Cold Turkey
In a comment from my February 10, 2008 post on race, I was asked, “. . . what would you propose (Americans) ought to do to foster better race relations?”
Well, my answer to that question is the exact same as it is for the Nation's sexism problem, religious bigotry problem, and sexual-orientation problem.
But first, a disclaimer: I am not a sociologist, behavioral scientist, demographer, humanist, or any other “professional” that gets paid to spend hours reading about, researching and/or discussing these issue.
Second, for background and as I’ve written many times, I do not know if whites are more racist than blacks. To that, I’d now like to add I do not know if women are more sexist than men. I do not know if homosexuals are more heterophobic than heterosexuals are homophobic. I do not know if Muslims are bigger religious bigots than Jews or Christians. My desire is that all people with a prejudice are exactly the same composition of their “group” that every other racist, sexist, or bigot is of his or her group.
Third, I am a huge believer in Madison’s Factions; the belief that a constant or permanent majority would never exist in America because people have so many characteristics that they will be aligned in different groups based on the issues. Parents with two daughters would probably unite against a law requiring the execution of the second daughter on her third birthday regardless of their religion, skin color or sexual orientation. Smokers would probably unite against a law requiring a $5.00 per pack tax regardless of the religion, skin color, sexual orientation or gender of the smokers.
I am male, white, Catholic, married, non-smoking, flaming heterosexual, taxpaying, home-owning, college-educated, Boston Bruins lovin’, cereal eating, marathon running, conservative to name a few of my “factions”. I also have life experiences; I lost my father violently and tragically, for example. The effect of this single event on my life cannot be overstated; this event is completely blind to all my other “factions”. I gather a female, black, atheist, smoking, homosexual, welfare recipient, high school drop out, Philadelphia Flyers lovin’, candy-eating, cycling (my goodness, they sit down!), liberal and I could develop quite a bond if she, too, lost her father tragically and we met at a “Lost Your Father Tragically” support group.
Depending on how life’s experiences introduce you to public policy can greatly influence your opinion of that public policy. I’m a huge proponent of privatized Social Security because of how the program failed my family. Of course, the youngest of 9 who lost her Dad at age 5 may be a huge fan of the current Social Security program because she’s convinced it “saved” her family.
Fourth, the solution to healing the racial divide (gender divide, religious divide, etc.) must be societal, economical, and political. The huge machinery has to all change together. Ninety-two percent of African-Americans voting for a Democrat for President is ludicrous. When that number is closer to 50%, then we’ll know we’ve achieved some sort of racial harmony. There is no way 92% of any “faction” can be so monolithically in agreement; this is a clear breakdown of Madison’s Factions.
So, the table having been set, what to do?
Cold Turkey.
I suggest we immediately stop noticing skin color, gender, religion, and sexual orientation.
I suggest we immediately stop advertising and promoting skin color, gender, religion and sexual orientation.
"I'm gay." So?
"He's Jewish." I don't care.
"She's a she." And?
"They're black." Your point?
What ought Americans do to foster better race relations? Stop noticing race. Get more blacks to have more than one societal, economic, and political identity than that which springs from the color of their skin.
(Blogger’s Note: Though I’ll only reference race below, the theme is applied to gender, faith and sexual orientation as well.)
Ultimately more blacks need to vote as homeowners OR renters instead of blacks (however being black would impact the voting decision); to vote as parents OR childless instead of blacks (however being black would impact the voting decision), to vote as smokers OR non-smokers instead of blacks (however being black would impact the voting decision). In other words, a faction other than skin color has to have primacy on more issues for blacks than skin color apparently has. AT THE SAME TIME, more whites have to see blacks as homeowners OR renters on a housing issue; as parents OR childless on a schooling issue; as smokers OR non-smokers on a tobacco tax issue.
I’m aware of no conscious thought that my skin color has ever prompted me to vote a particular way. Of course, the color of my great, great grandparent’s skin was not used as a reason to keep them in chains, either. I get that.
But how long does the victimization run? Former US Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor actually put a time limit on it. In Grutter v. Bollinger, Justice O’Connor wrote that the University of Michigan Law School could practice racism for 25 more years; blacks will stop being victims is 25 years! Hooray! Well, I disagree. I say no more. I say no more victimization starting today.
Cold Turkey.
