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> Of all the people at a multiethnic women’s college who could hold the school’s “diversity” seat, the least fitting one was a white man. > “I thought he’d do

by jcrites 12y ago

> Of all the people at a multiethnic women’s college who could hold the school’s “diversity” seat, the least fitting one was a white man. > “I thought he’d do a perfectly fine job, but it just felt inappropriate to have a white man there. It’s not just about that position either. Having men in elected leadership positions undermines the idea of this being a place where women are the leaders.” I find this concept both depressing and distressing. Any person can be capable, willing, and qualified to take on a role promoting diversity. Their gender, sex, race, or whatever else should not disqualify them and should hardly be a factor. I guess this shows that prejudice is unfortunately still common in modern society. Discriminating against e.g. white men in such a role is just as abhorrent to me as discriminating against any other groups in other circumstances. Certainly it's their right not to vote for him, but if the basis of their vote is simply his membership in some group, rather than his character or qualifications, then that's prejudice. It's sad and it needs to stop. We need to cease over-correcting for past discriminating by propagating new discrimination and prejudice into the modern day. > I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. Martin Luther King, Jr. Let's put discrimination to rest by selecting people for roles based on what we know about them as individuals: their capability, qualifications, and character. [Edit: minor rephrasing and added content.]

MrZongle2 12y ago
I find that concept really depressing. You're not the only one. Apparently even at what should be an enlightened women's college, sexism (and racism) is alive and well.
lexcorvus 12y ago
It is a fascinating double-standard. Compare to a similar sentiment someone might express: “I thought Obama would do a perfectly fine job, but it just felt inappropriate to have a black man as President of the United States.” Such a person would be pilloried as a racist. It's astonishing how often people imply or explicitly assert that white men don't understand what it's like to live in a society hostile to their race and sex. A cursory glance at, say, the New York Times shows that such hostility is in fact pervasive—even, bizarrely, among white men themselves.
- zdean 12y ago
  Why is this astonishing? "It's astonishing how often people imply or explicitly assert that white men don't understand what it's like to live in a society hostile to their race and sex."
- jamesaguilar 12y ago
  White men do not understand, any more than I understand what it feels like to be a rabbit. Your comment is a clear example of that failure -- actually, it's worse, because you don't even understand the problem intellectually. Some white men do acknowledge their privilege, but even for them, it will never be possible to experience true systemic hostility based on their gender or race. "Occasionally my gender-race is criticized for the oppression it, as a whole, has and continues to heap on other groups" cries the white man. "Hostility! I understand it!" he says. Meanwhile, all the other groups deal with actual adversity. I mean things worse than newspaper articles pointing out how you start with advantage. Things like disproportionate violence at the hands of the police and the state, disproportionate victimization with sexual violence, inability to move forward in the corporate world, imbalanced expectations regarding family life, dress, body shape, etc. Even things like being less likely to be called back for a job interview because of your name. Yeah, white men, including you, really do not get it.
  - boombip 12y ago
    I like how you assume that he/she is white, or even a man at all.
    - jamesaguilar 12y ago
      It's possible that someone from another race or gender feels that white men have it tough. I've never met such a person.
  - verroq 12y ago
    How is it his fault and why should he care? He didn't choose to be born as a white man. He has no more responsibility for his race than any national for their country.
dcre 12y ago
It is important to note that they are not being discriminatory without realizing it. On the contrary, they actively disagree with you that the best way to end discrimination is to simply ignore it. This is a deliberate double standard meant to counteract the opposing one women are subjected to by society at large.
- verroq 12y ago
  The KKK are not being discriminatory without realising it. How do we stop discrimination? By being discriminatory.
heygiraffe 12y ago
> Of all the people at a multiethnic women’s college who could hold the school’s “diversity” seat, the least fitting one was a white man. I don't know about the "white" part, but putting a man in such a seat would seem to be more appropriate than putting a woman in it. Doesn't anyone else remember what "diversity" means?
- chillingeffect 12y ago
  You and the parent are both absolutely correct, in real life. It's just that iiuc, Wellesley doesn't sell "diversity," but "women." Wellesley's failure to take a stance on having transmen around indicates hesitation and fear on their part (understandably so, imho) b/c who really knows - at this time - what is fair and just for their product case. Do they count women who became men as women, b/c that's part of the female experience? Or do they count them as men, b/c they're not women? Who knows.
- a8da6b0c91d 12y ago
  "Diversity" is code for anti white discrimination. Whenever you hear the word "diversity" know that it very much means deliberate anti white racism. We destroy over 4% of GDP every year on "diversity." http://vimeo.com/16078350 http://vimeo.com/16078350
agilebyte 12y ago
> rather than his character or qualifications The idea is that those two (meritocracy) are not the only criteria used when we select our leaders, employees etc. so they resort to saying: > It’s not just about that position either. What I think they are saying is that it is not just about the job, which he would do fine, but also about the job of being a woman so that other women can aspire to be like that, feel motivated that people with less privilege than white men can be leaders too. That way you are more qualified for the job.
emcarey 12y ago
sorry you have faced so much discrimination as a white man. I hope one day that changes.
- verroq 12y ago
  By trivialising issues faced by males, can you still claim what you are advocating is equality? edit: downvotes are really good arguments :^)
  - cgio 12y ago
    I do not thing equality is the right goal yet. For the time being it is active anti-discrimination and this means sometimes we have to discriminate to the advantage of generally disadvantaged groups. As a white male I have also found it annoying witnessing such anti-discrimination induced discrimination in the past, but I now see the reason why it is needed.
zdean 12y ago
"We need to cease over-correcting for past discriminating..." Maybe so, but do we do the same with discrimination that's very much currently in the effect?
lsiebert 12y ago
>I guess this shows that prejudice is unfortunately still common in modern society. Until minorities say it isn't an issue to the same extent white men do, I won't believe prejudice has disappeared. Maybe not then even. I think you have to acknowledge that a diverse individual brings their experience to a situation. Being part of an interest group gives you greater experience regarding how to advocate for that group.

