RE: RE: Alexander Muse Response To #YouToo Al Franken? (Or, more accurately, Are You F@#%&*! Kidding?)
You wrote: “Ebony Edwards-Ellis’ response to my comment is yet another example of someone using identity politics to avoid dealing with the underlying issues — sexism and bigotry…”
Translation: I am uncomfortable when people who are not white, not male, (or, in Ebony’s case, neither white nor male)insist upon telling me what the world looks like to them. I get even more uncomfortable when they insist on producing evidence that they are treated very differently than white men. In fact, I get so uncomfortable, I attempt to silence them with charges of “identity politics.”
You wrote: “…In my comment I simply suggested that humans ought to be more interested in the content of one’s character than the color of someone’s skin, gender identity, religion, or sexual orientation…”
Translation: I am not the least bit interested in discussing the reality that the (white male) leaders of this country consistently refuse to judge content of character when they were dealing with women of any race, men of color, or other traditionally marginalized people. I am also not interested in talking about how this deliberate and systemic refusal directly benefits white men like myself.
You wrote: “…Despite Ebony’s claim that, “In short, women (regardless of race, ethnicity, socioeconomic class, or education level) have NEVER had our fair share of ANYTHING worth having” women have repeatedly shown their ability to amass great power and great wealth…”
Translation: If I mention a few glorious exceptions to the rule, maybe Ebony will forget the fact that the overwhelming majority of women, POC’s, and other traditionally marginalized groups are locked out of positions of power, wealth, and prestige en masse.
You wrote: “…In fact, women have held the highest political offices in more than 80 countries over the last 100 years…”
Translation: If I mention that the United Kingdom, Germany, India, Pakistan, Liberia, and a host of other countries have had women leaders, maybe Ebony will forget that the United States — the country of her birth — has never had a woman commander-in-chief.
You wrote: “…In the United States hundreds of men have sought our highest political office over the years; however, only 13 women have run for president. It seems reasonable given those ratios that each of our 45 presidents have been men.”
Translation: You know what? I literally won’t even bother to “translate” this statement. Newsflash! Women only got the right to vote one hundred years ago! Do you really think it was possible for women as a group to have run HUNDREDS of viable women presidential candidates in such a short time frame?
You wrote: “… The reality is that some people (regardless of their gender identification) don’t want to be president or run a Fortune 500 company...”
Translation: Another specious argument that I won’t bother to “translate.” Guess what, Alexander? For every ten, twenty, one hundred, or one thousand women who don’t want to be politicians or run Fortune 500 companies, there are one or two who do want to. Why aren’t they sitting in the corner offices? Or in the Oval Office? Or anywhere else where people market in power and privilege? You can say what you want but institutionalized sexism has EVERYTHING to do with that.
You wrote: “… It is your right to disagree, but I think these words from Martin Luther King are particularly helpful on this issue…”
Translation: If I pull Martin Luther King out of my ass (and quote him out of context), not only will I look slightly less racist, I can shame the black woman I’m arguing with into silence. I mean, all black people revere Martin Luther King, right?
You wrote: “ We may not approve of Martin Luther King’s behavior…”
Translation: You actually believed me when I accused Martin Luther King of rape, didn’t you?
As I’ve said before, nothing irritates me more than dealing with white men who make intellectually dishonest arguments about “identity politics” whenever I express opinions that don’t dovetail with their viewpoints. I’ll be frank. I simply do not care about how this one little opinion piece on Medium made you feel. I also don’t care if you never read another one of my stories again. I also don’t care if you choose to respond to this statement. I am under no obligation to keep going back and forth with someone who is deliberately misunderstanding my words.
Good day.
