Posted by wendy b. on January 15, 2003, at 23:09:26
In reply to Re: I'm going to take a break for a few days, posted by Phil on January 15, 2003, at 21:58:30
> > > I met a girl working at a coffee shop and thought she looked bummed out. I asked if she was okay. She was a senior in high school and had saved $2000.00 to go to Peru with 20 other people to do volunteer work. She said her father had just told her she couldn't go and she would probably lose the $2000.00. Seems this caring, pretty young girl was Jewish and the day before a jew had been beheaded there.
> >
> > Is that a slur against Peruvians?
>
> >>>>I think I need a vacation. That wasn't fair.
Bob,That was so out of order. You have really made a bad situation worse.
Phil did not tell the story with the message: "Peruvians are a bunch of ax-wielding murderers." He was pointing out that racism has *real effects* on the lives of innocent peole who are nothing like the stereotyped representations of their ethnic/cultural group. This girl had saved money to go off and help others less fortunate than herself. And a racist act of violence prevented that. There was no slur against the Peruvian people.
Do you *really* need this spelled out, or are you just being coy? I ask because you are hurting a lot of people who thought the environment here was relatively safe. You've been so quick to PBC people or to block them for infractions far less serious than this, in the name of safety and civility.
What is the point you're trying to make? You want this guy to feel supported. So do we -- but that support has always had conditions. Fuzzymind has the right to be supported, but *not* at the expense of other's feelings and other's rights not to be put down. This is just common sense.
And now you've chased Phil away for a *very* snide comment. To what end? For what purpose?
Sincerely,
Wendy
poster:wendy b.
thread:8766
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/admin/20021128/msgs/8830.html