TUMBLR, and THE DAYS OF JIM CROW

Signal Fire:

TUMBLR is supporting Racism, Racist Language, Death Threats, Rape Threats, & Harrassment. They are doing so, by telling PoC, in particularly, PoC Women, that maybe they just shouldn't have caught 'Massa's Eye'. That maybe they just should have covered up more. That 'these good white people' have filed a complaint against them and now, THESE COMPLAINTS, by THESE GOOD WHITE PEOPLE, MUST be responded to, and the victims of vicious, callous, racist acts and harassment, need to STOP DEFENDING THEMSELVES.

People are speaking up about it and doing so here and here and here.

I keep a track of certain tumblrs, even though the system irritates me, and I could not grok it enough to start one myself; because it's filled with Conversations I Want To Track. There are conversations about white washing, white privilege, white f*menism's denial of WoC's humanity and more. And these conversations have drawn ire from many, many, many white people. Ire and abuse for which I've never seen a post saying 'Tumblr Support is on it' or 'Tumblr Support is investigating that'.

The conversations on Tumblr happen Daily. Daily! I can still remember what it was like to go through shit at that level of intensity for a good portion of the year back in 2009. And this is DAILY. Multiple conversations. And thus multiple attacks.

And TUMBLR SUPPORT does NOTHING. NOTHING, but come up to 'rescue' white people who complain about THEIR FEE FEES, even while they're telling other people to go kill themselves, hang themselves and the like.

I think TUMBLR; their support staff, their developers, their whole company needs to understand the racism they're perpetuating and supporting. Once upon a time in the Americas, a black person couldn't look at a white person 'wrong'. For THEIR standards of wrong. It could lead to brutality and death. It was a terrorist state. And now TUMBLR is perpetuating that. White people can call you ANYTHING. Harass you ANYHOW. But if you RAISE your voice against them, if you cuss at them, if you defend yourself, then YOU, are the bad guy and we will shut you down. Cause such is our power.

If anyone still reads me, and keeps wondering what they might do, what small action they might take towards making the world a better place? See if you can CONTACT TUMBLR SUPPORT; and/or CONTACT TUMBLR POLICY; contact them and let them know you disapprove of their actions.

Or maybe the path to take is via their investors:

Spark Capital, Union Square Ventures, Sequoia Capital, Greylock Partners, Insight Venture Partners, The Chernin Group and Richard Branson, Betaworks, John Borthwick, Fred Seibert, Albert Wenger, Martín Varsavsky.

Maybe you'd like to ask these groups and peoples why they're supporting racism and racist harassment of Poc and racist and sexual harassment of WoC.

Or at the very least, spread the word, light another signal fire, past the Public Service Announcement about what TUMBLR's doing, about who and what TUMBLR IS!

ETA: Policy@tumblr.com

This just in!

White people are being wrong, ismist and privileged on the internet!

In other news: WATER IS STILL WET! White/Privileged Guilt Is Still Strong.

Clarification: About Wiscon /Sf3 rescinding (far too late, after stirring much bad blood and giving absolutely no details as to why) E.Moon's invitation to be honored at their feminist convention.

Further Clarification: Because now there won't be an opportunity for them (E.Moon's stated Caucasian Good Citizens) to be educated by those who've been insulted and dehumanized.

Seriously Wiscon Coordinators? "We have decided that this can be a learning experience for those of us in the majority, no matter and irregardless of the cost to others."

How many times in life and face to face interpersonal dialogue, does someone punch you in the face or stomach, the crowd around you gasps, and the hosts of the next party who invited the puncher decide that you can come too - and talk in detail about how it felt to get punched in public.

And I add now; And all the other guests then get upset, when the host is badgered and shamed into catching a clue, and tells the attacker they can't attend the party anymore. Because there but for the grace of fate, go they (the other guests) - and if someone isn't making excuses for the puncher, no one might make excuses for them and they might actually face consequences for dehumanizing other individuals.

Wiscon + Moon + Things Certain People Do

First, some exerpts (Wiscon On E.Moon):

As many in our community are aware, Elizabeth Moon, one of WisCon 35's Guests of Honor, recently made a highly controversial public post about the planned Islamic community center for lower Manhattan, about Islamic Americans, and about immigrants, assimilation, and citizenship.

It should go without saying that Ms. Moon's personal sentiments are her own, and do not necessarily represent the WisCon community, but in this case the co-chairs of WisCon's planning committee would like to take the additional step of making it clear that we were each to varying degrees dismayed, angered and offended by some portions of her comments, which seemed antithetical to the philosophies and ideals held dear by the WisCon community.

Even though we strongly disavow these elements of Ms. Moon's post, we have not rescinded her invitation to be a Guest of Honor, nor do we plan to do so. The WisCon planning committee selected Ms. Moon earlier this year based on her past work and our feeling that she would make a positive contribution to WisCon. After extensive conversation in recent days, and having spoken directly with Ms. Moon on the subject, we continue to believe that her presence will contribute to the Con.

We know that opinions are not changed by running away from them, but instead by engaging with them, challenging their assumptions, sharing knowledge, seeking understanding, and by lively and candid discourse. And we think that provides a pretty good short description of a typical WisCon.

One might say that WisCon excels at the difficult conversation -- and sometimes the hardest conversation is with an idol who turns out to be human. We have begun addressing our difference of views with Ms. Moon directly, and will continue to do so over the coming months and at the con itself. We hope you will join us in this difficult conversation.