My suggestion offers a better chance we'll be more color-blind than Justice O'Connor’s silly opinion that we can practice racism for 25 more years. If we practice racism for 25 more years the likelihood we'll be more color-blind in 26 years is zero. If we practiced racism for 100 more years the likelihood we'll be more color-blind in 101 is also zero.
Cold Turkey.
No more militant blacks demanding race-conscious help from government or business. This only prolongs the transition.
No more guilty whites offering race-conscious help from government or business. This only prolongs the transition.
Cold turkey, starting today. No recognition of skin color in any decision or policy.
My goodness, telling hiring managers they have to hire the most qualified black who can do the job? (Sarcasm ahead) Yeah, the white, Jewish hiring manager who lost out on his last promotion to a Christian specifically because of religious bigotry is appropriately equipped to handle this hiring directive.
I wrote it here a long time ago, but the black Supervisor who gets promoted to Manager deserves to go home to her/his family and celebrate the promotion known to be earned on merit. “They wanted ME!” The ugly cloud that the promotion was the result of some corporate, feel-good, program robs the new Manager of one of the greatest feelings in the world and creates resentment in a white workforce with reason to be suspicious.
Regardless of the context that someone declares her own label or labels another, ask, “So?” as a conversation starter. Yes, it could be innocently stated but see if the declarer can then explain herself. If the conversation is about the Order of Mass, a Catholic might declare, “I’m Catholic” to imply only that he is familiar with the Order of Mass instead of saying, “I’m familiar with the Order of Mass” but put him on the spot anyway.
Cold Turkey.
Stop noticing TODAY and force everyone to adapt. Stop promoting TODAY. How long until the American-Samoan Lesbian Smokers Affinity Group in the workplace? Will the transition be painful? You bet your ass. Will we be closer to a color-blind society in 25 years if we go cold turkey TODAY? You bet your ass. Hell, we'll be more color-blind one year from now if we went cold turkey TODAY.
“I’m Asian.” So? “He’s a he.” So? “He’s Mormon.” So? “I’m straight.” So?
In a comment from my February 10, 2008 post on race, I was asked, “. . . what would you propose (Americans) ought to do to foster better race relations?”
Well, my answer to that question is the exact same as it is for the Nation's sexism problem, religious bigotry problem, and sexual-orientation problem.
But first, a disclaimer: I am not a sociologist, behavioral scientist, demographer, humanist, or any other “professional” that gets paid to spend hours reading about, researching and/or discussing these issue.
Second, for background and as I’ve written many times, I do not know if whites are more racist than blacks. To that, I’d now like to add I do not know if women are more sexist than men. I do not know if homosexuals are more heterophobic than heterosexuals are homophobic. I do not know if Muslims are bigger religious bigots than Jews or Christians. My desire is that all people with a prejudice are exactly the same composition of their “group” that every other racist, sexist, or bigot is of his or her group.
Third, I am a huge believer in Madison’s Factions; the belief that a constant or permanent majority would never exist in America because people have so many characteristics that they will be aligned in different groups based on the issues. Parents with two daughters would probably unite against a law requiring the execution of the second daughter on her third birthday regardless of their religion, skin color or sexual orientation. Smokers would probably unite against a law requiring a $5.00 per pack tax regardless of the religion, skin color, sexual orientation or gender of the smokers.
I am male, white, Catholic, married, non-smoking, flaming heterosexual, taxpaying, home-owning, college-educated, Boston Bruins lovin’, cereal eating, marathon running, conservative to name a few of my “factions”. I also have life experiences; I lost my father violently and tragically, for example. The effect of this single event on my life cannot be overstated; this event is completely blind to all my other “factions”. I gather a female, black, atheist, smoking, homosexual, welfare recipient, high school drop out, Philadelphia Flyers lovin’, candy-eating, cycling (my goodness, they sit down!), liberal and I could develop quite a bond if she, too, lost her father tragically and we met at a “Lost Your Father Tragically” support group.
Depending on how life’s experiences introduce you to public policy can greatly influence your opinion of that public policy. I’m a huge proponent of privatized Social Security because of how the program failed my family. Of course, the youngest of 9 who lost her Dad at age 5 may be a huge fan of the current Social Security program because she’s convinced it “saved” her family.
Fourth, the solution to healing the racial divide (gender divide, religious divide, etc.) must be societal, economical, and political. The huge machinery has to all change together. Ninety-two percent of African-Americans voting for a Democrat for President is ludicrous. When that number is closer to 50%, then we’ll know we’ve achieved some sort of racial harmony. There is no way 92% of any “faction” can be so monolithically in agreement; this is a clear breakdown of Madison’s Factions.
