VW Superbowl Ad

[redfox]

Of course! That is the goal of anti-racist work, so we can all be free to dedicate our considerable talents and energies on global joys & concerns. Denying the present realities & impacts of race, as with all systems of discrimination, is counter-productive.

Here's a commentary from a friend & neighbor about race dialogue with whites. He is a well respected IT consultant who travels worldwide to set up complex systems. He experiences racism everywhere, and has related some pretty awful stories to me.

"I thought this story may resonate with you.


At one point I was in a band called Whisky Water. We played at a friend of the lead singers house repeatedly.
Each time we did, the guests, who after a while we knew by sight, would refrain from talking to me or to Ro.
I am black, and Ro is Asian.


When we brought this up to the lead singer, who is white, he got pissed off. And said we were calling his friends racists.
I countered with, no I am not calling them racists. I am saying that Ro and I are uncomfortable playing there because we got ignored.


The other member of the band, I like to call her the typical Seattle liberal lesbian.


Here response to what we said was this: My black friend Lisa, never said this so, it must be all in your head.
I tried again to explain that no one is taking about racism. I then said, that they don't talk to Amy either. (Amy is not a small woman).


Anyway, what I can tell you is that in my experience talking to white people about racism is a big mistake, and I try to avoid it at all costs.


Mostly because I am tired of being told my experience is unique, and its a problem with my perception. F that...
Anyway...just wanted to share the story."

- Gary M. Pope
(He was explicit that he wanted his name attached to this story)

[Alan]

White people suck!

[JaneV2.0]

"Mostly because I am tired of being told my experience is unique, and its a problem with my perception. F that..."

A variation of "you're too sensitive," the all-purpose response to any protest ever. (Has anyone ever heard the words "You're too insensitive" spoken? Thought not.)

[Gregg]

No, Gregg, I am not saying that white people feel guilty because of slavery. I am saying that whites often are stopped from understanding racism and our unwitting role in this pernicious system because of feelings of sadness & grief due to the obvious & daily impacts of racism. Is this so hard to understand?

No redfox, it is not hard to understand. I simply do not and will not feel sadness or grief regarding racism. Those are emotions I reserve for relationships and do not apply them to social constructs. I DO feel acute disappointment that it is even an issue in our society. We can be better than that. But there are a myriad of injustices in our world and none of us can change them all. My preferred way to change the world is by working with kids. Sure, they are affected by racism (as you said, we all are), but also by pollution, crime, school lunches, poverty, dysfunctional families and on and on.

The people in your FB post were talking about feeling more comfortable when they were around more people who shared their race. It makes no difference what ethnic group you are in, you WILL feel that way. It is innate behavior and its hard wired into all kinds of animals for a reason. Nothing about that makes us racists. The Asian man in the thread felt anxious being a minority and so would the rest of us.

Finally, I would ask that you consider asking some of the millions people of color & the poor, who have received benefits, to see what they think is preferable; assistance or rednecks flying the Confederate flag. I can imagine that having shelter, enough food, and an education is preferable, at least in my immediate neighborhood.

Of course they would. But phrasing it like that creates quite the red herring, doesn't it? What I said was our government policies promote racism. They do. Is affirmative action not blatantly racist? I believe it is known as "positive discrimination" in the UK. Reverse is a better word. Either way, some of us feel that ANY kind of discrimination is unacceptable. I'm only surprised you don't.

Do folks here really need convincing that racism is a problem, and that white privilege is an actual phenomenon?

And Muslim privilege is alive and well in Pakistan (where my white SIL lives, btw). And Chinese privilege in Beijing. And Jewish privilege in Tel Aviv. And Mormon privilege in Salt Lake City. And certain privileges are enjoyed by the majorities anywhere humans live. Its just how behavior works. Go anywhere in the world where you're not in the majority and you'll see what I mean. I would love to be able to say that our species will someday evolve beyond that, but I'm not sure its true. That we keep trying is a good thing. That we pay attention to these conditions is a good thing. We're a young species so maybe in a few thousand more years we will get there (or we will all look alike and it will be a moot point).

[creaker]

White people suck!

Some do. But that's true for any group.

[puglogic]

Having watched the spot at least ten times now, I see where I'm diverging from everyone else I know who's seen it (none of whom found it racist, only dumb )

People who warm to the thought of someone spreading positive energy in an office situation would not be as likely to see the lead character as a mocking, insulting caricature. As I said, I would love this guy if I still worked in the oppressive cesspool that is corporate America. So no matter who he was trying to be, I wouldn't see it as insulting, because I warmed to the thought of someone walking around being happy and spreading it around. I detest whiny office groupthink.

If that kind of positive person annoys you, you're more likely to see him as a snotty construct poking fun at someone else's race/culture.

I still think it's childlike and mildly funny. But I am alone in that perspective!

[JaneV2.0]

Having watched the spot at least ten times now, I see where I'm diverging from everyone else I know who's seen it (none of whom found it racist, only dumb )

People who warm to the thought of someone spreading positive energy in an office situation would not be as likely to see the lead character as a mocking, insulting caricature. As I said, I would love this guy if I still worked in the oppressive cesspool that is corporate America. So no matter who he was trying to be, I wouldn't see it as insulting, because I warmed to the thought of someone walking around being happy and spreading it around. I detest whiny office groupthink.

If that kind of positive person annoys you, you're more likely to see him as a snotty construct poking fun at someone else's race/culture.

I still think it's childlike and mildly funny. But I am alone in that perspective!

That kind of person annoys me, but I didn't see him mocking anyone's culture. I'd hate to be in the next cube, but I might take a ride in his car.

[Simplicity]

ummm.....what about the white people in Jamaica? Who planted the idea that this was about a black man? Caucasian Jamaicans don't have an accent???

[JaneV2.0]

ummm.....what about the white people in Jamaica? Who planted the idea that this was about a black man? Caucasian Jamaicans don't have an accent???

Yeah, that was my question a few pages back.

[ApatheticNoMore]

As I said, I would love this guy if I still worked in the oppressive cesspool that is corporate America

Remember, that oppresive cesspool is what you WIN if you PASS all the racial or age or whatever other criteria they might be using in hiring (criteria of which you will never know). It's the grand prize at the end of "white (or other) priviledge". Other prizes being not being imprisoned, not being poisoned (this is a class thing as much as a race thing, but environmental toxins are always dumped in poor areas like the article I gave etc.), kind of negative liberty if you ask me. Yea the dude I know it reminds me of a bit is not in corporate america (of course, in other news: pigs are not yet picked up by air traffic control).