Thursday, July 10, 2003
Let's think about the "privlege walk" described in SOC 3005 - Studies in Resentment and Guilt: and see what happens.
I had a similar discussion with daughter K yesterday about what passes for racism and what is just a matter of making choices. We'd get so far with people's limitations in life and always circle back to BUT they are stuck where they are because of institutionalized racism. As in the "institutions" of America build upon racist ground and it continues. My point was institutions are made of people. People run systems---systems don't run themselves as if from some hidden force from the beyond. If we change people --even one person at a time--showing by our example how not to be racist and judgemental, one day people we say, Hey what a way to live without anger and guilt and hostility and supremacy. But humans being what they are want to feel better than all others. Thus we have clans, tribes, and even family loyalties.
Points in op-eds and blogs about the PW mostly spout on about the historic nature of oppression and the hard work that past generations gave to being where the future generations are today. yes, BUT what about choices. Some people make really bad choices despite the color of their skin and royal blood that flows thru their veins. One day he's a prince and the next he's a headless corpse. or one day he is president and the next he's tabloid news. Or one day she's a white 19 yr-old with a future and the next day she's working at a casino all night while her mother babysits and cleans her trailor during the day while 5 snot nose babies pull at her jeans and cry. hey, what choice did you make to get you where you are? Even if your parents chose rightly --to leave ireland and make for the new world, work hard, suffer the indignities of bias and name calling to send the children to school even if it meant working like a slave in a factory, ONE day the children's children's children's will make really stupid choices and end up being bad risks for loans, let alone a college education. Choices. Willpower. Defying instant gratification. Taking responsibility for your choices and blaming NO ONE else for what happens to you. Are you happy? it's your choice.
I had a similar discussion with daughter K yesterday about what passes for racism and what is just a matter of making choices. We'd get so far with people's limitations in life and always circle back to BUT they are stuck where they are because of institutionalized racism. As in the "institutions" of America build upon racist ground and it continues. My point was institutions are made of people. People run systems---systems don't run themselves as if from some hidden force from the beyond. If we change people --even one person at a time--showing by our example how not to be racist and judgemental, one day people we say, Hey what a way to live without anger and guilt and hostility and supremacy. But humans being what they are want to feel better than all others. Thus we have clans, tribes, and even family loyalties.
Points in op-eds and blogs about the PW mostly spout on about the historic nature of oppression and the hard work that past generations gave to being where the future generations are today. yes, BUT what about choices. Some people make really bad choices despite the color of their skin and royal blood that flows thru their veins. One day he's a prince and the next he's a headless corpse. or one day he is president and the next he's tabloid news. Or one day she's a white 19 yr-old with a future and the next day she's working at a casino all night while her mother babysits and cleans her trailor during the day while 5 snot nose babies pull at her jeans and cry. hey, what choice did you make to get you where you are? Even if your parents chose rightly --to leave ireland and make for the new world, work hard, suffer the indignities of bias and name calling to send the children to school even if it meant working like a slave in a factory, ONE day the children's children's children's will make really stupid choices and end up being bad risks for loans, let alone a college education. Choices. Willpower. Defying instant gratification. Taking responsibility for your choices and blaming NO ONE else for what happens to you. Are you happy? it's your choice.
