Best of the Week
of April 26, 1998
Here are the most intriguing cross-cultural exchanges either begun or
advanced during the week of April 26, 1998, as selected by Y?
These postings, as well as "Best of the Week" entries from previous
weeks, also can be found in their respective
archives, which we invite you to browse.
There, you will find questions that have received answers, as well as
questions still awaiting responses. We encourage you to answer any
questions relevant to your demographic background, as well as to ask
any provocative question you desire. Answers posted are not
necessarily meant to represent the views of an entire demographic
group, but can provide a window into the insights of an individual
from that group.
First-time users should first make a quick stop at our
guidelines pages for asking and
answering questions.
THE QUESTION:
R135: I've always wondered why it
seems the majority of older Spanish/Mexican men gawk at females who
walk by and even call out to them with lewd jestures and whistles.
Are they easily turned on by females? I've often heard females say
this about being called after, and I too, have encountered such
problems frequently.
POSTED APRIL 1, 1998
J. Wu, 18, female, Asian <ChinkGirl6@aol.com>
Lawrenceville, GA
ANSWER 1:
Historically, Spanish/Mexican
males have cherished a tradition known as "machismo." This is a sign
or a social symbol of manhood in their culture. This is according to
my Gender/Ethnicity Sensitivity class in college.
POSTED APRIL 6, 1998
Carrie, 28, Mansfield, TX
FURTHER NOTICE:
I always understood it to be
a cultural thing. This may be somewhat controversial, but I was once
told by a friend who grew up in a mixed neighborhood to use the
following rules when passing men on the street: Cast your eyes down
when passing Hispanic men so they'll know you're a modest girl and
not inviting any advances. Smile and nod when passing black men so
they'll know you don't think yourself above them. Make brief eye
contact and look confident when passing white men so they'll know
you're not an easy target. I've actually followed this advice for
years with good results.
POSTED MAY 2, 1998
A. Morgan, white female, Houston
To
respond
BACK TO
TOP
THE QUESTION:
R200: Is it true that African
Americans are incapable of bigotry, i.e. that this is a "white
disease"?
POSTED APRIL 20, 1998
Curious female, Anchorage, Alaska
ANSWER 1:
Though some of us deny it,
black people are just as capable of being racist as any other
racial/ethnic group. Those who deny that black racism exists allege
that racism requires access to power found in government and
corporate America.
POSTED APRIL 23, 1998
Jay Boyd, black male <jayboyd@ameritech.net>
Detroit
FURTHER NOTICE:
To Curious: That's what Spike
Lee always says. I'm not so sure I believe it. Black people, I guess,
are just as capable of bigotry and prejudice as anybody else. We are
as susceptible to the same faults as other human beings. Here in
America, we are the least likely to be in positions of power;
therefore, we have the least opportunity to force bigotry onto
others. Maybe that's why some people think African Americans are less
prejudiced.
POSTED APRIL 24, 1998
Denise, 26, black, Bronx, N.Y.
FURTHER NOTICE 2:
I often wonder about that. I
know that through my experiences and the material I read (history,
sociology, etc.) that I have become very untrustworthy and judgmental
of white people. Blacks in this country have always been treated so
badly and still are that it just makes me very angry to see the
injustice and racism that plays out daily. I guess I don't consider
myself a bigot, but tend to be prejudiced, which a lot of blacks
won't admit. Hope that helps.
POSTED APRIL 30, 1998
T. Spencer <auset2be@aol.com>, Largo, MD
To
respond
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TOP
THE QUESTION:
O5: Is it acceptable to date
someone you work with if you keep it professional at the office? Is
it anyone's business what you do with your personal time outside the
office?
POSTED APRIL 30, 1998
Stephanie P., 22 <stephiep@hotmail.com>
Ann Arbor, MI
ANSWER 1:
There is no question that
personal involvement does affect professional performance in the
workplace. As an employer, I've had two instances in which relations
between staff members blossomed and soured and consequently affected
office atmosphere. I don't recommend office policies denying such
behavior (doomed to fail because of human nature), but I do ask
employees to inform the office of what is happening so the
inevitiable can be factored in.
