Where do they come from?

[ismnotwasm]

These sexist, racist assholes? I like Democratic Underground, but I don't take it particularly seriously as a microcosm of liberal public opinion. But DAMN. I mean DAMN, you'd think folks would have an idea of simple definitions. A general idea of history. I'm never one to expect everyone to agree with me, either. I don't have an ignore list. I rarely engage in back and forth arguments. Which mean exactly nothing, I guess, but some of this people need to get hit upside the head with a clue stick.

When I was around 17, I went to school (rare occurrence but I was good at it when I bothered) I took "Black History" for about the third time, since this was the seventies and they had that sort of class, and this was my third school. The instructor was and African American women, gorgeous, I thought, dark, dark, with a wonderful style, and a way of looking you in the eye that caught your attention. From the deep south, with that hypnotic accent. I admired her, in the way only a 17 year old can. I got a good grade. I asked her about racism. Actually I asked her what she thought about living in Seattle. What she said I've seen in different forms in the years since, but it all adds up to this; "Up here people smile in your face and pretend to like you, they won't say what they really feel-that all you are is just a nigger. I like it better down South, because you there you KNOW who hates you, who thinks you don't count, who thinks you need to stay in your place" Time has altered my memory of the words, but never the meaning.

Sexism is a different dynamic, with the oppressed often defending the oppressors, in the form of defending themselves. Reveling in subordinate sex class status, historically because women believed the bullshit, gentle mother of all--baby maker--keeper of the hearth bullshit. The madonna/whore paradigm. Either you is, or you isn't.

Now strong women do it because they think it's a choice. Angry and defensive at the thought it's really, just like the old hearth keeper days, an expectation.

[lightningandsnow]

1. Ohmygod.

And yes, things are bad enough to warrant compressing that into one word.

Yeah... some things on here are very "GAH!" inspiring.