Re: dogma protests
AntiUtopia@aol.com
Fri, 03 Dec 1999 08:29:10 -0500 (EST)
I didn't make the original comments, but I want to reply to this:
<< I ask, because it looks like you are trying to say that it is not known=20
whether now living Afro-Americans have ancestors that were slaves or not.>>
My impression was that the original post affirmed that Afro Americans living=
=20
today did not themselves suffer slavery. I don't think anyone would affirm=20
the above comment, but you never know...
=20
<< And that the white majority in power is not historically responsible for=20
that slavery.>>
Depends on what you mean by "not historically responsible." If you mean,=20
"Did not themselves keep slaves," of course not. The "white majority" (neve=
r=20
mind that this includes Presbyterians of English descent, both Irish and=20
Italian Catholics, Jews -- all groups so diametrically opposed to one anothe=
r=20
historically that's it's a terrible misnomer to call them all "white.") that=
=20
is now in power didn't themselves hold slaves, no. =20
But I would agree that they (we? -- I'm Puerto Rican -- and us PRs are a=20
mixture of Spaniard, African and Indian...am I "white." It's reductive and=20
racist to call non-blacks "whites") are responsible for fixing the way the=20
past still exists in the present...=20
=20
<<But I hope I=E2=80=99m reading you wrongly.
=20
That you=E2=80=99re really saying something to the effect that there must b=
e a=20
limitation to the use of the =E2=80=98white guilt=E2=80=99 argument. That n=
ot every colored=20
person is an ancestor to a slave, and even if they were it is history, we=20
now have such an equal society there really is no need historic arguments a=
t=20
all.
=20
I would disagree with a lot of that second reading as well. But I could at=20
least understand it.
=20
/TLM >>
Yeah, I think it's a mistake to minimize the extent of racism in our society=
=20
today. =20
But it's a mistake to exaggerate it as well.
Jim