...

We are currently working on ways to productively engage with this issue at the convention itself. The WisCon programming committee is already accepting panel ideas dealing with Islam and Islamophobia, and we hope to take further steps to welcome new voices from the Muslim world, immigrant communities, and others who might feel threatened by nativist swings of the political pendulum.

---

I was never going to attend Wiscon - Racefail 09 pretty much cemented that for me. But this puts a nice marble topper on the grave.

One might say that WisCon excels at the difficult conversation

My laughter is currently being appreciated by hyenas on the Serengeti Plains.

Seriously Wiscon Coordinators? "We have decided that this can be a learning experience for those of us in the majority, no matter and irregardless of the cost to others."

How many times in life and face to face interpersonal dialogue, does someone punch you in the face or stomach, the crowd around you gasps, and the hosts of the next party who invited the puncher decide that you can come too - and talk in detail about how it felt to get punched in public.

"I'm sorry our guest of honor assaulted you in public and treated you as less than human. But you can/should TOTALLY come to our party and talk about what happened to spice things up!"

Project 880 vs Avatar

The Avatar That Almost Was.

I've just finished the author's repeat of the original scriptment. And it's still got elements of 'What These People Need Is A Honkey'. But elements vs the WHOLE DAMN THING, is a very odd perspective.


For me, the fact that the Na'vi are actively resisting by the time Sully's character arrives and it's due to human privilege and hubris and OTHERING (right down to killing animals for fun which just make me think of Zebras in Africa and Buffalo in the US) seriously makes me wonder at the INSERTS of stupid racial tropes.

The fact that those controlling avatars going native, has happened before and has facets of individuals from a ruined earth falling in love with something that doesn't look at all like over industrialized earth and facets of falling in love with a way of life that reveres trees and growth and green - rather than 'the white men want to live the nobler, simpler life' is just so - blink blink blink.

And I guess for me, the ugliness of Research & Devleopment and certain military characters is so damn true - in a way I've rarely seen in mainstream media (which might explain why it didn't make it) - but for example, certain individuals wanting to bomb the Na'vi's home, not to obtain the unobtainable, but to send a message planet wise that humans will fuck up all those who don't bow to their imperialistic boot? Let me know if that's been stated plainly before - and give references. It might be something I'll enjoy watching/reading.

There are apparently nods to deeper concepts of what is self, who has the right to oppress self, what would it mean to be a blended entity, etc. And Sully doesn't end up the new leader of the Na'vi, but the new leader of the blended Avatars - which makes FAR MORE SENSE.

--

Am I more furious over Avatar, that not unlike Texas School Board Approved Books, American Exceptionalism got promoted in the final work, vs 'historical accuracy'?

Possibly.

I think what it does, however, is make me even more distrustful of Hollywood and all Hollywood is beholden to. The Hollywood machine knows very well what pap the public will swallow and they won't deviate from that, it's not in their best interests.

And given that there will be individuals growing up with a less accurate understanding of science and history - there will be even less for Hollywood to worry about accidentally challenging in the future.

I can't help but be reminded of this post, claimed to be done anonymously by a woman in Afghan. She talks about the difference between her father and her brothers. Her brothers grew up in Taliban enforced times and picked up their attitudes towards women. Despite how a prior member of their household felt, a respected member, their father - how the Taliban revised history and reshaped the world was what made an impression on them.

Each history book, and movie that reshapes and revises so that there's stress on American Exceptionalism but without mention of the slavery and indentured servitude, racism and second class statutes that allowed that bubble moment of glory and fortune, is renewed oppression.

Avatar vs Project 880 (according to Devin Faraci at CHUD) looks like a microcosm of that kind of revisioning.

Tracking The OTHER Avatar

Ain't It Cool has news.

... On this planet is an element that is so rare it is worth incredible amounts of money on earth. The trouble is that the indigenous people and hostile nature of the planet make it nearly impossible to mine. The main threat are 10 foot tall intelligent blue aliens called Na’vi.

Scientists have figured out a way to grow their own Na’vi (mixing Na'vi and Human DNA) which are completely blank slates and then recruit warriors and scientists to come in and project their consciousness into these creatures, thus allowing them to travel Pandora without causing war with the Na’vi....

... Worthington is a crippled vet, disillusioned, but a warrior at heart. This is the perfect assignment for him as he is freed from the restraints of his broken body.

...It’s easy to say “they’re ten feet tall,” but seeing them stand next to a person and almost double their height, seeing one try to navigate a structure intended for humans… well, it does make them feel like creatures instead of animated humanoids...

...the Wood Sprite returns...with a few dozen of its brothers and sisters.

Worthington’s Avatar bats one away without a thought and Neytiri acts as if he just broke a cross in half or spit on the Buddha.The little jelly-fish like seeds don’t seem to mind and all alight on him, completely ignoring Neytiri. She tells him (and us) just what these things are and that it is an amazing honor to be chosen by them...

...Worthington’s Avatar is now a part of Neytiri’s tribe and going through an important rite of passage. Gone are his human clothes, replaced by native gear and face paint, like a Native American warrior...

I recognize these are the thoughts of an 'average white, male, movie goer' and nothing like seeing the film itself. And yet, these are the visual quotes triggered in the mind of that 'average, white, male, movie goer'.