POSTED MAY 2, 1998
F.J.B., South Africa <fjb@poboxes.com>
FURTHER NOTICE:
Is it acceptable? Probably
not, but it depends on your company's culture. Is it smart? Almost
definitely not - especially if you value your job and your peace of
mind. If you plan to move on and don't particularly need an
enthusiastic reference, go ahead and have fun. Otherwise, think about
any former relationships that have gone bad, and ask yourself how
much you'd enjoy having to work with your exes now.
POSTED MAY 2, 1998
A. Morgan, 33, Houston
To
answer
BACK TO
TOP
THE QUESTION:
R196: A question for African
Americans: How common is it to hear the word "nigger" used as an
intentional insult by non-African Americans? I hear the word
occasionally, but never with an African American around.
POSTED APRIL 18, 1998
Joseph, 35, white <shaules@rikkyo.ac.jp>
Tokyo, Japan
(Director's Note: Because of the high interest we have received from
people using Y? regarding the use and power of this word, we would be
interested in hearing specific examples from African Americans (when
answering the above question) of when this word has been used in
front of you by a non-African American as an intentional insult. That
is, describe the circumstances, why or how the person used the word,
how you reacted, what thoughts or emotions you had, etc.)
ANSWER 1:
My husband was riding his
bike when some white males in a car rode past, threw a bottle at him
and said "nigger get a car." Of course that was cowardly of them, but
these days people have more sense than to use that word to your face.
Had they been face to face, there would have been a fight. It's that
simple. Don't use the word.
POSTED APRIL 29, 1998
Black Female, N.C.
FURTHER NOTICE:
When we moved to Columbia,
S.C., in 1989, our first day there my mom and I went to a convenience
store to purchase some items for my new home. When we walked out the
door, a group of white boys looked at my mom and called her a nigger.
I was very angry, but my mom told me to ignore them and not respond
because that would put me down to their level. It bothered me for a
long time after. I have heard that word all my life and am raising my
children never to use it. It is very painful and only causes
fights.
POSTED MAY 2, 1998
C. Lorick, 44 <blackcherrie@yahoo.com>, Jacksonville, FL
FURTHER NOTICE 2:
Generally, when "nigger" has
been directed toward me or people with me, the situation is that we
are physically in the minority. Specifically, we're at a "white"
club, or maybe at an event with a predominantly white crowd. Me and a
couple of friends were at a white club, and one of my friends was
involved in a fight with another patron. After the fight, someone
said, "Why can't you niggers stay at your own clubs and stop coming
to ours causing problems?" My personal reaction to confrontations
that involve being called "nigger" is more to laugh than to become
angry. If that is the best (worst) insult that can be thrown at me,
then I don't feel threatened. Anyone who uses the word as an insult
is only showing their ignorance and lack of education.
POSTED MAY 2, 1998
Sean C., 30, black male, Flint, MI
To
respond
BACK TO
TOP
THE QUESTION:
RE34: Many customs associated
with holidays have their origins in pagan holidays and beliefs. Why
do non-pagans seem to readily incorporate some pre-Christian customs
(the Easter bunny, Easter eggs, Christmas trees, Yule logs,
wassailing, Candlemas, Jack-o-Lanterns, trick-or-treating, May
baskets, May poles, wheat weaving, corn dollies, etc.) while other
pagan customs often engender fear or strong opposition (Goddess,
pentagrams, tarot cards, balefires, chanting, covens, circle casting,
dumb supper, sabbats, etc.)? I do not see this fear associated as
much with the more unfamiliar customs of other minority religions in
the United States. (Hindu, Shinto, Buddhist, etc.) as with Wicca and
Voudou (proper for "Voodoo").
POSTED APRIL 28, 1998
WitchWomon, Dianic witch <WitchWomon@aol.com>
Southfield, MI
ANSWER 1:
I agree with you that
Christians celebrating non-Christian festivals does seem weird,
especially if they are so anti-paganism. I think a lot of it stems
from not knowing the origins of these festivals or refusing to
believe the truth about them (my grandparents, for example). However,
I can see a big difference between the first list of pagan "accepted"
traditions and most of the second list of "non-accepted" traditions.
