To Borrow A Leaf from Shakesville

[jhameia]

Because Ottens continues to be a dipshit:

I feel compelled to tell you this:

I am not offended.

I am contemptuous.

Contemptuous of the fact that you choose to dismiss the very real harm these attitudes propagate on very real people. Contemptuous that you think your entertainment is so much more important than the daily discrimination people who look like me face. Contemptuous of the fact that you think your intent to mean no disrespect actually matters in the face of the hurt you cause. Contemptuous that you insist on defending what we, members of the affected marginalized groups, have said, time and again, is a really harmful idea.

"Offended" isn't the word. Try "angry". Try "baffled". Try "unsurprised at racism". (And able-ism, hey ho!)

But most of all, contemptuous.

ETA: Ottens has used this post as an example of name-calling being targeted at him. This being my personal space, I am not going to apologize for what I say out of very real anger at him being disrespectful towards me and mine. The difference is, I use direct insults, and he blankets his disrespect behind intellectual words and privilege.

Comments

[pernishus.livejournal.com]

The link appears to be broken -- I am moved, however, to substitute one of my own -- it concerns the various uses and users of the term "breeder," -- but contains material in both the entry and the comments that I think may be relevant to the point at hand:

http://pernishus.livejournal.com/1033673.html

On another topic: Jha, do you suppose we might have a "Lion/Lamb" pseudo-nanowrimo get-together sometime this month? I find myself missing folks terribly, just now...

[fantasyecho.livejournal.com]

I remember that post of yours!

And yes, we could indeed. Do you have a day you prefer? I normally do Sundays (but not recently since I no longer have a light laptop to carry around).

[frabjously.livejournal.com]

I didn't catch the able-ism, but his use of the word "indulge" is just... I guess funny in a really sad way since I don't know what to do but laugh. Reading "indulge in Victorientalism" has exactly the same effect as "indulge in racism". I know after a long hard day at work, I can't wait to go home, put my feet up and indulge in some racism!

[fantasyecho.livejournal.com]

I was more responding to his comments, where he said something like, "why should I cut out my fun because some imbeciles don't understand that racism is bad?"

To be fair, I use the word "stupid" whenever I'm angry enough to lose my imagination, but I have a feeling real imbeciles wouldn't actually be as harmful as him.

And I KNOW RIGHT? Because racism is so fun to do!

[jolantru.livejournal.com]

Contemptuous is the right word.

[shweta-narayan.livejournal.com]

Funny how people who "don't intend disrespect" seldom change their stance when told that they are managing disrespect. Gotta wonder exactly what "intent" means to them...

[fantasyecho.livejournal.com]

Apparently it means a heart pure as driven snow and not needing to notice actual consequences....

[shweta-narayan.livejournal.com]

It's reminding me of the "ironic" racist illustrations in an academic feminist's book a couple years ago, and the Shock, shock that women of color would feel Othered at this, since The white feminists' Hearts Were Pure And It Was Irony, and anyone who was hurt had no sense of humor.

I'm generally boggled at how hard to understand "You don't get to decide that your "fun" perpetuation of racism doesn't hurt anyone, the people you hurt decide that" seems to be.