And he is describing what he's seen, including the Honky, wearing his temporary 'native' skin costume, being actually 'blessed'/chosen by beings the natives revere.

Do not ask me my thoughts on this movie. I think you can clearly guess.

Link of relevance: http://twitter.com/dontpaytopray

To Everything There Is A Season

I've been reading a lot of books lately that discuss branding, as it pertains to teenagers, as it pertains to stereotypes being packaged to young boys and girls to mold them into accepting not just a gender binary but that the gender binary can only be expressed in particular ways; a constant narrowing.

One of the topics that continually comes up is how media enterprises continually put the onus onto parents to protect and shield their children. If you don't want them exposed to things, then don't let them, watch tv, play video games, go shopping, listen to the radio, read any contemporary books, leave the house to go to school, have any friends, talk to people outside of approved lists of blood relatives...

Well yes, these media enterprises don't actually give a list of what to protect children from if you don't want them influenced by messages bombarding from outside the immediate family world. They just say 'They're your children, you protect them.'

It shifts the burden of societal responsibility and puts all responsibility for that child on parents.

It takes a village to raise a child? Ha!

So what if children need independence and to know their parents trust them to make, first small decisions and then bigger ones. So what if their parents can't be beside them to shield them from every song, and every outfit another child wears that the parent might think inappropriate and every commercial etc. It's the parent's job to become a safty bubble, smothering the child, instead of the world offering varied views or even better, the world offering age appropriate attention.

Age appropriate as benefits actual psychological development with an eye towards constructive and positive growth NOT grooming to be a better consumer. Not "Kids Getting Older Younger".

I bring all this up because I've seen this several times now, post Brian Seiler, Utter Jerk Bag.

SHIFTING RESPONSIBILITY.

Seiler shifted the responsibility of a corporate entity to act with mindfulness, compassion and good sense (business as well as common) onto a gay individual who was offended at something they'd done that was in extreme bad taste.

It was apparently the gay person's responsibility to give the company the benefit of the doubt and interpret their actions outside of history's context.

Which brings us to my reading this entry. And in particular, this comment quoted here with the part in particular that caught my attention.

And regarding your last few paragraphs about society’s depictions/stereotypes of the disabled- all I can say is that we cannot control what others do- no matter how morally wrong, unsympathetic, or frustrating their actions may be- but what we CAN control is how WE react- how we let them make us feel- i find it helpful to try & focus on that which i can change (IE myself, my reactions, my actions)

It is not the film makers fault they have tapped into "disability = scary = violent = bad" and helped promote that concept in public consciousness. It is the fault of the disabled person pointing it out; that they're refusing to rise above it. {Strong Black Woman, Strong Black Man, You're So Strong If I Had That I Would Kill Myself, Model Minority, So Hard Working} They are refusing to not change the world, starting with themselves; namely their outlook, attitude and tone to something more positive.

Which frankly I read as 'you should be less confrontational', even though the original post wasn't. It was simply pointing out a trope.

But more than that, something I do not think the individuals debating with the OP seem able to recognize, the tropes about what behavior is abnormal and thus scary and potentially violent and bad are actually based on either exaggerated behaviors within minority stereotypes OR they are based on behaviors regarding human states medicine in the past had no answers for; Those behaviors of course representing a gambit of symptomatology within another minority.

It is not accident or coincidence that the visual quote of 'scary child' includes said child rocking themselves in a corner or doing some other repetitive act, being afraid of touch or claiming pain from sensory stimuli.

It is not accident or coincidence that people 'know' the character who trembles, breaks into tears and ends up running screaming, tearing at her face and hair from the priest come to stop in to see her, must be possessed. Priests committing acts of sexual depravity upon helpless child parishioners, was not fact when these visuals began to be disseminated as clues to plot. It's still being refused as fact now.

It is not accident or coincidence a white American woman looking bewildered on the streets will react to a "Baby girl, you all right?" or a "Miss, you ok?" as if someone just propositioned them by verbally describing a porn scene involving unsanitary sexual acts - if said words came from a black male of any age, who is not wearing a suit.

It is not accident or coincidence that all those tv commercials describing Depression, as essentially Sweatpants Syndrome have created a public consciousness of what it is and what it is not aka what is faking aka what a woman's insurance can drop her for not looking like.

These stereotypes were put into public consciousness. And yet when anyone affected by them points this fact out, and that it needs to be corrected, the come back is always 'Own Your Own Shit'; As if the people being portrayed badly in media had ever had the power in the first place to prevent those portrayals.

Just how exactly does it work out into equality for everyone, for the majority to keep the power and the minorities to rise above not having any?

Do they think we don't notice that illogic?

Do they think, as a whole, disenfranchised groups will buy that they are being empowered if they just stay beautiful, silent and strong, rising above all the past and current wrong and just trusting the majority to see the point; without reminders or privilege checks? Cause that's the same thinking as "Put it to a vote and let the public decide."

And let us not forget, as Americans celebrate Thanksgiving that the most common iconic image of beautiful, silent and strong are a multi-nationed peoples, many Americans believe are long dead and gone. And of course having gracefully left behind culture, spirituality and government for the majority to pick up and claim as their own (or to be continuing it as their own).

So Majority? So Corporate & Would Be Societal Puppeteers?

While some minority peoples might purchase the [ powdered flavoured drink; just add sugar], and even feel a need to pitch it to others(like a bad home video that must be shared), not everyone is.

