and many whites stood shoulder to shoulder( and in some cases lost their lives) during the civil rights movement. To demonize a whole race of people for the actions of a portion of them is just as bad as the white supremacists who think everyone else is inferior. This serves no purpose. And I'm saying this as a person of color.
kwassa
(23,340 posts)You start these threads over and over again.
There is something you must really resent, when a black person speaks their mind. You must want them to sit quietly and only speak when spoken to, on subjects of your approval. Is that it?
And I see the usual crew of DU race minimizers showing up in this thread, too. Talking about racial issues really upsets them.
I'll bet none of them, including you, actually listened to this video.
Adrahil
(13,340 posts)My real question to this young woman is:
Now What?
You've made broad, sweeping generalizations about people you do not know, and that is certainly your right. And I won't say you are completely wrong, though you are certainly wrong on some specific points. But okay... NOW WHAT?
What is it you want? Or are you satisfied with watching the world burn?
I get the anger. Let it out. Then put it aside for a bit and face the situation we are in now. But don't forget it. There is still reckoning to be done.
el_bryanto
(11,804 posts)That all white people deserve to be fucked. I would agree that all white people (including myself) have benefited from institutional racism, but it's a step further to say that no white people have acted honestly or honorably to help people of all races in the face of Donald Trump, and that seems to be the gist of her argument.
It just seems too generalized to me.
Bryant
kwassa
(23,340 posts)All whites participate in a system of institutional racism and white privilege, and unless they consciously oppose these things, they are by default supporting this system.
It is generalized, and it is her point of view. Does it represent anything more than her point of view? Is it a widely accepted point of view?
I am actually more interested in the motivations of the OP writer, who likes to post what he sees as extreme black viewpoints. This is a pattern on his part. Why does he do this?
Adrahil
(13,340 posts)There are LOTS of ways to define privilege. Yes, all white benefit from white privilege to some extent or another. And all men benefit from patriarchy to some extent or another. And all straight people benefit from Heteronormative privilege to some extent. And thin people benefit from fat hatred. And able bodied people benefit from a society that is pretty disability friendly and.... you get the picture.
I don't want to disregard this woman's point of view, but the world is WAY more complicated than her simplistic view, IMO. That does not mean I am not for addressing those specific concerns and that specific point of view, especially in a time of crisis when cops seems to think any black person, especially a young black man is a threat that can be shot on sight.
kwassa
(23,340 posts)Adrahil
(13,340 posts)I have run into this attitude on more than one occasion.
Even more frequently I've run into that faction that wants to subsume racial politics into an "economic justice" agenda. That's wrong too, IMO, and I've criticized it here.
But to be clear, I have NOT seen much of the attitude in this video here on DU, just in some local activism.
kwassa
(23,340 posts)on DU or anywhere else, so I wonder why this OP was posted in the first place.
Adrahil
(13,340 posts)Mostly from very politically active folks at the local university. They have the fire of revolution in their eyes. I understand at some level, but this fight is deadly serious, and if we are divided, we will lose.
NoGoodNamesLeft
(2,056 posts)If you keep assuming they are, calling them or treating them like they are racists simply for being white?
That alienates would be supporters. Is that what your goal is? If so you're doing a damn good job.
kwassa
(23,340 posts)Listen and respond to what she said.
What was her main point?
NoGoodNamesLeft
(2,056 posts)I don't listen to people who make assumptions about, blame, attack and accuse me without even meeting me.
She can fuck right the hell off. I say that not because we are not the same race. I say it because she sounds like an asshole. I don't like assholes.
kwassa
(23,340 posts)Yet feel qualified to make a meaningful comment on the subject.
NoGoodNamesLeft
(2,056 posts)I don't waste my time listening to anyone who starts off a diatribe about "all black people" either.
Afromania
(2,768 posts)Why should people in group A have to have happy happy, joy joy feelings for group B people in order for group A to accept the fact that a subsect of group A people are ridiculous in their attitudes toward group B. It SHOULD NOT require some sort of fealty pledge for humans of every stripe to perceive injustices against fellow humans and seek justice in their steed, it just shouldn't.
Just for the record how long have black people been "truly" free in this country? At what point has the bigot backlash meter been at zero? I Never? did you say never? I hope you said never because that's the right answer. The first hundred years of freedom were an exercise in survival behind enemy lines. The 50 odd years since have brought about considerable gains in general acceptance but according to you it's "tentative".
