(no subject)
It's just that tragedy is tragedy; we don't gain anything by comparing whose is worse. Though I know precisely zero people who will claim that the average white person has experienced more discrimination than the average black person, that doesn't mean that their discrimination doesn't exist, that it doesn't suck, and that we shouldn't be trying to get rid of it along with every other type of discrimination. There are lots of ways to be discriminated against in this beautiful, infinite world, and being a "visible minority" is just one ticket into the Discrimination Palace. Try ordering MacDonald's when you're obese, or using the women's washroom when you're trans, or being in a Spec-Ed class for five years, and then come back and tell me that just by virtue of being white you're immune to discrimination.
Nobody can "understand" anyone else, one-hundred percent. We're too different for that. But we can try, and we can come close. If we limit the dialogue to those who have experienced the exact same form of discrimination, we're losing out on a lot of diversity. Let people into the conversation if they feel that they have something to offer and who knows, maybe when we present a united front against discrimination instead of setting a minimum bar of shittiness experienced prior to being able to use the R-word we'll be able to make some real progress against bigotry.
Nobody can "understand" anyone else, one-hundred percent. We're too different for that. But we can try, and we can come close. If we limit the dialogue to those who have experienced the exact same form of discrimination, we're losing out on a lot of diversity. Let people into the conversation if they feel that they have something to offer and who knows, maybe when we present a united front against discrimination instead of setting a minimum bar of shittiness experienced prior to being able to use the R-word we'll be able to make some real progress against bigotry.