Don't think some of us don't recognize "Be Better Than We Are" is mockery, sniggering and a put down. Don't think everyone wants to join you (a slowly sinking prison ship), when the horizon holds the possibility of a whole new world. It might take more effort. But reaping what we will sow and create with our own hands, is better than your tired, stale, rationed handouts.

I Decide When You Should Be Offended

A rare ism 101 lesson.

How to tell if you're being a used ass wipe? See if you're saying anything along the lines of this individual; one Brian Seiler.


Empahsis mine. Spot The Fail; Teacher Edition.

First off, I'd like to extend to you sympathies for what you had to go through in your youth - I cannot imagine how awful that was.

I think, however, that you are going just a little bit overboard in your attempts to characterize this idiotic advertisement as "hate speech." Hate speech is not a term that you should throw around lightly - particularly not when the very act you are criticizing is the throwing around of words without consideration for their impact. In order for a string of words to be hate speech, they must first be hateful in nature, which I do not believe anybody would suggest was ever the intent here.

In any act of communication, it is the responsibility of both parties to try and understand the idea that the other is attempting to communicate. By seizing on the semantics of this terrible anagram and then re-contextualizing the entire discussion to the subject of bigotry against homosexuals, you are abdicating that responsibility. Words have no inherent context, as you clearly note in your own writing when you conveniently excuse the British for using hate speech to refer to their cigarettes.

I'm all for criticizing Infinity Ward for completely fumbling this effort, but their failure here was not one motivated by hate or bigotry. Their mistake was one of marketing - they failed to realize that some people would consider their humorous attempt to be in poor taste. As marketers, it behooves them not to stir the sorts of unpleasant feelings that this word was bound to stir, and for that they deserve to be chided. If your intention is to paint every person who has ever used the word in conversation with the tint of bigotry, however, I cannot disagree strenuously enough.

We cannot lock language in a box and pretend that it never changes. Over time, words will transform to mean things that we wouldn't have imagined - a fact which my futile crusade to revive the grammatically proper use of "he" as the singular neuter personal pronoun has driven home to me. As responsible communicators, it behooves us all to try and understand the thoughts behind the words, and not simply latch onto the language in isolation. If you are going to criticize Infinity Ward for this act, or 5th Cell for their accidental and unfortunate handling of the word "sambo," or even Capcom for the imagery in Resident Evil, please do criticize them for what they're trying to say, instead of how you personally interpret the words and images that you perceive. If the language of this campaign makes you uncomfortable because of the history around the word, it's good to share that, and I'm certain that anybody who could be made to understand how the word affects you would not use it around you. Labeling this an act of bigotry or hatred, however - that is too far, and declines to accept all of our shared responsibilities in communicating with one another.

Funny, isn't it. How the individual Seiler is addressing needs to be more responsible, but the offensive corporate party doesn't.

Dragon Age: Origins - You Racist Fuckers

An additional note about Dragonage: Origins:

I downloaded the character creator, after perusing the wiki, to double check on the possibility of creating a Character/Avatar of Colour.

1. There is no possibility of creating a character of colour in DRAGON AGE: ORIGINS.

2. There is the possibility of creating an extremely sunburned white person.

3. With diagonally degree turned, yellow face, chinky eyes because epicanthic folds are just TOO hard.

And then there are the Qunari. Someone needs to let me know if I'm the only one thinking - Golden skinned, religious fanatics who get their enlightenment from something called the ‘qun’" {I. shit. you. not.}, who are technologically advanced and were one half of a religious war, and were resented for their strict protocols, might just happen to echo a currently maligned religious group.


Here, let me give you a hint:

They divided children from their families and sent adults to ‘learning camps’ for indoctrination in their religious philosophies...Those who resisted were slain, instantly and without mercy. Many who obeyed their new masters, however, claim that they were treated well and even given a large amount of trust provided they followed the strict qunari codes of conduct and laws.

Now, what current religously allied group of individuals are viewed by Eurocentric/White Westernized Culture in similar terms. Hmmm. Who could it be. M? M? It's on the tip of my tongue.

Meanwhile I just [sarcasm]love[/sarcasm] how corn-rows have been re-appropriated for white tribal types. Y'know despite the fact that if you see someone white in corn rows these days, one doesn't think CELT, one thinks BLACK CULTURE & HIP HOP.

ETA: Update here

Free Racism 101 Homework

1. Go here and note this conversation with an ig'nant cracker ass misguided white person.

2. Take notes on what she does. List them ALL.

3. Freebie: She's wrong.

4. See if you can figure out why.

5. Bonus: The Original Poster is also full of privileged, racist, white caked shit. Figure out why for a gold star.

Note: Neither Willow nor The Negro Community actually give out gold stars. Also actual minorities may want to skip iteration number 70 bajillion on 'Tone!'

My Thoughts On The GL Movie Casting

1. Oh hi there Hollywood racism. Goodbye John Stewart.

2. John Stewart IS MY GL (Thank You, Bruce Timm)

3. My 2nd GL is Kai Ro (Before there was Aang, Kai was my raised by monks savior of the world).

4. Prior to Jon Stewart becoming MY GL, I knew of my father's/uncles' GL - Alan Scott.

5. Which means I had no idea Hal even existed until I got back into comics in my late 20's.

6. Ryan Renolds would make a good Kyle Rayner (given what I've absorbed about Kyle).

This Is What I See

Anonymous:

Crazy.........have you tried seeking help ? your rage issues may be helped with therapy, no offence , but you see race issues where there are none, you are one of those horrible people of colour who have so little in their lives that you need to cling to the race issue like its still relevant.