How should black folks feel about having to walk on egg shells to keep "tentative" support in the right to not have yourself killed for the inability to choose "the right" skin color at birth? What exactly should we do to earn these peoples unwavering support as a human worthy of equal accessibility to dignity and justice? Oh I know the answer, shuck and jive, speak when spoken to and have absolutely zero thoughts or actions that might upset any white people, anywhere, ever.
NoGoodNamesLeft
(2,056 posts)All I keep hearing on this site regarding race is if you're white, you suck. If you're white, everything is always your fault. If you're white, your life is all gumdrops and lollipops.
Fuck that.
I am DONE! This bullshit on this site has succeeded in one thing with me...it has completely turned me off to giving a flying fuck about your cause.
Afromania
(2,768 posts)Last edited Mon Feb 6, 2017, 11:14 PM - Edit history (1)
It's not a "cause" it's a way of thinking and feel free to go. I wasn't talking about you specifically just whoever was in your example. However, if you want to be the example of what I'm talking about, feel free.
EDIT: I was going to be civil about this but that is bullshit. If I acted the way you are I wouldn't throw in with any party or be down for any cause that affected white people anywhere, EVER and I'd be a complete FUCKING IDIOT for doing so. If I took it to heart that the goddamn White Supremacists are on the rise after spending 8 motherfucking years of slandering Obama and his family at every opportunity and applied to ALL White people I'd be justified right?.
If I brought it into my soul that growing up I had the opportunity to attend camps in places that were 99% white where certain kids tossed out the N word when the feeling hit, I could have said fuck it I hate white people and I'd be justified right? What I did was suck that shit up and force feed friendship to their asses rather than say say to hell with all white people everywhere. As it stand some of my favorite folks are white despite that and a whole hell of a lot more.
So You go ahead and drop the "cause" and go find a new one. There are plenty of white people that aren't one foot out of the door and understand that the only thing our "cause" really wants is to simply be left alone. Not demonized for consumption by some or "cause" to be championed for by others. We are people and like all other people we want to be left alone. As for a new cause I suggest save the Whales or something you obviously cared enough to sign up for the site at one point and they could probably use the help.
NoGoodNamesLeft
(2,056 posts)I don't WANT you to be civil for fuck sake. I want you to be HONEST because that is the ONLY way to fix racial division. It's not a one way damn street, either. Part of the problem is that there are a lot of non white people who automatically assume that all white people are this way or that way...think this or think that and goddamn it that is racial profiling and bias too! I've experienced a lot of the same damn thing you have as a poor single mother. I get discriminated against and looked down on every fucking day too. I've almost certainly had it even worse than some minorities on this site who talk like they have the mother fucking market of suffering and struggle cornered. Get fucking real! You're not the only one who has struggled and I have spent my entire 50 plus years standing up for ANYONE who was treated unfairly, even at my own expense. When I didn't have a pot to piss in I took in homeless youth and helped them go back to school. I am about sick and goddamned tired of listening to whine asses on this forum bashing all white people. Tell me, how the bloody hell does that help anyone? I'm on your goddamned side for fuck sake...and so are every other member on this site! So why is it necessary to keep spewing this hateful, stereotypical garbage unfairly labeling a good portion of the people on this site? Bitching about white people on a site where all the white people stick up for you is fucking stupid.
"If I brought it into my soul that growing up I had the opportunity to attend camps in places that were 99% white where certain kids tossed out the N word when the feeling hit, I could have said fuck it I hate white people and I'd be justified right? What I did was suck that shit up and force feed friendship to their asses rather than say say to hell with all white people everywhere. As it stand some of my favorite folks are white despite that and a whole hell of a lot more."
I would have liked to get to attend camps but I was too damn poor and my family couldn't afford it. I got picked on and called names too. After my ex husband raped me and beat the living fuck out of me and our children I finally got away from him. I had to get welfare and live in low income housing. I got called all kinds of hateful things too...a whore, slut, welfare queen, lazy, etc...all for leaving someone who was abusive. Landlords wouldn't rent to me either...single Mom's you know...stereotypes out the ying yang. I've never been on a vacation my entire life. I've never owned my own home. Am I justified to blame all men because my ex was a pile of useless abusive shit? No, that would be dumb. Was my life harder because of the groups I belonged to? (Single mom, poor, on welfare, etc) Hell yes it was. Ever had to wipe your ass on coffee filters because you don't have 50 cents for a roll of toilet paper or had to hand was clothes and wring them out until your hands bled? I have.
