Quote:
Originally posted by Vertigo Stick
I'm just going to throw this out there:
Minority: *explains what racism is*
Not minority: *covers ears* LALALALA NOT LISTENING
It would be nice if people just listened instead of getting defensive, but I understand. No one wants to be called a racist.
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Exactly.
It's typical majority privilege. When the negative actions and beliefs of a majority population against minority populations are called out, the majority refuses to listen unless you make absolutely clear you're not talking about them, their majority friends, or their majority family. It's the effect of #21 at its finest, and it's where the whole "I have a minority friend!" mess stems from. Whites do it when talking about racism, heterosexuals do it when talking about homosexuality, and males do it when talking about sexism. They refuse to hear you unless you make it clear that you're talking about an Other; when you're talking about Us, they shut their ears, and they can do that because their privilege affords them that luxury. Privilege allows this individualistic mindset that is so against basic sociology.
When minorities are telling you something about how YOUR majority community treats them,
listen. Just because
you don't personally feel you commit those same actions, does not make the accusations of the minority any less valid. Stop taking everything as a personal attack, stop making everything about you, and
listen and
learn. That's why I really do respect white cisgendered straight males who have the ability to realize their privilege and fight it by looking beyond themselves and recognizing the problems in their community rather than hiding behind "
I don't do it so it's not true" and continuing on in their privileged existence of ignorant bliss.
