oppression
Once again I want to talk about something I'm not allowed to talk about! Yeah that's right, one's opinion is not always allowed!
In this case I'm not allowed to discuss race because I'm white. Whites are only allowed to apologize if they talk at all on the topic. In case you hadn't noticed.
I'm not here to discuss how I feel about that. I see the reasons and I get it.
I'm here because I heard a black woman say she's tired of hearing, among other things "don't be so aggressive" when she's being assertive. I've heard that a million times too. I finally get it. It doesn't mean "women aren't allowed to be assertive" it means "underlings aren't allowed to assert themselves" whomever that underling may be in the group. If it's a group of women, then the underling is possibly set by workplace heirarchy, but it may also be set by such things as race, or economic status. While I'm white, I'm otherwise as low status as a human can be. All I can say about my position is society is that if I were coloured, it would be a damn sight worse if I'd have survived it at all. The fact I wish I hadn't survived my life is neither here nor there in this issue.
My point is, the whole idea that someone's too aggressive might be the signal that you are oppressing someone in your group. Sure it might be a case of someone who's power tripping, but that's usually not described as "aggressive." That designation is reserved for powerless people who are trying to assert themselves and gain some power and are struggling hard because they deserve that power and are being shoved aside.
There you go, got my nugget.
In this case I'm not allowed to discuss race because I'm white. Whites are only allowed to apologize if they talk at all on the topic. In case you hadn't noticed.
I'm not here to discuss how I feel about that. I see the reasons and I get it.
I'm here because I heard a black woman say she's tired of hearing, among other things "don't be so aggressive" when she's being assertive. I've heard that a million times too. I finally get it. It doesn't mean "women aren't allowed to be assertive" it means "underlings aren't allowed to assert themselves" whomever that underling may be in the group. If it's a group of women, then the underling is possibly set by workplace heirarchy, but it may also be set by such things as race, or economic status. While I'm white, I'm otherwise as low status as a human can be. All I can say about my position is society is that if I were coloured, it would be a damn sight worse if I'd have survived it at all. The fact I wish I hadn't survived my life is neither here nor there in this issue.
My point is, the whole idea that someone's too aggressive might be the signal that you are oppressing someone in your group. Sure it might be a case of someone who's power tripping, but that's usually not described as "aggressive." That designation is reserved for powerless people who are trying to assert themselves and gain some power and are struggling hard because they deserve that power and are being shoved aside.
There you go, got my nugget.