2.06.2006

yet more racism stuff

the south is the repository of all racist guilt in this country.

last week, a homophobe and white supremist walked into a gay bar here in new bedford--carrying a hatchet and gun--and shot and hacked up three people before he fled the scene (no fatalities). well, the guy was caught saturday night in arkansas.

now. although i should realize the boston herald shouldn't be confused with a real newspaper (it could be called the boston inquiyah), today's headline offended me none the less:

robeido heads to the heart of kkk country.

6 comments:

Meghann said...

WOW, Biffle responded in my blog :) This makes me feel important.

I'll tell you what I told Alison in person today, in regards to how disheartening this label is to me.

The fact that you would go out of your way to make a woman feel more comfortable, and your being a male feminist are (to me) such strong examples of progression? I think that's the word I'm using?

HOWEVER, I feel like there will always be the overtly racist assholes (the ones I choose to explicity label "racist" or "sexist") and those who make our contemporary society so divided.

What I said to Alison was that I'm sure that by the time of your death (which I am entirely not prophecizing, just go with my hypothetical here...) I doubt society will have changed enough so that things are not so racially/genderally (???) divided. You will have done such considerate things as walk on the opposite side of the street than a woman as to make her feel more comfortable, BUT at your death, because of society and your amount of privelege, you will still be labelled "sexist"

Right back atcha -- does this make sense?? Ask AP about it, I said it so much more eloquently in her office and then we had an image of your tombstone saying "Here lies, Biffle. He was an awesome feminist everyday, but WAS STILL SEXIST" -- hence, my naive idea that nothing we do matters.

It's the fucking nihilists, man.
(That one was for Alison's brother!)

Charlie said...

RE: "Nothing we do matters," although I am a complete outsider in this conversation, I feel like I'm just learning (and still trying to convince myself) that processes are more important than the end results they create (at least on an experiential level), since we spend so much more time in the process of things, and when (or in this case "if") we achieve end results they are all too often overshadowed by the wanting of more. Does the phrase "living well is the best revenge" go here?

Which is not to contradict what you're saying. I don't even know if that observation applies to activism, since activism is ostensibly based on end results. (But not exclusively, right?) It might just be a "spin" issue, but at the very least, it's an awfully helpful self delusion that's helping me live a better life, I think.

Wow, I need to go to sleep right this minute, or I will reveal my innermost thoughts to the world, and we can't have that.

Alison Piepmeier said...

geeze, charlie. with thoughts like that how come your own blog is nothing but references to diet coke and britney spears?

Charlie said...

I am large. I contain multitudes. :)

Maig said...

Damn ya'll, love it- Charlie and Ms. Meghan.

Which brother? might I ask...I'm catching up and reading things all out of order.

Maig said...

OH! Wait! I get it!....Your rug does tie the room together, Alison.