Quote:
Originally posted by M&M Guy
I with Chuck for the most part - if you feel like a victim, you are a victim. And that is the trend in society today. But it seems that is as though if you take away a lot of the victim mentality, a lot of the so-called racism will go away. That's not to say it's gone, but I wonder how much is victim-mentality and how much is genuine, ugly intent? Isn't intent the main issue?
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It's so tempting to apply simplistic answers, as you say you are inclined to do. I understand that urge, I really do. Complications involve thought, thought, experimentation, more thought, failure, more thought, introspection, discussion and more thought. It's easy to say "they should..." and easy to feel that there's a one size fits all answer.
Unfortunately, life just isn't like that. You're right about "the victim mentality" being over-used in our culture today, but that doesn't mean that there aren't true victims. My point still holds that there are people who are true victims of racism, and that they will need the help of others to help them "get over it." Part of that help should include the cooperation of others in not adding to the victimization.
Racism isn't just when I intend to hurt you or judge you based on race. It's also the structure of society that's set up to perpetuate a class system based on race. There's almost nothing the lower class people can do to break out of that. Yes, it's possible. People do it. But it's 100 times more difficult for blacks and indians than for others. For people who have the support and background to break out of that, it can happen. But part of racism is that the support and background are much reduced for certain folks based on their race (and gender).
It's not any individual person's fault. That's what makes it so hard to address. But it still must be unpacked and tidied up. Someone has to continue to chip away at the bricks that were used to build the wall. On the side of the wall that is toward the blacks and the indians there are almost no tools. There are a few wooden sticks, but they break more often than the wall does. The people who can tear down the wall are the people with the tools -- you and me. We have the resources, the power and the authority to do it. We need only the inclination.
I don't care who built the wall. And I don't care whose job it is to tear it down. I have friends, loved ones and neighbors on the other side, and I intend to do everything I can to see that it is severely damaged in my lifetime. If you would join me, it would go a lot faster.
Instead of blaming the folks over there, let's just get the darn thing demolished! Then it will be easier to see how much is caused by the victim mentality, and how much really is true victimization.
[Edited by rainmaker on Aug 8th, 2005 at 03:05 PM]