Quote from: Hypatia on December 23, 2007, 12:49:29 AM
Quote from: Nichole W. on December 22, 2007, 09:31:33 PM
One can say, with decency, that one thinks people of color are less than human? I spoz.
No... such a thing is inherently indecent, not to mention inhuman. I'm fighting racism because racism is just plain wrong--calling me names isn't going to dissuade me from the fight.
Hi Philosopher-Lady, how're the halls of Alexandria? *smile*
Of course you aren't. I think my difficulty is that conversation among educated and culturally-modified Westerners has taken on all of the aspects of warfare without, generally, the actual use of weaponry like guns, artillery, rockets and H-bombs. But, we do have and use the linguistic equivalents of those.
My point is simply that if we defuse that warfare, see and react to the person/s we 'fight' against as though they are flesh and blood humans with the same innate traits as ourselves: give them the common decency of seeing their humanity, then to be able to argue that people of color are sub-human, that TGs, Republicans, Democratic-Socialists, Quebecois or Arabs are not the 'same people' as myself, it becomes impossible for me to demean them, often impossible for me to argue things I might have argued before.
I believe in common decency. I believe that to hold to that is to haul myself away from Western-style argument that places all in a black/white juxtaposition. In removing that irate, demeaning, dismissive tenor to whatever I am arguing for or against is to allow the other the full humanity and dignity I allow myself.
It seems to me that it is also to defuse, completely, my self-righteousness and willingness to do in 'intellectual warfare' what I would never do to my own child, or loved ones.
With 'common decency' I allow the other her humanity. In doing that I disarm myself and meet with her on a common ground of similar dreams, hopes, pains and triumphs. I do not meet her as if she were an alien monster who eats her own children.
No, not all arguments are worthy of the same adherence as others. But, I also think that when I can change the basis for the argument to one of shared dignity and common decency that I also begin conversation and end warfare.
So, I would definitely agree that one cannot be viciously racist or violently transphobic when she allows her fellow conversationalist to be as real, tender, hopeful and worthy of life as she is herself. I suppose if that is PC, then I am PC. I would rather see it as being human and able to recognize another's humanity as well.
Nichole
