Perhaps, it's not so much a statement of arrogance as a state of arrogance that can be so ingrained it can't be recognized or acknowledged.

You NAILED it! Beautifully put!

I do not think she meant it to be a statement of arrogance, but that is how it sounds to me.

Perhaps, it's not so much a statement of arrogance as a state of arrogance that can be so ingrained it can't be recognized or acknowledged.

I was struck precisely as you were and was trying to think of a nicer way of putting it than you already have but I can't. There is a term for that kind of thinking, though ... extreme presumptuousness.

In any event, I'm not expecting that we'll have the opportunity to tease out her thoughts in an exchange of ideas here ...

I think intersectionality just means a group contains different cross sections of our society.

The one sentence that I would strike from her article is

This is especially important to hear from people like me -- the white population of the world.

I can't help but keep going back to in an attempt to restate it in a way that it doesn't sound arrogant to me, but I am at a loss. I do not think she meant it to be a statement of arrogance, but that is how it sounds to me.

It amazes me how often people claim that our society has never done anything to address "white privilege" in this country. Does the term "Affirmative Action" ring a bell? We've been aware of how unfair it makes the playing field for minorities searching for work for decades. Granted, it's not just the work place that is affected by it, but it isn't a new issue that has been ignored either.

"Just in town on business. Just in and out. Ha. Just a little of the old in-and-out."

What's that movie?

I'm afraid it's just going to be a lot of the old in and out, for the foreseeable future ...

Surprised Michale didn't provide this, so I guess it's up to me...

"No time for the old in-and-out now, Love, just here to read the meter."
-Little Alex, A Clockwork Orange

Heh. Couldn't resist.

:-)

-CW

Well, Teresa, we're all in the same boat ... we, citizens of the world. That I can definitely support!

But, I have to say I'm ... uncomfortable ... not hypersensitive, mind you! :) ... with the notion of "intersectionality". Probably because I haven't the foggiest idea of what it means.

Seriously, I had to read the paragraph above several times and I still don't really know what it is you are saying with respect to privilege and the white population of the world. So, I'm hoping you will have the time and energy to elaborate on that here ...

This kind of action can bring up controversy in the grand scheme of protesting: some people are wary of destructive behavior because of the wrong kind of attention it displays in the media, but there are others in favor of it because they put in perspective that broken property can be fixed in a matter of weeks, but an oppressed individual's rights cannot. Even though views on violence in cases like these stir up the media's perception, both the peaceful and aggressive sides aim to accomplish the same goal in different responses -- even though destructive behavior is more consequential over maintaining peace.

First off, thanks for taking the time to write about your experience in Washington at the inauguration of Donald Trump and attending protests. Certainly, there is no shortage of issues that call out for an effective American resistance to the policies and approach of Trump and his "pirate crew".

But, what kind of American resistance will be most effective in the long run? I would wager that the effectiveness of any such action is inversely proprotional to the level of violence and destructive behavior that coincides with it and that the latter mitigates to a large extent the strength in numbers of any peaceful protest.

Granted, it is difficult to garner the extended attention of the decidedly ADD-media but that in no way excuses the resort to violence and destructive behavior.

The comparison made between broken property and an oppressed individual's rights seems quite counter-productive. And, I would argue that maintaining a peaceful protest does require a more sustained effort and a greater expenditure of physical and mental energy and, for that reason, is far more consequential in terms of positive productivity.

Did I hit on the same thing that struck you with the article? I commend the author for her willingness to stand up and speak out for others, but I fear we have gotten too "us vs. them" in this country!

So, again, thanks for not unloading.

Yea, like I said.. She seemed a nice enough sort.. No sense in making her feel unwelcome, just for sharing her opinion..

Thank you for acknowledging it.. It's very much appreciated... :D

One thing did bother me:

At one point John turned to me and said: "I'd like to see one black Trump supporter," as a means of indicating that there was a sea of white and hardly any people of color sprinkled within the audience we were milling about, besides the groups of protestors that reflected more diversity. I kid you not, upon hearing this remark, a white man with a white Trump hat turned around and slyly said with a sarcastic grin: "I'm black." He then turned and walked away. I just stared him down in disbelief, biting my water bottle, trying not to yell. In my head I just wanted to scream: "Where?!" It was an uncalled-for response to make, and that moment, to me, represented a taste of ignorant white supremacy.