The accepted traditions are more to do with charms protecting
yourself from evil, whereas the second list includes practices that
are supposed to be able to cause things to happen - for either good
or bad. I do have friends who are strict Christians and they don't
celebrate Halloween, but I think they still celebrate Easter with
eggs and rabbits!
POSTED APRIL 29, 1998
Beth, Edinburgh, UK
FURTHER NOTICE:
To WitchWomon: As a seminary
student 20 years ago, I had the same questions. Then I found a book
titled "Babylon Mystery Religion." It changed my whole outlook,
beliefs and method of study concerning the Bible and modern
traditions. As a result, I do not celebrate accepted modern
"Christian" holidays.
Here is my reasoning: The Bible was
written by Jews, living in Jewish communities, following Jewish
customs and traditions. When I applied this line of thinking to my
study of the Scripture, it changed my whole understanding of what was
written down. Until the rule of Constantine the Roman emperor, early
Christians followed Judaisam with the understanding that the Messiah
had indeed come for their "atonement." Constantine made Christianity
a state religion, but with his own traditions. Anyone found following
Jewish traditions was killed. So early Christians found ways to
identify their beliefs with pagan, e.g. Passover was switched for
Easter.
My opinion is that they fully
intended to go back to their original ways of worship when
Constantine died, but as we see today, that never happened. Now,
modern Christians so thoroughly identify with these holidays that it
is nearly impossible to change. Coupled with the fact that we have so
many fond memories of these holidays as children, to change would be
painful, almost a betrayal to their families. I have a question for
you: I was a little surprised to see that you (a proclaimed witch)
identified non-pagans with Christians and non-Christians with pagans.
Can you explain?
POSTED APRIL 30, 1998
Steve N., 40 <blaster7@hotmail.com.>, Dallas
FURTHER NOTICE 2:
I believe the answer to your
question is stated in your question: The numerous holiday-related
events/symbols aren't frightening because they have been "borrowed"
into Christianity as a means of converting pagan peoples into
Christianity. Other symbols - pentagrams, goddess, etc .- were both
not assimilated into Christianity and were vehemently propagandized
against in an effort to squelch "witchcraft" (Wiccan or otherwise).
Buddhism, Hinduism, etc. were never serious opponents to then-new
Christianity because of their distance from the European center,
broadly defined.
POSTED APRIL 30, 1998
Lilstar, Wiccan male, Huntington, WV
FURTHER NOTICE 3:
I suspect it has nothing to
do with the origin of the practice(s) and everything to do with
marketing and the media. I lived in Japan for three years, where a
majority of people follow the Buddhist or Shinto religions. Christmas
is very big there - decorations and music and gift-giving, etc. (The
life-sized statues of Col. Sanders outside the KFCs get dressed up as
Santa). I don't know how this got started, but it is obviously not in
a religious (e.g., Christian) context.
POSTED APRIL 30, 1998
D.M.S., female, 30, Jacksonville, FL
FURTHER NOTICE 4:
I am a Christian and well
aware of the pagan origins of the aforementioned holiday symbols. I
couldn't care less about it because it is simply fun to celebrate in
those fashions. My children get Easter baskets, go trick-or-treating
and receive Christmas presents. So what?
POSTED APRIL 30, 1998
J.R. <exwob@aol.com>, Riverview, MI
To
respond
BACK TO
TOP
THE QUESTION:
GE17: What thought process does a
woman go through when agreeing to have sex with a partner?
POSTED APRIL 18, 1998
Kurt S., Sydney, Australia
ANSWER 1:
There are so many factors in
this decision. For young women, it is sadly often a question of "Will
he continue to love me/stay with me if I don't?" Many of my
high-school friends lost their virginity to high-pressure tactics,
and I don't think any of them remember the boy or the experience
fondly. Older or more self-confident women might be asking
themselves, "Do I know him well enough? Do I trust him? Do I like him
enough to want this level of intimacy? Does he turn me on? Am I happy
with where our relationship is going? Does he care about me?"
Hopefully, all women are asking themselves: "Is it safe? Am I as
protected as possible?"
