Writer's Block: Yes, offense taken
Oct. 25th, 2009 01:41 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
almostwitty[Error: unknown template qotd]
The trouble with being non-white is that someone would have to be INCREDIBLY stupid to make a racist remark against me.
The most recent time I can recall is when a workmate said that I'd only got the job because I was non-white. But really, I had to let it slide because:
1. I'm not a violent man.
2. I'm not very good at defending myself, verbally or physically.
3. Punch-ups in the workplace are not a good thing.
I'm more likely to find people say things, and then not realise the connotation of what they mean, if you extend the thought forward.
Personally, I kinda think (alas) that white heterosexual people have to fight these battles. Because if a bunch of black, Asian or gay people march around saying this or that is wrong, most ignorant people would just think "Well, they would say that". If it was someone in *their* peer group, that's a different story.
The trouble with being non-white is that someone would have to be INCREDIBLY stupid to make a racist remark against me.
The most recent time I can recall is when a workmate said that I'd only got the job because I was non-white. But really, I had to let it slide because:
1. I'm not a violent man.
2. I'm not very good at defending myself, verbally or physically.
3. Punch-ups in the workplace are not a good thing.
I'm more likely to find people say things, and then not realise the connotation of what they mean, if you extend the thought forward.
Personally, I kinda think (alas) that white heterosexual people have to fight these battles. Because if a bunch of black, Asian or gay people march around saying this or that is wrong, most ignorant people would just think "Well, they would say that". If it was someone in *their* peer group, that's a different story.
no subject
Date: 2009-10-27 12:01 am (UTC)It's complicated.
I'm not saying that you can go around in America saying Oriental with gay abandon. I wouldn't necessarily use it in the UK either, when there are plenty of other word substitutes. But it's not that big a deal.