Re: racism pollutes the extropian list

dwayne (dwayne@pobox.com)
Fri, 04 Jun 1999 13:50:14 +1000

"Michael S. Lorrey" wrote:
>

> Now who is knee jerking? The context that I used the word, with no knowledge of the
> particular political correctness of the word in a region on the opposite side of the
> planet from me, was merely as a means of abbreviating.

Sure. But once you have been told it has racist connotations, why bring it up again? Why not just let it lie?

> Its also quite convenient for you to ignore my italian ancestry.

What?
Sorry, last time I checked, Italians were caucasian.

> Even today in many parts of the US, when people
> find out you are italian and from the east coast, they automatically think you are in
> the mafia. When my grandfather married an italian girl in the 1930's, his family
> would not talk to him for years, prejudice was so widespread back then. To most
> WASPs, being white means being of NORTHERN european descent, and specifically of
> English descent. Anyone who is not ignorant of history knows what the English did to
> the Scots after Culloden. Apparently you are.

Oh get a grip, will you? Who is talking about WASPS? As I said to you, if you were to use such a word to a group of aborigines over here, they will be offended. The fact that you are *italian* will not calm them down much at all. All they will see is yet another offensive white dude having a go at them. Shit, that's all I see reading this email.

And I'll wager I have a FAR greater understanding of history than you do.

> I was talking with some freinds the other day about this, and we were mocking the
> demands of a few years ago for apologies to the african americans. At the same time
> their ancestors were getting enslaved by the British, my Scottish ancestors were
> getting exterminated by the British. Why the hell should I, or my representatives,
> have to apologize to them?

This is SUCH complete bullshit. The Scots weren't locked up in chains and carted off to the other side of the planet. To even attempt to compare what happened to the scots to what happened to negroes is so obviously fatuous as to render me, um, speechless.

> None of my ancestors even came to the US until after the
> civil war. One of my buddies noted that his danish ancestors were held under martial
> law by the Swedes way back when, so I summarily apologized to him for the actions of
> my Swedish ancestors on his Danish ancestors.

Can I just quickly interject into the midst of this foam and ask you: what the hell has this to do with you not calling aborigines "abos"?

Or are you just leaping forth into some bizarre rant in which you attempt to show us that because your ancestors were prevented from wearing skirts that you have some sort of history of family racial persecution to equal someone who's ancestor was kidnapped and enslaved? If so, why? And what makes you think anyone should take such obvious crap seriously?

> Now I suppose if you REALLY stretch it, I would have to apologize for my Roman Empire
> ancestors and what they did to the Carthaginians, the Egyptians, the Jews, the
> French, and the British. Let me say right here: I am truly sorry people I never met
> or gained an ounce of benefit from opressed people you never met or gained an ounce
> of benefit from. Happy now?

Without getting too far into personal flames, you are a fucking twit.

Where did I say you should feel responsible for ANYTHING other than your own actions? Why did this come into it? I mentioned that the word "abo" is considered rude here. You come back, as usual, with something totally unrelated to what I wrote. Are you incapable of addressing the issues people raise with you, too stupid to understand the difference, or too devious to care?

Do you have any idea how many people killfile you, Michael? Is it a lot? You are the only person on this list I have considered doing it to, and one of the rare people on the net to bring me to such a conclusion. Congratulations.

I haven't done so as yet because you *appear* to have a brain, but this complete inability to stick to the point is too annoying for words.

Dwayne 

-- 
  mailto:ddraig@pobox.com      http://i.am/dwayne

"the cricher we kno as dwayne is only the projection
into our dimension of something much larger and
wirder."
          ---clae@pa.ausom.net.au
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