I don't get the outrage. Did you ever consider that he might be bi-racial and actually was "black"?

Maybe his last name is "Black"?

Unless there was more that occurred that got left out of the article, I just do not see how his response warranted being described as "a taste of ignorant white supremacy."

I also wanted to ask one question about something you said.

It means to be inclusive of all individuals that experience oppression, are affected racially, gender- and sexuality-wise, culturally, class-wise, and all other groups that don't receive the same amount of privilege. This is especially important to hear from people like me -- the white population of the world.

Why do you assume that the "Black" man above didn't fit into any of these groups you want to be inclusive of? What makes being included by the white population of the world so especially important?

Thank you for your discretion.

:-)

No matter what is written about them, I do enjoy providing first-person reports from attending political events. I write them myself when able to attend, but am always willing and eager to print other authors' points of view for big events in the political world (especially protests).

So, again, thanks for not unloading.

-CW

I was referring to trashing her commentary..

Which is the usual result when I start addressing issues with facts.. :D

She has something she can be proud of.. A published commentary on a respected forum.. Something she can link to her friends and say:

"See!!! I did that!! That was me!!!"
-Jamie Lee Curtis, TRUE LIES

:D

She doesn't need a bunch of flame wars on her Weigantian debut...

That's just my opinion, of course..

I won't participate in the trashing of a Guest (Non Weigantian) Author's commentary..

If you want to discuss anything (including this commentary) we can go back to the previous thread or wait until tonight's FTP to go at it...

Nope, that was my only comment.. While I do have some very definite opinions about her commentary, it deals with a subject matter that is very black and white to me.... er.. No pun intended... It's one of the few stances that really stokes my passions and, Ms Johnson seems like a decent enough sort and is not likely prepared for that passion.. :D

So, I am going to respect her right to have her opinion and just leave it at that...

Michale, do you think this guest author will participate in the comments section? Because, I hate commenting on these pieces when they don't.

I honestly wish that guest authors WOULD follow up their comments where warranted.. It would be nice to know their thought processes that lead them to their opinions..

But, on the other hand, I would imagine that guest authors (sans those Weigantians, of course) probably have a live outside of Weigantia and are not fully cognizant of the dynamic in play...

Plus, to be perfectly honest, I doubt many who don't know us might not be prepared for the onslaught :D

Politics is a contact sport to begin with and Weigantia is above and beyond.. WAY above and WAY beyond.. :D

With the protests on Friday, without violence the cameras would have be focused on 45 and his bizarre speech, the protesters would have been invisible.

On Saturday however the sheer volume of people at so many sites around the World was newsworthy, thus violence (of which there was none) was unnecessary.

Having been in both crowds, did you feel this media calculation was taken into account? I ask because I was protesting when I was a student once, and a small group of agitators specifically said they were going to get glass on the street to get the TV cameras rolling.

How likely are you to die from a terrorist attack or killed by an illegal immigrant?

You people always quote odds as if they have meaning...

One of the life altering lessons of working for years on Wall St and the City is that I regard the key mechanism of life as an exercise in risk management. This is not be be conflated with the purpose of life, but rather the best way of creating the environment for the successful achievement of whatever your purpose is.

e.g. if you want to travel the world and spend time learning about other cultures, and need time and money to achieve this, you want to retire as early as possible, so you save and play market odds to increase your chance of creating a nest egg sufficient.

So, really, the odds are the only thing that have any meaning unless they directly oppose your purpose.

For example, if you want to be the best tightrope walker, you would defy the odds of surviving to take mortal risks nobody else would.

Odds are especially important when we are dealing with decisions that impact large populations and the impact of randomness is diminished.

I have a comment or two as well but, it will have to wait until much later tonight!

Thank you for sharing your first person perspective.. It is much appreciated...