"So You go ahead and drop the "cause" and go find a new one. There are plenty of white people that aren't one foot out of the door and understand that the only thing our "cause" really wants is to simply be left alone. Not demonized for consumption by some or "cause" to be championed for by others. We are people and like all other people we want to be left alone. As for a new cause I suggest save the Whales or something you obviously cared enough to sign up for the site at one point and they could probably use the help."
I don't want to feel like dropping the cause...but I'm not going to lie to you because that's not how I roll. The crap I've been hearing on here over the last several months makes me wonder why the hell I have been bothering all these years. I KNOW and see the societal bias and I have always spoken up about it, so don't you (or anyone else on here) claim or assume that I (or others here) don't know what it's like to understand discrimination over things you can't control or being stereotyped unfairly. It's a load of horseshit and it's offensive. It's HURTFUL! Being white doesn't provide special protection from any of that stuff.
I didn't do anything to anyone that warrants having people on here trying to make me feel guilty for being white. It seems like some people are trying to do that and I'm sick of it. It should not happen here. I'm all for discussing race issues openly and honestly but that can never be a productive conversation until people stop assuming and blaming and start listening.
(Sorry for all the swearing...this has been building for several months)
Afromania
(2,768 posts)Last edited Tue Feb 7, 2017, 01:34 AM - Edit history (2)
No reason to be sorry for swearing. Listen you don't have to feel guilty for being white. I'm sorry if you do, now that's me and I don't speak for "race" any more than you do. You can only do you and if you're doing it right. Then you don't have to shoulder the guilt of those that aren't. Let them hold that guilt to themselves and choke on it.
Look, the only cause that matters is one of justice, equality and simple kindness. That cuts across all ethnicity, all nationalities, all peoples here in the Americas right on around the globe and back again. My cause is justice and my cause includes people just like you, the people that voted against sanity and even the Russians who really "like" us a whole lot right now, ok no they really don't but the citizens there don't deserve Putin for president any more than we do.
While I don't agree with the woman in the video that white people are on their own. She is correct that more white people are going suffer economically at the hands of their own in numbers than are greater than brown peoples. There are more white folks with something left to lose than us. Through any number of maneuvers we've been kept at the bottom of the heap, so the fall won't be as great. We've grown accustom to struggling together under the thumb of economic oppression. Over there with you guys there are enough people making a good enough living that they could ignore people like you existed. According to them all poor people are brown so fuck em. Hell, some of the white folks in poverty seem to be able to overlook the reasons they are there in the first place in favor of blaming everybody EXCEPT the people doing it to them, their very own. Instead, they cast a eye towards the brown people and poor people because all brown people are takers to them. That ill placed blame has brought us Trump and we are all good and well fucked.
A good number of these types of white people have refused to speak up against bias and let things roll along unaffected and have indeed voted for the Trump's and the Republicans who are now sheltering him time and time again. They will get poorer and continue to struggle while picking up on dog whistles, fear and prompts for finger pointing. Everything that happens from this point on is of their own creation. They are doing this to themselves as much as they are doing that to you and it's all just to spite the brown and the poor. Honestly, they don't seem to like women, especially single ones, all that much either; if that helps.
Nevermind race for a minute, how do you feel to have the people around you kicking at you for needing a hand up? Making you feel like your less than for having circumstances not of your own making? I don't have to ask because you told me. It's like that for all black and brown people ALL the time. We are all scapegoated and demonized, no matter what station of life we are at. Wealthy, middle class or abjectly poor we're somehow all seen to be taking something away from them.
Now take what happened to you and toss in scapegoating and racism on top of it over hundreds of years and you get to exactly where we are. That doesn't make it any better or worse than what you've described in your life but it adds a distinctly unique flavor of undercurrent to our lives that someone not living it understands. It makes for a shared experience on the bottom that those who Trump rode on the back of to the presidency don't seem to fucking understand and many of them don't rightly give a damn because they've bought the disruption of their Leave it to Beaver fever dream being the fault of brown people and somehow ignoring the fact that their poverty struggles are the same as ours and everybody is going to get kicked in the teeth behind their rock solid stupidity.
