Righteous Anger
Okay, so here is my righteous anger rant for the day:
So, sociology professor assigns a class an experiment in classism, and has them go into retail stores of different economic target groups to see how customer service is, store set up looks, etc. He sends groups in with one person dressed very high end, and another dressed very low end. He requests specifically that an African American freshman go into Neiman Marcus dressed low end (ie jeans and a tshirt). Said girl proceeds to, without acting any differently or even speaking in slang, be followed by employees, ignored by sales staff, talked about by people around her, stared at, and generally treated terribly. She is really shaken by this, and spends a lot of time crying.
What angers me most is the responses of people around her. Most of whom say she should get over it, that's the way the real world works, and she just has to get used to it. Like it's no big deal.
WHAT THE HELL???
I'm sorry maybe I'm an idealist but seriously, there is no one who should have to just "get used to" racism (or classism or sexism) or any other form of discrimination. She has a right to be angry. And as her friend I have a right to be angry for her. Yeah, the professor shouldn't have put her in that position. But so what??? It doesn't mean what the people in that store did was right, nor that she deserves it, nor that she should just "deal with it because that's how the world works". Great. It's just let the world continue discriminating against people, and not get angry about it because it won't do any good. Well if I don't get angry about it, as a white female in the United States, then who will change things? If white people are so resigned to other white people being jackasses, it's no wonder race relations get so screwed up in this country.
Because you know what? Yeah, it's true, racism exists, and it sucks. And it's also true that not all white people are racist. But it's also true that turning a blind eye to it isn't going to make it any better, and saying "well that's the way it is" is asinine. Just because it is like that doesn't mean we have to accept it. I'm sorry but I won't be apathetic just because other people are. ANd it's frustrating to hear other educated people say "well she should just get over it because that's how the world works she she better get used to it." No. With attitudes like that we're never going to CHANGE how the world works.
And you know what? It doesn't matter how much you know what to expect, or how much you know that the person being nasty to you is just an idiot. Being discriminated against hurts. I get it from my family from the rampant homophobia on one side. I've seen my friends have to deal with it because of their skin color. And it doesn't hurt them any less because they know the other person is wrong and it doesn't hurt me any less either. Because somewhere inside you still know that someone sees you this way, without really knowing you as a person, just because you are (black, white, gay, straight, fat, thin, rich, poor, male female etc). Fuck apathy. What we need is people who care enough to do something about this shit.
***
On a second, shorter and less serious rant on the stupidity of humanity, we have the dopey invasive frosh strikes again, as she tells me (walking at night in december in 35 degree weather with her coat hanging open) how cold it is. And I say, well zip up your coat! and she goes, well, but I'm lazy. And all I can think is you stupid ditz, then don't whine about it. ^^'''
So, sociology professor assigns a class an experiment in classism, and has them go into retail stores of different economic target groups to see how customer service is, store set up looks, etc. He sends groups in with one person dressed very high end, and another dressed very low end. He requests specifically that an African American freshman go into Neiman Marcus dressed low end (ie jeans and a tshirt). Said girl proceeds to, without acting any differently or even speaking in slang, be followed by employees, ignored by sales staff, talked about by people around her, stared at, and generally treated terribly. She is really shaken by this, and spends a lot of time crying.
What angers me most is the responses of people around her. Most of whom say she should get over it, that's the way the real world works, and she just has to get used to it. Like it's no big deal.
WHAT THE HELL???
I'm sorry maybe I'm an idealist but seriously, there is no one who should have to just "get used to" racism (or classism or sexism) or any other form of discrimination. She has a right to be angry. And as her friend I have a right to be angry for her. Yeah, the professor shouldn't have put her in that position. But so what??? It doesn't mean what the people in that store did was right, nor that she deserves it, nor that she should just "deal with it because that's how the world works". Great. It's just let the world continue discriminating against people, and not get angry about it because it won't do any good. Well if I don't get angry about it, as a white female in the United States, then who will change things? If white people are so resigned to other white people being jackasses, it's no wonder race relations get so screwed up in this country.
Because you know what? Yeah, it's true, racism exists, and it sucks. And it's also true that not all white people are racist. But it's also true that turning a blind eye to it isn't going to make it any better, and saying "well that's the way it is" is asinine. Just because it is like that doesn't mean we have to accept it. I'm sorry but I won't be apathetic just because other people are. ANd it's frustrating to hear other educated people say "well she should just get over it because that's how the world works she she better get used to it." No. With attitudes like that we're never going to CHANGE how the world works.
And you know what? It doesn't matter how much you know what to expect, or how much you know that the person being nasty to you is just an idiot. Being discriminated against hurts. I get it from my family from the rampant homophobia on one side. I've seen my friends have to deal with it because of their skin color. And it doesn't hurt them any less because they know the other person is wrong and it doesn't hurt me any less either. Because somewhere inside you still know that someone sees you this way, without really knowing you as a person, just because you are (black, white, gay, straight, fat, thin, rich, poor, male female etc). Fuck apathy. What we need is people who care enough to do something about this shit.
***
On a second, shorter and less serious rant on the stupidity of humanity, we have the dopey invasive frosh strikes again, as she tells me (walking at night in december in 35 degree weather with her coat hanging open) how cold it is. And I say, well zip up your coat! and she goes, well, but I'm lazy. And all I can think is you stupid ditz, then don't whine about it. ^^'''