I did, it’s about private schools though, and about inherent racism in that “good” schools (based on test scores) aren’t considered “good” by white parents if they’re full of minority students.
I definitely listened to the TAL podcast when it came out, and since then that’s informed a lot of my desire to move my kids into a black school district. I think according to that piece, or at least data that’s come out since then, forcing segregation by moving black kids to white schools doesn’t work anywhere near as well as moving white kids into black schools. And so I thought, “Why not me?” But I talked upthread about that.
Regardless, if the definition of a “good school district” is based on bad metrics, that’s an argument in favor of getting better metrics, which I’m all for. That’s not an argument against saying “I want to live in a good school district, for me kids.” Unless there are NO metrics that can ever define a good school district. I’m certainly open to the idea that the 5 or 6 school districts that are well rated are given unfairly high ratings for various reasons, but that’s a far cry from saying my kids would have the same results if I’d just sent them to any school.
Yeah, I went over the top. No one would ever advise someone who expressed a sincere desire to do good and learn how to be anti-racist and was castigated and called names for it, with condescension and the implication they were to blame.
Then I’m even more confused. You’re ignorant of ways to fight racism, and needed to ask your acquaintance? Because if you’re not ignorant of in what ways racism persists, and you’re not ignorant of ways to fight it, then what was the purpose of engaging in the first place? Why not just a simple “like”, or, if you don’t got for that, just not responding to his post at all? That’s how I respond to just about 100% of memes that make it into my feed. No response. Personally, I prefer original content, not shared memes, but that’s neither here nor there.
Oh please. The only person there that knew anything about me at all refrained from such sentiments. Meaning the person i was directly engaged with knew me well enough to never label me as such. In previous discussions ive had with him on FB about the perpetual blind spots of white climate change activists and white vegans, one drive-by commenter called me an obvious troll. Well, once again, the only one who knew anything about me, my classmate Mark, answered “no, he’s no troll” whrn asked point blank about me.
This person called me an “epitome of the white supremacist patriarchy” based on my conversation that was only about wanting to understand why my simple asking for an opinion of someone ive known and respected for a long time who had posted things that clearly showed he had a personal interest in the issues related to my question was apparently a non-starter. How could this alone give insight to someone that i am this epitome of racism, when the only thing they knew about me at all is that i had asked one of their fb friends a question looking for his opinion on a racially charged subject he had just posted about?
I only take a person’s thoughts or opinions, galling or otherwise, directed towards me seriously and with merit when they come from those who have at least some knowledge of me or knowlege of my words or actions that give them adequate information to make an informed judgment.
I was and am ignorant or at least not adequately informed on the ways to best fight racism, both institutional and individual. I never said i was not ignorant of the ways to fight it, only that i was not ignorant to the ways in which it was still alive and well.
And btw, how could you possibly think i said i was not ignorant on ways to fight racism, when my post that you quoted says that very thing right there clear as day?!
Wait, is this now sarcasm about your sarcastic attempt at hyperbole? I’m losing track. If you’re trying to criticize a post in this thread, it’s helpful to use the QUOTE function.
This was a veiled criticism of your post #64 in which you first explained how exhausting it is for you and other people of color to be constantly explaining to white people that they are one of the good ones. Then you condescendingly blamed him for it because of a tone you detected.
Are you under the impression that I’m a person of color? If so, let me correct you – I’m not. But what part of that post do you disagree with? Your “veiled criticism” doesn’t appear to address this at all.
If I came across as condescending, I apologize – certainly wasn’t my intent. And I’m not sure where I assigned any blame.
psst–puddleglum is apparently attempting to write some next-level satire here, because that’s way better than engaging in a forthright discussion because something something social justice warriors.
I guess I just assumed you were a person of color because you were acting as their spokesman, it shows alot about you that they were willing to trust you with that job even though your a white person.
The part I disagree with is the notion of it being incredibly exhausting to reassure someone else that you don’t think of them as a racist. The civil rights heros marched, , braved firehoses and dogs, and risked their lives to fight racism. Apparently the new generation of woke scolds can’t muster the energy to be civil to people on the internet.
As obviously silly as the whole thing is, I find it admirable for Ambivalid to try and understand the perspective of other people and to assume that there might be a legitimate reason he was called names by people on Facebook. I did not see anything in the OP that indicated tone policing was called for.
In the very post you quoted, I said his friend had no obligation so I have no idea why you thought the point needed clarification.
I think, intellectually, that dismantling racism would be good for society but to be perfectly honest, it holds little emotion for me. In my day to day life I try to treat everyone with empathy and respect. But I’m never gonna march for it, so as far as the progress of society goes I might as well be a nihilist. Someone telling me to check google is certainly not going to change that, and that’s fine. They got to vent and I can go on with my life. Not hurting me.
I thought I made it clear that my opinion came from my experiences talking to folks of color, but if you missed that, I apologize. But out of curiosity, what people of color told you that I was their spokesperson? I’m assuming you wouldn’t just make that up, since I’m assuming you wouldn’t want to speak for people of color.
I presume this means you have experience of constantly reassuring others that they’re not racist. You do, right? Otherwise, it would seem absurd to me to have a strong opinion about how exhausting that can be.
I find it admirable too. There’s nothing wrong with asking questions. And nothing wrong with not wanting to answer them, of course.
I don’t understand this line of thought. If I have a black friend who is going on about how whites oppress him and whites do this and whites do that, isn’t it reasonable for me to ask if he thinks that I am doing any of those things to him?
Of course, he has no legal or contractual obligation to respond, but wouldn’t it be pretty dickish and not a very friendly thing to do if he didn’t?
In every single other area of life it would be a reasonable question. Why not this one?
Asking such questions is fine, IMO. Under most circumstances, anyway. Under some, it might be as inappropriate as asking for details from a rape victim about their attack.
Not necessarily, IMO.
Nothing is simple when it comes to racism and bigotry in America. It really can poison everything – even things that seem as mundane and simple as this.
I was really not a “drive-by poster” in any sense of the phrase. Unless you are radically altering the meaning of the term. Again, the only person besides myself who wasn’t a drive-by poster in that conversation, my classmate Mark, did not echo those sentiments in any way.