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