NoGoodNamesLeft
(2,056 posts)About 20 years ago I took a job at a YWCA before and after school program next door to housing projects. More than one person was murdered within eyesight of where I worked. Part of my job was to walk the kindergarten students to school and pick them up and walk them back to the center after school. I adored those kids. I was called a cracker, honkey, etc. I was the only white person who worked there. I've lived in low income housing before where I was the minority. Whether some care to admit it or not...there are plenty of people of color who do just assume that any white person is a racist and sometimes people can be quite nasty. People that do that contribute to the problem.
People of color can't snap their fingers and make institutional bias just disappear. They can't make it safer for young black men when confronted by police overnight. They can't do anything to change the minds of actual racists. There are, however, some things that CAN be done to help change things. I've been trying to get that message across for a few months unsuccessfully.
Now, I've told you that I have been on your side all along. I'm also telling you that even on this site I have heard things that I find to be very offensive that has really upset me. I'm not the only one. If people on the same side as you are fed up with something then perhaps that's something that should be looked at more closely.
I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that you are a guy. If you're not, I apologize. So, imagine that you are a guy who saw your mother beaten when you were a kid and now you stand up against abuse whenever you see it. Let's say you took part in activities to fight domestic violence. Now suppose that at a Domestic Violence convention you found yourself listening to a speaker who started railing about how all men are woman beaters who think they are entitled to control and abuse women. Suppose you got a job working to help victims and all the women staff bashed men in general all day. Wouldn't you be saying to yourself...what the hell? Why are they saying all men. I'm a man and I'm not like that. Is this why they think of me? Why do they not see and value my contribution?
This is something many white people have been dealing with for a very, very long time. It's why those rust belt poor economically struggling white voters who voted for Obama went for Trump this time. Even though Trump DID appeal to the alt right racist assholes...the majority of his voters are just not well educated in issues and politics and believed his promise to bring back jobs...and they tuned out all the racist and sexist stuff because they've been treated like racists and blamed for so long that they just said to hell with it, I'm tired of being blamed for everything bad in the world...and they voted for the orange asshole.
My point is...as hard as it is to trust...people of color need to stop assuming and stereotyping too...and for the love of all that is good...the term "racist" and "racism" needs to be reserved for people who say and do things INTENTIONALLY. Sometimes people do and say careless things and while it does need to be pointed out...labeling unintentional slights racism does A LOT of harm. Too much of that caused a lot of voters to ignore race. If they know they aren't racists but get called one anyway then they aren't going to take anything about race seriously.
Afromania
(2,768 posts)That's exactly how black and brown people have felt for nearly 600 years, not just a long time but for as long as we've been here. We can't stop because it's built into how we survive here. For me, as I don't speak for anybody else, I've got to be aware of where I am at all times. The radar is always up, always. There will never be a time in this country that I can turn it off. That one time turn it off with the wrong person could be my last and that is getting worse. I happen to live in a city so it's not on full blast all the time but because you never know with who you are dealing with it's there it's ALWAYS there.
While you're telling me that that people of color need to stop assuming and stereotyping you need to understand it is a survival mechanism born of centuries of white oppression. Nothing is unlearned quickly and the damnable that voted for trump and feel its ok to trot Nazism and Aryan Nation garbage back out to the forefront. That's a far bigger danger to us than the words are to you. On one hand your feelings are hurt being labeled improperly and I can totally understand that but can you understand that we are in fear for our lives behind this garbage? Once they get done with Muslims who's next, and then who? and then who else when things don't get better. When it's all said and done the finger will be pointed right those like me. This has alot of people upset beyond upset and it's not going to change until Trump and the sane people on his side say no, cut that shit out. They aren't and seem to be doubling down on this forcing us back to code red levels of being circumspect.
The best way to describe this is my 60 year old aunt. After the election she was distraught and I told her that things would be alright, eventually. We talked.... well I talked, she cried. She cried because for one shining moment she thought that maybe things would be different, things would be better and racism had finally had the tread run off its' tires. Nope instead the election of a black man prompted a rise in White Nationalism and a candidate that seems to condone it. That's how she feels and that's how I feel. While I'm not calling everybody a racist it bares repeating that if you are part of the collective that has nothing to do with that trash then you need to keep fighting for the progressive movement. You may leave the site and go about it on your own, or not. But the struggle against stupid benefits you and those rust belt folks silly enough to keep voting Republican.
