So in the not so distant past I posted an entry asking for people's feedback on "white privilege". I asked people to write in and give their opinions on specific questions that I posed. And I got two responses. OK three, but Colin responded twice. It was somewhat interesting to me that my army of readers had virtually no responses. After a few days I became worried and so I reached out to some of my friends and most loyal readers (aka friends that have responded before) and asked them to post something. Than nothing. At this point I almost concluded that no one has any interest in my blog and that's why they aren't commenting. What if no-one except for Colin and Marcus actually read my blog? I was a little worried and so I installed a handy-dandy counter at the bottom of the page so I could figure out just how many people were coming to visit. My most recent count is 120 in a week. That said I've probably checked on it 20 times myself and you can count Colin in for another 5 or 10. And let's assume there are like 50 erroneous landings from the interweb. That leaves 40 or so legitimate views of this blog in one week. I'm sure that Heather Armstrong from dooce.com is scared. She gets like a million views a day. In fact she probably just got another reader because I just posted her link. It's true that the rich get richer but I digress.
So there are at least a few of you out there. So what gives? Are you chicken?
Well that's going to be my conclusion for now.
In the meantime, I've asked my partner Laura to help me with my next posting. I think it is going to be good so you should continue to check in and see what it's all about. About half of my visitors are related to her anyway, so hey I figure I might as well cater to my base.
Hey Victorio - Just checked your blog right quick (literally 30 secs) and wanted to post but I've only read about 2 of your other posts ever. I WANT to read them all the time! I WANT TO dialogue about all this stuff all the TIME! But the reason why I don't is only because of time. I have none. Someday I will learn how to balance all this.... keep writing, keep thinking, I'm trying...
ReplyDeleteIn Solidarity,
Q
Hey Victorio: Re: White privilege: You know I always consoled myself with the idea that my Norwegian grandparents came here so recently that my bloodline had no blood on our hands, so to speak, from the slavery days. But this was an apologetic naivete that I maintained to avoid looking at my own white privilege. But then when I was married to my Arabic husband I saw first hand (especially in the days after 9/11) how he was treated differently than me in so many contexts. At that point I knew: there exists a white priviliege, a white world that has a veil between it and the rest of reality. Just as people who never leave Manhattan can't truly understand life in the outer boroughs, so too does white privilege not only exist but mask the reality of people of color in a cloak of (I think - dangerous) ignorance for those people who wish not to look or recognize another reality. - Peace, Laura
ReplyDeleteHey Victorio: Re: White privilege: You know I always consoled myself with the idea that my Norwegian grandparents came here so recently that my bloodline had no blood on our hands, so to speak, from the slavery days. But this was an apologetic naivete that I maintained to avoid looking at my own white privilege. But then when I was married to my Arabic husband I saw first hand (especially in the days after 9/11) how he was treated differently than me in so many contexts. At that point I knew: there exists a white priviliege, a white world that has a veil between it and the rest of reality. Just as people who never leave Manhattan can't truly understand life in the outer boroughs, so too does white privilege not only exist but mask the reality of people of color in a cloak of (I think - dangerous) ignorance for those people who wish not to look or recognize another reality. - Peace, (the other) Laura (Little Sofia's Mom)
ReplyDeleteyeah white privilage exists why we talkin' about it? its obvious only racists think it doesn't. Class privilage exists too. I dont know what exactly is in peoples heads when they see mostly whites in the affluent suburbs and mostly non-whites in the inner city ghettos, but there it is, end of discussion. white privilage. maybe they lie to themselves in some racist way saying "blacks are lazy and dont want to work" or whatever. as a side note you ever notice how segregated albany is? like you go to New York and black people are in all sorts of professional dress and different jobs but in Albany its like all white state workers in suits and the only black people you see are working at the mall. its so f'd, and Jennings and his cronies LOVE it they just keep making it worse. no black firemen, i think one, maybe two black cops, ad infinitum...thats white privilage right there. Jennings doesn't even try to make a fake gesture towards inclusiveness like GW did with condi and colin. another thing, and if i wasnt at work this would be much more cohesive: the demonization of blacks. think about this: Eliot Spitzer and, more importantly, the legislature DESTROYED NY state, NY was like a cancer pt. slowly dying and the legislature smothered it with a pillow, then they stick a black man in charge and make him look like the clown and the screw up. same with Obama. Flush the country down the toilet then give it to a black dude, let him take all the blame. its just driving the rasists undertones further to the surface, stirring up the animosity and in fact creating new animosity. that being said Obama is a huge fraud, but my point still stands (didn't vote for him or any other robot for that matter)
ReplyDeleteoh by the way, whats up torrey?