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From: Ramon
Date: 2/5/01
Time: 1:39:47 PM
Remote Name: 159.91.95.8
Sorry for my absense...I was very very sick. It seems as if I missed alot.... I must say that i was very amused by Chrisha's message addressing my previous points. First, let me say that I was thinking for some time about how I would reply to her post. At first I was amused, but then I was a little urked when I read that she called me ignorant. Me ignorant? NO! My initial inclination was to write another message where I would tell her off and write about how she is 100 percent wrong and how she needs to buy a perspective that includes a little bit more than her own narrow experiences. No doubt my little diatribe would be countered by another one of Chrisha's own personal anecdotes about how she faces discrimination and how her family faces racism due to her stepdad's race. Of course, this would probably be followed by how I don't know her and I don't know what she thinks, and that beacuse of this...I am somehow wrong. And then both of us would continue to endlessly argue an issue that suddenly has become way too personal for someone who I really don't know and who doesn't know me.
Right when I was about to do this...a lightbulb flashed... and I realized this isn't the way to go about this...
I realized that there is a discourse here that is at the crux of our debate. On the one hand, I am trying to begin a real discussion about race that is based upon "deconstructing" what ALL of us think about people who are of a different gender orientation and race than we are. By defending stances such as affirmative action and by asserting that whites benefit from an invisible priveledge system...I am creating some forum where we can stop trying to be diplomatic and say what we really think. Most people can do this. Yet, there are those (like Chrisha) who see this as a personal attack upon there lives by some ignoramus who doesn't know them.
You wanna know the truth....I don't care about Chrisha's experiences beacuse they have more to do with sympathy for her than talking about how we can get beyond our own personal prejudices. I'm sorry that your dad and mom live in a racist environment...that really sucks! But so what!? Does this make you right? I don't know.
What I care about is how you your views fit into the greater picture of race relations in America. That's what I care about. You are white Crisha. Noone wants you to do anything accept realize that when you form condescending and generalized opinions about ethnic minorities that may be wrong, and that you should show a little more sympathy for them when you pass judgement on them. That's all. No apologies. Noone wants your apology. Also, don't pull a 180 and say that you never said this line.
I've been through just as much shit as the next person and I've struggled a hell of a lot in my life, too. Im tired of everyone thinking that its so damn great to be white. Rich and white and not having to worry about a thing, maybe...but it's not like I get shit handed to me cuz people see me and are like, "Here, oh white one, have this" LOL! I work for what I get, and everyone else should too.
There were a billion things wrong with these couple of lines. I know it and alot of people would say the same. You insinuate in your last line that minorites who benefit from affirmative action don't work for what they get like you. To pull a chapter from your book...."I've been through a lot more than you think" and I am on affirmative action and I work myself to the bones. When you want to really discuss the issues and stop telling me your life story let me know....Thank You.
P.S. I hope I didn't offend you....beacuse I thought I was very nice this time!