All that aside I'm going to key in on your last sentence "Too much of that caused a lot of voters to ignore race. If they know they aren't racists but get called one anyway then they aren't going to take anything about race seriously". As it stands it isn't taken seriously by enough people as it is, what's a few more that don't really care? I mean it's not that drum hasn't been hammered on as long, long time Wasn't too long ago folks said that the police weren't really "that" bad, it sounded far fetched. It only took body cams and cellphones to get the narrative to change. Black men have died while being innocent live camera and you still have a contingent those that vociferously demonize the victim. You're gonna have to excuse some of us that are terrified at the direction we're heading in. Honestly the fact that you and some others on this site have become defenders of those that would allow this to happen, is quite disheartening as to the direction of this country as a whole.
SaschaHM
(2,897 posts)You always do this "woe is me. Woe is white people" shit on every fucking post about white Trump voters and then you up and threaten to leave the site and the Democrat party.
Please finally be done and get the hell on with your life.
NoGoodNamesLeft
(2,056 posts)I have argued that calling all white Trump voters racist is simply not based in fact because poor people desperate for jobs voted for him because he promised to bring back jobs.
I have never threatened to "leave" the Democratic party. I am a registered Independent swing voter. I have said that IF the Democratic Party doesn't start caring about economic justice as much as social justice then they will continue to lose. I have also said that hearing all the anti-white bullshit leaves me wondering why I should vote for Democrats if that's really what the party is all about.
What I'm saying now is that I'm very close to making race issues something that I don't bother paying attention to anymore. I'm tired of the anti-white rhetoric often seen here. Here I thought we were all in this together but more and more it's becoming clear that only white people are expected to refrain from stereotyping and making unfair assumptions about entire groups of people. Yeah, I take issue with that.
Response to NoGoodNamesLeft (Reply #29)
YoungDemCA This message was self-deleted by its author.
el_bryanto
(11,804 posts)and only started looking at it again in the last few days.
Bryant
NCTraveler
(30,481 posts)And I think I am, you are referencing the use of anecdotes as a way to deceptively tell a larger story. I think that form of propaganda was really overlooked with Trumps campaign. It's one of the only things he did well. His little minions ate it up.
Here is a preemptive sorry if I'm reading you wrong.
kwassa
(23,340 posts)I need clarification of your point of view.
NCTraveler
(30,481 posts)Someone on ocassion posts videos of a violent protester and attempts to brand all protesters as violent.
Adrahil
(13,340 posts)We're gonna stand around arguing about who the fuck is progressive enough. Okay. Thanks for that. Perhaps I should just wear a hair shirt everywhere. Oh! I know! I'll carry a scourge and self-flagellate!
And some of this, of course, if complete bullshit. My white gay friend who was beaten daily in high school has certainly experienced enough oppression to qualify him.
And also, more bullshit. Plenty of of have HAVE stood up to our bosses and friends. I HAVE dumped friends (and even family) for racist bullshit.
And let's be clear.... if "we" are fucked, so are "you." Because this is not a fight where we can afford to be sniping at each other.
Yeah, fuck this shit.
TexasBushwhacker
(20,174 posts)BumRushDaShow
(128,881 posts)the bombastic clarion call of Michael Moore.
JHan
(10,173 posts)Solly Mack
(90,762 posts)NoGoodNamesLeft
(2,056 posts)is not something that happens exclusively with non-white people. This is something that every single POOR person deals with and there are plenty of poor white people, too.
In addition to that...this "all of you" crap is exactly why many white people who supported Obama voted for Trump. If you treat all white people like they are racists, don't care or in whatever other negative light long enough they are going to stop giving a shit about sticking up for you anymore. Every white person has been called, treated like or assumed to be a racist at some point if they are in an area where there are a lot of minorities. The term is tossed around so carelessly and falsely that it has lost it's power. My first instinct when I see or hear someone called a racist is to ask for facts and proof to support the claim.
kwassa
(23,340 posts)Every white person has been called, treated like or assumed to be a racist at some point if they are in an area where there are a lot of minorities. The term is tossed around so carelessly and falsely that it has lost it's power.
Since I am such a white person, live in a high-minority environment, and I literally never experienced this in all the years I've lived on this planet, where exactly does this happen?
