It's what we've always feared here at BUSE news, an I'm Right,...I'm Right scenario between the two blog authors. I thought about what beans mulled on Monday. And while I agree with him on some points, I disagree with his idea that "reverse racism" is something we minorities must extinguish from our communities. I think reverse racism is a somewhat meaningless term,...and I'll illustrate with a common example that people often cite in its defense.
In many black neighborhoods, in various small grocery stores, barber shops, what have you....you will find a sign that reads "This Business is Black Owned". These signs are simply small messages of assurance to the patrons that the money they spend inside is supporting their black community. These signs have always been popular in predominantly black neighborhoods as the idea of "black conciousness" spread in the 20th century.
However, if the same signs existed in white neighborhood shops and stood for the same ideals, "white consciousness", and the assurance that the money being spent in the establishment was sure to go only to white people. Many minorities would claim such ideas and practices to be racist and exclusionary.....so is that a Double Standard?..Hypocrisy?, Reverse Racism? No. None of the above....it's society...hell it's just physics.
Every action has a reaction...In this case....the action is the legacy of overt white supremacy that was practiced and systematically implemented into society during the first 190 years of the United States....not to mention the lasting implications that accompany that legacy. The reaction here is the attitudes, beliefs, and behavior structure that minorities have formed to combat that racism. Now, to be clear....i know it's 2009, so I definitely feel the attitudes, beliefs, and behavior of minorities should not mirror those of minorities in 1860. They should have progressed to reflect the much more racially peaceful times that we live in. But I do believe that these sentiments should certainly exist given the fact that many minorites are affected by their race (in a negative way) on a daily basis.
I am not an apologist. I do not think minorities should blame whites for their problems. I don't think white people should pay for the sins of their fathers and grandfathers anymore than I think blacks can claim to bear the chains and wounds of their ancestors. But I do believe whites should always be socially aware. There are certain things that white people cannot do or say, while a minority can do the same thing and get away with it. This isn't reverse racism, it's a "result of racism" (I just coined a phrase).....the racism that this country was founded on.
Every action has a reaction...In this case....the action is the legacy of overt white supremacy that was practiced and systematically implemented into society during the first 190 years of the United States....not to mention the lasting implications that accompany that legacy. The reaction here is the attitudes, beliefs, and behavior structure that minorities have formed to combat that racism. Now, to be clear....i know it's 2009, so I definitely feel the attitudes, beliefs, and behavior of minorities should not mirror those of minorities in 1860. They should have progressed to reflect the much more racially peaceful times that we live in. But I do believe that these sentiments should certainly exist given the fact that many minorites are affected by their race (in a negative way) on a daily basis.
I am not an apologist. I do not think minorities should blame whites for their problems. I don't think white people should pay for the sins of their fathers and grandfathers anymore than I think blacks can claim to bear the chains and wounds of their ancestors. But I do believe whites should always be socially aware. There are certain things that white people cannot do or say, while a minority can do the same thing and get away with it. This isn't reverse racism, it's a "result of racism" (I just coined a phrase).....the racism that this country was founded on.
So if you're white, because your ancestors treated human beings like livestock,...if you say the word "nigger"...you will get fired. Meanwhile, if I call you a "cracker",..(even to your face) nothing will come of it. This so called reverse racism has nothing to do with a pervasive ignorant consensus among minorities that it is "OK" to hate on white people. It is simply the lasting implications of racial subjugation. So whether it's Affirmative Action, tv networks like Black Entertainment Television, or black comedians making fun of how white people dance and talk......these seemingly unfair scenarios only exist because of our nation's peculiar history. Can't hate.
4 comments:
cant say i totally agree with your argument. i especially dont agree with ur first paragraph. which for lack of better words, and me being lazy and not wanting to think about how to criticize it... sucked. an argument can never be won by siting 2 examples and then saying... thats just the way it is. society is molded that way. people are allowed... etc... im not falling for that. so although i may not agree with beans argument, i disagree more with your for the lack of insight, and lack of a good argument. so i have to give the point to beans.
I think Gray is an idiot. This is not a coherent argument at all; it's not even an argument.
To paraphrase your example: If you put a sign up saying "black owned" its a sign of pride; if you put up "white owned" its racist and exclusionary.
Gray, that's exactly what a double standard is, the exact definition of hypocrisy. You just proved Beans' point. "It's just physics"?? Are you kidding? Your college degree should be revoked for making that statement. It's a perfect example of how minorities keep the cycle of racism alive by constantly causing debates over race and hate instead of accepting the coexistence and assimilation of cultures and races.
Maybe "reverse racism" isn't the correct term. I think the correct term is simply Racism. How about FUBU - For Us By Us - white people aren't up in arms about this because they don't care. If a white designer said I want a clothing line only for whites to wear and be proud, there would be a national debate for weeks, months, even years.
Minorities are just as guilty of racism as any white person. If we're ever to be "equal" then minorities need to chill out and stop turning every dispute into a race topic.
I have to agree with Just Plain Stupid. Gray, you don't make a coherent argument at all. But thats as far as I agree with that persons point. The problem is trying to define the word racism. Looking at it strictly from an academic point of view, racism is a form of Marxist theory, grounded in power relations between groups, and since minorities historically have never been ascendant in these relationships they, by definition, cannot be racist.
Racism is a very loaded word. I think most people would say that minorities can be racist, and they would define racism as an irrational prejudice held by an individual against another person or group that is based solely on skin color or culture. Are we strictly talking about one group having hate towards another group? If so, then yes...anyone is capable of hating anyone else. But when talking about reverse racism, it is a power relation. It is not just the thought but the effect of subordinating someone due to their race. Racism cannot be separated from racist histories. Racism draws upon past inequalities to justify present ones. Since blacks and other minorities are not and were not in a position of power in America's racial scheme, they cannot cause racially disparate effects and cannot be racist, especially when In the U.S. whites hold the majority of economic power.
so then your siding with gray. ur argument is all over the place. by proving that minorities cannot be racist, you are just looking at the situation from a different perspective, but siding with jason. your thesis is completely off with the rest of ur argument. i thought u were a lawyer. u just lost ur case if u were defending "just plain stupid said"
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