Writer's Block: Yes, offense taken

[novapsyche]

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I make it a point to highlight the bigotry of others if they speak such. The only way to reduce the incidence of racist or homophobic remarks is to confront it directly. Silence equals acceptance.

I have to be tactful about my pushback, as others may think I'm "overly sensitive" due to my own status as a person of color. However, I do not let others' possible perceptions of me deter me from speaking up.

I left a comment in pink_33_rose's journal, wherein I said:

I just wanted to remind you that "freedom of speech" is a legal defense of the people against the government. We have a right to voice our criticisms of the government (or anyone else) without being fined, jailed, or otherwise targeted by the police or government.

However, there are restrictions to that right. No one has the right to start a riot. No one has the right to defame someone.

Moreover, what's legal and what's socially acceptable are not necessarily the same thing. In some states, cropophilia is not a crime; however, having sex with corpses is not tolerated by society.

For me, bigotry falls in a similar category. Bigotry, when spoken, interjects itself into shared experiential space. If someone speaks such socially unacceptable terms, I take it upon myself to confront that person. It's one thing to have a discriminatory opinion; I can't change people's minds. However, it's another thing to allow someone to create a space that makes others feel lesser than.

American culture has metamorphosed an amazing degree with regards to prevailing attitudes toward those who are identified as being persons of color and/or homosexual. The legal view notwithstanding, people have come to not only tolerate minorities but also in some cases to accept, even embrace them. Indeed, the U.S. President is a person of color. I think it's safe to say that our society as a whole are tolerant of minorities, so it is my responsibility as a member of society to counter such ignorant expressions.

Then you have responses like this one from apollo_scarlet.

Comments

[pgdudda.livejournal.com]

Tangential thought arising from the 'tactful' line:

I wonder how being 'visible' works for people of certain minority statuses... It can be a tool to remind people that an offensive comment is referring to the person standing right there to hear it. It doesn't automatically lead to safer spaces, but *gestures incoherently* there's a space in there that forces room for discussion that being queer or disabled doesn't always have available. A space that includes people who pass (including PoC), who call out shit, and get the response "...but I wasn't talking about you..." Well, yes, actually, they are talking about me, and I don't appreciate it, but they choose to erase my own personal history rather than confront their own prejudices.

I don't know if that made any sense, so I'll leave it at that, since it's on a bit of a tangent anyway... it's something that I've been poking at for years without any useful or coherent answers. *shrug*