WillowTree
(5,325 posts)kwassa
(23,340 posts)SaschaHM
(2,897 posts)bravenak
(34,648 posts)And if anybody is confused, let me know. I'll explain it for ya. But deep down inside, even if she pissed you off by telling real shit, the reason you mad is because, SHE IS RIGHT.
HipChick
(25,485 posts)ThirdEye
(204 posts)I hardly agree with a thing you post and certainly have never enjoyed the way you express yourself, but you offer insight and I'm willing to read it with an open mind.
Several aspects I get: white people voting against their own interests, the crocodile tears of those who suddenly care / relate to people who have been traditionally oppressed by in-your-face and institutionalized racism, the idea that white people are less prepared to handle oppression, etc.
The parts that confuse or concern me: 1) All white people deserve what happens, all white people are to blame (as opposed to many or most white people) 2) White people are on their own (a.k.a. we're divided permanently) 3) That we're actually fucked in some way that is different than how everyone else is fucked.
Regarding #3, take myself. I live in VT in a safe community with a very safe job. The only things that could fuck me are global warming, war or a completing tanking of the economy. Seems like those things would affect everyone about the same amount.
bravenak
(34,648 posts)White people allowed this to happen collectively. If not by being outright racists, then by not speaking up when racist relatives, friends, strangers, whomever get all up into their white supremacy peack or actions. By working for that loan office that redlines and just going with the flow to keep a job, rather than reporting their asses. By whining 'not all white people' like the very idea that it could possibly refer to ALL is worse than actually being on the recievng end of ALL that white supremacy.
By not recognizing how horrible it has been for everyone else, by looking the other way, minimizing, appropriating, mocking, assuming, criminalizing, etc. Now, by doing any of the things that keep this system in place and by not ending this shit long ago. You guys have the collective power to end this nightmare for the rest of us. You guys always have had the power. Now, now when you guys feel the unfairness creeping upon you all, now shit needs to be done.
By 'on your own' I think she means that there is nothing we can or will be able to do to help you deal with oppression. Not to be mean, but we have been dealing with it for centuries and youjust got started. We have to save our energy to fight our way up to where you are. I generally save my sympathy for the groups who are doing worse than we are. We are still trying to rise while white folks decided to burn this mutha fucka down. What can we do. Yeah, you really will have to work on your fellow white people. They did this. We cannot change their minds, they would never listen to us. Your job.
By fucked, it means that now that the bubble of complacancy has burst, now that you're feeling the heat, you have to fight. You have the numbers. We looked for you after Trayvon. We Looked for you after Mike Brown. We looked to you on criminal justice. We called on you for help many many many many times. We begged. We marched. We cried. Our kids die die die. We were refused so many times.
Do I think she blames all white people? Of course not. She was speaking with passion, emotion, years of built up anger and frustration and rage against the system. The system that benefits you. Even VT has a skewed rate of black male incarceration. We have been calling on white folks to fix it for decades. They refused. Now they want unity. Unity. For us to gather together for the cause that they think is the most important thing ever. We cannot gather for your cause. Too many of us are not free.
Fucked. Fucked is a great word. Fucked is how those wealthy wall streeters felt when the crash of 29 hit. Fucked is when you think you have a safe job in a safe state and the prez crashes the economy and the business shuts down. Or downsizes. On a mass scale. When those middle managers realize that they are redundant. That the safe life you live just died.
Fucked is when you realize that we finally are equal. Eaqually fucked. Just some of us have always been fucked. We have learned to navagate. The brand newbians to fuckedery will be ready to self harm.
ThirdEye
(204 posts)for taking the time to write this. There's no doubt I'll be spending some time today thinking about it.
ThirdEye
(204 posts)No disagreements, just comments. Then I realized... that doesn't help anyone. I'm the one that needs to act. What I believe you want, at least in part, is for people like me to be more effective at changing the people and places around me dominated by white politics.
So instead I'll just respond to this: "We looked for you after Trayvon. We Looked for you after Mike Brown. We looked to you on criminal justice. We called on you for help many many many many times. We begged. We marched. We cried. Our kids die die die. We were refused so many times. "
This hurts. It hurts really bad to know my country does this to my fellow Americans. Doesn't even matter if the victims were totally 100% innocent, though usually it seems they are. If this hurts me so badly, I often think about how much more it must hurt if you live in one of these communities. Despair at a whole other level.
