"Playing The Race Card"

AMikkell · 05-02-2006

I have been on both sides of the issue. I am a straight white male, raised christian, so it would seem that I am the majority. I was also raised on a rezervation. I have dealt with intolerance from white people and from natives because of this. To me, racism is not about some desire to maintain power. It is generally about hatred or apathy. I know racism is not imagined, and it doesn't go away. I agree with Lex that I don't want to be reminded that I'm somehow different. I have known people who treated me fine up untill they find out that I lived on a rezervation, then they go off on a rant about how natives have it easy, expecting me to share their oppinion, then they treat me with less respect after I disagree with them. I agree that it is tough to be marginalized because of your race, but I don't think that blaming your race, or, more specifically, the problems caused by others inacceptance, helps anything.

As for 'talking white' and 'acting white', that is bs. I try to be articulate when I talk, and I am considered educated and intelligent, but this doesn't help me, even among other white people. Most people feel I'm talking down to them. Trying to show off. Trying to make myself seem superior. This isn't so, this is simply the way I talk. The rest of my family doesn't talk like me, and they are white and educated.

Shelby · 05-02-2006

No effin way! Shelby Steele is on the Michael Medved radio show right now. AM 770 in the Seattle/Tacoma market.

Lex · 05-02-2006

I tried to find the article to no avail. when I did get what appeared to be the article--the size of the PDF froze my machine.

Shelby--if you have Abode Acrobat or Distiller, you may be able to shrink the file sixe or quality fo the PDF which would make it more manageable for email, posting, etc.

dong20 · 05-02-2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shelby

"The New Sovereignty" by Shelby Steele.

I think you may have better luck looking for his book "The Content of Our Character: A New Vision of Race Relations in America" of which "The New Sovereignty" is a subchapter.

If it's of any use the ISBN is 006097415X

Shelby · 05-02-2006

All I have is adobe reader.

Steele apparently has a new book called "White Guilt: How Blacks and Whites Together Destroyed the Promise of the Civil Righrs Era."

I plan to get it.

b.c. · 05-02-2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matthew

Oppression exists in concrete ways in the world, not just in people's inferiority complexes. I can see where it would be appealing to think otherwise, because that gives the observer a way to blame people for their own oppression and relieve himself of any need to think about how he may be complicit. And yes, I do believe that it's easier to deny or overlook oppression when you don't face it.

The idea that oppressed groups can wish themselves free is pure fantasy. If all it took was belief that we were equal, most of us would be already.

None of us is in one "group." We all have a race, a gender, a sexual orientation and a whole bunch other factors that make each of us. So for example, while I might face social challenges because of my sexual orientation, I might also enjoy some privileges based on my race or gender, etc. etc. In other words, oppressed people might also be privileged in the same society, depending on how you look.

Because of this, it certainly is possible for some number of people from an oppressed group to "assimilate". But in the end, that only helps those individuals. It does little or nothing to address the social institutions that consititute the oppression in the first place. And speaking for myself, I don't want to "assimilate." I want to be myself and still enjoy the same rights as everyone else.

Is that too much to ask?

Excellent response, Matthew. Took the words right out of my mouth.

Gisella · 05-02-2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shelby

All I have is adobe reader.

Steele apparently has a new book called "White Guilt: How Blacks and Whites Together Destroyed the Promise of the Civil Righrs Era."

I plan to get it.

Almost sure on bookstores on May...

ops this month...

Shelby · 05-03-2006

Lex · 05-04-2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shelby

Lex, my post wasn't directed at you. Your example epitomizes my feelings about how to best get rid of racism and homophobia.

And here is my problem with that belief:

Why do I have to be 20 times better than you in order to be seen as your equal?

Irvy · 05-04-2006

I really hope that, one day, society in general will realise that no 2 of us are the same, and that there is no such thing as a majority, and therefore, there can be no minorities. One day, we'll realise that it's our differences that make us equal. One day, we'll look at ourselves and see how much we have in common with each other, and people will stop treating people differently just because of 1 characteristic.

ORCABOMBER · 05-04-2006

Agreed. It seems the only way that'll happen is if we'll have 'yet another' enemy that we can share a united cause against.

Might be time to release those Area 51 UFOs.

Shelby · 05-04-2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lex

And here is my problem with that belief:

Why do I have to be 20 times better than you in order to be seen as your equal?

First off, you're not better than me.

All I'm trying to say is the focus on oppression feeds on itself.

Lex · 05-04-2006

My point is that a minority has to work 10X as hard for his or her work to look as if it equals or outperforms someone else's.

And that is wrong.

You totally seem to be missing that point.

Shelby · 05-04-2006

We 're totally missing each other.

My point is that the commonly accepted belief that a minority has to work harder or be better to appear equal is doing the minority more harm than actual racism. It relegates them to victim status. It stifles their will to achieve in what they perceive to be an unfair game.

Lex · 05-04-2006

And I would hold that racism and racial stereotyping is what makes people believe this (this being that minorites are lazy, less intelligent, etc.).

Are you impling that this belief that minorities have to work hard was somehow creating BY minorities?