May I Ask A Tough Question

Well you were the one who brought up race in the first place, by specifically saying that white women bore the responsibility. And I don't believe I've come up with "every reason" why posting on that thread is beneath me. wow. I was one who actually said I'd never seen the thread. Clearly it's not very visible. So maybe if you, or someone else, would like us to be aware of it then you, or someone else, needs to bump it to the top and draw our attention to it.

WOW. no one said that at all. Talk about generalizing. I think the women that posted gave very strong, very positive, very real answers. Not excuses, or beneath them at all.
confused.

OMG I knew better than to take Olan off my block list. But I wanted to give her a chance. Bumping every thread you've ever started is totally the way to get people on board with what you want.

olan I assumed you really wanted further discussion on "call to action", why it wasn't happening and/or how to get it going.

I don't know what of what I do that I'd  care to share but now with the multiple threads bumped, I couldn't even begin to follow.

It's all diluted to me now.

Where to begin...

Why would we take suggestions from someone that acts like they are 2???

Why assume many of that don't do such things now.  I do pretty much all that now and more.  Don't feel the need to share it all.  But you were calling out to discuss and tell all about it here and now.

Now, like I said, diluted here on this board... which particular thread should we all concentrate and discuss on?

I think you have good intentions but your approach may be wrong.  shrugs

ETA a simple bump of all your threads was not suggested.  It was suggested that you take the ball on the one you mentioned and bump/comment/restart the conversation. 

Diluted, diluted, diluted by flooding the target subject with all those bumps.

Amen busy!!!

Part of my remarks in the sermonette I delivered on Sunday was this:

Claiming reverse racism, as in the Black Lives Matter vs. All Lives Matter debate, is another way in which white supremacism rears its ugly head.

Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, an assistant professor of African-American Studies at Princeton University writes, “It is a given that all lives matter. That has always been an assumption. The entire point of Black Lives Matter is to illustrate the extent to which black lives have not mattered in this country.” End quote.


SURJ, which I mentioned in my previous long reply, is an organization of white people whose mission it is for whites to educate other whites on issues of race/ privilege and all that goes with that.  As busy writes, it is NOT the job of black and brown people to do that for us!  They have their hands full jus trying to get through each day without getting killed for being black!

i don't  understand, Olan, and I would like to.  I read this as @lili agreeing with you.

I guess I feel like whatever I do isn't enough - both in the sense of do the small actions of one person really matter AND in the sense of I can't focus on every issue with equal importance, I'm going to have to pick and choose and whatever I choose won't be the 'right' choice for some reason or another.

For instance, if I choose to be concerned about our environment by using reusable bags, someone is sure to bring up that the bags aren't made in America or aren't being made by someone making a living wage or there's an environmental cost to producing them or...

Olan said earlier that we can choose to disarm the men in our lives and we can choose to say excuse me. I can educate the men in my life about gun safety and share my concerns BUT they are the only ones who can make the decision to disarm (if indeed they are armed). I do choose to be polite, to say excuse me, to step aside rather than expect others to clear a path for me. But does that really make a difference? It's something I do anyway.

I think as we know better, we do better but doing better is a process and it's not helpful to shame people for not being as far along in the process as you (general) are especially when they ARE improving and making progress. We don't all start from the same place with the same knowledge, the same upbringing, the same cultural understanding...as a white woman raised overseas and then in the northeastern US - my experiences and cultural knowledge are very different from that of my Southern neighbours.

I’m another one who’s been disappointed that the threads kind of fizzled. But I’m definitely also guilty.

It’s a good point that Kathy’s thread was already well established and Virginia’s wasn’t. Big difference. So more work will be needed to establish the newer thread.

CHANGE. I see it being about change. Growth. In anything that we think will make the world a better place. For everybody, or just for us.

The question of our actions not being “enough”. It’s a good point. We need a thread where we’re not judged or lectured by our choices. That will be hard. I’m not sure if “we” can do it. Or we need a place where we don’t get defensive if someone politely gives us info that will maybe help us do a little better, make a better choice. I say maybe because a person may choose to stay their course after considering the new information.

Olan brought up a lot of different issues. And there’s no end to all the areas we can devote ourselves to. “Call to action” can be so inclusive. All we need is to care, and take some action to help, improve ourselves, educate ourselves, or otherwise move out of our comfort zone.

Others brought up the point that they don’t want to brag. It is a Christian teaching that “the right hand doesn’t know what the left is doing” with regard to charitable giving. I do believe this is holding a lot of posters back. Please, rethink this. The point is to honor our friend by sharing our passion. Don’t see it as bragging. See it as inspiring.

And if your little action seems like nothing compared to the others: be HUMBLE and realize that’s not the point. I certainly am not doing as much as others, or what I did in my younger days. I remember thinking my comments in the thread were lame compared with others. But I have to get over myself and remember that’s not what the point of the thread is about.

Not everybody needs to contribute, just as not everyone does in the dinner thread. But if you have been wanting to, or wanting to see the thread at least be a success, there are a lot of ways we can if we try.

I like the idea of Olan starting and if necessary bumping that thread.

You tell us what you think white women are, who they are, what they feel, how inept they are, what they don’t do or do enough of, without knowing them, then mock them and make fun of what they post, chastise them...

So what is it that you hate again?