*___________*

This is the kind of bullshit I have to deal with every day. The kind of bullshit I had to deal with all through my schooling. This is the kind of crackerass bullshit that led to people putting Obama's face on a monkey, putting that image on a t-shirt, and selling it.

And then, then you have the gall to say shit like 'But each individual's story is relevant and should be told, that's not the easy answer. Share your pain'.

You have the gall to say shit like 'But why didn't I see you there' while ignoring the blinders in your own eyes.

I've been kidding, a bit, and saying since the middle of RaceFail V.1 that I've felt like I'm going backwards compared to Malcolm X's life, from his realizations in Mecca towards his speeches and flashes of clarity as a member of the Nation of Islam.

And hell if I haven't arrived and gone even further back to certain moments in prison.

I don't know what Anonymous wanted that comment to do to me or how they wanted me to feel. I just know that I currently feel there's no point talking or educating American /British Non-Caribbean white folk. And if the Caribbean mixed folk and paler fail me too, I don't know what I'll do - though there'll be comfort in the fact that most of them will be related to me eventually, if I go far enough back, which makes it different. I can call on a family elder to deal with them.

No, I'm not looking at Anonymous as an exception. Not after Patricia Wrede. Not after Lois McMaster Bojold. Not after PNH and TNH and Peter David. Not after the EB's and their poison spitter WS (whom they happily hold to their bosoms while telling the public "But he's really a nice guy.") Not after Cramer and her vileness. Not after William Sanders. Not after Luke/Igor and the disgusting, putrid, foul revelations of his mind. Not after Amanda Marcotte. Not after Seal Press.

If you're white and you want to come and tell me in comments how you're not like Anonymous - then go deal with them. DEAL WITH YOUR OWN. Clean up your own house. Because people like Anonymous are who are representing you in public dialogue; here on the internet, and also on tv.

People like Anonymous are ignoring the crosses burned on their neighbour's lawns, and the little girls accosted by police officers in front of their own homes, or in their school cafeterias. People like Anonymous are convinced that Jena is a safe and pleasant town.

The policeman who shot an unarmed man in the back, on the platform of a BART station on January 1st? He's someone like the Anonymous Commenter.

All those white people in California who were all in the streets, and on blogs, and in comments, and on tv, and on the radio about how "We know who to blame because Prop 8 passed." - all relatives of the Anonymous Commenter.

The schools that threaten and or expel black students with braided hair or locs? They're related to the Anonymous Commenter.

My point is, white people like the Anonymous Commenter are everywhere. Don't tell me I have no right to suspect that you are just another one like him or her.

Arguing with me, will not change my mind.

Act.

Until then, you're just another Anonymous Honkey and I want nothing to do with you. You wanted my story? You wanted my pain? There it is.

I See Blue Eyed Devils.

The Racist Speaks

Foxtrot Tango here.
I think we may have gotten off on the wrong foot. Me with the inappropriate word choice, you with the insults and spitting and calling me a racist...
Any chance we can meet in the middle like civilized folks? I'll apologize if you do.

If you can't figure out what's wrong with this person's reply to me. You need Racism 101. Also? I do not want to know you.

PS:

PNH of Tor. Fuck you. Screw fuck, screw WTF Rocket. DIAF. You AND your racist wife. It's fully obvious you only deleted the lyching comment because I cursed on your precious white sanctuary. TOR fucking disgusts me even more now. Especially the big reminder that you and your wife are still heavy handed involved and willfully clueless as fuck.

Gonna Punch Honkey IN THE FACE

This was going to be just a post where I asked a question of those people who've read the LMB books that have The Lakewalkers.

Because this interlude on the author's myhell page makes me go WTF.

*______*

pronetolaughter: That might be true. But in this case, the Lakewalkers also just happened to have "copper" skin, "tents", canoes, a tradition of long braided hair even for men, use of porcupine quills (maybe even decorating moccasins, IIRC), and were also seasonal nomads, hunters (specializing in bows and feathered arrows), and had nicer furs and better herb medicine than farmers. Plus, they were arguing with farmers over who would live on what land. Seems like a pretty closely inspired version to me.

LMB: Saying that the Lakewalkers are arguably reminiscent of Native Americans seems to me the precise term; they're meant to be arguable. But I was also thinking of Orthodox Judaism, certain Indian (as in, subcontinent of) castes, and other generations- or centuries-long self-defending cultural constructs, and the social mechanisms for maintaining in-group and out-group boundaries over very long periods of time. (Arcane food rules loom interestingly large.)

bests, L.
*______*

And then people pissed Willow off
*

*

*

LISTEN, WHO THE FUCK ever Foxtrot Tango is, and any other fucker who agrees with them over on the Tor thread. They need to check themselves. I am sick and tired - no. I an enraged at honkeyshines (whether by white folk or white identified PoC) that use the word LYNCH to describe a fucking DISAGREEMENT, a debate via WORDS, especially on the INTERNET which is far removed from one on one physical confrontation and DANGER.

