Replying to a comment on:

Middle-Aged White Woman (Free verse) by Dovina

Maybe it’s time. You look at me and see a symbol of conservative acts that hurt you. My kind abused your kind. Now with your freedom, your authority, your power, it’s time for retribution. Go ahead, ignore me, don’t hire me belittle me in your verse skip over me at your readings. My ancestors did it to your ancestors. You have the right. It’s a new experience for me, that’s all. Maybe it’s time.

zodiac 22-Apr-05/11:31 AM
NO, NO, NO. LISTEN, NO ONE IS SAYING IT'S THE SAME THING. AND NO ONE'S SAYING BLACKS ARE THE SAME AS WHITES OR WOMEN ARE THE SAME AS MEN. NO ONE. NOBODY.

But no one except for you is saying whites or men have the right to tell blacks or women what to do. That's point number one. I'm growing to hate these bulleted lists, but seriously I can't think of another way to get it into your head (or at least keep us on the same page). So here:

1) "Go ahead", "ignore me", etc, TELL YOUR BLACK ADDRESSEES WHAT TO DO. Yes, you assume (and I assume) that's what they want to do in the first place. That's irrelevant. The stanza assumes for one that they're not already doing it (or else why would you tell them?) and for two that they'll care that (or act differently because) you're telling them. Assuming that they're not already doing it is racist because it gives whites a higher place in black thinking, employment considerations, verse, and readings than they have or deserve (i.e., none.) Assuming that they'll care that you're telling them is racist because why the hell should they care? And WHY DO THEY NEED YOUR APPROVAL? Oppression is by definition unrelated to the approval/disapproval of the oppressed. As in the example, I simply haven't any right to tell you how many comments to post tonight. And by telling you to post 25, I'm assuming I have that right/authority; I'm putting myself over you, even if you refuse to acknowledge my authority. Can you seriously not see how?

2) As always, oppression of blacks is not referenced anywhere in the poem except in the past tense. Saying that past events justify black counteroppression of whites but not that current events justify it is racist because it denies a whole continuing slew of injustices against blacks which also ALSO JUSTIFY COUNTEROPPRESSION (if anything does.) It also conveniently distances you, Dovina, from any injustice against blacks. That cannot be the case, if only by the fact of your existing and being white in the world; and in any case it's bad form not to acknowledge that there are bad things YOU might have done.





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