Re: [Gendispatch] draft charter text: terminology-related WG

[Dan Harkins <[e-mail]>]

On 2/15/21 1:48 PM, Brian E Carpenter wrote:
> On 16-Feb-21 08:37, Dan Harkins wrote:
>>     Jay,
>>
>> On 2/14/21 12:24 PM, Jay Daley wrote:
>>> Speaking as a non-white person with extensive personal experience of
>>> racism there are a couple of strawmen I would like to address:
>>>
>>> Having wealthy, credentialed, white people take the issue of diversity
>>> and inclusivity seriously enough to try to explicitly and publicly
>>> change their behaviours is to me neither patronising nor
>>> disempowering, but rather it is both heartening and solidarity
>>> building.  The alternative of wealthy, credentialed, white people not
>>> wishing to do that makes me wary that either they are racist, or
>>> sympathise with racists, or seek to diminish or ignore the historic
>>> impact of racism.
>>     You are ascribing motives and abhorrent beliefs to other people.
> No he's not. He's saying he's *wary*, i.e. cautious and suspicious.

   He's cautious of some problem or potential danger. And what is that
problem or potential danger he is wary of? It's people who "are racist, or
sympathise with racists, or seek to diminish or ignore the historic impact
of racism."

   Now, Keith Moore got called out for ascribing motives to "some people"
who are more concerned with appearance than reality. That vague statement
which was hardly even a criticism received a clap back. What Jay did was
even more egregious because he named exactly who he says the problems are.
Namely, wealthy, credentialed, white people who do not mouth the particular
platitudes he wants to hear from them. The alternative to not saying what
he wants them to say is that he views them as a potential problem. What a
sad, black-and-white world-- you're either with Jay or against Jay.

   As a credentialed, white, and (relatively, of course) wealthy person who
does not say the kinds of things that Jay is wishing to hear I feel like I
can take issue with his statement. He's saying he views me as a potential
problem. He's wary of me because the alternative, in his mind, to not
repeating the approved platitudes is to be a racist or a racist sympathizer
or a diminisher of "the historic impact of racism." Well nuts to that!

   Dan.

-- 
"The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to
escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." -- Marcus Aurelius