The minute someone uses the word LYNCH online, I know they don't know what the fuck they're talking about - One. And they're trying to be inflammatory because they can't counter argument - Two. And it's derailing bullshit - Three. That shows they're seriously lacking in the departments of compassion, empathy and HUMANITY.

White people go on and fucking on, (and yes, I'm so angry I can't even find words to use other than fuck) about how the words RACIST and RACISM are not words, according to them, to be tossed casually around - as if any (majority) instance where the words are used ARE FUCKING CASUAL.

But THEN THEY GO AND USE THE WORD LYNCH like it means fisty-cuffs between five year olds in a school yard.

THAT IS SOME OF THE MOST RACIST AND MINIMIZING OF TRAUMA BULLSHIT I HAVE EVER HEARD AND I AM OVER BEING EVEN REMOTELY POLITE TO PEOPLE WHO DO THIS.

In an internet disagreement, even about race, NO ONE is going to drag you from your home, while your family watches in HORROR, with GUNS in their faces, as you're PULLED THROUGH THE STREET AND TAKEN AWAY, to where men will STRING YOU UP VIA ROPE AND NOOSE, and drink beer and TAUNT YOU, before HANGING YOU and WATCHING YOUR KICKING FEET AND SLOW STRANGULATION OR BROKEN NECK.

AND THEN...

...take pictures of your broken dead body, like you were a prize fucking catch of the day from the sea, BURN YOUR BODY WHERE IT HANGS meaning that your family can't positively identify it, while also quite casually, BBQ-ing and picknicking! AND THEN LEAVING YOUR BODY THERE TO ROT AND FALL DOWN, because your family either doesn't know where it is, or isn't allowed to cut it down.

WHILE THE STRONGEST SANCTION THESE LYNCHERS face is a ticket for LITTERING!!!!!!!

YOU RACIST MOFUCKERS! You don't know shit and every time you open your fucking mouths, you prove how callous and INHUMAN you fucking are.

I SPIT ON YOU.

Honkeyshines

Heaven preserve me from the white folk who say:

* But it's just fiction.

* It's nothing but a big flame war.

* It's PC overreaction that'll lead to blander and less interesting books because people will be afraid to offend.

* I can't say anything cause I'm afraid of being hit with the privilege stick for being afraid of being hit with the privilege stick.

* It's all people who want attention and to be shouty.

* Everyone involved in this is a victim of the internet! You can't read tone on the internet!
(Cause tone is really behind excluding an entire peoples as the ultimate problem solver)

* If the people wiped out were Muslim Arabs would you be as offended?!!! (nice bit of Islamicphobia there)

* All those people in the rollcall are just sockpuppets of white academia trying to make some point.

* These authors are nice people! They can't be racist!

* There might be a point somewhere, but if everyone was calmer and polite and rational with their points.

* People are casually tossing around the word RACIST/Racism
(because being called a racist/called on racist actions is more painful/powerfully upsetting than being the unwanting recipient of racist actions. White people's FEELINGS always/MUST ALWAYS come first.)(<-ETA)


No, I'm not gonna link to any of them. I'm busy poking Mozilla Add Ons so I can access Block Site. Cause all this does is confirm that YT is hard of hearing as well as blind. I kind of do wish that all those think-they're-progressive-white-SF-writers, would find these excerpts by their fellow whitefolk. Maybe they'd be shocked to see themselves reflected.

But I know that won't happen. There are none so blind as those who WILL NOT SEE. And I've been watching them walk into walls right in front of me (specifically) since 2008.

PS:

Special Edition PoC in SF Carnival - SUMMER OF FICTION

Who. Is. Interested?

Heck we can even do it old school - Summer of Fiction - Ficathon.

Then again, we do have the Remyth Project & IBARW & The rest of this year's PoC in SF Carnivals..... We could all absolutely be too busy to spin something out just because some one thinks we don't do enough. Already.

White Privilege Makes You Blind! And grows hair on your palms
 

Sweet Merciful Heavens, I'm About To Slap Someone(s)

NO!

RushmoreDrive is not racist you small minded, penny ante, refuse to do your homework, idiots on the internet.

No it's not. No it's not. NO IT IS NOT!

A search engine for African American folk is just that, a search engine catering to and fetching results that are geared towards a demographic's specific needs and interests.

THERE ALREADY ARE WHITE SEARCH ENGINES. They're called; Google, Altavista, Yahoo, the new Cuido and all the rest.

Having a search engine that brings up facts about African American statics and diabetes, when one searches for diabetes is helpful to ME.

Having a search engine bring up Luke Cage and this lovely page about Milestone comics and other black superheroes and their fans is helpful to ME.

Not to mention that it brought up Urban Style Comics and an international superheroes site.

Type in superheroes in Google and what do you get? Two wikipedias', one superhero hype, a superheroes general database and PARIS FRICKING HILTON.

This has been an example of the difference in thinking when WHITE is not the default on a search engine.

ETA: 'They Don't Know' & a total nod to Delux Vivens

My Anger Is Valid, Your Running Away Isn't

There's a woman whose first name is Heidi who wrote an article about Feminism that was full of shit, in my opinion. This entry is not about her. It is somewhat about me going to her blogsite today because I came across a link that claimed she'd tried to clarify what she'd meant in her original article. Clarification #2. But there was also a clarification #0. So that's three entries to clarify an editorial put up on a news site. But this post also isn't talking about that.


