I don't think I've written this here before, I beg pardon if I have but.
I see bigotry as Stage Theory, like Piaget's intellectual development or Kohlberg's moral development.
Stage One; unrepentant mindless bigot. Comfortable using the N-bomb, hates everybody; black and brown people. Muslims, Asians, gays. This needs no further explanat…
I don't think I've written this here before, I beg pardon if I have but.
I see bigotry as Stage Theory, like Piaget's intellectual development or Kohlberg's moral development.
Stage One; unrepentant mindless bigot. Comfortable using the N-bomb, hates everybody; black and brown people. Muslims, Asians, gays. This needs no further explanation.
Stage Two: What we are calling "woke." Race is a social construct, interfertility and melanin continua mean that there are no races, a "trans" woman is really a woman. There are no categories and any acknowledgement of differences is indistinguishably extreme bigotry. This is better than One but it is likely to collapse under its own falsehood; it's just as false as Stage One.
Stage Three: Differences are real and they are not inferiorities. We accept them, maybe revel in them.
I try to live my life as Stage Three, I don't always succeed. Indians are a real challenge for me.
I may have mentioned this before, but early in my marriage I said, "Steve (actual name forgotten) is a nice guy. I like him." My wife replied, "That doesn't mean anything Honey. You like everybody." I have been burned by that, but it does help me stay in your Stage Three. Not always, I'm as human as everybody, but I think it has been beneficial to me overall. I like the Stage Three that you describe.
I don't think I've written this here before, I beg pardon if I have but.
I see bigotry as Stage Theory, like Piaget's intellectual development or Kohlberg's moral development.
Stage One; unrepentant mindless bigot. Comfortable using the N-bomb, hates everybody; black and brown people. Muslims, Asians, gays. This needs no further explanation.
Stage Two: What we are calling "woke." Race is a social construct, interfertility and melanin continua mean that there are no races, a "trans" woman is really a woman. There are no categories and any acknowledgement of differences is indistinguishably extreme bigotry. This is better than One but it is likely to collapse under its own falsehood; it's just as false as Stage One.
Stage Three: Differences are real and they are not inferiorities. We accept them, maybe revel in them.
I try to live my life as Stage Three, I don't always succeed. Indians are a real challenge for me.
I may have mentioned this before, but early in my marriage I said, "Steve (actual name forgotten) is a nice guy. I like him." My wife replied, "That doesn't mean anything Honey. You like everybody." I have been burned by that, but it does help me stay in your Stage Three. Not always, I'm as human as everybody, but I think it has been beneficial to me overall. I like the Stage Three that you describe.