The online attitudes of quite a few "Progressive" white folks regarding dehumanizing language

[ck4829]

3. I'm white and I agree with you

I want to say that there is another aspect to dehumanization often overlooked and we see it it with these attitudes, and that is "superhumanization". Common examples are Asians are good at math, black people are natural athletes, violent white people are mentally ill but you never see it brought up with violent Muslims for some reason, and more.

And I see it here with progressives and the groups that honestly want to work with them, GLBTQ, the poor, minority religions, and yes, ethnic groups.

I see it with the call to take the high road, that these groups can put their immediate needs aside, to not participate in "identity politics", etc.

My fellow progressives have constructed this bar I guess to make themselves feel good, like hey, we're not winning elections but at least we're not stooping down. "We're sleeping well at night" I can't speak to the experience of a black person or a gay person, but i have my own issues... personal and loving relationships with marginalized groups and a nephew with a rare disease. The whole "We may not have a place at the table but at least we took the high road" has no meaning to me as I imagine it also has no meaning for all the marginalized Democrats out there.

We're calling on everyone to "be better" but you know what? We're all human, we can crack jokes, we should be vulgar not all the time and not to an extreme but it shouldn't be a cardinal sin, there needs to be a place where the "stiff upper lip" that the marginalized have to keep apparently in response to dehumanization can be dropped, and more.

We need to rehumanize the groups the far right wants to dehumanize and sometimes that means being just like everyone else.