I used to believe that intentions were important. Now I'm starting to see the merit of the phrase "the road to hell is paved with good intentions."
A man yells something at a woman walking down the street. She feels demeaned and objectified. He says, "but it was just a compliment, get over it!"
The US government steals its land from the tribes who lived there, then systematically tries to wipe them out with genocide. It can't, so it puts them on reservations. Then it begins to usurp their culture and their memory as its own. Cities, rivers, states, automobiles, and NCAA teams are named after Indians to "preserve *OUR* past." Some Indians object "hey, we're not part of the past yet, and the past really didn't happen the way you say it did anyway . . . would you mind leaving our culture and names alone?" The objection, again: "But it's meant as a compliment! Get over it!"
Person A says in conversation "oh, that's so gay." Person B says, "Ummm, I'm gay. Why are you using gay as a negative word? I'm offended by that." Person A says, "Oh, but I didn't mean it *that* way . . . get over it."
In retrospect, maybe it's not the intentions that bother me, but rather the "get over it" attitude. I think we might be better off without that phrase, even. Just for a little while.
A man yells something at a woman walking down the street. She feels demeaned and objectified. He says, "but it was just a compliment, get over it!"
The US government steals its land from the tribes who lived there, then systematically tries to wipe them out with genocide. It can't, so it puts them on reservations. Then it begins to usurp their culture and their memory as its own. Cities, rivers, states, automobiles, and NCAA teams are named after Indians to "preserve *OUR* past." Some Indians object "hey, we're not part of the past yet, and the past really didn't happen the way you say it did anyway . . . would you mind leaving our culture and names alone?" The objection, again: "But it's meant as a compliment! Get over it!"
Person A says in conversation "oh, that's so gay." Person B says, "Ummm, I'm gay. Why are you using gay as a negative word? I'm offended by that." Person A says, "Oh, but I didn't mean it *that* way . . . get over it."
In retrospect, maybe it's not the intentions that bother me, but rather the "get over it" attitude. I think we might be better off without that phrase, even. Just for a little while.
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I think it's all bullshit... racism and the lack of respect for gays and lesbians.
The problem is that I say dyke and call myself a faghag and it's hard to tell someone else not to say it because they are saying it in a "bad" way.
*shrug*
What should we do about the idiots in the group? I think I may start a thread and say that I'm cleaning house... and if you want to be a part of the group then you must post.
Your thoughts?
I think we need to take it back... it's ours afterall. Let them call us Indian givers if they want... as long as they do it outside of our group.