OTOH, I wasn't arguing that racism as an institution isn't present, I was *solely* talking about the words coming out of Chavez's mouth.
I don't believe that allowing anyone to get a bye for racism *based on their race* is appropriate or useful - in my opinion, by doing so, regardless if it is out of racism, or guilt, it *only perpetuates it*. (Well, really, any reason for allowing it eludes me, but...)
Letting someone get away with being racist doesn't make up for any oppression, lack of privilege, or previous or current societal inequities, it simple creates more racism, as I see it. If there are problems to be solved, then by all *means* solve them *directly*, but I don't see how allowing racism on the one hand makes things better on the other. It doesn't solve squat.
Racism, in all its insipid and insidious forms, needs to die a fast death. In my book, allowing it isn't a bargaining chip to be used as a form of, well, racial barter in place of actual equality. It's just a bad idea IMO that detracts attention and energy from actually creating a better world.
Let me ask you something, in all seriousness. If the folks who are having the insults thrown at them aren't in the position to 'make that call'... then who is? Now, you can easily take the stance that you're not going to let it affect you personally, and I think that's admirable, and the best long-term solution for a lot of this, to be honest. But. I don't see how that means that one cannot also call the racist comments what they are, at face value, and leave it at that. *shrug* I dunno. I'd rather have a world where skin color really, honestly, shockingly truly doesn't matter, and I don't see how allowing racism in any form gets us any closer to that... especially when it's so explicit. meh.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-23 03:20 am (UTC)OTOH, I wasn't arguing that racism as an institution isn't present, I was *solely* talking about the words coming out of Chavez's mouth.
I don't believe that allowing anyone to get a bye for racism *based on their race* is appropriate or useful - in my opinion, by doing so, regardless if it is out of racism, or guilt, it *only perpetuates it*. (Well, really, any reason for allowing it eludes me, but...)
Letting someone get away with being racist doesn't make up for any oppression, lack of privilege, or previous or current societal inequities, it simple creates more racism, as I see it. If there are problems to be solved, then by all *means* solve them *directly*, but I don't see how allowing racism on the one hand makes things better on the other. It doesn't solve squat.
Racism, in all its insipid and insidious forms, needs to die a fast death. In my book, allowing it isn't a bargaining chip to be used as a form of, well, racial barter in place of actual equality. It's just a bad idea IMO that detracts attention and energy from actually creating a better world.
Let me ask you something, in all seriousness. If the folks who are having the insults thrown at them aren't in the position to 'make that call'... then who is? Now, you can easily take the stance that you're not going to let it affect you personally, and I think that's admirable, and the best long-term solution for a lot of this, to be honest. But. I don't see how that means that one cannot also call the racist comments what they are, at face value, and leave it at that. *shrug* I dunno. I'd rather have a world where skin color really, honestly, shockingly truly doesn't matter, and I don't see how allowing racism in any form gets us any closer to that... especially when it's so explicit. meh.