I write this as I fly west on Air Canada, to begin my Groovy West Coast Tour: Summer 2010. After being seated on the plane, I received a “free” copy of today’s Globe and Mail.
Mainstream media is never free for me.
Three articles stuck out for me, all having to do with Aboriginal rights and social status in Canada. Spoiler alert: I’m pissed off and the Globe is full of racist bullshit. I know, it’s no news flash.
One
Section A Editorial “Letting a monster go free”
The editorial is about Robert Picton, currently serving years in prison for 6 counts of second-degree murder, but suspected of killing at least 21 women over a period of years. It seems that in 1997 a woman was lured to his compound by him, and managed to escape by stabbing him (the Globe generously adds “in self-defence”) and in the course of escaping she lost three litres of blood and almost died herself. She and Picton were treated in the same hospital in Port Moody B.C. and he wasn’t charged by the Crown. With anything.
Why?
Because she wasn’t “credible”.
Feminists have heard this bullshit before many times. She had on a handcuff that Picton has used to try to restrain her still on one wrist when she was treated. The key that fit the handcuff to unlock it was in Picton’s possession. I’m not sure what more compelling physical evidence is required.
Oh right. She was a Native woman. And probably a sex worker. And perhaps a substance user.
Fucking hell fuck. The last time I checked, this is what systemic racism looks like.
Now that Picton has been safely convicted and demonized, the Globe has no problem saying that this was a very bad judgment call by the office of the Crown. Thanks for nothing, G & M.
Read the rest of this entry »
Events of the past week have crystalized a number of feelings inside me, and rather than do another “Fuck Canada Day” post (see my post on July 1, 2009) I thought I’d do something that I’ve meant to do for a long time.
I seem to need containment these days, or my blogs will just be a long scream of inarticulate anger. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, it just doesn’t make very interesting reading.
Canada’s anthem.
Those of us born here are taught it in school. Those who come here from elsewhere learn it. Or else. Those who are Aboriginal are probably offended by the whole thing. As is anyone who calls themselves an ally.
O Canada, our home and native land
Many people have taken this line to pieces, most popularly, “our home ON native land”. But I still have a problem with this. Who is “our”? Anglos? The broader category “white folks”? Are white folks still the centre of the fucking universe? For fuck’s sake. And “home”, such a loaded term. Ward Churchill talked about colonization in a very personal way. Someone comes to your house, sits down and then says “Hey I live here now. Get the fuck out.” And when you protest you’re either taken out of your home, or killed. Or both.
My friend P told me about this website: Derailing for Dummies.
It’s the site I’ve always wanted to find. Funny, snarky, succinct and fucking brilliant.
Some highlights:
You know how it is. You’re enjoying yourself, kicking back and relaxing at the pub or maybe at the library; or maybe you’re in class or just casually surfing the internet, indulging in a little conversation. The topic of the conversation is about a pertinent contemporary issue, probably something to do with a group of people who fall outside your realm of experience and identity. They’re also probably fairly heavily discriminated against - or so they claim. . The thing is, you’re having a good time, sharing your knowledge about these people and their issues. This knowledge is incontrovertible – it’s been backed up in media representation, books, research and lots and lots of historical events, also your own unassailable sense of being right. Yet all of a sudden something happens to put a dampener on your sharing of your enviable intellect and incomparable capacity to fully perceive and understand All Things. It’s someone who belongs to the group of people you’re discussing and they’re Not Very Happy with you. Apparently, they claim, you’ve got it all wrong and they’re offended about that. They might be a person of colour, or a queer person. Maybe they’re a woman, or a person with disability. They could even be a trans person or a sex worker. The point is they’re trying to tell you they know better than you about their issues and you know that’s just plain wrong.
You know how it is. You’re enjoying yourself, kicking back and relaxing at the pub or maybe at the library; or maybe you’re in class or just casually surfing the internet, indulging in a little conversation. The topic of the conversation is about a pertinent contemporary issue, probably something to do with a group of people who fall outside your realm of experience and identity. They’re also probably fairly heavily discriminated against - or so they claim.
. The thing is, you’re having a good time, sharing your knowledge about these people and their issues. This knowledge is incontrovertible – it’s been backed up in media representation, books, research and lots and lots of historical events, also your own unassailable sense of being right. Yet all of a sudden something happens to put a dampener on your sharing of your enviable intellect and incomparable capacity to fully perceive and understand All Things. It’s someone who belongs to the group of people you’re discussing and they’re Not Very Happy with you. Apparently, they claim, you’ve got it all wrong and they’re offended about that. They might be a person of colour, or a queer person. Maybe they’re a woman, or a person with disability. They could even be a trans person or a sex worker. The point is they’re trying to tell you they know better than you about their issues and you know that’s just plain wrong.
What a great beginning. And they say sarcasm isn’t a pedagogical tool. Ha!
