Comments on: Women’s Policy Forum Speaker Ruined My Day http://www.fwrenaissance.com/womens-policy-forum-speaker-ruined-my-day/ DFW Blog and E-Zine Tue, 07 Feb 2012 09:34:12 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Sonja http://www.fwrenaissance.com/womens-policy-forum-speaker-ruined-my-day/comment-page-1/#comment-480 Sonja Mon, 09 Mar 2009 15:34:21 +0000 http://www.fwrenaissance.com/?p=1618#comment-480 Suellen, you are more honest than most, I think. A big problem in learning how to improve race relations at home and in the world is that everyday people (including yours truly) are so afraid of offending someone, they don't feel they can talk about it. And no one tells us how to act, what would be okay, and thus we don't know. This means the bigots are the only ones talking about this issue and the only thing I know for sure is they should be politely but firmly challenged if they air their views in my hearing. But in everyday efforts to improve race relations, it is known that saying nothing is safe. I don't think it's enough. Hopefully more will be revealed. Suellen, you are more honest than most, I think. A big problem in learning how to improve race relations at home and in the world is that everyday people (including yours truly) are so afraid of offending someone, they don’t feel they can talk about it. And no one tells us how to act, what would be okay, and thus we don’t know. This means the bigots are the only ones talking about this issue and the only thing I know for sure is they should be politely but firmly challenged if they air their views in my hearing. But in everyday efforts to improve race relations, it is known that saying nothing is safe. I don’t think it’s enough. Hopefully more will be revealed.

]]> By: Local Logic - Fort Worth Real Estate http://www.fwrenaissance.com/womens-policy-forum-speaker-ruined-my-day/comment-page-1/#comment-472 Local Logic - Fort Worth Real Estate Mon, 09 Mar 2009 02:39:24 +0000 http://www.fwrenaissance.com/?p=1618#comment-472 [...] brings up some local events I have never been familiar with; and she notes that we shouldn’t forgot our logic at the [...] [...] brings up some local events I have never been familiar with; and she notes that we shouldn’t forgot our logic at the [...]

]]> By: Suellen Jacob http://www.fwrenaissance.com/womens-policy-forum-speaker-ruined-my-day/comment-page-1/#comment-454 Suellen Jacob Fri, 06 Mar 2009 01:28:37 +0000 http://www.fwrenaissance.com/?p=1618#comment-454 Racism has always been much of a concern for me, so much so that I think I have been racist by trying too hard not to be. Right now I am learning about how my black roommate and our friends handle race. Race-based jokes and statements are the norm, always without any ill intent. This works very well, although I'm still uncomfortable with handling race. I am trying to improve my outlook. As far as man-bashing, this is one of the main reasons I resent feminists. What really raises my hackles is indeed (dead-)white-man bashing. I was skimming a copy of "The Poisonwood Bible" (which I didn't end up reading because it seemed too dark for me to handle at the time) and the author was complaining about how men caught a once-mysterious species (Okapi or something like that) and stuffed it for a natural history museum. "Now it is no longer magical," the speaker injuriously declared, completely ignoring the value of natural history collections. Maybe I remember incorrectly, and I'm quite sure I missed the point. But to a person whose research has focused on natural history collections, and who is comforted by recognizing my dead-animal-loving forbears in science, it was a tad irritating. I try so hard not to discriminate and to accept the value of everyone else's culture, but I reserve the right to enjoy my white western art, music, science and men. Racism has always been much of a concern for me, so much so that I think I have been racist by trying too hard not to be. Right now I am learning about how my black roommate and our friends handle race. Race-based jokes and statements are the norm, always without any ill intent. This works very well, although I’m still uncomfortable with handling race. I am trying to improve my outlook.

As far as man-bashing, this is one of the main reasons I resent feminists. What really raises my hackles is indeed (dead-)white-man bashing. I was skimming a copy of “The Poisonwood Bible” (which I didn’t end up reading because it seemed too dark for me to handle at the time) and the author was complaining about how men caught a once-mysterious species (Okapi or something like that) and stuffed it for a natural history museum. “Now it is no longer magical,” the speaker injuriously declared, completely ignoring the value of natural history collections.

Maybe I remember incorrectly, and I’m quite sure I missed the point. But to a person whose research has focused on natural history collections, and who is comforted by recognizing my dead-animal-loving forbears in science, it was a tad irritating.
I try so hard not to discriminate and to accept the value of everyone else’s culture, but I reserve the right to enjoy my white western art, music, science and men.

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