General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: "Straight White Male: The Lowest Difficulty Setting There Is" [View all]NNadir
(33,509 posts)Last edited Mon May 28, 2018, 01:54 PM - Edit history (1)
...I'm very sorry, but I'm beginning to regard you as something of a bigot.
I was born a straight white male. I can't change the color of my skin, nor my sexuality. This is exactly the equivalent of anyone who is born a gay Chinese woman, for just one example.
I definitely detect a note of moral superiority in your continuous rhetoric, whether you acknowledge it or not.
Your criticisms are specious and supercilious since you defend yourself against any criticism by making remarks such as this one.
Many years ago, I found myself emotionally engaged with a bisexual woman, a beautiful and intelligent woman, who happened to be Jewish. She lived among gay women who used to say horrible things about men, but frankly, I loved her for who she was and not for who her associates were. However, I found myself reading - for what must have been defensive purposes on reflection - gay female literature, notably the writings of Rita Mae Brown.
In "Plain Brown Rapper" - one of her books which still happens to be on my shelves, she remarked that it took her a long time to realize that all men were not enemies, and not all women were good people.
You seem not to have read this book or any others making a similar point.
I'm sorry you express so much hatred for me without knowing a damned thing about who I am, but this is your problem, not mine.
You have a modicum of intelligence, which is clear from your writings, which I was willing to give a try. But frankly, I'm not so sure you're as free of racism as you seem to think you are.
I'm sorry I'm a straight white male, and I'm so damned "privileged." I feel like my life has been something of a struggle, much like that of most human beings, seeking decency and honesty and human rights.
I realize that we live in a racist society, and I always remark to my family while driving somewhere when I notice someone being pulled over for "driving while black" or for "driving while hispanic" etc.
My wife and I marched for Rodney King, and many similar causes, we deplore the ratio of races in prisons, and while this doesn't make either of us Andrew Goodman, we are struggling continuously for human rights and human decency, including for the billions of people who we are aware of whom make less than $1.25/day while people luxuriate at their computer screens making noble pronouncements about their special insight to the world. You may rail against how some of us are smug because we were born - and yes I was born this way and can do nothing about it - with gender, skin color and sexuality that has inappropriately given us privilege, but then again, some of were not. My father, for instance, had an eighth grade education, had a father who beat the shit out of him and his mother in alcoholic rages, had his pension buried with Jimmy Hoffa, and worked menial jobs until the time cancer consumed him.
But of course, he was privileged compared to you.
But sorry, you are NOT decidedly less racist than I am, nor are you without privilege. You are, after all, sitting at a computer.
I'm neither intellectually or morally impressed. If you consider that a racist response - and I'm sure you do - there's not a damned thing I can do about it. My opinion is that you have an entirely inflexible mind, and that, my friend, is sad.
Race may be an important factor in this world, but it is not the only factor in the world. I feel for you that you cannot see anything beyond the prism of race, and I'm sure you regard that as racist as well, but again, there's nothing I can do about that.