“I don’t see race. I only see the human race.”“I don’t see race. I only see the human race.”
This may sound revolutionary, so-called color-blindness is actually part of the problem. Not “seeing race” is simply a lazy coded phrase for deliberately ignoring the lingering elements of racism that actually need to be fixed and reinforces the privilege of being able to bypass the negative effects of racism in the first place. As the saying goes, “You can’t erase what you cannot face.”
It’s a cute little buzz phrase but all it says is:
“Hi. I’m a bit clueless and insecure but otherwise nice and sane and I really, REALLY don’t want to be lumped in with all those skeevy bigots!”Dude/Dudette please chill. No one was accusing you of having fitted white sheets with matching hoods in your closet.
Or possibly the expression translates like this:
“Hi. I’ve a deep love and appreciation for my own magnificently, beatific humanity and you should too.”Yes Dearie — could you make my Grande, Quad, Nonfat, One-Pump, No-Whip, Mocha NOW please and make the espresso decaff — K?
“I don’t see race. I only see the human race.” Such utter snot-twaddled bullshit. OF COURSE the speaker of this look-at-me-look-at-me-it’s-all-about-me flip phrase sees race — we all do! To NOT see race is to deny a large part of our beings. Sure, the color of my skin suit isn’t all of who I am but, ya know, it’s kind of key.I’ve probably linked to John Scalzi's post, Straight White Male: The Lowest Difficulty Setting There Is, before. It bears relinking and re-quoting.
Okay: In the role playing game known as The Real World, “Straight White Male” is the lowest difficulty setting there is.
What’s the point, the take away of this morning’s post? Life is hard. Go walk a mile or six in another’s sparkly flip flops before you blithely or defensively speak.This means that the default behaviors for almost all the non-player characters in the game are easier on you than they would be otherwise. The default barriers for completions of quests are lower. Your leveling-up thresholds come more quickly. You automatically gain entry to some parts of the map that others have to work for. The game is easier to play, automatically, and when you need help, by default it’s easier to get.
***snip***
You can lose playing on the lowest difficulty setting. The lowest difficulty setting is still the easiest setting to win on. The player who plays on the “Gay Minority Female” setting? Hardcore.
You know, today you could maybe go for a stroll in my size nine, late deafened, non-blonde, 55 year old scuffs. Tomorrow you can don some smart, size 10, deep sienna, 40 year old kicks. The day after, how's 'bout we go for a hike in a sweet pair of 30 year old, brilliant scarlet, blind kitten heels?
And this:
#YesAllBlackPeople know that #NotAllWhitePeople are racist. But we’re talking about a system, not you personally (unless we have to). Get over yourself.
