Damned white of you!
Because white supremacists don’t call themselves white equalists.
You could, but my language does not support that. Your use of a cynical expression did betray you. BTW, telling it like it is and being cynical are not mutually exclusive. If you are a cynic, own it. My closest friend is a bitter cynic, and I adore him (not for that, but he has other qualities I love).
In fact (if you’re interested in facts), the following closely represents my pov.
I’ve never been one to wear ribbons or those plastic bracelets. I had many friends who died of aids in the early 90s (six alone who were guests at my wedding), but I never wore the red ribbon. I was diagnosed with breast cancer last year, but don’t wear the pink ribbon or buy any pink-themed products. I’m careful and thoughtful about how I present myself. Who’s doe-eyed now? (Also, not on Facebook.)
I’ve met very few real dyed-to-the-bone cynics in my time. Never met even one who didn’t think of himself as a hard-nosed realist.
ThelmaLou, I have no problem owning my cynicism in those areas where I am cynical.
I am just not sentimental. Symbols dont mean anything to me. You mention cancer ribbons. To me, the safety pin thing is worse. At least you have to make a donation to get a ribbon or bracelet. Safety pins are practically free. With a cancer ribbon, no one is proclaiming themselves a cancer fighter. Safety pin wearers are proclaiming themselves protectors of the persecuted. Don’t you think that’s a little rich?
IMHO, the cynic is the one who thinks good people need to distinguish themselves with a symbol to provide hope to the persecuted. The idealist is the one who thinks the persecuted already know they aren’t alone, that not everyone is against them, and that people will rally behind them if they shout loud enough.
The cynic does not recognize that there is any such thing as good people, only people who behave when somebody is looking. And often what is taken for cynicism is nothing but injured humanity, donning an extra layer of armor to lessen the pain of giving a shit.
I agree with you. I like your definition of an idealist. Sadly, I’m not sure the persecuted know they’re not alone-- how **would **they know? And even if they know that *everyone *is not against them, they can still be in danger. Will people rally behind them if they shout loud enough?
My cynical friend says that at heart he is a romantic. I asked him to define romantic, and he said, “A romantic is someone who seeks ideal states.” I said, “You can’t have ideal states, only ideal moments.”
I’d like to have a conversation about what “sentimental” means. I consider myself very sentimental, but I don’t wear message pins or t-shirts or have bumper stickers on my car. To me being sentimental is not related to those behaviors.
I agree with this, too.
If you think wearing a safety pin will make folks less cynical and heal their injured humanity, go on and wear it.
But I hope your activism doesn’t stop there. Because if it does, you will only increase people’s cynicism and exacerbate the pain of their injured humanity.
Again I agree with you, but I also think you extrapolated beyond what **elucidator **said or even implied, i.e., that wearing a pin will make folks less cynical. But you are certainly correct.
Been working on this stuff for about fifty years. But its good to know I have your approval. A load off my mind, to be sure. Could use some help, if you’ve nothing better to do.
The persecuted have TV’s. They have internet. They are on social media. They have eyes and ears.
If people are protesting in the streets,they will see it and remember. Because protesting in the cold and rain isn’t easy.
But wearing a pin that signifies you’ve appointed yourself an ally is very easy to do.
[Quote]
My cynical friend says that at heart he is a romantic. I asked him to define romantic, and he said, “A romantic is someone who seeks ideal states.” I said, "You can’t have ideal states, only ideal moments.[ /quote]
My ideal moment is everyone being brave enough to rise up against the oppressive machine and smash it to bits. My ideal moment is not everyone walking around feeling virtuous because they are wearing a pin.
It means you don’t have to give me a shiny ring to show you love me. I would much prefer you show your love by exhibiting loving behaviors.
OK, so you won’t follow. Are you going to lead? Or, at the very least, get out of the way?
Never saw such a butt-hurt collection of Liberals, at least, that weren’t out on the streets doing violence on the streets in Liberal cities. Gee, go to a Conservative City and try that game out. Easy to riot in a city that celebrates your destruction. Try that act where they don’t celebrate Liberal violence and depravity. Well, like the Muslim Patriarchy, feminists don’t like to riot where their targets will fight back. Although, I think feminists like the idea of being taken over by a Muslim (and darker) patriarchal rape culture…
How am I in your way?
Why are you equating not liking a superficial gesture with “getting in the way”?
Ever supported the right cause when it was very unpopular? Remember the day when you noticed that other people where expressing their support, how good that felt? If you haven’t, then you really have no idea what I’m talking about.
Start with the guy you shave. Done with him, you got time to get around to me.
Please give me a list of conservative cities. Most *Texas *cities voted for Clinton–in my own, she had a larger margin of votes than Obama did. (Too bad about Fort Worth.)
So, the topic of this thread is White Nationalism;A small group of these guys met in DClast weekend. Richard Spencer is head of the National Policy Institute (NPI)
These guys (and they appear to be overwhelmingly male) really need to brush up on their American history.
I fear they are in for a big disappointment. But most of their lives have made disappointment a constant companion.
I agree that if wearing a safety pin stopped there, it would be an empty gesture.
But right now, it’s the appropriate action. White racists are running around proclaiming that it’s their time. They’re spray painting swastikas on walls and posting their nonsense online.
People who oppose racism need to respond. Wearing a safety pin is an anti-racist equivalent of putting a swastika on the wall. It’s a way of telling the racists that they don’t have the public support they imagine they have.
So you dont get that feel-good feeling when you hang out here and amongst friends and family?
You have to have constant reminders in the form of tiny metallic devices that you aren’t the only one who is liberal? Even though most of the popular vote went to Hillary, you are that starved for validation?
I dont understand that at all. Frankly, I dont want to.
Just so.
There’s a lot going on and you seem to be focused on liberals failure to empathize sufficiently with rural whites as your reason for it. I don’t see that at all. It’s just a big world and people don’t always come to your town and tell you you’re OK and they’re going to help you a lot. And when they do they are lying. How does our electorate not know that by now? They think it’s a game you play every 4 years that has no consequences except to their tiny reality TV set.
This is a failure of our society and of the media and our citizens as well. Pointing out things about liberals to lecture them is not OK if it’s just a figleaf over other players and issues. I am not so worried in the long run about losing elections over this shit. I’m worried about looking at that orange mug for 4 years and being nauseous.
I think that the Dems need to push for abandonment of the electoral college though.