YES We did!

[Disneyphile]

Originally Posted by JWBear

You're party lost. Get over it!

Careful. Those words were what many conservatives uttered when Dubya was re-elected. We might not want to point that out to them... ya know... dishing out the same rhetoric and all.

Liberals were constantly condemned for kicking Bush when he was re-elected. Makes me want to go dig out some of the old posts, but those old board archives simply don't exist, unfortunately. But, if they want to play their own game and put Obama under a microscope, I say let 'em. After all, the poor things are gonna have a looooooong four years, possibly eight. At least it gives them something to be happy about, since they won't be able to applaud futile war efforts and such.

Although, I must admit that when I saw the news clip of Obama signing the Gitmo closure orders, I instantly wondered how many heads were exploding with, "See! See! He just signed our country over to them terrorists!" It's times like these that we need to reach out to our conservative brothers, and supply them with endless tinfoil to make hats. After all, it must be damn hard to see the world feeling a bit less hostile towards us. Because it makes us look weak, ya know.

[sleepyjeff]

Originally Posted by JWBear

I stand by my adjective, sir.

I withdraw mine.

All I've been hearing from conservatives the last few days as been infantile whining and cries of "See? See? Obama made a boo-boo! He's a failure!" The man has been in office less than 36 hours.

Wow, how horrible for you. I lasted 8 years.....I am sorry 36 hours is tiring you out

Give it a rest! You're party lost. Get over it!

No!
So?
Why?

[JWBear]

Originally Posted by sleepyjeff

Wow, how horrible for you. I lasted 8 years.....I am sorry 36 hours is tiring you out

The difference is that in Bush's first hours in office his every act and utterance were not greeted by cries of "He's going to fail!!! See what a mistake you made?" It took months for the full horror of the Bush Presidency to become apparent.

[alphabassettgrrl]

Here's the article I was looking for on white privilege.

Spoiler:

3. If I should need to move, I can be pretty sure of renting or purchasing housing in an area which I can afford and in which I would want to live.

4. I can be pretty sure that my neighbors in such a location will be neutral or pleasant to me.

5. I can go shopping alone most of the time, pretty well assured that I will not be followed or harassed.

8. I can be sure that my children will be given curricular materials that testify to the existence of their race.

9. If I want to, I can be pretty sure of finding a publisher for this piece on white privilege.

12. I can go into a music shop and count on finding the music of my race represented, into a supermarket and find the staple foods which fit with my cultural traditions, into a hairdresser's shop and find someone who can cut my hair.

13. Whether I use checks, credit cards or cash, I can count on my skin color not to work against the appearance of financial reliability.

15. I do not have to educate my children to be aware of systemic racism for their own daily physical protection.

17. I can talk with my mouth full and not have people put this down to my color.

18. I can swear, or dress in second hand clothes, or not answer letters, without having people attribute these choices to the bad morals, the poverty or the illiteracy of my race.

20. I can do well in a challenging situation without being called a credit to my race.

21. I am never asked to speak for all the people of my racial group.

25. If a traffic cop pulls me over or if the IRS audits my tax return, I can be sure I haven't been singled out because of my race.

26. I can easily buy posters, post-cards, picture books, greeting cards, dolls, toys and children's magazines featuring people of my race.

29. I can be pretty sure that if I argue for the promotion of a person of another race, or a program centering on race, this is not likely to cost me heavily within my present setting, even if my colleagues disagree with me.

33. I am not made acutely aware that my shape, bearing or body odor will be taken as a reflection on my race.

34. I can worry about racism without being seen as self-interested or self-seeking.

35. I can take a job with an affirmative action employer without having my co-workers on the job suspect that I got it because of my race.

38. I can think over many options, social, political, imaginative or professional, without asking whether a person of my race would be accepted or allowed to do what I want to do.

39. I can be late to a meeting without having the lateness reflect on my race.

40. I can choose public accommodation without fearing that people of my race cannot get in or will be mistreated in the places I have chosen.