POSTED APRIL 26, 1998
A. Morgan, Houston
FURTHER NOTICE:
It depends on two or three
things: 1) how much have I had to drink, 2) what is the person's
alleged sexual history and penis size, and 3) what type of career the
person is currently in and what their career potential is. Women in
my experience are as shallow as men when they want sex.
POSTED APRIL 30, 1998
Deborah <september273@hotmail.com>
Barrie, Ontario Canada
To
respond
BACK TO
TOP
THE QUESTION:
R188: Is it true that black
people hoot and holler more at the movies than white people do?
POSTED APRIL 15, 1998
Yoinksta, 15, male, Greendale, WI
ANSWER 1:
Similar patterns of racial
differences in vocalization can be seen in the context of worship.
Northern Europeans tend to express their appreciation for a
presentation (entertainment, worship, grief, etc.) in a quiet and
demure fashion. Southern Europeans (those from warmer climates?) are
more vociferous than their northern counterparts. Perhaps the warmer
the clime and the darker the skin, the greater the immediate response
to pleasure.
POSTED APRIL 18, 1998
M.P., Ann Arbor, MI
FURTHER NOTICE:
To M.P.: Surely this is a
matter of culture rather than race. To suggest that darker-skinned
peoples from warmer climes are naturally more emotional or impulsive
is offensive even to my light-skinned, cool-climed self.
POSTED APRIL 26, 1998
A. Morgan, Houston
FURTHER NOTICE 2:
I can safely answer this one
from past encounters. Black folks do tend to make more noise in a
movie theater than whites, but before anybody flies off the handle,
let me qualify this by stating it is predominantly the lower classes
in black society that do so. Upper- and middle-class blacks wouldn't
dream of hooping and hollering in a theater any more than white
folks. However, young blacks do make noise and do dance around when
something excites them, and I will not choose to see a movie in which
I expect a young black crowd, or a young white crowd really, to be in
attendance. Call that racist, call that what you will. I feel it is
simply a respect problem. These kids don't really care if you are
trying to watch a film, and they feel the need to express themselves.
Citing cultural reasons that stretch back a thousand years to Africa,
as M.P. above did, is a bit far-fetched.
POSTED APRIL 26, 1998
Truthseeker
FURTHER NOTICE 3:
At a Ziggy Marley concert, I
experienced the loudest hooting and hollering I've ever heard. That
was from the white people. But you will never hear me say that
because of their color they have a "greater reaction" to pleasure. To
Truthseeker: I agree with your statement completely. In New York
City, some young blacks would bring and play their radios in the
theater. I too would avoid the "youngsters" of any race if I want to
enjoy a movie. It's not racism, it's just being smart.
POSTED APRIL 29, 1998
Jas, black, 42 <themoas@aol.com>
Pensacola, FL
FURTHER NOTICE 4:
I think this is more about
maturity, intelligence and respect for the people around you than it
is about race. The individuals who hoot and holler in a theater
during the movie come in a variety of colors.
POSTED APRIL 30, 1998
Carly <nova00007@aol.com>
Southfield, MI
FURTHER NOTICE 5:
I agree with the sentiments
expressed by Truthseeker in reponse to (I admit) my tongue-in-cheek,
inflammatory and frivolous comments made in Answer 1. I am somewhat
saddened and perturbed that people get annoyed and personally
insulted by sweeping generalizations. While many people fit
generalizations made for the purpose of argument, many do not. As an
Englishman of West Indian descent, born, raised and educated in
England, I certainly do not fit the stereotype of "hooting and
hollering at the movies"... or in church for that matter!
Nevertheless, I have heard
African Americans rationalize their choice of church or behavior at
concerts, movies, etc., based on ethnic criteria. Nonsensical?
Perhaps. But, human behavior is of necessity complex and influenced
by a plethora of environmental, cultural and other nuances and cues.
A more appropriate answer to my first answer should have been a
resounding "Rubbish!" ... although I certainly appreciate the kind
and more reasoned approach taken by "Truthseeker."
POSTED APRIL 30, 1998
M.P., Ann Arbor, MI
To
respond
BACK TO
TOP
THE QUESTION:
GE21: Why does it seem women
are so infatuated with their bodies and general appearance? My female
friends ask me my opinion about some aspect of their appearance, and
then if I say they look fine, they disagree and ask until someone
agrees they don't look fine. Also, it seems like they will base this
opinion on what male society wants, but all the men they ask will say
they look fine.
