permaculture

["Lisa Rollens" <rollens@fidnet.com>]

Toshio,

I know you are right that racism is alive and well in the USA.  Bu have you 
ever been to very rural areas?  Here we routinely comment about ANYONE who 
can construct a grammatically correct sentence, often to their face.  It's 
evidence that the person graduated high school somewhere else.  Even some of 
the local radio "personalities" cannot speak correctly or 'read' the news 
above about a 7th or 8th grade level.  And you should hear the local 
advertisements!  The grammar is horrendous.  Oh, and everybody is white 
here.  I wish it were different, and I am glad I am not raising my kids in 
such an environment where the young people have no opportunity to learn 
tolerance and the value of diversity, but that is the way it is.  There are 
a lot of people like me who move into this area and we bring (hopefully!) 
tolerance and some openmindedness with us.

In the not too distant past it was well known that any black person had 
better leave town by sundown, or else.  The "or else" meant they would be 
hanged.  Apparently blacks around this area still know that and stay away. 
Terrible, I know, but I do not take credit or feel shame about it?  No, I 
didn't do it, didn't raise my kids with that mindset and speak against such 
attitudes today.

Lest you think the locals are just racial bigots, fear not.  They also are 
homophobic to extremes, very anti gay and lesbian.  Of course, not all of 
the locals are like that.  The ones who are generally have big mouths to go 
with their ignorance.  Again, we do what we can by being tolerant, not 
accepting bigotry and racism and opening our hearts and homes to all.

As for asking about where a person's ancestors came from, I really think you 
might be mistaken on that account.  We do that routinely, too.  It's 
interesting to find out such information in this big melting pot we call the 
US.  I especially ask questions when I find out someone has Italian 
ancestors.  I ask what they eat for Christmas dinner!  When I find out that 
they ate what we ate as children, it gives us things in common.  And aren't 
we supposed to be finding commonalities and bringing people together?  Oh, 
we had homemade ravioli when the grandfolks and sisters (my mom and aunts) 
were all alive to make it in advance.  It was a big undertaking and the end 
result was about 600 ravioli to be split among the family.  Those are our 
roots, and I don't think there is anything wrong with exchanging that 
information with others.

And yes, I also find it terribly sad that the parents around here do not 
teach their children "their language", which would be English.  It's very 
hard to correct bad habits later in life.

You say..."There's a million half-conscious ways in which the dominant 
culture offends minority cultures without realizing it, without intending 
to, and definitely not profitting from it."  Maybe, just maybe, since we 
don't intend to do that, don't profit from it and don't realize it, that the 
minority culture is being a little too 'sensitive'???  How can you hold 
something against a person if they don't know what they are doing is wrong?? 
(assuming their head is not in the sand purposely??)

And as for you last paragraph about being racist if one uses those 
statements...hogwash!  the receipient is being told that their kind will 
never be as American as the speaker????  None of us are originally American, 
and that's what makes it all so interesting.  I know there are a few 
'blueblood' types who follow their family trees back to Plymouth Rock or 
Jamestown, but the majority of us Americans are a hodgepodge of foreign 
ancestors.  We know it and like it.  As a matter of fact, that's why I don't 
like the term 'African-American'...as it tends to separate rather than bring 
together.  I think blacks are as American as I am.

Just thoughts, Lisa, in the MO Ozarks

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Toshio Kuratomi" <a.badger@gmail.com>
To: "permaculture" <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Monday, May 28, 2007 1:39 PM
Subject: Re: [permaculture] anti-semitism or naivete


> On 5/28/07, Lawrence F. London, Jr. <lfl@intrex.net> wrote:
> > Robert Waldrop wrote:
> >
> > > Racism is alive and well in the United States.  We
> > > just don't call it by that name anymore.
> >
> > It isn't racism, Robert, its greed. Racism is a waste of time and doesn't 
> > produce profit;
> > its applied as a tool, unemotionally, to justify theft.
> Nah.  Racism is still very viable in the United States.  How many
> times is a "white person" complimented on how good their English is?
> How many times do you make small talk with a white person by asking
> what country they're from?  How often do you find it sad that their
> parents didn't teach them "their language"?  How often do you talk to
> a white person with blonde hair and say, oh, my sister-in-law is
> Swedish, do you know the Fredens?"
>
> There's a million half-conscious ways in which the dominant culture
> offends minority cultures without realizing it, without intending to,
> and definitely not profitting from it.
>
> And for people who would like to deny that any of the above examples
> are racist, consider: The effect of each of those statements is to
> separate the "American" from the foreigner.  The recipient of the
> statement is being told that their kind will never be as American as
> the speaker, not because of their abilities or where they were born
> but merely because of what they look like or where their great-great
> grandparents emigrated from.  They, and their children are forever
> destined to be identified as a "foreigner".
>
> -Toshio
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