Internatioal Blog Against Racism Week...

[holzman_tweed]

...would have to happen when I'm traveling on business and pleasure, right?

Anyhow. This is pretty much directed at a white audience.

A common defense mechanism I've seen people use to avoid dealing with racism and how it has and continues to benefit them is the "fight the guilt trip" defense.

Sure, all these bad things happened, but I didn't do it! Why do you want me to feel guilty about it? How long do I have to feel guilty about it?

The above pretty much sums it up.

Fact is, I've never ran into someone who actually wanted me to feel guilty about the fact that I benefit from the system of white privilege our society is based on. No matter on what other axes I might be oppressed. That guilty feeling was all coming from inside. It was coming from inside because I was still working under an understanding of racism that said "racism is what Klansmen do," rather than "racism is a broad societal system of oppression." That first model can be kind of comforting, because if it's true, then all you have to do is not do what Klansmen do, and you're home free, right?

But that's bullshit.

But the point I'm getting at is no one wanted me to feel guilty about it. Lots of people wanted me to cop to it, and that defensive jump to fighting the guilt trip takes to focus off of what's real -- and emotionally dangerous -- and puts it on what's not -- and not.

Eventually, I stopped doing that. Or at least I got better at noticing when I was doing that, acknowledging that my head was throwing bullshit at me, and stopping my knee from jerking.

So if you feel that urge, pause and ask yourself if anyone actually wants you to feel guilty, or if they just want you to stop bullshitting yourself and them. If you figure out what I figured out and you still feel guilty, ask yourself why. If there's an opportunity to recognize and change a wrong action, welcome it, do it, and thank the guilt for pointing it out to you. If it's just an old tape, name it as such and let it go.

Comments

[misinsatiable.livejournal.com]

that defensive jump to fighting the guilt trip takes to focus off of what's real -- and emotionally dangerous -- and puts it on what's not -- and not.

As you said....racism is systematic. Part of the fabric of our society. Guilt is a wasted emotion. It doesn't help combat the problem. I am constantly reminding myself and others who I see getting on that bandwagon....don't hate the player...hate the game.

[kateorman.livejournal.com]

So true that the stereotype is "racism is what Klansmen do".

Your posting reminds me of the slightly panicked response I sometimes get from meat-eaters when I tell them I'm a vegetarian - I don't care what they eat, but I think it sometimes brings up guilty feelings! :-)