Moments of Permanence - On differences in oppression, derailment, and the hierarchies of hurt

From: (Anonymous) Date: April 6th, 2009 06:34 am (UTC) (Link)

Are you saying that the only way a discussion of racism (or any other prejudice) can be productive is if it Changes the World? That, unless the face of SFF was in some way altered, this whole discussion would have been pointless? Even though people got to say things that they've been thinking and were, until that point, unable to talk about. And even though other people were,as a result, beginning to understand White Priviledge and how it works. Just look at Rydra_wong's most recent post. One woman writes about the commercialization of Hinduism and another woman, one who had been using the name Kali Ma on the internet, realized why it was offensive, apoligized and changed her behavior. Do you think that's pointless, just because it's small?

If so, I guess I understand your point of view a little better: Racefail has been largely a bunch of people expressing their opinions and sharing their reactions. If you don't think that matters, then of course you won't think that Racefail matters.

- Amanda

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From: ataxi.livejournal.com Date: April 6th, 2009 07:57 am (UTC) (Link)

"Are you saying that the only way a discussion of racism (or any other prejudice) can be productive is if it Changes the World?"

No. I'm talking about degree of productivity as well as the existence thereof, I'm not restricting outcomes to those that require Special Capitalisation, and I'm not ignoring the opportunity cost of having scores of intelligent communicators in the SF&F community, from activists to writers to publishers and academics engaged in the rough equivalent of an old-school Usenet flamewar held in multiple venues simultaneously either, with maybe a little short of half of them leaving in a disaffected rage.

"If so, I guess I understand your point of view a little better: Racefail has been largely a bunch of people expressing their opinions and sharing their reactions. If you don't think that matters, then of course you won't think that Racefail matters."

At the risk of sounding condescending ... oh never mind. But shoot down as many things that aren't my view as you like. Clearly whenever a group of people get together in a space and express their opinions and share their reactions, that has great value regardless of what is said, how it's said, who says it, what the outcomes are, how they're transmitted outside the group, and what opportunities for communication and positive change are lost as a result of the way the "expression of opinions and sharing of reactions" progresses, and to what end.

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