Reply #26: I've alway felt that those are fear-based responses [View All]

They sound angry,and ignorant, and they are, but you scratch beneath the surface and you find unacknowledged fear. I've been shaking my head a lot around here lately.
When the words "politically correct" became demonized, an example of control over rights rather than treating others in a equal and decent manner it seemed license for all kinds of attitudes to prevail. It's not the words themselves that had so much power, but the ideals behind them do or did. When the country fought for equal rights, civil rights, we were confronted with ourselves, our language our attitudes. We had to face ourselves our compliance, our own sense of superiority, and for many, our sense of entitlement.

What we see now, I believe is a backlash. The great tide of the civil rights movement, when it retreated, left a beach exposed (If you'll forgive the metaphor) And some of those things were too difficult to face for those with the most power- starting with The White Male. A lot of collective maneuvering went on, a lot of squirming, a lot of justifying. And there were always the soul dead, the absolute opportunists who came along to manipulate the national consciousness.
In the emotionally draining aftermath of great changes, these opportunists were quite successful.

I know as an individual, when I'm faced with unpleasant truths about myself, I squirm around for a while and try to deny them, but I've learned over time to face those truths head on and do something about them, rather then defend them. I loved the post on this thread about learning and remaining teachable, especially regarding "the other" How many will mouth support for "Gay rights" "Gay marriage"but are secretly uncomfortable with it? Exposing and facing those things in ourselves is essential for a progressive community.

Sexism and Racism-- our two most destructive forces, are alive and well and actually thriving in society. Yet so many try to deny it because we're no longer lynching black folk, and women can now be CEO's. We've come far but not so far we can start stagnating now, and that is what those threads represent to me--stagnation of thought, of growth, of societies evolution (or revolution.) Because stagnation leads to rot.