Mary Wood wrote:

> Jenn writes;
> 
> > I want to write something in the Issues FAQ about 'trivialising'
> > - such as people using the word 'rape' to mean other, less intense
> > forms of injury.
> 
> I trust this FAQ will be carefully worded so as not to imply
> new 'rules' (as some have expressed concern over), but to serve
> as a guide to people seeking a feel for this list, its people, and
> general content that will/will not get one flamed.

I'm trying. I'm running it past Dancer (my husband) for phrasing, and
when he and I are both happy with it, I may well call for volunteers 
to help me with phrasing. 

It's going to include material on some very sensitive issues - and it's
INTENDED to reduce flamage/misunderstandings... but because it's on 
sensitive issues, it'll be very easy for it to make matters worse. :(


> > Would people who truly understand how it hurts when
> > something is trivialized do me a great favour and either discuss
> > this on the list, or email me privately?
> 
> I think it's a good discussion for the list!
> 
> Like you Jenn, I have never been raped in that I have never had
> another person force a sexual act upon me.  Thus, I do not
> purport to know -from experience- what that kind of rape is
> like.  
> As you seem to be
> looking for people to speak from experience, let me use
> another powerful word.  "Nigger."

Much snippage, for the sake of brevity. 

Wow. That's a very good point - hm.  I might need to restructure that
whole section - there's several good ideas and concepts in that, and in 
private emails people have sent (thank you!).



(Taking my FAQ maintainer's hat off, and responding as an individual):



I, too, have experienced the racism thing from a 'non-racist' but 
white-and-innocent POV. 

I grew up in suburban Australia, among people of assorted but primarily
European races, and never realised how insensitive and *blind* I was. Not
/racist/, but /ignorant/. Capable of unthinkingly being rude because I 
/didn't know/. 
(Walking into a Japanese household while wearing shoes, or whatever...
and blinking at the host going 'what?')

Then I got my blindness and ignorance pointed out to me, by a show on the 
national broadcaster about the Aboriginal culture. Spent some time
deliberately
seeking out other-cultural shows and experiences. Now I'm still ignorant, but 
I *KNOW* I'm ignorant. Hopefully, this makes me a better person.

Then... I went to the US. And got taken to New York City.

Oh. My.

I went around 'knowing' there was something seriously wrong with the trees - 
that many trees, ALL sick? (Brisbane is subtropical, and all the trees there
are
evergreen. Deciduous trees in autumn looked like a herbicidal maniac had been
at 
them.)

The (insert politically correct term here) dark-skinned people looked 'wrong'.
Koori/Aust. Aboriginal facial structure differs greatly from the (insert pol.
corr. term here) African. Once I trained my brain to stop looking for Koori 
bone structure as soon as it saw dark skin, I was better off (and some of them
looked /gorgeous/!).


But the worst part was the districts. Seeing ONLY one skin colour, ONLY one
bone structure, ONLY one eye shape, in any given district.. 

That made me feel sick.

I don't know why. I guess I like diversity. Here (Melbourne) you do get
clusters,
but I've never seen such total clustering as in NYC. 

And I didn't like it.


(reminder: this opinion was MINE, as an individual. Not as FAQ maintainer.)


Jenn V.
-- 
  Humans are the only species to feed and house entirely separate species 
     for no reason other than the pleasure of their company. Why?

[EMAIL PROTECTED]        Jenn Vesperman        http://www.simegen.com/~jenn/

************
[EMAIL PROTECTED]   http://www.linuxchix.org

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