POSTED APRIL 26, 1998
Marc, 20, male <romarti@yahoo.com>
Atlanta, GA
ANSWER 1:
Women (and men as well)
receive a lot of messages from the media about what is and is not
acceptable about their bodies. Because the "acceptable" bodies
presented in ads and entertainment are nowhere near average - usually
slimmer, leggier and bustier - women fight long, often losing battles
to be accepted. Those messages are passed along by the masses who
consume them. Peer pressure - especially among adolescent girls - to
achieve and maintain a perfect figure can be overwhelming. Have you
ever ogled an attractive woman or made fun of an overweight or
unattractive woman in front of a female friend? If so, you indirectly
told your friend that a pleasing physical appearance merits approval.
Unfortunately, even the assurances of a caring friend can't override
years of messages that tell a woman she's not acceptable until she's
perfect.
POSTED APRIL 29, 1998
Michelle G., white female, 27 <ufinjax@aol.com>
Gainesville, FL
FURTHER NOTICE:
Women are conditioned
throughout their lives to seek perfection in their personal
appearance. (Note make-over magazine spreads and TV shows, the
fashion industry, the cosmetic industry, pageants, etc.) Thus, there
aren't only two states - looking OK and not looking OK. Instead,
there's more of a continuum, and women are constantly striving to
meet the standard at the highest end of the appearance continuum. An
added complication is that the perfection standard changes
constantly. To the extent women ask for advice on such matters, I can
see how they would value advice from other women who are subject to
the same influences rather than from men who may have trouble
understanding. I don't have a good answer about how expectations for
women are or are not set in part by men. I agree with Marc's comment
that often men actually don't seem to care nearly as much as
women think men do.
K.S., 27, female
Indianapolis, IN
FURTHER NOTICE 2:
Women are obsessed, not
infatuated, with appearance because female appearance is so
relentlessly focused upon in our culture. We are bombarded constantly
by the message that the most important thing about us is how we look.
This bombardment comes from television, magazines, movies, all forms
of advertising, etc. It also comes from men, who compare us all the
time. When you "rate" some woman's appearance, even in fun, you are
participating in the kind of activity that furthers this attitude.
I'm not saying we don't size you up based on appearance. I'm trying,
instead, to describe our experience. If we are neurotic about how we
look, it is because our culture encourages us from a very early age
to obsess about it rather than encouraging us to develop our minds,
hearts and character, which is the proper focus for developing human
potential.
POSTED APRIL 30, 1998
J. Lemke <j-lemke@ti.com>
Plano, Texas
FURTHER NOTICE 3:
What you are observing is not
infatuation but the deep insecurity and shame felt by the majority of
women who fail to meet the unrealistic standards imposed by
magazines, television, the fashion industry, etc. Young women and
teenagers are particularly vulnerable to this, and they are much
harder on themselves than most men will ever be. This is truly a very
painful issue for your friends, even the ones you consider pretty. Be
kind to them, and keep reassuring them that their worth is not based
on the whiteness of their smiles or the thinness of their thighs.
POSTED APRIL 30, 1998
A. Morgan, Houston
FURTHER NOTICE 4:
Come on, women, let's admit
that we do this to ourselves, too. How often do we criticize friends
or strangers for how they look, even though we hate such criticism
ourselves? We all need a
change of attitude, not just men and the media.
POSTED APRIL 30, 1998
E.P. 25, female, Washington, D.C.
To
respond
BACK TO
TOP
THE QUESTION:
R175: I am a 15-year-old
Native American male. Why is it that African Americans I know feel as
if the world owes them something? All of my people's lands have been
taken and abused, and the other Native Americans I know don't act
half as mad at the world as blacks.
