Well crafted essay, Juliana. I have German heritage. I have British heritage. And I’m a white American. MANY cultures would have every right to hold “my kind” accountable for a variety of atrocities. As a white person, I certainly faced a reckoning here in the U.S. over the past decade. I’m grateful to have my eyes opened to our historical truths that were buried or twisted. (Once you see, you can’t unsee.) It’s painful to feel that collective shame of the oppressor. So painful, most turn away from it.
I can’t imagine, however, what it’s like to grapple with an oppression that’s mixed with religion. A whole different ballgame. And we’re starting to see that game play out as certain politicians leverage Christianity to rally their base. They see how powerful of a tool (ahem, weapon) religion can be on the global scale. I worry. But I’m vigilant. I cannot think like an oppressor.
"Deep down, we all know that discriminating, exploiting and massacring another people is wrong, so we feel tremendous guilt and fear of retribution, which leads to lashing out with increasing savagery in an effort to preserve our safety." Yes, it all is so crazy. Thank you for this thoughtful essay on how it is systems, not inborn behavior, that we're grappling with. And systems can be changed.
This is well thought with much to ponder. One thing I think is missing is the class perspective. I don't buy into the idea of "white privilege". White workers are oppressed by the bosses, just not as oppressed as their brothers and sisters of color. Bosses use racism and sexism to divide workers so we cannot organize to fight back against their oppression. In terms of Israel and Hamas, I tell people I do not pick either side. Both Palestinian and Israeli workers need to unite against both sets of bosses.
I do agree that language is important. I think that the concepts of bosses and workers have become more mainstream since last year’s strike waves. Also the idea of “white skin privilege” can make some well meaning workers feel guilty. This can lead to them becoming reticent in approaching black and brown workers.
Juliana your article is so thorough and so clear in its understanding of these complex dynamics. I keep coming back to the the Talmudic precept that each human being is a world and how precious each world is. This article deserves a really widespread distribution so that many more humans can benefit from its wisdom. Tikkun Magazine is closing. This would make an excellent piece for its final issue.
Well crafted essay, Juliana. I have German heritage. I have British heritage. And I’m a white American. MANY cultures would have every right to hold “my kind” accountable for a variety of atrocities. As a white person, I certainly faced a reckoning here in the U.S. over the past decade. I’m grateful to have my eyes opened to our historical truths that were buried or twisted. (Once you see, you can’t unsee.) It’s painful to feel that collective shame of the oppressor. So painful, most turn away from it.
I can’t imagine, however, what it’s like to grapple with an oppression that’s mixed with religion. A whole different ballgame. And we’re starting to see that game play out as certain politicians leverage Christianity to rally their base. They see how powerful of a tool (ahem, weapon) religion can be on the global scale. I worry. But I’m vigilant. I cannot think like an oppressor.
"Deep down, we all know that discriminating, exploiting and massacring another people is wrong, so we feel tremendous guilt and fear of retribution, which leads to lashing out with increasing savagery in an effort to preserve our safety." Yes, it all is so crazy. Thank you for this thoughtful essay on how it is systems, not inborn behavior, that we're grappling with. And systems can be changed.
This is well thought with much to ponder. One thing I think is missing is the class perspective. I don't buy into the idea of "white privilege". White workers are oppressed by the bosses, just not as oppressed as their brothers and sisters of color. Bosses use racism and sexism to divide workers so we cannot organize to fight back against their oppression. In terms of Israel and Hamas, I tell people I do not pick either side. Both Palestinian and Israeli workers need to unite against both sets of bosses.
I do agree that language is important. I think that the concepts of bosses and workers have become more mainstream since last year’s strike waves. Also the idea of “white skin privilege” can make some well meaning workers feel guilty. This can lead to them becoming reticent in approaching black and brown workers.
Juliana your article is so thorough and so clear in its understanding of these complex dynamics. I keep coming back to the the Talmudic precept that each human being is a world and how precious each world is. This article deserves a really widespread distribution so that many more humans can benefit from its wisdom. Tikkun Magazine is closing. This would make an excellent piece for its final issue.