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From: jamcmullan@wateng.UUCP (Judy McMullan)
Newsgroups: net.women
Subject: Re: A white man speaks his mind. (Part 2)
Message-ID: <2285@wateng.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 16-Apr-85 17:53:32 EST
Article-I.D.: wateng.2285
Posted: Tue Apr 16 17:53:32 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 17-Apr-85 00:40:33 EST
Distribution: net
Organization: U of Waterloo, Ontario
Lines: 51


 >When a woman points proudly to the accomplishment of some famous woman,
 >she is simply showing a healthy pride in her sex.  If a black shows pride
 >in the accomplishments of some famous black, his/her pride is considered
 >praiseworthy.  If a white man expresses pride in the accomplishments of
 >white men, he's a filthy racist sexist pig.

Stop. Think.  If we are proud of some great accomplishment, it does not
follow that we are proud of the person who did it because they are female/
male/black/white/short/tall/whatever. I was very thrilled when Neil Armstrong
stepped on the moon and I felt it was an accomplishment of all human beings.
WE had done it! I was not glad because a white had stepped on the moon!

When people point to great accomplishments of blacks (for instance George
Washington Carver) it is not BECAUSE he was black that he was great but he
doubly great becausemanaged to accomplish so much IN SPITE OF the obstacles
put in his path. People admire him because he overcame social difficulties AND
he made useful discoveries for everyone to enjoy. When disparaging remarks are
made about blacks, one can point to him as a clear contradiction.

If someone says that Margaret Thatcher is a great leader because she is white,
they are discounting the reality of the prejudice against non-whites in Britain.
They don't recognize that that prejudice means a black didn't stand a chance.
The inference is that a black could not be in that position because she would
be incompetent.

My point is, it is EASIER to become great if one is a white man. One can get
the education, financial help, moral support, etc. To be proud of a man
BECAUSE he is a white man is a slap in the face to anyone else. To be proud of
someone despite the fact that the person is not a white man is to acknowledge
the obstacles in their way and to have a role model for fighting such
obstacles oneself.

If you say you admire Leonardo da Vinci -- I'd agree with you. If you say
he was great because he was a white man I wouldn't be able to see how that was
germane and I would assume you were saying that if he had been
born a woman (with the same social opportunities) he would somehow not have
accomplished what he did and I would think you were a filthy racist sexist pig.

Now, you may have some obscure reason to be proud of white men, and not
be aware of the prejudice against those who aren't white men so you don't
have the same thought patterns that most people do. In that case, you should
be aware of the way your society operates. Remember that communication is
two way. There is the way you say something and there is the way it is
understood. Times change and the language changes and part of communication
is making sure you understand how to phrase things so you will be understood.
There are much wider implications to statements about pride in the accomplish-
ments of white men than you seem to realize, from your statements above.

   --from the sssstickkky keyboard of JAM
   ...!{ihnp4|clyde|decvax}!watmath!wateng!jamcmullan