The Point:

There's a community on LJ called feminist. On said community a certain bittercat posted a one-liner concerning Ms Heidi Schnakenberg's article. Her one liner was: "I thought this was a very good article on race and feminism". That's all she said.

Given that said article ended up needing three separate posts (not on the original news site even) to clarify itself, one would think that bittercat would have more to say about the issues, especially when people commented asking her what she meant by that. And was she planning to elaborate or did she NOT see the racism and classicism and a whole bunch of other mess going on in the article.

Two pages of discussion and bittercat only posted three times. Once to say thank you to someone else who'd written a long nuanced comment about what they thought the original writer of the article might have been trying to say and what they got out of it. bittercat's second comment, was a response to someone asking why she hadn't written, tried to write/explain herself along the lines of the commenter she was thanking. In that comment she made the claim she was in a hurry and she's not eloquent or a college level scholar and that she didn't respond sooner because she doesn't like to contribute to nurturing hostility. So even though people were clamoring for her to explain herself, she viewed their anger and upset and confusion as hostility.

She told folks to 'have a good day' and she left the community.

Which leads us to today. And me going to read Clarification #3. And scrolling to find Clarification #2 and see if it's the entry that I'd read before. And I saw someone responding to Schnakenberg as if they were indeed bittercat and this is what they had to say:

It was a LOT of women, and I don't know if they were WOC or not. I just know they were very angry.

I ended up leaving that community over that. Not because I am a coward, but because I was overwhelmed by the sheer negativity that came out of my post. I am very sensitive and don't react well to such hatred. I also, like yourself, did not know about the particular events--which your friend so kindly posted about--that led up to the current divisiveness.(Have not had time to read those links, but I am going to.)

I just can't be a part of a "Feminist" community that is so...hostile. I can't stomach the idea that, because I am white, to some women, my oppression does not exist. For me, all women's oppression exists, so the divisions along race lines are just foreign to me. I was not raised that way, and I will not play into it now.

I have linked to your blog from mine, because no matter how much I read on the subject of interesectionality [sic]--what it has become--I STILL agree with you.

I am an I-Feminist and an Eco-Feminist. We tend to--on the one hand--see every individual woman's struggles as equally valid--and on the Eco side, we tend to see the big picture--the global implications of the oppression of women and girls. Those philosophies are just not amenable to nor compatible with this "new" intersectionality. In EcoFeminism, intersectionality (the traditional meaning) is a given.

Bless you.
~Cyber_Hippie

If Cyber Hippie is not bittercat and is someone else from another community who posted the article and received a huge outcry in return; Then I feel a bit better about the state of things on the internet that somewhere else there was a huge outcry.

But if Cyber Hippie is bittercat then I'm wondering if it's perfectly functional for her brain and sensibilities to write out her thoughts and beliefs if a) she finds herself in a position of agreement, or b) she knows the person reading and replying to her is not a Woman of Colour.

I won't link to Schnakenberg's response to that comment. It's easy enough to erase up until the .html and read the entry and all the comments. But I do find myself wanting to say this:

"Calling something divisiveness and hostility doesn't mean you're not claiming reverse discrimination. And it certainly isn't being inclusive of all women when there's mutual patting on the back and indulging in WWS.

All women are NOT delicate snowflakes who've never faced opposition of any other sort in their life and can have the privilege of not engaging because it would nurture hostility. And this 'divisiveness'? It's not recent. Even in #2 (entry 3) of her clarification Schnakenberg does not bring up the WoC First and Second Wave Feminists she left out of her original article.

More importantly, maybe most importantly; The discomfort of white women when faced with the reality of WoC dealing with multiple oppressions is not more important than those oppressions. The fear of white women is ALSO NOT more important than those oppressions. Because what else could be it but fear to feel the need to pop up and declaim every ten seconds "But White Women Are Oppressed Too!" as if WoC will somehow leave White Women standing on the corner as they move forward to tackle said oppressions. We are the ones who got left by the wayside in all the beginnings. We aren't the ones who throw a problem overboard in order to get just what we want. We aren't you."

========
Steel Magnolia Note: Karen Healey's Post on the lack of WoC/CoC in Buffyverse? The ass showing in her forums was truly reprehensible. Karen and Betty might have missed some things but they fully recognized excuses, racist tropes and lack of critical thinking when they saw it.

Privilege and Passive Racism In My Comics

Remember this jackass? I mentioned him back in March; Tom Brazleton of Theater Hopper. Apparently he's since pulled that page down on his lj feed. He's the one that didn't see what the big deal was about black face in current movies.

Well it seems like he has a web comic twin or possibly a fan in racist stupidity; Chris Daily of Striptease.

I was enjoying Questionable Content as I ate and tried to feel better (a/c apparently tricks your brain into thinking you don't need water. But oh you so do otherwise you end up feeling like crap). Questionable Content had a guest artist today.

So apparently the iPhone's best possible anthropomorphization, the best personality in a comic strip for this phone is as a - what was that? Was that a rich black thug? Or a rich black thug, rapper/musician?

"Call me 3G" + lack of conjugation of the verb 'to be' + misogyny.

WHAT THE FUCK?!

WHAT THE FUCK, Chris Daily??? It's not enough that when checking the cast of your comic, we find the hypersexualized Asian female and the magical sexualized gay negro (who opened some white chick's eyes to 'possibilities') - Jezebel much? And the lone black male - one Tommy - holy shit did you even think about that name? Though I'm calling Tommy black based on his goatee and baldness. He might be meant to be white. There aren't any other real signifiers on the cast page.