So, the table having been set, what to do?
Cold Turkey.
I suggest we immediately stop noticing skin color, gender, religion, and sexual orientation.
I suggest we immediately stop advertising and promoting skin color, gender, religion and sexual orientation.
"I'm gay." So?
"He's Jewish." I don't care.
"She's a she." And?
"They're black." Your point?
What ought Americans do to foster better race relations? Stop noticing race. Get more blacks to have more than one societal, economic, and political identity than that which springs from the color of their skin.
(Blogger’s Note: Though I’ll only reference race below, the theme is applied to gender, faith and sexual orientation as well.)
Ultimately more blacks need to vote as homeowners OR renters instead of blacks (however being black would impact the voting decision); to vote as parents OR childless instead of blacks (however being black would impact the voting decision), to vote as smokers OR non-smokers instead of blacks (however being black would impact the voting decision). In other words, a faction other than skin color has to have primacy on more issues for blacks than skin color apparently has. AT THE SAME TIME, more whites have to see blacks as homeowners OR renters on a housing issue; as parents OR childless on a schooling issue; as smokers OR non-smokers on a tobacco tax issue.
I’m aware of no conscious thought that my skin color has ever prompted me to vote a particular way. Of course, the color of my great, great grandparent’s skin was not used as a reason to keep them in chains, either. I get that.
But how long does the victimization run? Former US Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor actually put a time limit on it. In Grutter v. Bollinger, Justice O’Connor wrote that the University of Michigan Law School could practice racism for 25 more years; blacks will stop being victims is 25 years! Hooray! Well, I disagree. I say no more. I say no more victimization starting today.
Cold Turkey.
My suggestion offers a better chance we'll be more color-blind than Justice O'Connor’s silly opinion that we can practice racism for 25 more years. If we practice racism for 25 more years the likelihood we'll be more color-blind in 26 years is zero. If we practiced racism for 100 more years the likelihood we'll be more color-blind in 101 is also zero.
Cold Turkey.
No more militant blacks demanding race-conscious help from government or business. This only prolongs the transition.
No more guilty whites offering race-conscious help from government or business. This only prolongs the transition.
Cold turkey, starting today. No recognition of skin color in any decision or policy.
My goodness, telling hiring managers they have to hire the most qualified black who can do the job? (Sarcasm ahead) Yeah, the white, Jewish hiring manager who lost out on his last promotion to a Christian specifically because of religious bigotry is appropriately equipped to handle this hiring directive.
I wrote it here a long time ago, but the black Supervisor who gets promoted to Manager deserves to go home to her/his family and celebrate the promotion known to be earned on merit. “They wanted ME!” The ugly cloud that the promotion was the result of some corporate, feel-good, program robs the new Manager of one of the greatest feelings in the world and creates resentment in a white workforce with reason to be suspicious.
Regardless of the context that someone declares her own label or labels another, ask, “So?” as a conversation starter. Yes, it could be innocently stated but see if the declarer can then explain herself. If the conversation is about the Order of Mass, a Catholic might declare, “I’m Catholic” to imply only that he is familiar with the Order of Mass instead of saying, “I’m familiar with the Order of Mass” but put him on the spot anyway.
Cold Turkey.
Stop noticing TODAY and force everyone to adapt. Stop promoting TODAY. How long until the American-Samoan Lesbian Smokers Affinity Group in the workplace? Will the transition be painful? You bet your ass. Will we be closer to a color-blind society in 25 years if we go cold turkey TODAY? You bet your ass. Hell, we'll be more color-blind one year from now if we went cold turkey TODAY.
“I’m Asian.” So? “He’s a he.” So? “He’s Mormon.” So? “I’m straight.” So?
posted by Zack at 10:33 PM
1 Comments:
The Boston Globe does not provide me 24 hours notice of the stupid articles it publishes.
From the March 5, 2008 edition, this headline from page B5, "Harvard College leader is selected, Dean will be first African-American, woman in position".
The first sentence was, "Harvard University yesterday named a senior administrator and historian as the next dean of Harvard College, the first woman and the first African-American to hold the position."
So?
Prior to her appointment, the African-American woman served as senior vice provost. According to the Boston Globe, she advised the president of Harvard on "faculty appointments and the hiring and promotion of minorities and woman."
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