The Personal is the Political

This is a famous slogan, but I don't know who said it. I associate it with feminism. To a good extent this is true. I often note on this blog that I am frightened of others. You may also note that I rant on racism a great deal. It's because it strikes me of another aspect of how frightening other people are. You wake up one day, and you're born the 'wrong' color, and all the sudden, no matter what you do, people will never consider you as worthy as folks born the 'right' color, and the kicker is- what color your skin is has nothing to do with anything.

It does not make your history unworthy of study, it does not make your people stupider than anyone else, it doesn't do any of the crazy stuff people say it does. It's just a trait- like red hair. If I ran around saying that "People with red hair never did anything important" I would be asked to have proof. But apparently, you don't need any proof to badmouth black folk. People just decide they hate you, and they believe it, and they don't need anything other than that.

The only real racial difference I have found is that white people, even nice white people, tend not to be able to get racial issues. For example, I am talking tot his guy about racial issues. It's kinda like he has a special pass or something. Like he can redeem it for "making offensive comments/assumptions about blacks in public" "bragging loudly about his ignorance" "voting against himself to punish blacks" "ignoring what black people say about racism, and just trying to make self feel good" "assuming that black people have no human worth" and other common manifestations of racism. He doesn't understand why I am mad that he has this card. I mean, he didn't cash it in. But I am mad that he has the option to, even if he never cashes it in, ever.