My favourite sections include:
If You Won’t Educate Me How Can I Learn You Just Enjoy Being Offended – NEW! Don’t You Have More Important Issues To Think About – NEW! You’re Taking Things Too Personally You’re Not Being Intellectual Enough/You’re Being Overly Intellectual
If You Won’t Educate Me How Can I Learn
You Just Enjoy Being Offended – NEW!
Don’t You Have More Important Issues To Think About – NEW!
You’re Taking Things Too Personally
You’re Not Being Intellectual Enough/You’re Being Overly Intellectual
OMG. All the snark, all in one place.
The author(s) also use the adorable technique of (TM) and the copywrite symbol to indicate terms like Privilege® and Marginalised Person™ . Loving it.
From: But That Happens to Me Too! What this demonstrates is your total lack of understanding of what “othering” means in a practical sense. You’re ignoring the way your life is otherwise entirely immersed in a state of absolute privilege and revealing the fact you fail to comprehend the process of objectification and marginalising they go through all the time. When you are Privileged®, “similar” experiences simply do not happen on an equal footing because they do not otherwise reflect marginalisation. This obliviousness is highly insensitive and trivialising and will definitely cause them to grind their teeth! But it’s also an important step in affirming your privilege: Privileged People® are accustomed, after all, to it being “all about them”. Not used to simply sitting back and listening to othered people‘s issues, Privileged People® like to be the centre of attention at all times. It reminds them that they are important. By doing this, you will feel good about yourself and send a crucial message to the Marginalised Person™ (yes you really can diminish their experience by making it all about you, all the time!).
From: But That Happens to Me Too!
What this demonstrates is your total lack of understanding of what “othering” means in a practical sense. You’re ignoring the way your life is otherwise entirely immersed in a state of absolute privilege and revealing the fact you fail to comprehend the process of objectification and marginalising they go through all the time. When you are Privileged®, “similar” experiences simply do not happen on an equal footing because they do not otherwise reflect marginalisation. This obliviousness is highly insensitive and trivialising and will definitely cause them to grind their teeth!
But it’s also an important step in affirming your privilege: Privileged People® are accustomed, after all, to it being “all about them”. Not used to simply sitting back and listening to othered people‘s issues, Privileged People® like to be the centre of attention at all times. It reminds them that they are important. By doing this, you will feel good about yourself and send a crucial message to the Marginalised Person™ (yes you really can diminish their experience by making it all about you, all the time!).
Read it, bookmark it, share it with your friends.
Dear god why do I glance at the newspaper headlines, why?
So I’m out and about yesterday, just living my life, happy, and I come upon a Toronto Star newspaper box with the headline above. Full article here.
DO NOT under any circumstances read the comments. Don’t say I didn’t warn ya.
There’s also a snarky column by Lorrie Goldstein of the Toronto Sun (I KNOW), and an equally unhelpful column by Marcus Gee in the Globe and Mail.
A sweeping year-long probe into racism at Ryerson University has found a staggeringly diverse campus where some visible minority students say they feel harassed and excluded, where profs don’t always deal with offensive comments made in class and some non-white staff report a “chill” that shuts them out of the power loop.
A year-long probe, that’s great. Good opportunity to be thorough and non-superficial.
I need to state once again for the record that I HATE the term visible minority. Hate it hate it hate it. Almost as much as I hate the term non-white.
Talk about a chill.
So, the new Star trek movie, the reboot of the original series. It seems that the Spock/ Uhura (S/U) relationship (”ship”), and particularly the interracial kisses that were depicted (gasp! cry! omg!), have caused a huge stir in the mostly white fan base.
Luckily for the anti-racist crowd, there’s a equally nerdy POC Star Trek 2.0 fan base out there, who have done closer, more intricate, and more detailed readings of TOS than even I thought imaginable. These folks also rock with AR analysis. Two of my worlds, in one. My life is complete.
Via racialicious.com, I found ankhesen-mie.
So, first up is a quiz. A small 16 question quiz about your response to the S/U ship (just getting into the lingo here, folks). I’ve learned tons about ways to present materials to folks who are struggling to get it, or resisting getting it, and please note the writer doesn’t use the term “racist” ever. But people sure respond as if s/he did.
http://ankhesen-mie.livejournal.com/24009.html
The first seven questions: 1) Do you feel horrified when you see Spock kiss a woman who looks like Uhura, and don’t know why? 2) Do you look at Zoe Saldana and feel you “just can’t trust her” but can’t say why? 3) Do you think Uhura’s not a very feminine character, but just can’t say why? 4) Would you prefer Spock to be with Christine Chapel over Uhura? 5) Do you think the Spock/Uhura relationship—in the story—is controversial because of Uhura? 6) Do you consider yourself a “die-hard” Trek fan but still don’t agree with the pairing? 7) Have you watched all things Trek—shows, films, interviews, etc. pertaining to this cast—and still think this pairing “came out of nowhere”?
…..
Next up, a follow-up blog post detailing the various objectors to the first post. Their responses have been nicely organized for us: The Poor Taste Reaction, The Uncomfortable Reaction, etc. Funny, cute and smart! This is so my new favourite blog!
http://ankhesen-mie.livejournal.com/24071.html