It's not enough, Chris Daily, that you have stereotypes and token minorities in your strip. You have to go contaminate Questionable Content? You have an otherwise bright spot in my day be one more instance of OTHERING?

~*~
I actually like Questionable Content and its regular writer/artist. Yes it's basically like F.R.I.E.N.D.S only more interesting, with music instead of coffee and the city has actual people of colour. Granted the PoC's seem to be mostly East Indian or of East Indian Descent; a drummer, a forensic doctor. But they just are. There's no big deal made about them. They don't get very special strips.

And the women in the comic kick ass. As well as the handling of several major traumatic/psychological issues. It treats sex well. It treats relationships between women well - it so passes the Bendel test and then some.
~*~

But unholy living shit this guest comic is just so full of racist failure. It's not funny. It's not cutting edge. It's not savvy. And it sure as hell isn't satire - unless 3G, a product made by Apple, which is owned by rich white men is the technological slave for said white men - oh wait. That wouldn't really be satire would it.

And then there's Windslow, in a tie, getting to look down at the hip, new, uncouth bit of technology.

DIF, Chris Daily. Just die in fire already.

ETA: And damn you, Jeph Jacques for thinking it was actually funny and letting it get posted.

__

eta: Amir the drummer might be of ME Decent.

Dear Feminisphere, PUT ON SOME DAMN PANTS

Heidi Schnackenberg would like to apologise say some MORE SHIT for having written a piece in AlterNet News subtitled Women will continue to be oppressed unless they stop prioritizing other causes over their own.

Can you guess which causes she put on the back burner?

Well for those of you who don't currently have a gold star proudly on your foreheads, I'll link and snip you her FIRST explanation/apology/what-the-fuck-ever which ISN'T on AlterNet. It includes:

I have never met a white feminist who doesn't care deeply about what I have to say. I've always gotten the impression that white feminists would welcome the opportunity to improve women's lives in all the areas I mentioned above. Maybe they don't always know about the issues and don't really know what to say, but I haven't seen an intentional dismissal of the unique needs of women of color (in post- modern times).

Apparently Heidi Schnakenberg wasn't alive earlier this year when shit went down with BrownfemiPower and Amanda Marcotte's utter skankiness.

Ms. Schnakenberg then goes on to drop these gems in her second follow up :

• ...A friend once described me as the Eminem of feminism—a white person who hasn't had an easy life and has been ostracized by white folks and feels more comfortable with people of color as a result...



• ... And yes, white women have work to do—they've got to be more inclusive and stop being so ignorant. But I can forgive them a little bit, just like I try to forgive the many white women who were cruel to me when I was growing up, because they are victims themselves...



• ...I'm not necessarily opposed to intersectionality as a theory--I can understand why women of color, especially, must fight against the piles of oppression stacked up against them. I don't want to get in the way of that, but I see how everything else in that lens--race, class, economics, etc., is taking priority over gender...



• ...I'm not necessarily asking for a banishment of intersectionality-- I'm asking for reform...

Go click the link for yourself. Read the foolishness first hand. Foolishness that persists even though according to this article, she's raising a biracial child.

I guess she hasn't yet connected to what it means to raise a SON who isn't white. Or maybe she'll raise him to believe he's white, despite her claim to multiculturism. Perhaps that's how she reckons to keep him safe.

If you want to read someone pissed off at Heidi Schnakenberg's rampant privilege go read Ami's Rant Here.

I don't want to rant at this woman. I want to cut a bitch. Because she has the GALL to write this shit:

Ask any white woman who has endured daily street harassment or the multitudes of white women who work in the sex industry; they can assure you that men of all classes, races and nationalities are united in the pleasure they take in seeing all types of women being sexually humiliated. If that fact alone doesn't unite white women and women of color, I don't know what will.

All I got to say to her is BITCH SHUT THE FUCK UP. Because I see a parade of little black girls that white women didn't give a fuck about; raped and murdered and tossed to the side. The daughters of their maids and cooks. I see the fucking parade of black women who get tossed to the side everyday too - but don't let no little blonde female go missing. Post modern times my black ass.

RAMONA MOORE. RAMONA MOORE. RAMONA MOORE

Also = Commenter Jan VanDenBerg on the Alternet article? StormFront's calling you to join their ranks. You ARE racist enough.

Who's Been Eating The Tainted Rye?

There's more William Sanders PROVES HE LIVES TO BE A JACKASS over at the ever classy and gracious Tobias Buckell and clicking to the very next post there shows links to Sanders' decision to charge writers who no longer wish to be associated with him and his magazine.

And then there's the New Yorker and WTF ever they were smoking when they published this:



I'm tired. I'm really tired right now. It may be a good thing that the whole world's gone mad and decided to show us who is who by them all frothing at the mouth and doing other things to show their level of madness (cause surely such levels of stupidity and bigogtry and racism have to be as un-yet denoted mental illness). No, madness, mental illness is a disease. These people make choices. They consciously decide to be this way or do these things.

But I am tired. It's a lot all at once and it feels like the best solution is to line some individuals up against a wall. Except I'm aware that this is a symptom of the very wrong choice group they continually make. So I just need a rest.

I just need a rest.