Redefining Racism and Sexism

[freethinker44]

OMG! Shirtgate!!! Proof that the internet is even more inane than I thought.
Talk about a huge let down. The article bashing this poor guy made the shirt sound like Hitler. I was expecting like naked bloodied women in chains being torn to shreds and on fire. Instead I get just another Sci Fi shirt with heroines on it. Boring.

But real talk, that whole debacle was an embarrassment to mankind.

Yup, except for the comet landing part, that was pretty cool.

 

[SomeRandom]

Yup, except for the comet landing part, that was pretty cool.

Oh yeah that was ******

 

[Jumi]

Of course she is racist and sexist and should be ignored as such.

 

[Sunstone]

What are everyone's thoughts on the redefining of the terms "racism" and "sexism" by the social justice movement? If you are unfamiliar with this, the movement defines racism and sexism as one way streets. That it is only possible for oppressors (white straight men) to be racist and sexist against the oppressed (everyone else). A perfect example of this is shown in this youtube clip of a woman from London's Goldsmiths University. Note: she was recently charged with threatening communication by tweeting #killallwhitemen.

So, what are your thoughts on defining racism and sexism as being a one way street?

The woman reading in the video is, of course, espousing a painfully stupid view of things. But then again, so do most humans on at least one topic or another. Very few of our species are not, at times, practical morons.

More precisely, her imbecilic mistake is to assume that racism and sexism, as she defines the terms, is the only legitimate way to define those terms. She may have made other mistakes too, but I couldn't bring myself to listen to her entire adolescent rant.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

The problem with the current "social justice warrior" trend, is that they've adopted a style of vernacular and stances that is to simplistic, black and white, and conflict-oriented. For example, when it comes to racism, a term and idea such as "white privlege" not only doesn't address the actual disparities and imbalances when it comes to race, but also communicates the implication that, as a white person, you are necessarily part of the problem. Such concepts serve only to alienate people and make them defensive. Then again, these predictable reactions seem to be what these movements want to provoke. This is counterproductive to an agenda of actual progress.

 

[Revoltingest]

The problem with the current "social justice warrior" trend, is that they've adopted a style of vernacular and stances that is to simplistic, black and white, and conflict-oriented. For example, when it comes to racism, a term and idea such as "white privlege" not only doesn't address the actual disparities and imbalances when it comes to race, but also communicates the implication that, as a white person, you are necessarily part of the problem. Such concepts serve only to alienate people and make them defensive. Then again, these predictable reactions seem to be what these movements want to provoke. This is counterproductive to an agenda of actual progress.

I know you were thinking it, but you left out "sanctimonious".

 

[Jumi]

This thread is microempowering.

 

[Revoltingest]

This thread is microempowering.

The "power" portion of that term could trigger....er.....cause unease about unequal power relationships.
And don't get me going about the dismissive prefix, "micro".
It should be "macro-embiggening".

 

[Nous]

I would just note that anti-discrimination laws, such as in regard to public accommodations and employment, do not make the unlawfulness of the act contingent upon the race, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, non-disability, etc., of the person who is doing the discriminatory act. These laws make it equally illegal for African Americans to discriminate on the basis of race, for Muslims and Jews to discriminate on the basis of religion, for women to can discriminate on the basis of sex, for gay people to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation, etc., etc.

Thus, insofar as discriminatory acts are expressions of racism or sexism, members of those traditionally oppressed groups can be racist or sexist (or even both).