Dog Whistles and Insults ETA
Some people feel that I was unnecessarily inflammatory by using the n-word several times in explaining why what the daily_deviant mods did was wrong, although they never used terminology equally as inflammatory (on the surface.)
I don't quite understand how I could have been unclear on this point, but let me try one more time. My position is that MISCEGENATION = NIGGER for the purposes of offending People of Color. I thought using the n-word would make people who did not already know the term miscegenation understand it is painfully offensive by using a term that they knew was painfully offensive and equating the two. Apparently, I failed. If anyone has any suggestions on how I could be even more restrained and kind towards the skeptical people next time, I would appreciate it.
I edited the previous post in a way which may make some of the people who previously supported my position not so supportive. I am posting as a separate entry so at least those who have friended me will also see the ETA. None of the newsletters to which I submitted this link have yet (are going to?) linked to the previous post. I can't personally notify every individual who has linked to this post. If you know someone who might change their minds about this issue because of my ETA, please alert them to the change. I'm not trying to trick people into agreeing with me, I'm trying to change their minds through the force of my argument. If I can't do that, I just have to create a more convincing statement next time.
It has been pointed out to me that using an icon with the term honky on it while requesting racially sensitive language gives at least the appearance of hypocrisy. Frankly, I'm going to say right out that it is more important to me to use my icon than it is to make all white people reading this entry feel welcome in it.
First of all, the discussion from which the icon comes is Some advice to white people in fandom, in which context makes clear that what I am saying is that it's okay to be ignorant of how to act without racism or to combat racism, but it's not okay to be deliberately racist.
Second, when I speak publicly on race issues on fandom, I try to speak dryly and dispassionately, because I want white people to listen to me when I talk about race. This doesn't work for every white person, but it works for many more white people than when I talk emotionally. However, the things that drive me to speak about race in fandom usually leave me so furious I am literally shaking. I need to express that anger, even if only obliquely, and the term honky does it. When I am using the term honky, I am deliberately insulting some white people.
Finally, the icon's text itself makes clear that I am not insulting every white person. I am insulting the insensitive ones. It is not their whiteness which makes them useless to me, it is their action.
For some white people, my use of the term honky means that they are not able to hear me when I talk about race. I'm sorry about that, but I need to say it more than I need them to listen to me talk. However, please consider reading annavtree's eloquent post or, perhaps instead, ciderpress. Anna is white. I do not know ciderpress's ethnicity.
I don't quite understand how I could have been unclear on this point, but let me try one more time. My position is that MISCEGENATION = NIGGER for the purposes of offending People of Color. I thought using the n-word would make people who did not already know the term miscegenation understand it is painfully offensive by using a term that they knew was painfully offensive and equating the two. Apparently, I failed. If anyone has any suggestions on how I could be even more restrained and kind towards the skeptical people next time, I would appreciate it.
I edited the previous post in a way which may make some of the people who previously supported my position not so supportive. I am posting as a separate entry so at least those who have friended me will also see the ETA. None of the newsletters to which I submitted this link have yet (are going to?) linked to the previous post. I can't personally notify every individual who has linked to this post. If you know someone who might change their minds about this issue because of my ETA, please alert them to the change. I'm not trying to trick people into agreeing with me, I'm trying to change their minds through the force of my argument. If I can't do that, I just have to create a more convincing statement next time.
It has been pointed out to me that using an icon with the term honky on it while requesting racially sensitive language gives at least the appearance of hypocrisy. Frankly, I'm going to say right out that it is more important to me to use my icon than it is to make all white people reading this entry feel welcome in it.
First of all, the discussion from which the icon comes is Some advice to white people in fandom, in which context makes clear that what I am saying is that it's okay to be ignorant of how to act without racism or to combat racism, but it's not okay to be deliberately racist.
Second, when I speak publicly on race issues on fandom, I try to speak dryly and dispassionately, because I want white people to listen to me when I talk about race. This doesn't work for every white person, but it works for many more white people than when I talk emotionally. However, the things that drive me to speak about race in fandom usually leave me so furious I am literally shaking. I need to express that anger, even if only obliquely, and the term honky does it. When I am using the term honky, I am deliberately insulting some white people.
Finally, the icon's text itself makes clear that I am not insulting every white person. I am insulting the insensitive ones. It is not their whiteness which makes them useless to me, it is their action.
For some white people, my use of the term honky means that they are not able to hear me when I talk about race. I'm sorry about that, but I need to say it more than I need them to listen to me talk. However, please consider reading annavtree's eloquent post or, perhaps instead, ciderpress. Anna is white. I do not know ciderpress's ethnicity.