POSTED APRIL 13, 1998
Anishnabe, <pantherdered@yahoo.com>
Near Ann Arbor, MI
ANSWER 1:
First, none of your ancestors
were brought to this country against their will. Second, none died on
those horrible slave ships and drowned during the voyages. Third, our
women and children were raped and brutalized. Our men were hung from
trees for something as silly as looking at a white woman. We built
this country through free slave labor and have yet to be given
reparations for our work, unlike other ethnic groups, such as Jews,
for the Holocaust. It's obvious you've never seen footage of "Eyes On
The Prize" or "Four Little Girls." Not yet have I heard any African
Americans downplay the suffering and plight of Native Americans
because we both have suffered at the hands of the Native European,
yet you feel we're the ones upset, when we both should be at the 500
years of suffering we are still feeling the effects of.
POSTED APRIL 16, 1998
Charles W., black, Arlington, VA
FURTHER NOTICE:
The world does owe us
something. It owes me the freedom to walk into a store without being
followed around. It owes me the freedom to buy an expensive item
without having my ability to pay for it being questioned. It owes
black males the freedom to drive or walk down the street in peace
without fear of police harassment or abuse. It owes black children
decent schools. In fact, the world owes all of us; black,
Native-American, Hispanic, Asian and white. It owes us the freedom to
live our lives without prejudice, stereotypes and stigmas. I guess
some of us choose to fight for that freedom more vehemently than
others.
POSTED APRIL 16, 1998
Denise, 26, black, Bronx, NY
FURTHER NOTICE 2:
To Charles W.: Contrary to
what you believe, many other ethnic groups that have come to the
United States did not do so voluntarily. Many were forced to flee
their homelands because of tyrannical rulers. You don't think
Europeans weren't killed for something as silly as poaching in the
King's forest? Or maybe they were running from starvation. Whatever
the reason our ancestors got here, it's in the distant past. As for
reparations, don't you have to start at the beginning - which would
be the Africans who captured black people and the Arabs who traded
them?
POSTED APRIL 18, 1998
B. Bachli, 38, white, Temperance, MI
FURTHER NOTICE 3:
To B. Bachli: The one thing
I've noticed in the whole slavery and reparations debate is white
people's insistence on calling attention to the fact that blacks were
sold into slavery by Africans. That is an acknowledged fact within
the black community; a few West African leaders have even apologized
to African Americans for this participation. While this fact is
partially true (some slaves were kidnapped by Europeans who secretly
went into the interior against African rulers' wishes), it still does
not absolve European slave traders from culpability. It also does not
even remotely explain the incredibly brutal treatment that was forced
on Africans upon their arrival here in America and the Western
Hemisphere. Let's not forget, European immigrants were
free when they arrived here. Even those who were
indentured servants were allowed to go free after a certain number of
years. In my opinion, this is the root of the debate - our treatment
here on these shores. America is the superpower it is today because
of the tremendous economic benefits of more than 250 years of free
labor and an additional century or so of low-cost labor. Some in the
black community feel we should be paid back wages, not only for the
free labor of the past, but also for the way African Americans are
disproportionately impoverished in lieu of this country's economic
supremacy. I have not decided how I feel about the issue, but I do
think the debate is a valid one.
POSTED APRIL 21, 1998
Denise, 26, black, Bronx, N.Y.
FURTHER NOTICE 4:
Virtually every civilization,
from the Romans to the Greeks to the Mongols to the Chinese to
Egyptians, Jews, Assyrians and Babylonians, practiced slavery and
land acquisition. Even the American Indians raided each other's
villages for horses, women and children. And what about blacks who
owned slaves in America? And who invented slavery - the world's first
humans, who evolved in Mesopotamia - Africans. Should Africans
apologize to the world for inventing that institution? And where is
the only place slavery still exists? The Sudan. And have African
Americans apologized to Native Americans for their role in those
people's extermination, or have they instead lauded the "Buffalo
Soldiers" in film and literature? When African Americans pay Native
Americans reparations, then they can ask me for money.
POSTED APRIL 21, 1998
Steve, Kan.
FURTHER NOTICE 5:
To Charles W.: Indians
were forced from their own homelands - marched to
reservations at gunpoint by the white government that wanted their
land.
Indians were enslaved before blacks,
by the Spanish who explored this country, starting with Columbus.
They were forced to build the missions, which then forced the
conversion of the Indians to Christianity. The absolute power of the
explorers led to massacres and cruelties that fully equaled anything
black slaves suffered.
