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The post from which the following quote originates, has been removed because it is offensive. But since I don't like for difficult topics to be swept under the carpet, I've been opening this thread.
I remind you that this community is for a discussion of books and fictional characters. It's not about discussing general principles. In this case, though, I feel that an exception needs to be made. Discussions always will have 'real world' elements, but they should be kept to a minimum. In this case things went too far.
totalreadr wrote: Oh, I dunno. The whole reason I couldn't get up much sympathy for Emmett Till over on terri's lj was because he was popular and "acting macho." In my reading on the case I even found his family quoted as expressing that his death was *especially* tragic because he *was* so popular! For me their cris de coeur Did Not Work As Intended in the same way that Gerda Weissman Klein's /All But My Life/ did not (http://raisin-gal.livejournal.com/1539.h
Emmett Till was popular, macho, had a bright future, etc....up north. Down south, none of that mattered because he was still black.
This is, indeed, a horrible thing to say, and for once I have to agree with the trolls who come here and shout their protest. Why is no one of the regulars protesting this? Do I have to open up the community for anonymous users to protest stuff like that? I'm trying to protect you guys and give you a niche, but that doesn't mean that stuff like this can just stand.
Racism can, perhaps, be debated in an academical manner when it is about fictional characters. This is about a real, horrible lynch murder. This is crossing the line.
Here's the link from ravenstar84 again: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmett_Till
Yes, I know, like others who hang out on her journal she's one of the wank trolls. But sometimes the trolls are right.
This thread is now closed
I remind you that this community is for a discussion of books and fictional characters. It's not about discussing general principles. In this case, though, I feel that an exception needs to be made. Discussions always will have 'real world' elements, but they should be kept to a minimum. In this case things went too far.
totalreadr wrote: Oh, I dunno. The whole reason I couldn't get up much sympathy for Emmett Till over on terri's lj was because he was popular and "acting macho." In my reading on the case I even found his family quoted as expressing that his death was *especially* tragic because he *was* so popular! For me their cris de coeur Did Not Work As Intended in the same way that Gerda Weissman Klein's /All But My Life/ did not (http://raisin-gal.livejournal.com/1539.h
Emmett Till was popular, macho, had a bright future, etc....up north. Down south, none of that mattered because he was still black.
This is, indeed, a horrible thing to say, and for once I have to agree with the trolls who come here and shout their protest. Why is no one of the regulars protesting this? Do I have to open up the community for anonymous users to protest stuff like that? I'm trying to protect you guys and give you a niche, but that doesn't mean that stuff like this can just stand.
Racism can, perhaps, be debated in an academical manner when it is about fictional characters. This is about a real, horrible lynch murder. This is crossing the line.
Here's the link from ravenstar84 again: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmett_Till
Yes, I know, like others who hang out on her journal she's one of the wank trolls. But sometimes the trolls are right.
This thread is now closed
Add to that that the term 'racism' is perceived differently in different countries. When I think of it, I think shoa first, and general xenophobia second.
Not everyone knows or sees it the way people in the US do. And sometimes we are thoughtless. So instead of yelling, you, racist, you, misogynist, you, blahblah, it would be more helpful if people pointed out to each other: what you just said was racist because, are you aware of that? Without accusation, because we all spout nonsense about stuff we haven't experienced first-hand from time to time. And as soon as you yell at people, they get defensive.
Some people never learn that, though.