43. If I have low credibility as a leader I can be sure that my race is not the problem.

45. I can expect figurative language and imagery in all of the arts to testify to experiences of my race.

46. I can chose blemish cover or bandages in "flesh" color and have them more or less match my skin.

47. I can travel alone or with my spouse without expecting embarrassment or hostility in those who deal with us.

50. I will feel welcomed and "normal" in the usual walks of public life, institutional and social.

Whole article: http://mmcisaac.faculty.asu.edu/emc598ge/Unpacking.html

[JWBear]

Originally Posted by alphabassettgrrl

Here's the article I was looking for on white privilege.

Spoiler:

3. If I should need to move, I can be pretty sure of renting or purchasing housing in an area which I can afford and in which I would want to live.

4. I can be pretty sure that my neighbors in such a location will be neutral or pleasant to me.

5. I can go shopping alone most of the time, pretty well assured that I will not be followed or harassed.

8. I can be sure that my children will be given curricular materials that testify to the existence of their race.

9. If I want to, I can be pretty sure of finding a publisher for this piece on white privilege.

12. I can go into a music shop and count on finding the music of my race represented, into a supermarket and find the staple foods which fit with my cultural traditions, into a hairdresser's shop and find someone who can cut my hair.

13. Whether I use checks, credit cards or cash, I can count on my skin color not to work against the appearance of financial reliability.

15. I do not have to educate my children to be aware of systemic racism for their own daily physical protection.

17. I can talk with my mouth full and not have people put this down to my color.

18. I can swear, or dress in second hand clothes, or not answer letters, without having people attribute these choices to the bad morals, the poverty or the illiteracy of my race.

20. I can do well in a challenging situation without being called a credit to my race.

21. I am never asked to speak for all the people of my racial group.

25. If a traffic cop pulls me over or if the IRS audits my tax return, I can be sure I haven't been singled out because of my race.

26. I can easily buy posters, post-cards, picture books, greeting cards, dolls, toys and children's magazines featuring people of my race.

29. I can be pretty sure that if I argue for the promotion of a person of another race, or a program centering on race, this is not likely to cost me heavily within my present setting, even if my colleagues disagree with me.

33. I am not made acutely aware that my shape, bearing or body odor will be taken as a reflection on my race.

34. I can worry about racism without being seen as self-interested or self-seeking.

35. I can take a job with an affirmative action employer without having my co-workers on the job suspect that I got it because of my race.

38. I can think over many options, social, political, imaginative or professional, without asking whether a person of my race would be accepted or allowed to do what I want to do.

39. I can be late to a meeting without having the lateness reflect on my race.

40. I can choose public accommodation without fearing that people of my race cannot get in or will be mistreated in the places I have chosen.

43. If I have low credibility as a leader I can be sure that my race is not the problem.

45. I can expect figurative language and imagery in all of the arts to testify to experiences of my race.

46. I can chose blemish cover or bandages in "flesh" color and have them more or less match my skin.

47. I can travel alone or with my spouse without expecting embarrassment or hostility in those who deal with us.

50. I will feel welcomed and "normal" in the usual walks of public life, institutional and social.

Whole article: http://mmcisaac.faculty.asu.edu/emc598ge/Unpacking.html

Wow... It's amazing how many of those still work if you replace "race" with "sexual orientation".

(What happened to numbers 1 & 2?)

[Andrew]

So much of that seems so... obsolete. Of course, being of Russian/Palestinian extraction (e.g. Caucasian) I don't have this experience personally--but I don't see it. I used to see it. I don't see it anymore.

[alphabassettgrrl]

I think she raises that issue at some point, that white privilege is similar to male privilege, or heterosexual privilege.

[alphabassettgrrl]

Originally Posted by Andrew

I don't see it.

That's the point of talking about it- it is invisible to those in the "benefit" group.

[Andrew]

Originally Posted by alphabassettgrrl

That's the point of talking about it- it is invisible to those in the "benefit" group.

That assumes I don't look around and notice what happens to other people. In fact, I do -- I have a special interest in processes and social infrastructure -- and I just don't see this kind of unspoken discrimination in the lives of people of color with whom I interact. Maybe I am really that blind but I don't think so.

[JWBear]

Just because you don't see it doesn't mean it doesn't exist.