By the way, in defense of European
Americans, even in the time of Columbus, there were already sane
voices protesting the horror and barbarity being practiced, just as
there were all through the mistreatment of Indians and black slaves.
Unfortunately (just as in present times), these people were ignored
in favor of wealthy businessmen and governments who wanted to make as
much money as possible by whatever means necessary.
POSTED APRIL 23, 1998
Colette, white <inkwolf@earthlink.net>
Seymour, WI
FURTHER NOTICE 6:
I think all the cultures
robbed, enslaved, murdered, stolen or stolen from should stop trying
to say who suffered the most. As a person of mixed origin, the
Cherokee and African heritage in me doesn't stop to point the finger
and say, "I suffered more than you." I really think that in some ways
we all have a lot of pain in our souls about slavery in the Americas.
We cannot heal ourselves by pointing fingers at anybody but
ourselves. We all
have to own up to how
messed-up slavery has rendered American culture. We cannot deny the
past; it happened, we were all involved in some way. We have to make
peace with our own pain and try to help each other heal. We should
acknowledge the pain of other cultures, not ridicule it. (However, I
think both African and Native Americans got the rawest parts of the
deal.) We just have to learn from the past, teach ourselves
forgiveness and grow beyond it. Just as a rape victim has to grow
beyond the pain and trauma, so do those of us who were raped, robbed
and destroyed as cultures. And those of us who were rapists, robbers
and enslavers have to own up to what we did.
POSTED APRIL 26, 1998
Carmela, 29, African American <pecola@hotmail.com>
Atlanta, GA
FURTHER NOTICE 7:
To Steve from Kansas: African
Americans without question participated in the wars against Native
Americans. My ancestors were ignorant for doing so. In their zeal for
full acceptance into American society, they were involved in many
things they should not have been. But the relationship between Native
Americans and African Americans is more complex than that. Many
Native Americans were known to harbor runaway slaves. And it is a
fact that a large portion, maybe even a majority, of black Americans
have Native American blood or ancestry. Some blacks I know have
entire sections of their family trees that are Native American. My
maternal great-grandmother was one.
I do think your point of view was
interesting and informative. However, we can all claim the invention
of slavery, because, regardless of the races we are now, we are all
descendants of those people in Mesopotamia. But when reparations are
discussed by black people, they are talking about this country and the larger society's lack of acknowledgment
of our role and contributions. I would challenge you to give the
issue deeper thought. Members of every race have at some point
willingly participated in discrimination against someone else. But
regardless of who was involved in whose extermination or enslavement,
the real issue is who reaped the benefits? Who has all the land, all
the money and all the power?
POSTED APRIL 26, 1998
Denise, 26, black, Bronx, N.Y.
FURTHER NOTICE 8:
To Steve from Kansas: Slavery
was created in the area known today as the centeral region of Africa.
Many people think African slavery and European slavery were the same.
If you read Basil Davidson's books on African civilization, you will
find that the system of "slavery" was vastly different than that of
the European style. When Africans enslaved other Africans, they often
maintained the same positions they had when they were free - if a
general from one kingdom was captured by another, he kept his
position because he was most useful to the kingdom he was captured by
as such. When Europeans and Euro-Americans captured an African
warrior, did they make him a warrior in his new world? No, he was
made to perform back-breaking work in the fields and subjected to
brutal treatment.
POSTED APRIL 29, 1998
Kara <micheka@rocketmail.com>
Japan
FURTHER NOTICE 9:
The ancestors of a majority
of white people in the United States came to this country after the
Civil War. It would seem extreme to ask them to pay reparations for
slavery. And even in the unpleasantness of the 1860s, there were two
sides. My own ancestors arrived here from 1638 (Massachusetts) to
1918 (Michigan). The issue of slavery doesn't seem pertinent to me.
Better we should worry about what happened after 1900 if we want to
talk about reparations or who owes whom what. People in this country
have been treated unjustly. We have yet to become what we can be.
There are things that we may be able to do to address those
injustices, but I don't think slavery is one of them.
POSTED APRIL 29, 1998
Chas. P., 54, white, Dayton, OH
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