Real Women

[Andrew Dinn]

Diana York Blaine writes:

> . . . 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? . . .

Well, include me out of that `we', since `we' here in the UK don't do
any such thing. But neither do `we' go to the other extreme and assume
that `we' are in no way able to disregard or transcend our
socialization. Lots of people do not succumb to the sexism and racism
in their environment and those who do often eventually respond to
other social forces and lessen or remove the influence of sexism and
racism.

So, if you are saying there are residual traces in most people well
that's no big news. If you are saying that some people succumb to
prejudices to the degree that they take part in large-scale, long-term
systematic abuse well that's also no big news. But to claim that most
people are such serious bigots sounds to me like a load of *I'm so
Politically Correct I'll whip my own arse before anyone else does*
crapola. And making the charge universal is just plain nuts.

Just my two new pence worth, of course.


Andrew Dinn
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And though Earthliness forget you,
To the stilled Earth say:  I flow.
To the rushing water speak:  I am.