Re: Are some ideas wrong? and do you really value diversity | <– Date –> <– Thread –> |
From: Fred-List manager (fholsoncohousing.org) | |
Date: Sun, 27 Nov 2016 06:20:22 -0800 (PST) |
Emily Johnston <enjohnston [at] gmail.com> is the author of the message below. It was posted by Fred, the Cohousing-L list manager <fholson [at] cohousing.org> after restoring subject line. Digest subscribers, please delete most of quoted digest and restore subject line when replying. NOTE: Digest subscribers can make replying easier by using "auto folders" particularly Gmail and Outlook users. See http://justcomm.org/jc-faq.htm#Q6.5 -------------------- FORWARDED MESSAGE FOLLOWS -------------------- Ty, I didn't read the list for the last couple of weeks, so excuse me if I'm making points already made...but I had to respond to this. While your points about neighborliness and diversity of opinion and worldview are important, you're simply wrong when you say "The suggestion that because of the election suddenly we now need to deal with people who are racist, white supremacist, and this or that phobia is nuts." >From the Detroit Free Press <http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2016/11/24/feds-detroit-prosecute-hate-crimes-cases-have-risen-statewide/94333606/> (and there are many such articles around the country): The Michigan Department of Civil Rights' community outreach program documented 30 hate incidents in Michigan in the 10 days after the Nov. 8 election, compared with only about seven on average during an entire year. <http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2016/11/19/hate-crimes-michigan-post-election/94089362/> In addition, the department received 40 phone calls of hate crimes on the Monday after the election. On average, it gets about 23 calls a day. There have been reports of hate attacks <http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/detroit/2016/11/23/local-priests-assistant-bishops-detroit/94329230/> against Latinos, Arab Americans, African Americans, Indian Americans and others across the region, including in Hartland, Royal Oak, Grand Rapids and elsewhere. This week, community advocates are investigating a racist flyer against Mexican Americans in a school in Rochester. Like a lot of people--especially reasonably comfortable white people--you may think that the sky *can't* fall, because it has never fallen on you. But on many people, in many places, under many circumstances (some of them, of course, occurring in the name of more left-wing values), it has indeed fallen, and if you think it can't happen here, you're not paying attention to our racial history. I wholly agree that not everyone who voted for Trump is an evil racist. But it's our job to make sure that the sense of impunity now evidently felt by those who ARE racist, misogynist, or homophobic doesn't lead to horrors of the sort that people eventually look back and say "but how could that have happened?" Because this is how it happens. Being intolerant of intolerance is essential...which doesn't mean we write off the large swath of the population who voted for Trump--nothing so easy and lazy as that. But calling "hypocrite!" because people are vocally upset about Trump even as they cherish diversity isn't meaningful in historical terms; it's just as easy and lazy. This election was nothing if not a wake-up call for all of us to understand the lives of others (in other circumstances, outside of our own circles) notably better than we have been...but we should by no means do so uncritically. > On Nov 23, 2016 at 10:55 AM, Ty Albright <tmalbright [at] verizon.net> wrote: > > > > I must share my frustration about some of the comments recently > made on this list in reaction to the recent election. > > > Possibly because I live in "fly over" country and arguably participate > in a > different "culture" my opinions are different from many who live > in other > parts of the country. > > > > However I can tell > you that the tone of many of these discussions are > offensive and > demonstrate the lack of inclusion and diversity that many > claim to be > seeking and promote as desirable. > > > > The suggestion that > because of the election suddenly we now need to deal > with people who > are racist, white supremacist, and this or that phobia is > nuts. The > suggested concern being expressed by some about how they hope > that > those types of people don't move into my community or how could we get > > along with people who have such wrong ideas is hypocritical. > > > I believe the more important question is do you really value inclusion. > Can > you live with others even if they do not share your personal > political > beliefs? Apparently we live in a country divided on > political beliefs; so > should there be a test so only those who agree > with your views (and not the > wrong views) are allowed to live in your > community? > > > Wake up and smell the coffee people. People who disagree with your > world > view are everywhere, and walk amongst you (this applies to > everyone > regardless of your views). You don't have to agree > politically or be > friends with your neighbor, but if you want community > you should be > inclusive and to be a good neighbor. Stop assuming the > sky is falling. > > > > p.s. for those who > need to know - I did not vote for Trump, but he is now > our > president-elect and I still like my neighbors. > > > > Ty - in Dallas > > > > Ty Albright Project > Management > > Little Red Hen LLC > > 214-336-7952
- Re: Are some ideas wrong? and do you really value diversity, (continued)
- Re: Are some ideas wrong? and do you really value diversity Virgil Huston, November 23 2016
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Re: Are some ideas wrong? and do you really value diversity Gerald Manata, November 24 2016
- Re: Are some ideas wrong? and do you really value diversity David Davenport, November 24 2016
- Re: Are some ideas wrong? and do you really value diversity? Just because one has a liberal political ... Liz Ryan Cole, November 24 2016
- Re: Are some ideas wrong? and do you really value diversity Fred-List manager, November 27 2016
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