by jcrites 12y ago

MrZongle2 12y ago

I find that concept really depressing. You're not the only one. Apparently even at what should be an enlightened women's college, sexism (and racism) is alive and well.

lexcorvus 12y ago

It is a fascinating double-standard. Compare to a similar sentiment someone might express: “I thought Obama would do a perfectly fine job, but it just felt inappropriate to have a black man as President of the United States.” Such a person would be pilloried as a racist. It's astonishing how often people imply or explicitly assert that white men don't understand what it's like to live in a society hostile to their race and sex. A cursory glance at, say, the New York Times shows that such hostility is in fact pervasive—even, bizarrely, among white men themselves.

zdean 12y ago
Why is this astonishing? "It's astonishing how often people imply or explicitly assert that white men don't understand what it's like to live in a society hostile to their race and sex."
jamesaguilar 12y ago
White men do not understand, any more than I understand what it feels like to be a rabbit. Your comment is a clear example of that failure -- actually, it's worse, because you don't even understand the problem intellectually. Some white men do acknowledge their privilege, but even for them, it will never be possible to experience true systemic hostility based on their gender or race. "Occasionally my gender-race is criticized for the oppression it, as a whole, has and continues to heap on other groups" cries the white man. "Hostility! I understand it!" he says. Meanwhile, all the other groups deal with actual adversity. I mean things worse than newspaper articles pointing out how you start with advantage. Things like disproportionate violence at the hands of the police and the state, disproportionate victimization with sexual violence, inability to move forward in the corporate world, imbalanced expectations regarding family life, dress, body shape, etc. Even things like being less likely to be called back for a job interview because of your name. Yeah, white men, including you, really do not get it.
- boombip 12y ago
  I like how you assume that he/she is white, or even a man at all.
  - jamesaguilar 12y ago
    It's possible that someone from another race or gender feels that white men have it tough. I've never met such a person.
- verroq 12y ago
  How is it his fault and why should he care? He didn't choose to be born as a white man. He has no more responsibility for his race than any national for their country.

dcre 12y ago

It is important to note that they are not being discriminatory without realizing it. On the contrary, they actively disagree with you that the best way to end discrimination is to simply ignore it. This is a deliberate double standard meant to counteract the opposing one women are subjected to by society at large.

verroq 12y ago
The KKK are not being discriminatory without realising it. How do we stop discrimination? By being discriminatory.

heygiraffe 12y ago

> Of all the people at a multiethnic women’s college who could hold the school’s “diversity” seat, the least fitting one was a white man. I don't know about the "white" part, but putting a man in such a seat would seem to be more appropriate than putting a woman in it. Doesn't anyone else remember what "diversity" means?

chillingeffect 12y ago
You and the parent are both absolutely correct, in real life. It's just that iiuc, Wellesley doesn't sell "diversity," but "women." Wellesley's failure to take a stance on having transmen around indicates hesitation and fear on their part (understandably so, imho) b/c who really knows - at this time - what is fair and just for their product case. Do they count women who became men as women, b/c that's part of the female experience? Or do they count them as men, b/c they're not women? Who knows.
a8da6b0c91d 12y ago
"Diversity" is code for anti white discrimination. Whenever you hear the word "diversity" know that it very much means deliberate anti white racism. We destroy over 4% of GDP every year on "diversity." http://vimeo.com/16078350 http://vimeo.com/16078350

agilebyte 12y ago

> rather than his character or qualifications The idea is that those two (meritocracy) are not the only criteria used when we select our leaders, employees etc. so they resort to saying: > It’s not just about that position either. What I think they are saying is that it is not just about the job, which he would do fine, but also about the job of being a woman so that other women can aspire to be like that, feel motivated that people with less privilege than white men can be leaders too. That way you are more qualified for the job.

emcarey 12y ago

sorry you have faced so much discrimination as a white man. I hope one day that changes.

verroq 12y ago
By trivialising issues faced by males, can you still claim what you are advocating is equality? edit: downvotes are really good arguments :^)
- cgio 12y ago
  I do not thing equality is the right goal yet. For the time being it is active anti-discrimination and this means sometimes we have to discriminate to the advantage of generally disadvantaged groups. As a white male I have also found it annoying witnessing such anti-discrimination induced discrimination in the past, but I now see the reason why it is needed.

zdean 12y ago

"We need to cease over-correcting for past discriminating..." Maybe so, but do we do the same with discrimination that's very much currently in the effect?

lsiebert 12y ago

>I guess this shows that prejudice is unfortunately still common in modern society. Until minorities say it isn't an issue to the same extent white men do, I won't believe prejudice has disappeared. Maybe not then even. I think you have to acknowledge that a diverse individual brings their experience to a situation. Being part of an interest group gives you greater experience regarding how to advocate for that group.