Dear Dr Koh,
I'm writing you let you know I was partially wrong about something. I WAS WRONG, let me explain how.
This whole idea on racism and prejudice are two different things is getting me upset. It has come to my attention that some consider only the majority capable of racism. Suey Parks comment "Racism and whiteness go together. Only white people can be racist" I'm trying to find where in academia this idea came from, I get it in principle but I still think it's a horribly bad idea. If one looks up "Racist or Racism" in the dictionary this is the definition you get.
Racism
The belief that all members of each race possess characteristics or abilities specific to that race, especially so as to distinguish it as inferior or superior to another race or races.
MORE EXAMPLE SENTENCES
1.1 Prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one’s own race is superior
In three pages of Google searching the only reference I cam across that only a majority can be racist what in the Urban Dictionary, and I cannot count that as a credible source.
I tweeted and posted in Facebook asking people to define racism. As I walked home from work I asked random strangers on the side walk and in the subways to define Racist. I then asked them what they thought of the idea of only a majority can be racist. Of the 30 people I talked to disagreed with the idea that only a majority can be racist. And the answers I got were pretty much in line with the oxford dictionary's definition.
I did find one person in a FB group that I belonged to. That gave me the answer I'm was looking for. So I an assume that when people read what she said, as did I think that she believes that all white people are intolerant of other races and believe they are better then them. I was not raised to think that I'm better then anyone else. Weather it be because of my race or social status. Yes there is institutional racism in the United States. I get that I've read quite a bit about it in the last few days. But from what I've read would apply to any minority group anywhere. That's left me to wonder if they way we treat minorities (weather it be ethnic, religious or cultural) is just part of the human condition.
I believe in one human race, science has even demonstrated that there is only one human race. We are far less genetically diverse then we should be. I am referring to the Toba Catastrophe Theory.
I stated before there is Institutionalized Racism in this country, but the idea that only whites are racist needs to go away. For academics to use a different definition does so much more harm then good. There is no point in pissing of the majority of people, then telling them that they need to educate themselves (calling them ignorant) Most people weather it be Black White Latino Middle Eastern Jewish Indian, Native american or Asian do not want to take the time to learn about something that they don't have to. Most of us consider that to be the job of humanitarians and activists such as yourself and Suey. To break it down and feed it to us in little pieces that's easy to understand.
I can completely understand why Suey has gotten the backlash she has and some of it has been deserved especially when she talks about revolution and how she doesn't want white people on her side. Or that whiteness is an illness. If saying being Asian is a illness the reverse should be just as bad. What most people in this country want is a equal society. If you take a look at what our white privileges are they are true of any majority group around the world. But I know I don't and I do not believe that most white people take pride or are grateful of being a majority. I know there is still a lot of work to be done but anger is not the way to go about it.
I point out when I think she's going to far not because I hate her or because I want her to fail but because I want her to succeed. She's discrediting herself with a lot of her comments. And yes when she talks about her love life on the platform that everyone is looking at she looks immature.
I have criticized her but it's all been constructive. I have not trolled, that's insulting her with no purpose other then to get her upset. Nor have I made any threats to her. I've been very careful not to cross any lines that violate twitters code of conduct. I've even come down on those who have. There have been a few people that I won't follow because they troll.
I know I've disagreed with you two and I really think that if you and Suey are the activists and humanitarians you clam to be you can stomach others ideas. But from what I've seen from you and Suey and those on twitter who try to engage you is that you block them. One of them even did Suey a huge favor by alerting some people that know her that her home address was listing on her domain registration. You get that with a whois command best way to go about that is a post office box.
I've been in the information technology field since 1995 so I have just under 20 years experience with the net. If you have any questions for me about it I could spare some time to answer them for you. When Suey started the #NetNonNeutral it opened a whole new can of worms and the only thing I saw was her getting on the huff post again and making supporters of Net Neutrality look like idiots. She has an opportunity to tune her audience base into the issue and point them in a positive direction towards groups like EFF and 2600. But she chose to consolidate her support behind a cause that she was the head of. That's where most of my issue was and that why I so heavily criticized her on it.
Anyways I hope this clears up misunderstanding, and again you are privileged to have a different understanding of Racist that most of the country is not privileged to have If you want to be an activist and a humanist you have to speak in terms the masses will understand or you will do more harm then good.
Best Regards
Derek M Snow
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