I will not stand for marginalizing people who care about justice reform or simply want to talk about the existing injustice. Many a conversation has gotten a dose of reality when I heard someone dismiss BLM (all lives matter dude!! ugh) or try to justify the crime committed (I'm sure he wasn't exactly innocent!! ugh)... because I don't let that shit slide and I'll happily risk my "rep" to call people out. Fuck those people. They will never be allowed to casually dismiss this topic if I'm in the room. It will and should continue to be part of the national conversation.
Again thanks for the response.
bravenak
(34,648 posts)YoungDemCA
(5,714 posts)Does this change a damn thing? The Presidency (and soon, the Supreme Court and lower federal courts, along with damn near every federal department and agency), both houses of Congress, close to two-thirds of state legislatures and Governorships and other state government officials, countless local governments - and all of it built on white voters, BTW. Now, by no means do I think that it's a good thing that Republicans can continue to hold power solely on their strengths with white voters in much of the country (well that, and persistently lower turnout from black and Latino voters, especially when Barack Obama is not on the ballot). But it's the cruel electoral reality, and things like the video in the OP will if anything, only narrow our already-imperiled Democratic coalition more.
bravenak
(34,648 posts)Was that her intention or are you setting up a strawman for me to knockdown? Did she indicate in any way that this was her Treatise on fixing America? Is that her job? The coalition gets narrowed when those of us in the minority are not allowed to express our lived experience without the whites in our coalition attacking us for being 'off message' of what they are the most interested in on that day.
Now, if we continue getting attacked for not conforming our statements to what a narrow segment of the democratic party want us to focus them on, then we will see the 'persistent' lower turnout continue. I think people forget that we, black people, are the ones already voting democratic and that they should save their salt for their white friends who vote republican. Because white people are the ones who have a consistently lower turnout for democrats than for republicans.
YoungDemCA
(5,714 posts)And the "narrow segment of the Democratic Party" criticism is ironic considering that it is the dominant voices within the Democratic Party (who for the record, are mostly white, and almost universally college-educated and upper-middle class or rich - talk about privilege!) who have consistently alienated - scratch that, consistently attacked and done their best to discredit and undermine - anyone who dares suggest that maybe, just maybe, our politicians constantly keeping company with private equity execs, hedge fund managers, millionaire celebrities, and other wealthy individuals/donors who already have immense power, access, and influence in American politics doesn't help us build, cement, or expand an electoral coalition of and for the marginalized and disenfranchised, along with everyone else who hasn't done so hot in the post-1970s economy.
bravenak
(34,648 posts)Those silly college educated ones seem to have the education necessary to deal with a variety of people, understand sociology, realize the historical implications of the policy they propose, and actually communicate with and listen to the historically marginalized groups and try to promote policies that will help uplift the least among us.
The problem is, that the economic focused ones are completely unable to manage the intersections between economics and culture. Honestly, they talk shit to us and we avoid them even if their policy is something we are interested in. They are dismissive of race issues and want all focus on bankers and billionaires like we are living back in the times of TR.
Since they remain tone deaf on cultural issues, they are unable to get a large enough coalition together. The educated are only able to completely discredit their opponents because their opponents do one hundred percent of the dirty work against themselves for them. Nobody wants to be talked down to or talked shit to or told that their issues are not as important as the issues that some group on the far left want on the front page.
HopeAgain
(4,407 posts)I am completely unoffended by this. Do I agree her approach is constructive? Depends on her motive...if meant to further divide, obviously not.
But there is truth in anger sometimes. Surely we can't act from that anger, but we must understand the root of it. There is entitlement to anger sometimes.
renate
(13,776 posts)... I really like your attitude. I admire the way you aren't offended (or are choosing not to be offended) and the way you are responsive in a positive way to part of her message and not rejecting the whole thing out of hand. I know I'm guilty sometimes of getting my hackles up towards a messenger and not really listening to the validity of the message, and you didn't do that.
So anyway,
Doodley
(9,088 posts)Doodley
(9,088 posts)Chiquitita
(752 posts)I think a racist has to believe that their own race is inherently superior.
Her rant does an excellent job of showing that racism can come in many forms.
nini
(16,672 posts)She has all valid points but to target the people who have been at rallies etc.. is odd to me. There are plenty of white people who need to hear this though - as uncomfortable as it may be for them.
