Racism, etc.

[Henry M]

The modern, genteel style of bigotry assumes that the people hearing 
it don't mind it. It's done behind backs. 
"Did you hear the one about the..." 
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize that you're a... You're not? Well, 
it's just a joke, anyway. Why, I knew one..."

On 17 Nov 96 at 10:16, LARSSON at VAX1.Mankato.MSUS.EDU wrote:

> Date:          Sun, 17 Nov 1996 10:16:39 -0600 (CST)
> From:          LARSSON at VAX1.Mankato.MSUS.EDU
> Subject:       Racism, etc.
> To:            pynchon-l at waste.org

> 
> Diana comments:
> "And before everyone dumps on me, let me say that I am              
> sexist, and racist, of course, because I was raised in a culture
> that is. Why do we waste all this time on parading around pretending
> not to be affected by our socialization?  Let's acknowledge it and
> move on. Right now there's a brouhaha at my bible belt university
> because one famously racist fraternity (according to my husband who
> is a bona fide Southerner) wrote *gasp* racist and sexist things in
> the "memory book" of a pledge. It's pretty funny to watch to them
> scramble to refute the obvious but the sad part is that we're
> prevented from real dialogue by yet again making it a "you're wrong"
> no "you're wrong" issue."
> 
> I agree, but then to speak of "racism" at all becomes simply
> tautological. Maybe better to bring back old words like "biased,"
> "bigoted" or just plain "stupid."
> 
> We've had a few incidents like that here in the Northland ourselves.
>  A couple of years ago, at a Halloween celebration in nearby New Ulm
> (home of the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame as well as of polka mavens
> like Whoopie John and the Five Fat Dutchmen) some people dressed up
> like Aunt Jemima and her husband, with a golliwog doll as a child. 
> Judges thought it was a hoot and gave it a prize.  When objections
> ensued, a lot of people got quite self- righteously indignant that
> their tolerance should be challenged.
> 
> Then, I just read in today'
> s paper that in Superior, WI (Twin Port to Duluth, MN), a woman came
> to a party at a historically-preserved mansion in blackface and read
> the original version of "Ten Little Indians" (aka "Ten Little
> Niggers).  She too won a prize!
> 
> So it goes.
> 
> Don Larsson, Mankato State U (MN)
> 

Keep Cool, but care. -- TRP
http://www.nicom.com/~gravity