This is no better than saying all Muslims are terrorists, all Blacks are thugs etc.. However, there are plenty of white folks who need to wake the hell up and quit living in her bubbles.
aikoaiko
(34,169 posts)It is interesting how she flipped the script on how a Trump presidency will affect me as a straight, white professional male.
For months and months I was told that I had the luxury of considering not voting for Hillary because I really wouldn't be impacted much by a Trump presidency unlike women and people of color.
Now the story is I'll suffer more. Alrighty then.
But I'll think about she said. I think the important part is she wants to see white people suffer and has no intention of working with white people to better society. I can understand that kind of reaction.
LanternWaste
(37,748 posts)I think your sentiments have become consistent enough to have evolved into a narrative. No doubt, narrative are much more convenient to cower behind.
Calculating
(2,955 posts)But at the same time, her rant doesn't seem very productive to me.
Response to AngryAmish (Original post)
Name removed Message auto-removed
yallerdawg
(16,104 posts)White women 53%.
Yeah - we DID that.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election,_2016
aikoaiko
(34,169 posts)Trust Buster
(7,299 posts)standards. If I responded to this video in kind, I would be alerted on and hidden in a heartbeat. I never have appreciated this ridiculous double standard on DU. Thank you.
kwassa
(23,340 posts)not to mention:
She can't violate TOS, she is not a member.
Trust Buster
(7,299 posts)kwassa
(23,340 posts)Phoenix61
(17,003 posts)But I think she missed a couple of critical points. In a white supremacist society, people of color will fair much, much worse than white people. It's a whole lot easier to hide your politics or sexual orientation than it is to hide the color of your skin. Most of America did not vote for Twitler. Do I blame her for being angry that there are so many who did, absolutely not. She looks pretty young so I'm going to guess that Obama being president for 8 years is a large portion of her adult life. To see Twitler get elected has to have been horrible. She was living in a country that elected an African-American to the highest office in the country then it turned around and elected a 1950's nightmare. It's great that we protested the Muslim ban but that level of engagement hasn't been there for the Black Lives Matter movement. So I get that she's angry and I can understand why but we are all in this boat together and if we don't all bail like crazy, we are all going to sink together and she will be right there with us.
HassleCat
(6,409 posts)Racism, bigotry, etc does not draw a line that means only white people are in trouble. "We have lived through oppression" may have deep personal meaning to her, and to others as well, but it will be of little help when the shit comes down.
tandem5
(2,072 posts)jalan48
(13,860 posts)hunter
(38,311 posts)He's my favorite honky.
dubyadiprecession
(5,706 posts)We speak as well as live a progressive life, we know who we are. She's talking about white trump voters that used to be for Obama.
YoungDemCA
(5,714 posts)I guess this stuff will help!
jmg257
(11,996 posts)"even the ones protesting in the streets" She is "talking about every last one of you".
(assuming you are white)
Inkfreak
(1,695 posts)Oneironaut
(5,492 posts)Crunchy Frog
(26,579 posts)Response to Crunchy Frog (Reply #83)
m-lekktor This message was self-deleted by its author.
Response to AngryAmish (Original post)
Jake Stern This message was self-deleted by its author.
fescuerescue
(4,448 posts)I listened for about 60 seconds and I just heard a pre-amble to something.
She didn't sell me on giving her another 5 minutes.
jmg257
(11,996 posts)You are going to be oppressed now, and you will do so alone.
PoC have figured the system out, it's white peoples' turn to do so, with no help because they gave none.
More of you, more to be affected, with more to lose.
And you brought it on yourself.
Summary - White = screwed.
Seems like a bitter person.
fescuerescue
(4,448 posts)Doesn't an oppressed people ALWAYS do it alone anyway? Never heard of the an oppressor reaching out to the oppressed and saying "hang in there!"
Well hell. We all end up in the same place anyway. being dead is the ultimate oppression status
Kahuna7
(2,531 posts)to say POC made it without white people is utter nonsense. We wouldn't have made the gains we have made without the support of white people with conscience.
YoungDemCA
(5,714 posts)I can't imagine anything going wrong with that.
Joe941
(2,848 posts)Vermijelli
(76 posts)It's just seems too convenient how she blames and excoriates every single white person.